Anyone who has been on a diet until the end of their lives knows that stubborn overweight has a nasty tendency to return - as a rule, less than 13% of people who have lost weight gain it back within a year.
Why do people gain weight after losing weight?
The main reason why lost kilos come back is that people who are losing weight do not think that they need to constantly reduce the calorie content of their diet.Many people simply look forward to the last day when their diet expires and immediately rush to eat, after which the 4-5 kg they have lost will soon return.The fact is that any diet allows you to lose a little weight at the initial stages, since the amount of calories consumed also decreases.
However, this occurs due to loss of water and glycogen, which is then easily recovered.This phenomenon is called weight regain, which means you gain more weight than you lose.When losing weight rapidly, a person's appetite increases due to the body's stress response to dietary restrictions.
Restrictive, single-component, unbalanced diets cause real stress on the body, both at the physiological and psychological levels, since for many people prone to obesity, food is the preferred way to avoid problems, and diets deprive them of this opportunity.
Any diet forms a connection between the levels of hormones, neurotransmitters and the delicate structure of the brain in the body.Therefore, the fear of gaining weight due to being overweight, forbidding oneself to eat favorite foods, ignoring the natural cycle "hunger - nutrition - fullness" leads to the fact that a person ceases to understand when he is full, his perception of food changes, that is, the opposite effect occurs: lack of food in the form of cravings.
Many people trying to lose weight through diets and fasting are faced with the fact that the last planned kilograms practically do not disappear despite any efforts.This is called “the plateau” - a consequence of slowing down the metabolism to burn calories more economically.The root of the problem goes back to our cave past, when, due to constant food shortages, only individuals that accumulated fat during periods of adequate nourishment were able to survive years of starvation.Since then, our genetic memory perceives food restriction as a signal to spend fat "reserves" more sparingly.Only 10 percent of lucky people can cope with such a problem as maintaining weight after losing weight with a diet.For the rest of us, a longer weight loss regimen than the “weekly program” is needed to achieve lasting results.
Important!Doctors prove that repeated cycles of weight loss and gain negatively affect the state of the cardiovascular system, causing strokes, diabetes, gallstones and kidney stones, gout and immune disorders, that is, no matter how hard a nutritionist tries, a diet cannot be considered an absolutely reliable and safe way to lose weight and not gain it.
How to lose weight and not gain it back
So the main question for any person prone to obesity is: how to lose weight over the long term without putting extra pounds on the stomach, waist or hips.According to doctors, the most important way to prevent your return to your previous weight (and even weight gain) is not to be tempted by crash diets that promise to lose 5-7 kg in a week.
You should focus on choosing healthy foods (according to the proper nutrition system - proper nutrition), prioritize homemade meals instead of purchased and semi-finished products, and gradually reduce the amount of calories in your diet.In the early stages, you should consume regular foods but in reduced portions.
For additional psychological stimulation in maintaining lost weight, it is necessary to periodically weigh yourself and record the results.Nutritionists say this method is more effective than keeping a “food diary” and counting calories.Psychological support from the environment is very important, because at the stage of active weight loss, there is more to it than efforts to maintain a slim and light figure.
Since any diet leads to a slowdown in overall metabolism, the end of that diet is a very important period that will determine subsequent eating behavior and the ability to not gain weight after weight loss.At this stage, normal metabolism is being restored, so now it is easiest to develop a new eating style and consolidate the gained weight.
For those who decide to follow this advice, nutritionists and psychologists have given the following recommendations:
- Love your newfound slim figure as a permanent part of your new life, stop thinking of yourself as fat and awkward;
- pay attention to what you put in your mouth and avoid overeating (sometimes it is allowed to eat something “delicious but harmful”);
- use the simple “plate rule”, which allows you to gently adjust your body to a smaller and more balanced diet, where half the plate is filled with plant foods, the remaining two quarters are filled with carbohydrates and proteins, respectively, while you are allowed to eat everything;
- turn each meal into a mini vacation, undisturbed by rushing, reading or watching TV - such conditions will involuntarily bring the moment of fullness closer;
- You should gradually give up canned and frozen foods, as well as fried foods, and switch to baking, steaming or grilling;
- The ideal portion for those wondering how to lose weight so that it does not return later should fit in a cupped palm, while the side dish takes up a handful;
- alcohol consumption must be kept to a minimum;Absolute sobriety is not necessary, but it should be remembered that strong drinks greatly increase appetite;
- It is better not to go to the store, as well as to restaurants/cafes, when hungry, so as not to succumb to the temptations to buy or eat more.
Additional information.Consuming exotic vegetables and fruits (food in general) in large quantities is undesirable - they can disrupt normal metabolism.
Get new living habits
Changing your lifestyle habits is difficult for yourself, but the results are worth it, not only related to the ability to maintain the lost weight, but also the overall improvement in quality of life.
Almost the most important condition for maintaining the desired weight over a long period of time is physical activity.This weight loss ingredient is often forgotten.However, this new lifestyle habit is extremely important to consolidate a slim figure and metabolize new foods.It does not have to be a gym or sports area, the main thing is regular and adequate physical activity (up to 5 hours a week): brisk walking, jogging, cycling, rollerblading, swimming.
Pay attention!After starting to exercise regularly, you can gain 0.5-1 kg, this is not fat but muscle gain.Healthy habits of an active lifestyle will be reinforced by gradually ditching the minibus for walking, skipping the elevator and replacing coffee breaks with drinking water.
Another great habit that, with diligence, will last a lifetime is to reduce your portion sizes and switch to healthy foods, rather than returning to your “pre-diet” diet.
Regular consumption of vitamins should also become a habit, because when the body lacks vitamins, metabolism will be disrupted.
A properly selected diet will help you lose extra pounds, but the question always arises: how to maintain weight after losing weight, how to stay slim and stop gaining weight.It is necessary to develop a reasonable long-term optimal nutrition plan to promote health and longevity.