A low-carbohydrate diet; fat free; cayenne pepper soup; strictly yellow dragee and water. It seems like every day there's a new weight loss meal plan that promises quick results, from smart to crazy. Eating right to lose weight is something that many of us have tried to do at least once. . . or twice. . . or, let's face it, many times.
Important points about proper nutrition
Your cousin swears that giving up bread for a few weeks helped her lose weight right before she entered college. On the other hand, you couldn't eat a piece of bread for five years without still losing those last few pounds. As soon as you learn the intricacies of one diet, another appears that threatens to be even more effective.
Take, for example, a study conducted in August 2015. It found that for obese adults, cutting back on fatty foods helped them lose weight 68% faster than cutting back on carbohydrates. What great news!
But before you start ditching your favorite full-fat dairy products, check out another study from just two months later. According to this study, following a low-carbohydrate diet, as well as the Mediterranean diet, is more effective in weight loss than restricting carbohydrate intake. Scientists say no diet works well in the long run, and low-fat diets for weight loss may even be harmful.
However, hope dies last. In fact, there is an optimal diet plan to help you lose weight. This is the meal plan that works for you. Not in the case of your spouse, brother or co-worker, but one that suits your body's needs and, combined with regular exercise, makes you feel great.
So what is the right weight loss diet? A diet plan should not be seen as something to stick to for weeks or months until you reach your goal weight, after which you can go back to your old habits. In fact, going back to old eating habits is why researchers say diets don't work.
Instead, a healthy eating plan should be a lifestyle change that you can stick to because, unlike restrictive diets or fancy fancy ways, it's something that's sustainable. The way you eat should make you feel better, providing your body with the nutrients it needs to live a long, happy and healthy life.
How to eat properly to lose weight
Below is information on the best healthy weight loss diet plans that can help you make the best decision.
low carbohydrate diet
By following a low-carb or ketogenic diet (extremely low-carb diet), you drastically reduce or eliminate your glucose intake. Once your body runs out of glucose and your diet has little or no carbohydrates that your body uses for energy, your body will begin to use stored fat for that purpose, helping you lose weight quickly.
Advantages:
- You will likely experience rapid weight loss, especially in the first few weeks and months. When we eat foods with sugar and carbohydrates, our bodies release insulin, a hormone responsible for storing energy and body fat. It sends a signal to your cells to store as much energy as possible in the form of glycogen. By drastically reducing our carbohydrate intake, our bodies produce less insulin. Less insulin in our blood means that our body uses glycogen for energy and does not store it, and when it runs out it starts using fat.
- You can reduce your risk of developing diabetes. When you switch to a low-carb diet, you naturally consume much less sugar and starch. On the other hand, a diet rich in carbohydrates can increase the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity.
- Since you'll ideally replace grains and other carbohydrates with foods rich in protein and healthy fats, you'll feel fuller and less hungry. Fats and proteins are known for their satiety effect, while reducing carbohydrate intake helps turn off ghrelin, the "hunger hormone. "
Disadvantages:
- Reducing or completely eliminating carbohydrates from the diet can lead to a lack of energy and a feeling of fatigue. If you are particularly active (for example, you play sports), a low-carb diet can reduce your endurance, which is so necessary during training.
- Carbohydrates are hiding in unexpected places like fruits, legumes and quinoa. Completely eliminating them from your diet can negatively affect your intake of essential vitamins and minerals.
Low fat diet
A diet for weight loss in the form of a low-fat diet reduces the amount of fat consumed, both of plant and animal origin. This diet became especially popular in the US after the publication of the federal government's dietary guidelines in 1980, which led to the introduction of low-fat foods.
Advantages:
- Foods high in fat are also usually high in calories. If you're on a calorie-restricted diet, cutting back on high-calorie foods will likely help you lose weight.
- Limiting your intake of unhealthy fats (such as trans fats) found in sweets, fast foods, processed foods and other processed foods can help you lose weight; plus, it will heal your body.
Disadvantages:
- Low-fat foods are often processed foods that contain refined sugar and unnatural ingredients designed to make low-calorie foods look like their natural fat counterparts. These added ingredients can actually cause weight gain.
- Giving preference to fat-free food, people often abuse it. This happens for two reasons: low-fat foods simply can't match the taste and nutritional value of normal foods, and we're more likely to eat them because we know they're low in calories.
- Our bodies need fats! Although foods like avocados or butter may be high in calories, they contain healthy fats that our bodies need to function properly. Which would you prefer: butter made from cow's cream or a "butter substance" created in a laboratory?
Mediterranean diet
The Mediterranean diet originates from Mediterranean countries such as Italy, Spain, Greece, etc. The Mediterranean diet cannot be called a diet per se - it is a regular diet that contains fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy fats such as olive oil, high-quality domestic poultry and seafood, all natural and grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers, animal feedfood etc.
Advantages:
- Because this diet focuses on natural foods, you will consume very little processed or sugary foods. You're more likely to snack on nuts than cookies, for example.
- An abundance of foods rich in healthy fats helps reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Disadvantages:
- While healthy fats are good for us, we need to control our food intake. Because it's so tasty, it's easy to give in to the urge to eat a little more, which can lead to overeating.
- While the Mediterranean diet is great for your body in the long run, if you're looking to lose weight fast, it's probably not for you.
Vegetarianism or veganism
Although there are different levels of vegetarianism and veganism, most vegetarians avoid eating meat, including seafood and poultry. What do vegans eat? Well, they avoid all animal products, including dairy and eggs.
Advantages:
- A plant-based diet is naturally low in fat and high in fiber. You don't have to count calories when you eat lettuce.
- A vegetarian diet is associated with lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels. If you want to control these conditions naturally, cutting out meat can help.
- Quality meat can be expensive! By eliminating them from your diet, you can really save money in your budget.
Disadvantages:
- Avoiding animal products does not guarantee that you will eat healthy, nutritious food.
- High-quality animal meat provides the body with essential nutrients that are difficult to obtain from plant foods. Vegans especially need to beware of their nutritional deficiencies and should consider taking supplements.
the paleo diet
What about the paleo diet and veganism? These are the two most modern diets. "Go paleo" is something we hear more and more these days, especially in the sports community. The Paleolithic diet, which consisted of the foods our ancient ancestors ate - natural animal meat (they were fed natural foods), wild fish, nuts, roots, vegetables and fruits.
Advantages:
- Switching to a grain-free diet can be very beneficial because you cut out the insulin-spiking carbohydrates found in grains and replace them with more vegetables.
- Following a hunter-gatherer diet can help you get more minerals, omega-3 fatty acids, protein and healthy fats from your food. In fact, if you follow the Paleo diet properly, it can help improve autoimmune conditions and help you lose weight naturally.
- Along with the elimination of grains, sugar (the main product that causes chronic inflammation and disease) is also completely eliminated from food. Instead, the diet is rich in popular anti-inflammatory foods such as wild salmon (or similar fish), blueberries, leafy greens and nuts.
Disadvantages:
- Unfortunately, many who follow the Paleo diet often consume too much meat, as well as some of the animal toxins.
- In addition, people often consume non-organic foods, including meat, butter, vegetables and fruits. Unless you can afford to buy only organic food, this diet cannot be considered a Paleo diet.
Remember that you don't have to follow the rules of a certain diet, making a strict menu of a proper diet for weight loss. Some aspects of a particular diet may appeal to you, while others may not.
For example, you may want to go vegan one or two days a week to give your wallet a break and encourage your family to try different seasonal vegetables.
Or you can reduce your carbohydrate intake for a few weeks to even out your insulin levels, then switch to a Mediterranean diet where whole grains are consumed in moderation. This is all very good!
It is not necessary to consume certain foods for weight loss day after day, week after week. It is important to simply eat right, eating mostly organic products and excluding any processed foods and sweets whenever possible. At the end of the day, the "best" diets (diet systems for weight loss) come and go, but organizing a diet based on natural vegetables and fruits, meat and fish, nuts and whole grains never goes out of style.