Are you planning to lose weight? Learn the simple principles of healthy weight loss and nutrition
Eating healthy can be easy, affordable and delicious if you stick to some simple recommendations.
After all, a healthy diet can help reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke and lots of other things you’d rather avoid. The good news is, eating right doesn’t have to be hard or require you to give up things you love. It’s all about making smart choices to build an overall healthy dietary pattern.
To lose weight you need to eat
This is an undeniable truth. You need food because food gives you energy, nutrients and stimulates metabolism. If you limit food below a certain amount with the intention of losing weight – nothing will come of it. Your metabolism will slow down and the body will start accumulating fat tissue for fear of starvation. This is very brief because the mechanism is more complicated. But who has not heard about the so-called “Yo-yo effect.” Starving leads just this …
Women still make the same mistake – they do not lose weight, they do not eat. They reason: “The less I have on the plate, the faster I lose my weight”. How long can it last? Month, two? Then they increase the portions, which leads to the yo-yo effect, because the preventive organism will use every opportunity to save energy and … the kilograms lost with huge effort are coming back. That is why, for example, the 1,000 calories diet so popular for years in the long run does not work. In my experience, the less a diet is strict, the easier it is to persevere in it and in the long run it gives better results.
At least 5 balanced, rich in vitamins and minerals, are recommended (even 7-8, but small). If you eat, you often stimulate your metabolism. Thanks to this, the body will digest it faster and easier, transform it into energy and burn more calories. Simple? Eat every 2-3 hours. In emergency situations (only!) When you really can not eat as often (eg due to work), make sure that the break between meals has never been longer than 5 hours.
Eat lots of fruit and veg
It’s recommended that you eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and veg every day. They can be fresh, frozen, canned, dried or juiced.
Getting your 5 A Day is easier than it sounds. Why not chop a banana over your breakfast cereal, or swap your usual mid-morning snack for a piece of fresh fruit?
A portion of fresh, canned or frozen fruit and vegetables is 80g. A portion of dried fruit (which should be kept to mealtimes) is 30g.
A 150ml glass of fruit juice, vegetable juice or smoothie also counts as 1 portion, but limit the amount you have to no more than 1 glass a day as these drinks are sugary and can damage your teeth.
Simple principles of healthy eating
If you’re looking to start losing weight, living healthier, and feeling better, it really comes down to a few key rules:
- Eat mostly real food.
- Eat fewer calories than you did in the past.
- Avoid liquid calories like the plague.
- Avoid the plague.
What to Drink?
- Coffee: Coffee is healthy and very rich in antioxidants, but people who are sensitive to caffeine should avoid it. Avoid coffee late in the day because it can ruin your sleep.
- Tea: Tea is healthy, rich in antioxidants and has a lot less caffeine than coffee.
- Water: You should drink water throughout the day and especially around workouts. No reasonto drink a whole ton though, thirst is a pretty reliable indicator of your need.
- Carbonated soda without artificial sweeteners is fine.
Avoid sodas with sugar and artificial sweeteners, fruit juice, milk and beer.
Simple rule: Don’t drink calories.
Exercise is important for weight loss
Exercise prevents muscle loss, so it is important to exercise when you are losing weight. Exercise will protect your muscles and keep your metabolic rate ticking over at a healthy level.
The number of people who are overweight and obese is increasing every year. This is because we have become more sedentary (inactive). For most of us, Physical activity is no longer a natural part of our lifestyle, so it must be fitted into our daily schedule.
