Weight loss, as those who live on a diet know , is not as difficult as not putting on weight again . But is it really possible to lose weight forever? It does guarantee one of the largest researches on the subject, presented at the meeting of the American Association of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism, in Colorado Springs, in the United States.
See what the experts’ recommendations are and follow the tips of Tânia Collino, a functional clinical nutritionist, from São Paulo, to put them into practice.
1. Adopt a healthy diet
“It seems obvious, but when you correct your eating habits, you also provide the right nutrients to speed up your metabolism. Remember: only a well-nourished person can lose weight and maintain weight. ” The ideal menu contains: energy foods (five to nine servings of pasta, breads and cereals – preferably whole grains – per day); regulating foods (three to five fruits and four or five servings of vegetables); builder foods (three servings of dairy products, one or two of meat and eggs and one of legumes).
2. Make changes to your lifestyle
“In addition to eating right, physical activity is essential. Again, getting started is easy. The hard thing is not to give up. There is no magic, but if the exercise is pleasurable and if you adopt a routine that you can really put into practice, you will like the news much more. ” An example: you started doing volleyball, but you can only get the class together to play on the weekends. Instead of giving up on the sport, since you can’t do it as often as you like, walk every day and dedicate yourself to matches on Saturdays and / or Sundays.
3. Reduce your calorie intake
“Calm down, nobody needs to live on severe dietary restrictions. Just cut 100 calories a day, which, between us, is no sacrifice. ” Want to see? Two slices of pineapple, weighing 80 grams each, reach that value, as well as 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. Then, keep a single slice of the fruit and put only a spoonful of the cheese in the pasta. There, there are those 100 calories. In one week, the savings are 700 and in 5 months, 15 thousand. That means 2 pounds less. Without starvation or desire. And if you move, even better. Dance or stretch for about 20 minutes and another 100 leave.
4. Write down every day what you ate and what exercises you practiced
“Whoever writes down what entered the menu every single day has more clarity about the mistakes. And I’m not just referring to the quantity, but also the quality of what was on the plate. ” Staying in the salad, but taking care of the mayonnaise, is a trap you only realize after evaluating the menu for the whole week. Another steal is to skip a meal thinking you won. Only, in the following one, it ends up crossing the limits. The food diary helps maintain self-discipline. But you don’t have to take out the pad and the pen. Have you thought about creating a blog? Do this and share it with family and friends. They will like to hear about your success (see item 6).
5. Set possible goals to achieve
Actual deadlines. Repeat these words like a mantra. “It is very discouraging to set unviable or dangerous goals. Whoever thinks that he is going to lose 5 kilos in a week will not only be very frustrated, because he will not be successful, but he can end up with bad health. ” Impose a loss of 600 grams per week, which is a possible result and, above all, recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
6. Seek support from family and friends
“Commitment is decisive for success, because the person strives to accomplish what he has planned.” Having the support of those who only want your good is positive. You do not boycott the diet and, at happy hour, friends give the greatest strength when you replace the portion of fries with one of cooked eggplant without oil. Again, a blog telling your progress and exchanging experiences with people who also struggle with the scales will help – a lot.
7. Always keep in mind your real motivations for losing weight and the health benefits of weight loss
In addition to improving self-esteem, reaching the desired weight will bring a lot of benefits to your health. “When you lose weight, your blood pressure is under control and the risks of diabetes, stroke and cardiovascular disease drop dramatically.” Not to mention that weight loss decreases the natural wear and tear on the joints, back, hips and knees.
