We will see if all diets are harmful, how to eat to lose weight and maintain results for a long time, and whether it is necessary to count calories for this.
The desire to be thin can push you into new practices, sometimes even dangerous. But in the end, even if the weight disappears, it comes back quickly. Why does this happen?
As a rule, a drastic reduction in daily calorie intake has only a temporary effect when the cause of excess weight lies in lifestyle and diet.
Which diet will help you lose weight
So, diets really help you lose weight. But before you rejoice, let's point out an important detail: none of the restrictive diets works in the long term and cannot even be harmful.
Any diet has its drawbacks: for example, a keto diet can worsen existing liver disease, lead to kidney problems, and cause mood swings and irritability due to the lack of glucose in complex carbohydrates.
Moreover, diet, in the popular sense, is always about restrictions, and restrictions are linked to malnutrition and depression. As a result, even if you "sit" on it for a while and really lose weight, but do not change your eating habits, the weight will return. And it’s a proven model.
The more varied the diet and the more flexible the nutritional plan, the easier it is to follow. This means not collapsing and achieving your goals without harming the body. Therefore, a healthy and complete diet is better than a restrictive diet.
But maybe there is a diet that will help you lose weight without harming your health?
What is a healthy diet
A healthy diet is above all balanced and varied. Food must provide you with all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals necessary for the proper functioning of the body. The principle of the "healthy plate" will contribute to this.
- Eat fruits and vegetables of different colors. Fresh, boiled, dried - any.
- Include complex, whole-grain carbohydrates in your diet: they are rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber.
- Remember that dairy products and their plant-based alternatives are an important source of calcium. Choose options that are low in fat and without added sugar.
- Try to eat fish and legumes at least twice a week.
- Use different vegetable oils.
Before you start your weight loss journey, think about what "healthy" foods you enjoy so you have more delicious options for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Remember, the best "diet" is the one you follow.
Proper nutrition - without restrictions and the stress they cause - can help not only lose weight, but also improve health. In many cases, even a simple transition to a balanced diet results in weight loss.
However, even if you eat a nutritious and varied diet, it is important not to overeat. In addition to internal guidelines - feelings of hunger and fullness - practice can help you: finding portions of food that suit you.
Basic principles of good nutrition: we tell you where to start in this article.
Should you count calories to lose weight?
The method for counting calories for your daily routine is not the best:
- concentration on the numbers associated with the body - parameters, weight, kcal, etc. - can cause neuroticism associated with the development of eating disorders;
- Not all calories are the same qualitatively: brownie and avocado toast have different nutritional values;
- The calorie content depends on the condition of the product, for example, the same mass of nuts, whole or ground, gives a different amount of calories.
Calorie counting is therefore more suited to clinical practice when it comes to pathologies and/or hospital treatments.
At the same time, the calculation can always be used carefully to independently understand your own nutritional standards and the level of proteins, fats and carbohydrates consumed.
You can use an app or website to count calories: it makes your life easier in many ways. But often these methods are inaccurate: after all, what is eaten or drunk can be forgotten. This means that the tens or hundreds of kcal consumed will not be taken into account in the final indicators.
If you control the calorie intake of your diet, do it effectively: take into account snacks, drinks and various additives to the main dishes - sauces and butter.
When does a healthy lifestyle become unhealthy and what is orthorexia? We talk about it in the article.
How to calculate your daily calorie intake
To calculate the correct daily calorie intake yourself, use one of the following methods.
Method 1. Formula for calculating energy requirements
This EER formula takes into account age, gender, weight, height and physical activity level and is suitable for adult men and women:
- EER for men = 662 – (9. 53 x age in years) + PA x [(15. 91 x weight in kg) + (539. 6 x height in meters)]
- EER for women = 354 – (6. 91 x age in years) + PA x [(9. 36 x weight in kg) + (726 x height in meters)]
PA is a level of physical activity that can be assigned a value based on the following parameters:
- sedentary lifestyle (virtually no exercise) – BP = 1. 0;
- low activity (light exercise, sport 1 to 3 days per week) – PA = 1. 11 to 1. 25;
- moderate activity (moderate exercise, sport 3 to 5 days per week – PA = 1. 26 to 1. 48);
- increased activity (intense exercise, sport 6 to 7 days a week) – BP = 1. 49 to 1. 94.
Method 2. Harris-Benedict formula
This formula will help you estimate your BMR, which is your basal metabolic rate or the number of calories your body needs at rest. From BMR, taking into account your activity level, you can calculate TDEE - Total Daily Energy Expenditure.
For men:
BMR = 66. 5 + (13. 75 x weight in kg) + (5. 003 x height in cm) – (6. 755 x age in years).
For women:
BMR = 655. 1 + (9. 563 x weight in kg) + (1. 850 x height in cm) – (4. 676 x age in years).
To calculate your TDEE, multiply your BMR by your activity ratio based on the following values:
- sedentary lifestyle (virtually no exercise) - BMR x 1, 2;
- light activity (light exercise, sport 1-3 days per week) - BMR x 1. 375;
- average activity (moderate exercise, sport 3 to 5 days per week) - BMR x 1. 55;
- increased activity (intense exercise, sports 6-7 days a week) - BMR x 1. 725;
- overactivity (intense exercise, sport and physical work) - BMR x 1. 9.
These methods have their drawbacks. For example, the Harris-Benedict equation, although used for many years and serving as a standard guideline, does not take into account lean body mass, which can affect basal metabolic rate.
Additionally, the equations provide only estimates, and individual variations and metabolism can affect actual energy requirements.
Therefore, you should not rely on calorie counting alone. Consider your practical experience and the portions that suit you and listen to your feelings of hunger and fullness.
A special relationship with food: what is psychological hunger and why do people eat because of it?
What is important to know to lose weight
Seven tips for those who want to lose weight.
- The pursuit of being fit is great until it becomes an obsession. Analyze why you want to lose weight. Your weight can be healthy, but non-environmental motivation can actually be harmful.
- Fat performs an important function in the body: it protects against cold and hunger, surrounds the organs and protects them from injury, and provides the body with energy. Before losing weight, assess how much you need. After all, obesity and fat are not the same thing.
- Any restrictive diet is an unhealthy practice. Even if they produce results, they are short-lived, but they can lead to neuroses and eating disorders. Remember that sometimes it is important for stars to lose weight "here and now", and therefore a beautiful photo is not synonymous with health and may not be the best example.
- Excess added sugar in the diet is one of the main causes of obesity. Adjusting your diet according to the principles of a "healthy plate" is the most effective diet.
- Weight affects not only nutrition, but also sleep quality, physical activity level and even psychological and mental state. If dietary adjustments don't produce the desired changes, there may be another reason.
- Some experts recommend the Mediterranean and Scandinavian diets, as well as intermittent fasting, for weight loss. However, before trying a new eating plan, analyze your eating habits and preferences. And if that’s not your thing, don’t bother. Self-forced eating practices can lead to negative results and harm your health.
- And of course, don't self-medicate. If excess weight has already led to health problems, seek help from specialists.