Fat accumulation is a lengthy process that takes years, so it is essential to be realistic and understand that losing weight quickly without harming your health is impossible.
It is also important to acknowledge that if there is excess weight and especially health problems, it means there are indeed mistakes in your lifestyle, and most likely in your understanding of how to eat properly. This is a crucial condition for being open to receiving information.
Proper weight loss without harming health implies fundamental changes in lifestyle habits: starting with nutrition, physical activity, and ending with the ability to manage stress.
In this article, we will discuss the main principles of weight loss without harming health and address questions such as: what is the main cause of obesity, how to count calories correctly and whether it is necessary, what is the best diet, which foods can be eaten for weight loss, and we will also talk about the importance of physical exercise.
All diets based on reducing caloric intake are beneficial for weight loss
To lose weight permanently, it is necessary to change eating habits forever
The best diet for you is the one that helps you lose weight
How to lose weight without harming your health? Main principles
1 Control your food calorie intake
While minor fluctuations in weight throughout the day are due to water, long-term weight changes are determined by the overall calorie intake.
The most important principle of how to lose weight correctly lies in the ability to control calories: if you consume more calories than you expend, weight increases; otherwise, it decreases.
The main principle of proper weight loss is to ensure an energy deficit in the body: fewer calories should be consumed than the body expends
But is the long-term change in weight explained by an increase/decrease in fat or perhaps muscle? Most often, it is both. However, whether it is more fat or muscle depends on physical activity and diet (overall calorie intake, fats, proteins, carbohydrates, and alcohol).
If you engage in strength sports and primarily consume fast carbohydrates and fast food, you won’t be able to build muscle, as protein is needed for that. If you are on a diet using protein for weight loss, it will help maintain muscle mass, and possibly even gain it.
So how many calories do you need per day to lose weight?
Each person will have their own number. Consider this: will a specific number help you?
How do you plan to calculate the calorie content of your favorite treats? Common calorie counting calculators are very inaccurate, do not include all dishes, and are very inconvenient to use…
Figuring them out and entering the consumed dishes requires no less effort than a good workout 😉
The most convenient and best way to determine the optimal calorie intake for you is intuitive, which is described further. And the right path will be indicated by the scale’s arrow.
How to correctly 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 your weight changes over the month.
We recommend: What to do to lose weight or How to lose weight without sports and physical activities?
2 Have a cheat day once a week
And also: strangely enough, on any diet, it is normal to allow yourself something tasty one day a week. This will not be a serious obstacle to weight loss: you will not lose what you have achieved in just one day.
But such indulgences will help you stick to a healthy diet for a longer time, until you fully get used to proper eating.
But without fanaticism, of course. It’s not about a whole cake, after pizza and a milkshake with ice cream at McDonald’s, but about small allowances.
Ideally, the ultimate goal should be to stop wanting unhealthy food altogether. And don’t doubt, you will succeed.
During weight loss, it is permissible to have cheat days (once a week) when you can eat any foods (within reason). Such a break helps to adhere to the diet for a longer time.
3 All diets based on calorie restriction are effective
All diets that are based on reducing calorie intake are beneficial for weight loss.
There are actually a lot of effective diets for weight loss.
You can even develop your own: regardless of what exactly you eat every day, just reduce the amount of food you consume (to lower calorie intake) and you will have yet another diet that will undoubtedly be effective for weight loss.
Important: For weight loss, ONLY the number of calories matters, while for health, what exactly we eat is important.
All diets that are based on reducing calorie intake are beneficial for weight loss.
However, our human laziness and lack of willpower can make even the best diets ineffective… Why? Simply because most people stop following them.
Few have the patience and willpower to continue and make the principles of proper nutrition a lifelong habit.
Very often, after achieving the desired weight on the scale, there is a return to favorite eating habits and previous weight.
Unfortunately for many, fat cells are very resilient. They do not die immediately when you start starving them. They simply shrink in size.
Start feeding them – and very soon (and quite easily) their volume will return to “normal,” and you will gain weight again, fat weight. To lose weight permanently, you need to change your eating habits forever.
To lose weight permanently, you need to change your eating habits forever
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4 The best diet for you is the one that works for you
The one that works for you.
Some claim that intermittent fasting is the best way to lose weight, while others say you should eat more often but in smaller portions.
Both options can be effective. The determining factor in any diet is how many calories you consume throughout the day. The best diet for you is the one that helps you lose weight.
On the other hand, it is better to stick to a diet that does not put you in a state of chronic hunger and nervousness.
A feeling of fullness comes from foods rich in protein, as well as those that contain a lot of water and fiber (fruits and vegetables).
Fat also provides satiety, but its downside is its high calorie content: a teaspoon of olive oil has the same calorie content as a small potato!
Another advantage of high-protein foods is that they help build muscle mass (when you consume more calories than you burn) and maintain it (in conditions of insufficient caloric intake).
Recommended: Is Protein beneficial for weight loss?
5 Don’t fall for trendy diets that promise quick results
Most trendy diets have two common features: they restrict the variety of food in the diet, which makes it easier to count calories, and they have very low carbohydrate content, leading to rapid weight loss in the form of water.
How does this work? Very simply.
When we consume carbohydrates, our body first replenishes energy stores in the form of glycogen. Only when glycogen stores are restored does excess calories begin to be stored as fat.
But what happens when we do not give our body enough carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores? The water that was used for its storage is expelled from the body.
One of the popular diets for weight loss is complete food deprivation or fasting. Many believe that this radical step will help drastically change the energy balance and lose weight quickly.
However, when the body enters “starvation mode,” the metabolic rate decreases.
As is known, it is this rate that is responsible for the majority of calories burned throughout the day (~70%, see our material on The Main Cause of Obesity or How to Lose Weight Without Exercise). It uses less energy for its basic functions, and the weight loss process slows down.
The benefits of fasting for weight loss are a myth.
If the state of hunger continues for several days, the metabolic rate decreases significantly. Along with this, you lose a considerable amount of muscle mass, as the body begins to break down muscle protein to ensure its most vital life functions.
A slight caloric restriction, however, does not produce such a dramatic effect.
The overwhelming majority of trendy diets promising quick results are based on fluid elimination from the body.
6 It is impossible to lose weight quickly without harming your health
Today, there are many diets for quick weight loss. Among them are detox diets, the use of laxatives for weight loss, and fasting.
The idea of quick weight loss seems very tempting, but do not be deceived: the weight you lose is just water.
Moreover, almost all of them come with a high risk of harm to health.
On a proper healthy diet that restricts calories, you can lose 0.5 kg or 1 kg in a week by burning fat specifically.
It is impossible to lose weight quickly without harming your health; with proper weight loss, the maximum you can expect is a weight reduction of 0.5-1 kg per week.
We recommend: How to Lose Weight Quickly and Without Harming Your Health? 4 Principles Based on Modern Scientific Data
7 Understand what you can/should eat to lose weight
Are fats harmful for weight loss?
Fats come in different types. But they are all quite calorie-dense: one gram of fat contains twice as many calories as proteins and carbohydrates.
Saturated fats (those found in red meat and dairy products) are often associated by scientists and doctors with an increased risk of harm to health, particularly cardiovascular diseases.
Unsaturated fats (omega-3, for example) are, on the contrary, very beneficial for health, and as a rule, we consume them in insufficient amounts.
Therefore, during weight loss, it is best to limit the amount of saturated fats, while the share of unsaturated fats can even be slightly increased (within the calculated caloric intake).
Moreover, fats can be beneficial for weight loss.
For example, flaxseed oil contains conjugated acid, which is a natural fat burner. Read more about this in our article on scientific reviews on the benefits of various fat burners.
Omega-3 fatty acids also have scientific evidence of effectiveness for weight loss.
We recommend: How effective are Omega-3 for weight loss? Scientific studies
Are carbohydrates harmful for weight loss?
Carbohydrates also come in different forms, simple and complex.
Simple carbohydrates include sugar and fructose. Complex carbohydrates include cereals, vegetables, and bread made from whole grain flour.
Excessive consumption of sugar, especially fructose, is considered by modern scientists to be one of the main causes of obesity. In addition, they pose a colossal harm to health, affecting the function of the cardiovascular system, kidneys, liver, brain, and, of course, teeth.
Complex carbohydrates are generally rich in vitamins and minerals, do not cause a sharp spike in insulin during absorption, and do not pose a health risk; however, they are still minimized in many diets (for example, the ketogenic diet) since they are still a source of calories.
It is important to remember that all three basic components of food – fats, carbohydrates, and proteins – are vital and beneficial for health.
Therefore, any diets that promote a complete rejection of any of them are not correct and increase the risk of harm to health.
Any diets that promote a complete rejection of either fats, carbohydrates, or protein are not correct and increase the risk of harm to health
Is protein beneficial for weight loss?
Definitely – yes. The scientific research on the benefits of protein for weight loss is discussed here.
Protein-rich foods have a high satiety index, meaning that during their consumption, the feeling of hunger is satisfied more quickly and for a longer time.
Additionally, the body expends significantly more energy to digest protein than to digest carbohydrates and fats. This is known as the thermogenic effect.
Protein-rich foods are beneficial for weight loss, while simple carbohydrates (sugar and especially fructose) are harmful not only for weight loss but also for health. It is better to limit fats during a diet by reducing saturated fats.
8 Engage in Sports
Without adjusting your diet, or more precisely, limiting the caloric intake, any type of sport is useless for weight loss. It is very important to understand and thoroughly grasp this.
Any physical activity is undoubtedly beneficial for health and weight loss. However, among all types of sports, some are more and some are less effective for weight loss.
The best exercises for weight loss are those that activate the speed of internal metabolism and are performed intensely. And interestingly, this is far from being everyone’s favorite running and jumping rope.
One of the most effective exercises in terms of time spent and benefits for weight loss today is recognized by scientists as high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
The essence of HIIT is that it is performed with high intensity and engages almost all muscle groups – two factors that are directly related to activating fat burning.
Need more facts and scientific research? Check out our detailed analysis of the effectiveness of different types of exercises for weight loss in the article How to Lose Weight in the Gym or The Best Exercises to Lose Weight. Scientific Research.
Of all types of exercises, the best for weight loss are those that are performed intensely and engage the maximum number of muscles. Examples include high-intensity interval training.
Conclusion
Proper nutrition is more than what we have managed to discuss here. “Proper” also means consuming enough fiber and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) found in natural products that have not undergone harsh processing.
But when it comes to weight loss or gaining mass, everything is quite simple: if your goal is to gain weight – eat more than you burn; if you want to lose weight – eat less than you expend.
In any case, be sure to consume 1.0-2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.
If your goal is to gain weight – eat more than you burn; if you want to lose weight – eat less than you expend.
And don’t forget to train!
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