Proper nutrition for weight loss is not about strict restrictions, fasting and refusal from your favorite foods. First, it is self-defense, food specialty and what makes you feel good and improves the quality of your life.
The principle of all or nothing does not work in this case. There is no need to try to change everything in one day and at a time - this usually leads to malfunctions and consequently overconsumption. It is best to make small changes in stages. This will help you achieve more success in the long run. When your small changes become a habit, add more healthy rules.
The important thing to remember is that the search for health is a lifelong journey. You should enjoy it, not stress.
Why eat healthy food?
In addition to helping you maintain a healthy body weight, eating a healthy diet that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy products and protein, there are other important benefits.
Poor nutrition is the most common cause of immune deficiency worldwide. Scientists link the emergence of many chronic diseases to improper diet. For example, 38, 5 thousand men and 67 thousand women participated in one study. Over 8-12 years of study, junk food has been shown to worsen biomarkers and can also cause heart disease, hypertension (high blood pressure), type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and some types of cancer.
Evidence shows that 30–35% of cancer deaths are related to diet, 25–30% are due to tobacco, 15–20% are due to infections and the remaining proportion due to other factors such as radiation, stress, inadequate physical activity, environmental pollution and more. s. frv.
Poor nutrition affects not only physical but also mental health. According to the Mental Health Foundation, two-thirds of those who eat fresh fruits and vegetables daily have no mental health problems.
Thus, the link between good nutrition and healthy weight, reduced risk of chronic disease and health in general is too important to ignore.
How long does it take to form eating habits?
Everyone is looking for a quick fix for weight loss these days and changing habits that promote it and last for a long time takes time. This has been confirmed by recent research.
For a long time, it was thought that 21-28 days would be enough for a stable habit to develop. This statement is primarily related to the work of a doctor named Maxwell Maltz. In the 1950s, he was a plastic surgeon and noticed that it took his patients at least 21 days to learn to look comfortably in the mirror after surgery. In addition, he noticed that people who had amputated legs or arms took just as long to lose the sense of fantasy.
As a result, he developed this idea in his book Psychocybernetics, which was published in 1960. Subsequently, the idea was adopted by many doctors, public bodies, coaches. Over the years, the "minimum" has disappeared and the 21-day period has become almost a "scientific" law.
What are the new studies talking about?
Philip Lally is a health psychologist at University College London. In an article published in the European Journal of Social Psychology, Lally and her diagnostic team wanted to find out how long it actually takes to form a habit.
The study involved 96 people. Each one chose a new habit for 12 weeks and each day reported whether he followed it or not.
Some have adopted simple rules such as "drinking a bottle of water for lunch". Others opted for challenging tasks, such as running 15 minutes before lunch. After 12 weeks, researchers analyzed the data to determine how long it took each person to leave. to initiate new behaviors to perform them automatically.
On average, it took more than 2 months, or rather 66 days. But the time it takes to form a new habit can vary greatly depending on the behavior, person, and situation. In total, the study took people 18 to 254 days.
How to start eating right and what habits can help you lose weight?
1. Have a calorie deficit
The main idea is as old as the world -you need to burn more calories than you consume. . .
Negative calorie balance forces the body to use the accumulated reserves to supply the body with the necessary energy. This energy comes mainly from the body's stores of carbohydrates and fats.
During the weight loss phase, the daily calorie deficit should be between 300 and 500 kcal.
In addition, it is important to monitor the indicators of BJU (proteins, fats and carbohydrates).
2. Reduce the amount of fat in your diet
According to the WHO (World Health Organization) should choose unsaturated fats (found in fish, avocados, nuts, etc. ) and reduced consumption of saturated fats (fatty meats, butter, palms, coconut oil, etc. ), as well as industrial trans fats found in fatty acids. , fried foods, convenience foods, pies, fries, biscuits, etc. s. frv.
Fat should not exceed 30% of the total diet consumed in dieting, of which less than 10% should be saturated and not more than 1% trans fat.
It is not necessary to stop eating fat completely. They are necessary to supply the body with polyunsaturated fatty acids, e. g. e. linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid. They are not produced by the body and are found mainly in vegetable oils and fish.
Get enough protein
Protein is the most important building block in the body and must reach about 40% of the total energy requirement.
When you are trying to lose weight, a high protein diet can leave you full for a long time by affecting the hunger hormone ghrelin. Protein also counteracts muscle loss during dieting. The more muscle mass, the more energy is consumed and the greater the calorie requirement.
Animal proteins have a higher biological value than plant proteins. However, they tend to contain extra fat and cholesterol, so consumption should be moderate.
According to research, a high-protein breakfast can reduce cravings for food and calorie intake throughout the day.
4. Avoid simple carbohydrates
In total, carbohydrates in the diet should be about 30%. They are usually divided into simple and complex. It takes longer to process the latter and produces less insulin, which helps you stay full and avoid overeating.
Simple carbohydrate foods include sugar, white flour baked goods, jams, sodas, juices and more. For simple carbohydrates, it is better to choose the first part of the day, when blood sugar levels are low after sleep, glycogen stores are depleted and the body's energy needs to be restored.
For foods high in carbohydrates, whole grains are ideal because, in addition to their high mineral and fiber content, they also saturate the body and promote digestion.
As a guide you can useHarvard Healthy Pyramid. . .
5. If you can not but really want to
As you know, "the forbidden fruit is sweet. " The more you forbid yourself to do something, the more you want it. And the guilt that prevails if you give in to temptation causes some to give up and give up what they started. á.
Therefore, the first step may not be a complete rejection of the harmful product, but a reduction in dosages and a reduction in the frequency of its consumption. Over time, you will begin to have less cravings for these foods.
6. Avoid high-fat drinks
Avoid soda and fruit juices.According to a study, these drinks are low in nutrients, if at all, and excessive consumption led Americans to a 20% weight gain between 1977 and 2007.
0, 5 liter bottle of coke contains 240 calories and 65 grams of sugar. It has been proven that people who drink mainly water consume on average 200 calories a day less than those who drink other drinks.
Drink water before meals. One study found that drinking water half an hour before a meal can reduce appetite and increase weight loss by 44% in just 3 months.
If you are not ready to quit unhealthy drinks right away, use a simple trick that can fool your brain.
Check out the photo below. Which of the lines is larger: horizontal or vertical?
In fact, both lines are the same length, but our brains tend to overestimate the vertical lines. In other words, in transferring this knowledge to the material under consideration, taller glasses and mugs appear to us to be larger and more spacious than circular and wide.
This way you can drink about 20% less from a tall and thin glass than from a small and wide glass without feeling dissatisfied.
7. Eliminate alcohol
When switching to a proper diet, it is recommended to stop drinking alcohol. Why is this necessary?
- Alcohol triggers an increase in appetite by affecting nerve cells, and also increases the risk of breakdown, unhealthy food choices and overeating.
- It adversely affects digestion, alters the secretion of gastric acid and its motility, leading to metabolic disorders.
- Alcohol leaves water in the body, which is why in the morning many people find inflammation and extra weight on the scales.
- Drinking alcohol can impair the body's ability to recover after exercise and thus reduce its ability to burn excess calories with exercise.
- Alcohol consumption leads to shorter and lower quality sleep, which has a significant effect on hunger and forces people to switch from carbohydrates to eating fat. According to research, a 30-minute sleep deprivation is equivalent to 83 additional calories a day.
However, it should be clarified that alcoholic beverages in moderate doses do not cause significant harm to the body. 100 ml of dry red wine contains 80 kcal, 100 ml of beer contains 45 kcal. For comparison, in vodka - 230 kcal per 100 g. Therefore, you can drink a glass of dry wine or a glass of beer once a week, subject to weight loss.
8. Eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables provide the body with fiber, minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals. They serve a number of important functions in the body and are essential for healthy metabolic processes.
It is recommended that you eat at least two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables a day (one serving is approximately 150 g). It is worth considering that excessive consumption of fruits is not recommended, because they contain a lot of fructose, in contrast to low-calorie and nutritious vegetables.
9. Be careful to speed up food intake
The speed at which you eat affects the dose as well as the likelihood of weight gain. Our brain and gut are in constant communication, so if your brain is distracted while you eat, you may not get any signs of being hungry or drunk.
Keep in mind that it takes an average of 20 minutes to get this information so a slower meal can prevent overeating.
In addition, you can eat slowly and it also promotes weight maintenance. Studies comparing different eating speeds show that those who eat fast are 115% more likely to be obese than those who eat slowly.
10. Redefine how you prepare food
The way you prepare food directly affects your health.
Grilling, smoking, frying, deep frying are all popular methods of preparing meat and fish. However, with such methods, some potentially toxic compounds (polycyclic and heterocyclic) are formed in foods associated with a variety of chronic diseases, including cancer and heart disease.
Healthier methods include baking, lambing, steaming, etc. s. frv. They do not promote the formation of these harmful compounds and thus make your food healthier.
11. Eat from small plates
It has been shown that the size of the pots can affect how much you eat. In large plates, people put portions that are on average 30% higher than in regular dishes.
The same amount of food on a large and small plate is perceived by the brain in a different way, this is called Delbeuf deception.
Agree, it seems like the item on the left is rather small. We bet you want a supplement. At the same time, the object on the disk is on the right, filled to the brim, perceived more and accordingly there is a feeling that it will be more pleasing.
12. Cut down spices and seasonings
Salt, spices, commercial sauces and ketchup should be consumed as a minimum. Many of them contain sugar, colorings, preservatives, flavorings and stabilizers. They adversely affect the function of the gastrointestinal tract.
WHO recommends consuming no more than 5 grams of iodinated salt per day (approx. 1 tsp). WHO member states have set themselves the goal of reducing world consumption by 30% by 2025, which should help prevent hypertension and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke in adults.
13. Control emotional eating.
Our relationship with food is closely linked to our emotional health. We do not always take food to satisfy our hunger. Many people look for food to reduce stress or deal with uncomfortable emotions such as anxiety, sadness, loneliness or boredom. But learning healthier ways to deal with them can help you regain control. Serotonin levels play a key role here.
It is a neurotransmitter that helps to control sleep and appetite, control mood and suppress pain. Since about 95% of serotonin is produced in the gastrointestinal tract and the gastrointestinal tract is lined with hundreds of millions of neurons, it makes sense that the inner workings of the digestive system not only help digest food, but also control the emotional state. state.
14. Choose a healthy snack
Snacking is one of the most important factors in maintaining a healthy diet and nutrition. If you choose healthy foods that are high in protein and nutrients, snacks can be an essential part of your weight loss. Some of them can even help you stay full all day and limit your cravings for unhealthy foods.
Avoid cookies and sweets, sandwiches and glazed cheeses in favor of dried fruits, nuts, vegetable sticks with hummus, natural yogurt, fruits, etc. s. frv.
15. Be selected in the supermarket
In supermarkets, there is an indisputable rule about the so-called "Outer Circle". The healthiest products are usually along the margins - fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, dairy products, breakfast cereals, etc.
Why are processed foods harmful? Scientists are increasingly finding that processed foods, with all the additives, sugars and fiber deficiencies, can have a negative effect on the gut of the micro-organism and the various bacteria that line its walls. As a result, the risk of chronic disease increases and fertile soil for overeating is created.
In one study, consumption of processed foods was linked to an increase in cardiovascular disease, in another - with an increasing risk of dying from any cause.
In addition, special attention must be paid to the labels on the products, which indicate the storage conditions and composition. Keep in mind that the ingredients are listed in descending order, from highest to lowest. The fewer the better. Make sure that the product does not contain sweeteners such as sugar alcohol, monosodium glutamate (E621), formaldehyde (E240), trans fats, colorants (E102, E104, E110, E122, E124, E129) etc. s. frv.
16. Do not be distracted while eating
A new study claims that the perception of sound intake of food affects eating habits. The study involved two groups of people who ate crispy food, one with headphones with white noise and the other without. As a result, participants who were distracted by white noise heard less of the sound of the food, which caused them to eat more than those who heard the crunch.
Another interesting experiment, the result of which was published in 2016, claims that browsing through social networks where cooking is monitored by the public or various supermarkets can cause so-called "visual hunger". In other words, even if you do not need physical food, the body sends signals to the brain using the hunger hormone you want to eat.
The key to a healthy food relationship is: "Food is not the enemy. " Instead of focusing on what you should not eat, think about what you can add to healthy, fresh and tasty things to diversify. in the diet. Do not try to change everything at once, form new healthy habits gradually and without stress.
As you know, a balanced diet is at least 50% of the result of losing weight! Without it, even the most qualified training will not yield the expected results.