By human nature, we always want to adjust something with our bodies, but without compromising our desires and habits.
Therefore, questions arise like “what should we eat to lose weight” and “can we lose weight without exercise” in the hope that we will be offered something that can satisfy both our taste preferences and, at the same time, burn the hated fat… without effort on our part.
Paradoxically, the answer to the question “how to eat properly to lose weight” will be very simple: JUST EAT LESS… in terms of calories. This is a universal principle that underlies most weight loss programs and diets.
How to eat properly to lose weight?
1 The number of calories per day is of primary importance for weight loss
Proper nutrition for weight loss is primarily about calories, not the composition of foods.
There are many examples on the internet of weight loss on absolutely unhealthy foods like fast food, pizza, and potatoes. For interest, take a look at how a guy lost weight eating only potatoes for a year…
We will not specify the exact caloric value here. It is individual. It is calculated based on your age, level of physical activity, and constitution. There are special calculators and formulas for this.
It is important for us that you clearly understand that the question of how to eat properly to lose weight is primarily about the ability to control the caloric content of food.
Researchers from the Examine.com portal, based on a thorough analysis of scientific studies on weight loss, draw a very interesting and important conclusion:
“… the weight of our body is largely determined by HOW MANY calories we consume in a day (from carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and alcohol), rather than WHAT exactly we eat (the ratio of nutrients: fats, proteins, carbohydrates).
Consuming a large number of calories is the only explanation for the total epidemic of obesity today 1.
And there is no point in pointing fingers at scapegoats like “Coca-Cola”, “biscuits”, and fast food 2. While no one denies their guilt, no one forces you to touch them either.“
Consuming a large number of calories is the only explanation for the total epidemic of obesity today
The fact that it is the excess of calories in the modern person’s diet (and not a lack of physical activity) that is the main cause of obesity is supported by a vast amount of scientific data.
A large number of scientific articles have been written on this topic, and one of the most convincing and shocking in its results has been translated by us in the material The Main Cause of Obesity or How to Lose Weight Without Sports. Scientific Facts.
Scientific Research on the Importance of Caloric Restriction for Weight Loss
Experiment: What is more important for weight loss: total caloric intake or the ratio of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates?
In one study, various low-calorie diets were compared, consisting of a fixed amount of protein (15% of total calories) and variable amounts of carbohydrates (15-85%) and fats (0-70%).
As a result, the researchers concluded: it is caloric restriction, not the ratio of nutrients, that determines weight loss 3.
In other experiments, where researchers compared different types of weight loss diets over 6 and 12 weeks (with low and high carbohydrate content; low fat but high protein; standard protein content), similar results were obtained: it is not the ratio of carbohydrates/fats/proteins that determines whether you lose or gain weight, but their total caloric content 4,5,6.
However, in the next experiment, an interesting detail emerges:
Experiment: How Protein Intake Affects Weight Loss
In this study, healthy individuals overate for 8 weeks. The excess calories led to an increase in body fat. The expected result.
However, it is interesting that with the same calorie content of different diets, diets with a higher protein content led to greater calorie expenditure throughout the day, greater muscle mass gain, and, consequently, overall weight 7.
That is, protein proved effective in reducing fat mass.
Why protein specifically? Read in our article Is protein useful for weight loss?
The effectiveness of calorie restriction for weight loss, rather than changing the ratio of nutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates), has also been shown in studies involving diabetics, who often have excess weight 13-16.
Increased protein content here also led to better preservation of muscle mass and greater reduction of fat mass (in both men and women) 10-11.
Important: Weight loss requires a negative energy balance, which is achieved through lower calorie intake and greater physical activity 17,18.
The role of total calorie intake for weight loss is much greater than that of physical exercise, which, according to a large scientific study, is practically NOT effective for weight loss (!).
Regardless of the ratio of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates in the diet, ultimately, only a negative energy balance (consuming fewer calories than the body needs) leads to weight loss. The role of physical exercise in weight loss is very minimal.
We recommend: How to lose weight in the belly and how effective are only abdominal exercises?
How to properly count calories for weight loss?
Proper nutrition for weight loss is an iterative process: first, you assess how many calories you need, then adjust the calculated calorie intake based on how your weight changes over a month or a week, but certainly not just one day.
Proper nutrition for weight loss is an iterative process: first, assess the number of calories you need, then adjust this value based on how weight changes over a month.
2 All diets that restrict calories are effective
The most effective diet for weight loss is the one that restricts the number of calories in your diet. In some sense, it does not matter how this restriction is achieved. Many popular diets are effective.
The most effective diet for weight loss is the one that restricts the number of calories in your diet.
Here are a few examples:
1 Low-Carb Diets
Most popular diets achieve calorie restriction by reducing the amount of carbohydrates.
For example, the ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-protein, and very low-carb diet; the Atkins diet is a high-fat, high-protein, and very low-carb diet; the paleo diet (hunter-gatherer diet or Stone Age diet) is high in fats, high in proteins, and low in carbohydrates.
What’s the point?
Fats and proteins are digested more slowly than carbohydrates, which gives a greater feeling of fullness for a longer period of time.
Moreover, many effective weight loss diets (including those mentioned above) recommend consuming foods that are less “calorie-dense”, which contain more plant fibers and water: half a kilo of broccoli contains fewer calories than half a kilo of grains, and even more so than a cake ;).
And one more important, but not widely known fact about carbohydrates: they are involved in the synthesis of serotonin, the so-called “happiness hormone” in the brain, which stimulates the desire to eat.
People on low-carb diets do indeed lose weight, as they consume fewer calories and overeat less often. This explains why in one experiment, over several months, patients on a low-carb diet lost more weight than those on a low-fat diet 19.
A low-carb diet is effective for weight loss because it naturally limits calorie intake and prevents overeating.
2 Balanced and Separate Diets
Consuming proteins, fats, and carbohydrates together (balanced diet) or separately (separate diet) does not increase the effectiveness of weight loss 20, although the health benefits of the former are obvious.
Let’s reveal a secret: you can lose weight even on fast food, cakes, and candies… if you eat them carefully, following the principle of calorie restriction.
For weight loss, it doesn’t matter whether proteins, fats, and carbohydrates enter your body in a balanced or separate form: what matters is their quantity.
3 Fasting
As for fasting. Since prolonged fasting leads to an increase in energy expenditure for heat production by the body, diets that involve fasting can stimulate calorie expenditure. But even here, their effectiveness for weight loss is explained by the restriction of calorie intake.
Fasting stimulates calorie expenditure, but again, due to the restriction of their intake
4 The timing and frequency of meals do not matter for weight loss
The total calorie intake throughout the day is what matters.
Naturally, frequent eating in small portions allows for better appetite control and helps avoid overeating after long hours of abstinence. But it is important that you see the underlying principle – this is just one way to restrict calories.
If the calculated daily calorie intake is 1500 kcal, then in terms of weight loss, it does not particularly matter whether you consume them in one meal or in several.
We recommend: Intermittent fasting — one of the most effective diets for weight loss
