Contents
You already know that you need to expend more calories to lose weight than you consume from food. However, there are several important points to consider when losing weight. Success in weight loss depends not only on a calorie deficit in the diet, but also on a balanced diet, regular exercise, drinking regimen, adequate sleep and good mental tone.
Nutritional balance means the ratio of its main components – proteins, fats and carbohydrates. All of them are equally needed by the body, but in different quantities.
Proteins in the diet of those who are losing weight
All tissues and cells of the body – muscles, internal organs, immune, circulatory, hormonal systems – consist of proteins. Therefore, we must get enough protein from food.
Proteins are complete and deficient. Essential amino acids, which we can only get from it, make a complete protein.
- Complete proteins are found in meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and cottage cheese.
- We get defective proteins from legumes, cereals, nuts.
Protein requirements range from 0,8 g to 1,2 g per kilogram of body weight, if you do not need to lose weight (WHO recommendation). The leaner and more active you are, the more protein you need. Also, the need for protein increases with weight loss. Therefore:
- With severe obesity, you need to consume 1-1,2 g of protein for each kilogram of your weight.
- With a little excess weight, an average of 1,5-2 g should be taken.
- Relatively slender people who need to lose a little excess weight should focus on 2-2,2 g.
80% of the protein in the diet should come from plant sources.
Fats in the diet of those who are losing weight
Fats are an essential component of nutrition, since they are responsible for skin regeneration, assimilation of fat-soluble vitamins, synthesis of hormones, and protection of internal organs. They also make food tastier and help control appetite.
Fats are either saturated or unsaturated. Saturated fats are found in meat, poultry, dairy products, cheese, butter, coconut, and palm oil. Sources of unsaturated fats – most vegetable oils, fish, nuts, seeds.
The most harmful and dangerous type of fat is trans fats (margarine), which is found in most confectionery products. Trans fats lead to obesity, metabolic disorders, and cardiovascular disease. They should be avoided.
Omega-3 fatty acids are of particular importance for those who are losing weight. They are found in fish, fish oil supplements, and flaxseed and camelina oils. Omega-3s lower cholesterol levels, improve blood supply to the brain and cells, accelerate metabolic processes, thereby contributing to weight loss.
The needs are as follows:
- With severely overweight – 0,4-0,6 g per kilogram of body weight;
- Overweight – 0,7-0,8 g per kilogram of body weight;
- With a normal weight – 0,9-1,1 g per kilogram of body weight.
1/3 of the fat consumed should come from saturated sources, and 2/3 from unsaturated sources.
Carbohydrates in the diet of those who are losing weight
Carbohydrates serve as a source of vitamins, minerals and fiber, nourish muscles during physical activity, and are essential for normal brain function.
Carbohydrates are simple and complex. Simple ones are found in all foods containing sugar and in fruits, complex ones – in cereals, legumes and vegetables.
The body spends more energy on processing complex carbohydrates. This ensures well-being and long-term satiety. Therefore, 80% of carbohydrates in the diet should be complex.
Fiber for losing weight is of particular importance. It is found in the shell of grains, vegetables, herbs, berries and fruits. Together with protein and fats, fiber ensures long-term satiety and improves gastrointestinal function. The daily rate of fiber is 25 g.
The amount of carbohydrates in the diet is determined by calculating the daily caloric intake of proteins and fats. One gram of protein and one gram of carbohydrates have 4 calories, and one gram of fat contains nine calories.
To find out your needs:
- Multiply the amount of protein in grams by 4;
- Multiply the amount of fat in grams by 9;
- Add results 1 and 2;
- Subtract the sum of 1 and 2 from the daily calorie intake;
- Divide the resulting number by 4.
This will tell you How long carbs you need.
The total amount of carbohydrates per day should not fall below 100 g.
Exercise for weight loss
Untrained people can start with simple walking and light cardio exercises. As you exercise, you can add home workouts or gym workouts. The body gradually adapts to training, so you need to make sure that sports activities give results.
To burn fat for people who are slightly overweight, you should choose a more intense program, such as circuit training and do 150-300 minutes of cardio per week.
Other factors for effective weight loss
Other factors include basic activity, drinking regimen, stress control, adequate sleep, and diet.
Basic activity is your mobility in everyday life, that is, non-training activity. You spend calories on any activity, and the more active you are at home, the more energy you expend.
Water helps to digest food, relieves puffiness, improves appetite control, and also stimulates metabolic processes. When you drink cool water, your body expends calories to warm it up. And also clean water is a source of mineral salts, which are essential for metabolism. On average, you need to drink 1,5-2 liters of clean water per day.
Stress control is important because most binge eating occurs during times of stress. During stress, the body produces the hormone cortisol, which retains water in the body, which masks weight loss.
Sleep while losing weight should be 7-9 hours. Regular sleep deprivation provokes fatigue, the synthesis of the aforementioned hormone cortisol, provokes overeating, and also reduces insulin sensitivity, which makes you feel forever hungry and restructures your body to store calories.
When talking about insulin, it is important to note that eating insulin helps regulate the secretion of this hormone. The body produces insulin in response to food. The task of the hormone is to direct nutrients to the cells of the body. The higher your blood sugar rises after a meal, the higher your insulin levels and the more difficult it is to control your appetite. Evaluate the pros and cons of classic and split meals, and then decide what suits you best.
The number of meals should be convenient for you, the main thing is to observe the regime – not to starve or overeat, but to eat in a balanced way, in accordance with the needs of your body. Regular exercise, adequate sleep, clean water and stress management will be your invisible weight loss aids.