How to lose weight so that later you do not gain even more?
We often start the process of losing weight abruptly “on Monday”, wanting to see the results as soon as possible. And this is fraught with the fact that after the weight loss marathon, the kilograms not only return, but also bring “friends” with them. How to properly lose weight without unpleasant side effects for health, tell experts in the fight against excess weight.
“Your rate of weight loss is individual and depends on several factors,” says nutritionist Lauren Slayton, MS, RD, founder of Foodtrainers in New York. – First, determine what your so-called healthy weight is. This is the one you had in good times when you felt your best. Healthy weights vary from person to person. You do not need to strive for fictitious ideals, you need to strive to restore your personal healthy weight. And second – do not be guided by the rate of weight loss in others. Lose weight at your own pace. We each have our own metabolism and hormonal background. Men, for example, always lose weight faster than women.
According to Caroline Apovian, MD, director of the Nutrition and Weight Management Center at Boston Medical Center, the harsh truth of losing weight is that as soon as you start cutting back on calories, your body thinks it’s hungry, turns on an energy-saving mode, and triggers an increased appetite. Weight loss is highly dependent on what you ate in the past. If you had a lot of fast food and processed carbohydrates in your diet, then in the first week of refusing them, you will immediately lose a lot of kilograms, but this will not go away fat, but water that was retained in the body due to improper nutrition. Therefore, you should not expect the same rapid weight loss as in the first weeks. In the second month, the process will go much slower.
There is no need to rush to lose weight. Losing weight quickly may mean that you are not burning fat, but muscle. And a decrease in muscle mass reduces metabolism, and for this reason, it is worth switching to a normal diet, as the kilograms will immediately return.
So what’s the most normal weight loss regimen?
– Of course, everything is individual, and each person has his own personal speed that is comfortable for his body. – say nutritionists. – On average, the healthiest one for the body is 2,3 – 2,5 kilograms per month. Therefore, you do not need to dream, they say, I will fit into that dress or jeans by the appointed time. It is better to go slowly but surely towards your goal.
As for people who have a completely normal weight, but need to lose a couple of kilograms for cosmetological reasons, nutritionists advise them not to pay attention to the scales at all, but to concentrate on improving the work of muscle mass. Exercise more, it improves metabolism, and fat goes away naturally without much dietary change.