There are many different ways to lose weight, and almost everyone has some sort of diet behind them. Well, if effective (if only for a while) and most often remembered very badly. This is usually a difficult period, which we are able to survive through tremendous effort, and after which…. everything returns to the easier norm from before the sacrifices. And when, after a long ordeal of dieting, we are again rapidly gaining weight or facing the health consequences of the deficiencies we have acquired along the way, we begin to understand that such dieting is not the happiest scenario. So how to do it so as not to overdo it?
The colloquial perception of the word „diet” – all those restrictions, self-denial and constant hunger – has little to do with what a diet actually is. Because the word „diet” means a way of eating – so we are on some all the time! It’s worth making sure it’s balanced so that it’s not an oppression, serves your figure and feeds your body so that you don’t have to change it…. preferably never again.
It can be done, provided we are patient. Agreeing to wait longer for results is a small sacrifice, if in return you get good health and well-being, daily satisfaction with your meals and some pleasure – after all, according to the principle of balanced weight loss, if you make sensible dietary decisions 80% of the time, you can go a little crazy the other 20%.
What does a balanced diet consist of? On common sense. And taking care of yourself, respecting your own limitations (after all, weight loss is different for a teenage girl, different for a thirty-year-old woman after pregnancy, and different for a fifty-year-old woman after menopause), and finally – not eliminating any food group without medical indications.
Carbohydrates are not the enemy
Most often we eliminate carbohydrates, which are now nutritional public enemy number one. The fashion for removing them from the menu followed the similar restraints we imposed on ourselves regarding the consumption of fats – they, in turn, were blamed for all the evils until a dozen years ago. So we remove carbohydrates from our plates, tracking sugar everywhere, even where it occurs naturally and harms no one.
Meanwhile, carbohydrates are absolutely necessary for us! They are an excellent source of energy, as well as many vitamins (the important B group!) and micronutrients, without which there can be neither good health, nor efficient immunity, nor…. beauty. So let’s not give up on them! Since carbohydrates are divided into simple and complex, let’s reach for the complex ones – I’ll talk about what they are, why you should leave them on the menu and how much to eat to lose weight during my live show on Instagram My Best Slim.
Fats good and bad
Also, don’t eliminate the aforementioned fats from your diet – but don’t overdo it either. They are very necessary, but more than twice as caloric as carbohydrates and proteins. Since fats differ in their chemical structure and properties, as well as in their effects on our health, there is not space here to discuss them in detail. However, it is worth remembering that animal ones should be definitely limited, and plant ones should be enjoyed as often as possible, although in reasonable quantities – they have a positive and strengthening effect on the nervous system, and therefore strong cognitive and…. mood, but also beautify the skin, and are also quite important in suppressing appetite. It is best to use those from natural sources, such as those from nuts or avocados, and choose those with a good fatty acid profile.
Protein doesn’t mean meat
The last important macronutrient is the building and regenerative protein. And it’s not just meat that we should be limiting in our diet (the latest recommendations include at least one meatless day a week, limiting red meat and processed meats to 500 grams a week, and the benefits of a flexitarian diet). Let’s eat fish and legumes as often as possible, and don’t forget about dairy and eggs – they are all very important. Plus, it’s easier than meat to prepare them in a way that doesn’t add calories!
Vegetables – the secret to success
And finally, the most important thing, which is the basis of any good (not just weight loss) diet – vegetables and fruits! We should eat almost half a kilogram of them a day, although…. there is no limit ;). As colorful as possible, leafy, raw, pickled, roasted, boiled – any! They should be the base of each of our meals, and preferably make up half of them. They are real health bombs – they contain water, vitamins and minerals, beneficial phytochemicals and effective antioxidants…. without them there is no chance for good health, and any restriction of them causes dangerous deficiencies. Plus, vegetables are so wonderfully low in calories! Seriously – I’ve never met anyone who didn’t lose weight by really eating a lot of vegetables. All the more worth it!
A balanced diet can be written and talked about for hours, and during our live shows I will analyze more elements of it – because this is obviously just an introduction. However, to reiterate – it must contain the right amounts of the trio: carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Immediately add an adequate supply of fluids and moderate, recreational exercise to this list, and say hello to good health. Until we hear from you!
Ewa Bakota, M.Sc. in Dietetics
