A low-carbohydrate diet; Fat-free; cayenne pepper and cabbage soup; strictly yellow dragee and water. It seems like every day there is a new weight loss diet plan that promises quick results, from the smart to the crazy. Proper nutrition for weight loss is something that many of us have tried to do at least once. . . or twice. . . or, let's face it, often.
Important points about proper nutrition
Your aunt swears that giving up bread for a few weeks helped her shed the pounds right before she started college. On the other hand, you couldn't have eaten a piece of bread for five years and still not lost 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, reducing fatty foods helped them lose weight 68% faster than reducing carbohydrate intake. Such 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-carb diet as well as a Mediterranean diet is more effective in weight loss than restricting carbohydrate intake. Scientists say that no diet works well in the long term, and low-fat diets can even be harmful.
However, hope dies last. In fact, there is an optimal nutrition plan that will help you lose weight. This is the meal plan that's right for you. Not when it's your partner, brother or co-worker, but someone who works for your body's needs and, along with regular exercise, makes you feel good.
So what is the right diet for weight loss? A meal plan should not be seen as something to be followed for weeks or months until you reach your target weight, after which you can go back to your old habits. In fact, researchers say the reason diets don't work is to revert to old eating habits.
Instead, healthy eating should be a lifestyle change that you can stick with because, unlike restrictive diets or fancy fads, it's something that's sustainable. The way you eat should make you feel better, provide your body with the nutrients it needs so you can live a long, happy and healthy life.
How to eat right to lose weight
Below is information on the best healthy eating plans for weight loss that can help you make an informed decision.
low carb diet
By following a low-carb or ketogenic diet (a very low-carb diet), you significantly reduce or eliminate your glucose intake. When your body runs out of glucose and there is little or no carbohydrate in your diet that your body uses for energy, your body will begin to use stored fat for that purpose, helping you lose weight quickly.
Pros:
- You will likely experience rapid weight loss, especially in the first few weeks and months. When we eat foods with sugar and carbohydrates, our body releases insulin, a hormone responsible for storing energy and body fat. It signals your cells to store as much energy as possible in the form of glycogen. By drastically reducing our carbohydrate intake, the body produces less insulin. Less insulin in our blood means our body uses glycogen for energy and is not stored 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. Conversely, a diet high in carbohydrates can increase the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity.
- Since you will preferably replace grains and other carbohydrates with foods rich in protein and healthy fats, you will feel full and less hungry. Fat and protein are known for their satiating effects, while reduced carbohydrates help turn off ghrelin, the "hunger hormone. "
Cons:
- 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 the endurance that is so necessary during exercise.
- Carbohydrates are hiding in unexpected places like fruits, legumes and quinoa. Eliminating them completely from your diet can negatively affect your intake of essential vitamins and minerals.
Low fat diet
Nutrition for weight loss in the form of low-fat food reduces the amount of fat consumed, both from plant and animal sources. This diet became especially popular in the United States after the federal government's Dietary Guidelines were issued in 1980, which led to the introduction of low-fat foods.
Pros:
- 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 food, processed foods and other processed foods can help you lose weight; plus it will heal your body.
Cons:
- Low-fat foods are often processed foods that contain refined sugars and unnatural ingredients designed to make low-calorie foods look like their naturally fatty counterparts. These added ingredients can actually cause weight gain.
- By giving rather fat-free food, people often abuse it. This happens for two reasons: low-fat foods simply don't match the taste and nutritional value of regular foods, and we're more likely to eat more of them because we know they're low in calories.
- Our body needs fat! 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 "butter" made in a laboratory?
Mediterranean diet
The Mediterranean diet originates from Mediterranean countries such as Italy, Spain, Greece, etc. fl. The Mediterranean diet cannot be called a diet per se - it is a regular diet that includes fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy fats such as olive oil, high-quality homemade poultry and seafood, all natural and grown without the use of artificial fertilizers, feed, etc. . etc.
Pros:
- Since this diet focuses on natural foods, you will consume very few processed or sugary foods. You're more likely to eat nuts than cookies, for example.
- An abundance of foods rich in healthy fats helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Cons:
- Although healthy fats are good for us, we need to control our food intake. Because it's so delicious, 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 varying degrees 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.
Pros:
- A plant-based diet is naturally low in fat and high in fiber. You don't have to count calories when you eat a salad.
- A vegetarian diet has been linked to lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels. If you want to manage these conditions naturally, cutting out meat can help.
- Good meat can be expensive! Eliminating it from your diet can really help save money in your budget.
Cons:
- Avoiding animal products does not guarantee that you are eating healthy and nutritious food.
- High-quality animal meat provides the body with essential nutrients that are difficult to obtain from plant-based foods. Vegans especially need to beware of dietary deficiencies and should consider taking supplements.
paleo diet
What about the paleo diet and veganism? These are the two most fashionable diets. "Go paleo" is something we hear more and more these days, especially in the sports community. The Paleolithic diet, which consists of the foods our ancestors ate - natural animal meats (fed natural foods for them), wild fish, nuts, roots, vegetables andfruits.
Pros:
- Switching to a grain-free diet can be very beneficial as you cut out the insulin-spiking carbohydrates in grains and replace them with more vegetables.
- Following a hunter's 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 correctly, it can help improve autoimmune conditions and help you lose weight naturally.
- Along with the elimination of grains, sugar (the primary cause of chronic inflammation and disease) is also completely eliminated from the diet. Instead, the diet is full of popular anti-inflammatory foods such as wild salmon (or similar fish), blueberries, leafy greens and nuts.
Cons:
- Unfortunately, many people following the Paleo diet often consume too much meat, as well as some animal toxins.
- In addition, people often consume non-organic foods, including meat, butter, vegetables and fruits. Unless you can afford to buy only organic foods, this diet cannot be considered a Paleo diet.
Remember that you do not have to follow the rules of a specific diet, which consists of a strict menu with proper nutrition for weight loss. Some aspects of a particular diet may appeal to you, while others may not.
For example, you might want to go vegan one or two days a week to give your wallet a break and encourage the family to try different seasonal vegetables.
Or you can reduce your carb intake for a few weeks to balance your insulin levels, then switch to a Mediterranean diet with moderate consumption of whole grains. All this is very good!
It is not necessary to consume specific foods to lose weight day after day, week after week. It's important to simply eat right, eat mostly organic products and cut out all factory-made foods and sweets whenever possible. After all, the "best" diets (diet for weight loss) come and go, but planning a diet based on natural vegetables and fruits, meat and fish, nuts and whole grains never goes out of style.