Crash diets that promise rapid, massive weight loss are very tempting, but are seldom a healthy option. If they leave you fasting or do not allow you to consume certain foods, it is true that they help you lose weight, but they also reduce muscle mass and a certain amount of fluids without burning a lot of fat. They can even compromise health by promoting deficiencies in important vitamins and minerals. Instead of following a crash diet that can negatively affect your physical well-being, try to burn fat by preventing muscle loss and keeping you healthy.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Changing Your Eating Habits
Step 1. Reduce your total calorie intake
In general, you lose weight when you burn off more calories than you eat. So, the first step in losing weight is to reduce your overall calories. Keep track of all those you ingest over a 24-hour period, noting the amount contained in the foods and drinks you consume. In the absence of nutritional tables, use an online database of calories and nutritional values.
- To maintain your current weight, find out what your calorie needs are using an online calculator that takes into account your activity level. Try it on this site.
- 500g of fat contains 3500 calories. To lose ½ kg of fat per week, you should be consuming 500 fewer calories each day than your body needs to maintain its current weight.
- It is important to monitor your food consumption if you want to know how much you eat. Some applications and websites, such as MyFitnessPal.com, are a valuable resource for quantifying your daily food intake.
Step 2. Check the size of the portions
Many times, the portions served at the restaurant or even home cooked are much larger than they really should be. Read the nutritional tables of foods to find out how much a serving should be. If you want to eat something but have no information about it, consult the American Dietetic Association's Food Exchange List to determine the appropriate portions.
- In many countries, nutrition tables also include portion sizes.
- Use graduated glasses and a kitchen scale to make sure the portions match the recommended ones.
- For greater accuracy, use certain units of measurement. Some may be in ounces or grams, others in cups or milliliters.
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You may have a hard time eating out. Often, restaurants serve very large portions which can also vary from day to day. Generally, in the kitchen of the restaurant, the focus is more on flavor than health, which often involves an enormous use of fats, sugars and similar ingredients.
- Some restaurants (particularly those that are part of huge chains) also post nutritional information on their websites.
- Some general guidelines remain valid: for example, you can use the palm of your hand to calculate a portion of meat when you don't have another method to weigh it.
- Salads in restaurants can be real "calorie bombs", full of hidden fats: for example, a Caesar salad may contain more fat and calories than a slice of pizza. Just because it is rich in vegetables is not always the best choice. Typically, a simple garden salad topped with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (not industrially processed sauces) is a great option, but avoid it if it is overflowing with condiments, cheese, croutons, or other high-fat ingredients.
- Remember that you never have to eat the whole dish. Eat half of it to meet your calorie goal, then save the rest for later. You can always ask the waiter to put the leftover half in a take-out container.
- Some restaurants also prepare lighter courses or half portions. Choose these solutions if possible.
Step 3. Eat more healthy fats and fewer harmful fats
The nature of the fats you consume can affect their elimination or accumulation by the body. Healthy fats, including unsaturated fats, should be the main source of lipids in your diet. Cook with olive or seed oil instead of butter or lard. Other healthful fat sources include nuts, seeds, avocado, fish, and peanut cream. Don't eat anything that contains trans fat or "partially hydrogenated" ingredient lists in the nutrition table. You should avoid saturated fat as much as possible, limiting it to less than 10% of your total calories.
- To calculate your total calorie intake for saturated fat, multiply the amount of fat in grams by nine. For example, 5 grams of saturated fat contains 45 calories.
- Divide these calories by your daily calorie intake, then multiply by 100. The final result should be less than 10.
- For example, if you consume 210 calories from saturated fat sources and your total daily calorie intake equals 2300 calories, it means that 9% of the calories you ingest came from saturated fat.
Step 4. Reduce or eliminate the consumption of processed foods
Usually, the foods that undergo industrial processing are those stored in boxes, cans, bags or other types of packaging. Often (though not always) they are very high in fat, sugar and salt, so they can inhibit weight loss, but also lack the nutrients found in whole foods. Gradually eliminate them from your diet, taking 2-3 per day. Replace them with whole foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
- Foods that undergo heavy industrial transformation processes may have poor nutritional characteristics.
- However, just because a food is processed doesn't necessarily mean it's not nutritious. There are many packaged items that are suitable for a healthy diet, such as frozen vegetables and fish fillets or popcorn.
- Also, keep in mind that even unwrapped dishes may be unhealthy. A homemade chocolate brownie made with organic ingredients is always a sweet high in sugar.
- When shopping, avoid processed foods generally located in the middle aisles, but focus your choice mainly on those arranged around the perimeter of the supermarket, where you can find dairy products, meat, fish and baked goods prepared in the shop's laboratory.
- Cook at home and freeze the portions you intend to consume during the week. Mixed vegetable soups are a great example of dishes to prepare at home and freeze.
- Buy foods with a maximum of three ingredients, as listed on the package, to avoid consuming highly processed foods.
Step 5. Increase your fiber intake
Fiber is carbohydrates that the body cannot digest. They are very good because they preserve the health of the intestine and prolong the sense of satiety by preventing overeating. They are found in whole grains, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds. Take 25-30 grams per day with plenty of water.
- Among the most fiber-rich fruits, consider raspberries, blackberries, mangoes, and guava.
- High-fiber vegetables include split peas, lentils, artichokes, and broccoli.
Step 6. Drink more water
Water plays a crucial role in controlling body weight. Helps eliminate metabolic wastes from the system, keeping metabolism active so that fat is burned quickly. In addition, it promotes the sense of satiety by preventing overeating. An adequate fluid intake for men should be around 3 liters of water per day, while for women around 2, 2 liters per day.
It is best to increase your water consumption when you do a lot of sports or cardio during the day or if it is very hot
Step 7. Eat little and often throughout the day
Instead of having three large meals a day, have six smaller ones. The body processes better the food ingested in limited quantities and, in this way, it is also possible to decrease the food excesses that favor the accumulation of fat. Furthermore, blood sugar levels stabilize and the absorption of vitamins and minerals improves. Just make sure you choose wholesome, whole foods rather than processed and refined. For example, try to consider the following meal plan.
- Meal n. 1 (8:00 am): A medium-sized banana with ½ cup of rolled oats.
- Meal n. 2 (10:00 am): A smoothie made with 230 g of spinach, four medium-sized strawberries, 60 g of raspberries, 1 tablespoon of flaxseed and 250 ml of sugar-free almond milk.
- Meal n. 3 (12:00): a slice of toasted wholemeal bread, accompanied by a hard-boiled egg and 180 g of avocado puree.
- Meal n. 4 (3:00 pm): 80 g of salad dressed with ½ avocado, 50 g of ricotta, 2 tablespoons of sunflower seeds and a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette sauce.
- Meal n. 5 (5:00 pm): 130 g of roasted chicken with a side of green beans and 60 g of brown rice.
- Meal n. 6 (7:00 pm): 130 g of quinoa accompanied by sautéed mushrooms and a sprinkling of pepper.
Part 2 of 2: Making Lifestyle Changes
Step 1. Train 3-4 times a week
Exercise plays a vital role in weight loss and fat burning. For best results, start with an activity of 2.5 hours per week; thereafter, gradually increase the duration by 30 minutes each week. By combining weight lifting with high intensity cardiovascular exercise, you can increase the amount of fat burned. For example, try the following four-week training program.
- Sunday: first week, 45 minutes of cardio activity; second week, 45 minutes of cardio activity; third week, 60 minutes of cardio activity; fourth week, 60 minutes of cardio activity.
- Monday: rest all four weeks.
- Tuesday: first week, 30 minutes of muscle strengthening for the upper body; second week, 45 minutes of muscle strengthening for the upper body; third week, 45 minutes of muscle strengthening for the upper body; fourth week, 60 minutes of muscle strengthening for the upper body.
- Wednesday: rest all four weeks.
- Thursday: first week, 45 minutes of cardio activity; second week, 45 minutes of cardio activity; third week, 60 minutes of cardio activity; fourth week, 60 minutes of cardio activity.
- Friday: rest all four weeks.
- Saturday: first week, 30 minutes of muscle strengthening for the lower body; second week, 45 minutes of muscle strengthening for the lower body; third week, 45 minutes of muscle strengthening for the lower body; fourth week, 60 minutes of muscle strengthening for the lower body.
Step 2. Incorporate muscle strengthening into your training regimen
This is a great way to build muscle mass and burn fat at the same time. You can use weights, resistance bands or just move with the body free. Try combining various exercises to work different muscle groups. Whether you choose weightlifting or resistance, start at a basic level of difficulty and do three sets of 10 reps for each exercise or until you get tired. Increase weight or stamina when you can complete three consecutive sets of 10 without getting tired.
- Lower body exercises include squats, calf raises, lunges, deadlifts, and leg presses.
- Upper body exercises include push-ups, sit-ups, chest presses, shoulders (overhead press), biceps (bicep curl), triceps (tricep dip), and lateral pull-downs (useful for strengthening the muscles of the back, shoulders and arms).
Step 3. Increase your cardio activity
Cardio is another word used for aerobic or resistance exercise. It speeds up fat burning, but it also offers many health benefits, such as lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Running, jogging or walking: start by walking, then gradually move to jogging, up to running.
- Enjoy outdoor activities like swimming (if you have access to an outdoor pool), hiking, and cycling.
- If you're a gym member, use the treadmill, elliptical, stationary bike, and stair climber.
- Try interval training, such as jogging interspersed with several sprints.
- To burn more fat, alternate high-intensity aerobic activity with more moderate-intensity cardio exercises that improve cardiorespiratory endurance.
Step 4. Get more sleep
After the age of 17 you should sleep 7-9 hours a night, while from the age of 6 to 17 the hours of sleep increase to 10-11. Recent studies have shown that those who do not get enough sleep or suffer from sleep disorders are more likely to be obese than those who rest 7-9 hours every night, because lack of sleep alters metabolism and physiological mechanisms that allow fat burning.. The following tips can help you sleep better:
- Make sure the bedroom is completely dark and has blackout curtains or screens in front of the windows.
- Don't eat at least two hours before bed to prevent heartburn or an increase in energy when you should fall asleep.
- Use the bed only for sleep and sex, excluding other activities, such as watching TV, reading, listening to music or working on the computer.
Step 5. Make small but important changes in your lifestyle
By gradually changing your lifestyle, you will be able to adopt new habits. In the end, you will be able to significantly transform your way of life and maintain it for a long time. Here are some small behaviors you can take during the day to live healthier:
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Park at the end of the parking lot.
- Engage in a hobby that prompts you to move, such as hiking or biking.
- Go to the fruit and vegetable market to buy fresh produce.
- Grow your own garden.
Advice
- Don't skip meals, or you will tend to eat more and gain weight.
- It is all related to an energy balance: the calories you consume must be burned with physical activity!
- If you find yourself eating too much in times of high stress or emotionally exhausting, you should analyze this bad habit, perhaps with the help of a psychotherapist. By understanding what triggers it, you will be able to improve your lifestyle.
- Eliminate sugars and certain foods like bread and pasta. They are not essential to your diet and make you fat. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
Warnings
- Don't over-exert yourself when exercising. Stop if you can't move on anymore, breathe deeply and drink lots of water. Calm down and decrease the intensity of the exercise if you have a headache or a dry throat. These can be symptoms of dehydration, so take a break to drink some water.
- Consult your doctor before starting any type of meal plan or exercise program.
