You think that the less energy you provide to the body, the more it will draw from the accumulated fat, so you will lose weight faster. So you start to torture yourself with low-calorie diets, regardless of the body’s needs. In practice, however, it is not that simple, the weight loss process is much more complicated. Therefore, although you eat so little, you do not lose weight.
Such a rigorous approach to nutrition means that you do not provide your body with wholesome meals that provide it with all the nutrients. There is also a lack of vitamins and minerals. All of this has a negative effect on the metabolism. The body devoid of all these components goes into the sparing mode, slowing down the metabolic rate. The calories delivered with food are then not used on an ongoing basis, but stored in the form of adipose tissue. Instead of losing weight, you put on weight, or at best keep your body weight the same all the time. What’s more, a slow metabolism means that with each new diet it will be harder and harder for you to lose weight.
What is metabolism?
Metabolism (or metabolism) is all biochemical reactions occurring in cells that are related to the uptake of nutrients, converting them into energy and the excretion of by-products. The rate of metabolism depends on many factors, including on the amount of adipose tissue (the more it is, the slower the pace), the amount of muscle tissue (the more muscles – the faster the pace) and the type of diet (for the processes related to metabolism to run smoothly, the body must receive vitamins and minerals and nutritional).
An overweight person has a weakened metabolism from the very beginning due to a higher content of adipose tissue. If he additionally uses an improperly balanced diet, it only worsens the situation.
So how do you lose weight?
First, calculate how many calories you should provide to the body. For this purpose, you can use our metabolic calculator
The result obtained is the amount of calories you would need to supply if you wanted to keep your body weight at a given level. So if you are going to lose weight, cut it down slightly to get a caloric deficit. Note: You should never go below 1000 kcal / day, for most people it is 1500 kcal / day. This is the minimum that will allow you to lose weight, while ensuring the proper functioning of the body and protecting against the yo-yo effect. With such a dose of energy, you will not go hungry forever, which will save you from snacking. The next step will be to consider what products to include in the plan and which to avoid categorically. Sweets, salty snacks, fast food, alcohol, carbonated drinks will definitely be forbidden. However, you can safely eat bread and pasta (unless you have a diagnosed gluten intolerance or celiac disease). However, choose wholemeal ones, they are richer in minerals and dietary fiber. Remember that these products are a source of complex carbohydrates, which in turn are the main source of energy for the body. So giving them up is a big dietary mistake.
In addition, eat lean meat, fish, dairy products, eggs, 2 portions of fruit a day, and at least 3 portions of vegetables. Add oils to salads, and eat a few nuts as a snack – even on a slimming diet, food must be full of fat. You can prepare tasty dishes from these products, so your diet does not have to be tormenting. A reduction diet, in addition to its main task (i.e. slimming), should also have educational functions, that is, it should show what products should be chosen in order not to have problems with overweight in the future and to protect against diet-related diseases. Therefore, do not starve yourself, start eating healthy!
Main photo: Photo credit: brndnsh / Foter / CC BY-SA