“Championship” expert, wellness coach Andrey Semeshov
— about why diets are effective, but not always.
Photo: Valeria Barinova, “Championship”
“What diet should I try now to burn fat as quickly as possible?” - perhaps the most popular question. There are exactly two correct answer options: “None” or “Any”. And both are absolutely fair. Why does this happen?
Why physics is a super-precise science
Because physics! Law of energy conservation. It cannot come from nowhere and cannot go to nowhere. This is also true with regard to our issue of losing weight. We are dependent on energy from outside - these are calories from food. In the process of life, from lying on the couch in front of the TV to participating in an ultra-marathon, we spend this energy.
What follows is banal mathematics. If you ate 100 calories, but spent only 75 while lying on the couch, then the difference (15 calories) will be stored as a reserve in the form of fat deposits. If we do the opposite, we will force the body to compensate accordingly for the shortage by partially using up the “airbag”.
Photo: istockphoto.com
The irony is that we were designed in conditions of extremely irregular food supply, when every calorie was much more valuable than gold, so the chances of survival were higher for those individuals who learned how to store fat as much as possible at the moments when they managed to find food. So we are all actually descendants of “overweight” homo sapiens. And over millennia of evolution, the human body has masterfully learned to build up fatty tissue. And after we came up with the idea of combining combinations in one product that you cannot find in nature (lots of carbohydrates + lots of fats), the built-in fat accumulation mechanism began to go crazy with delight.
Optimal food
To get only benefits from food, you need to buy natural products. A woman or man who is losing or gaining weight needs the following nutrients:
- Proteins (lean meat, fish, eggs, legumes) are involved in the construction of new tissue, support recovery processes, and help increase muscle fiber. Proteins should take up 1/3 of the daily diet.
- Complex carbohydrates (buckwheat, oatmeal, millet, chickpeas, peas, bran) provide energy and activate brain activity. This group of nutrients should make up ½ of the daily menu.
- Unrefined fats (eggs, avocados, walnuts, almonds, fatty fish, olive oil) are also necessary for the body, but their amount should not exceed 1 g/1 kg of total weight.
- Fiber (bran, grains, vegetables, fruits) improves digestion.
- Vitamins strengthen the immune system and have a beneficial effect on the functionality of the body.
- Minerals are necessary for the construction of tissues, water metabolism, and enzymatic processes.
Expert opinion
Evgeniy Kislitsa
Practicing surgeon. Certified massage master. Two-time vice-champion and heavyweight champion of regional kettlebell lifting competitions.
Fiber has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, as it stimulates rhythmic contractions of the intestinal wall (peristalsis) and allows physiological control of the balance of intestinal microflora. The latter is necessary for normal digestion and the functioning of the immune system (a significant proportion of immunity is formed due to appropriate reactions in the intestinal cavity). Minerals, in addition to these functions, ensure the transmission of nerve impulses between cells. Such reactions ensure the functioning of all organs in the body. The role of minerals is especially important for the normal functioning of the heart (heart rate). It is also due to sodium that the filtration apparatus of the kidneys functions, due to which urine is formed and excreted from the body.
Interesting! Bean products, in addition to containing complex carbohydrates, are rich in plant proteins, so they can be used not only as a source of essential carbohydrates, but also proteins.
In addition, you should supplement your diet with foods rich in organic acids, tannins, flavonoids, etc.
For weight loss
Properly selected products will help a person speed up fat burning:
- Tomatoes, cucumbers, white fish, oranges, grapefruits contain few calories.
- Oatmeal, grade A pasta, beans, wholemeal bread, and apples will satisfy your hunger.
- Milk (0.1%), lentils, salad, berries do not increase glucose levels in the body.
- Cottage cheese (low fat), chicken offal, seafood, and tuna contain little fat.
- Olive oil, flax oil, almonds, and avocado contain fatty acids.
- Apples, carrots, paprika, celery, sugar-free dairy desserts, fruit purees, and berries have a pleasant taste and texture. In addition, they are rich in vitamin and mineral compounds, improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and contain few calories.
- Lingonberries, berry fruit drinks, and celery have a diuretic effect, so they not only allow you to remove excess fluid from the body, but also have a beneficial effect on kidney function.
- Bananas, dietary milk products, bread, nuts, and dried fruits are used as a snack.
- Cheese, low-fat cottage cheese, dietary fish, egg whites, and beans will speed up weight loss and preserve muscle mass.
And dark chocolate (from 75%), dates, and nuts provoke the production of the joy hormone.
Important! Those who have diseases of the gastrointestinal tract should not get carried away with dark chocolate. After all, it irritates the mucous membrane of the intestines and stomach, which can lead to exacerbation of chronic diseases of the digestive organs.
Nutrition for weight gain
To gain weight faster, you need to increase the amount of protein and carbohydrate foods in the menu. Sources of protein: seafood, dietary meat, fish, milk, dairy products. Chicken is ideal for this purpose; it is quickly digested, so it can provide muscle tissue with the proteins necessary for its growth and recovery faster than other types of meat.
To recharge your energy, it is recommended to eat cereals, vegetables, and fruits. And crispbreads and bran bread contain healthy fiber.
Don't forget about fats: olive, sesame oil, seeds, nuts, etc.
This is interesting! To speed up the process of gaining muscle mass, it is recommended to take sports nutrition, vitamins, and minerals.
Expert opinion
Evgeniy Kislitsa
Practicing surgeon. Certified massage master. Two-time vice-champion and heavyweight champion of regional kettlebell lifting competitions.
To accelerate muscle gain and increase strength, it is recommended to use protein, creatine, BCAA (a complex of essential amino acids), amino acid complexes (including essential and non-essential). Protein (shakes, bars, etc.) allows you to deliver the necessary protein to the cells within 20-30 minutes. It is recommended to use protein isolate. It contains more protein and fewer calories by reducing the amount of carbohydrates. Protein concentrate is more suitable for those who are less calorie conscious or who are dieting to gain calories from concentrated protein supplements. However, the cost of protein isolate is higher than that of concentrate. BCAA allows you to provide the body with amino acids, which play a primary role in the restoration and growth of muscle cells. Moreover, this supplement contains virtually no calories. However, the effectiveness of its use is still disputed among professionals. The amino acid complex represents proteins split into monomers (structural units). This allows them to be absorbed by the body faster and does not waste time and energy breaking down proteins from protein supplements. However, the cost of an amino acid complex is often not inferior to protein. Creatine is a sports supplement that accelerates energy metabolism in muscle tissue and supplies it with energy. But creatine causes muscles to retain water, which, on the one hand, increases their volume, and on the other, leads to unnecessary weight gain. However, it is necessary to take creatine strictly for a certain time, and already 1-2 weeks after stopping its use, the liquid leaves the tissues. But after stopping taking the sports supplement, there is a decrease in strength and overall endurance. This is observed until the body gets used to “working” without the use of creatine from the outside.
Choose carefully: it’s easier to gain weight
That is, we love to accumulate fat and know how to do it, but “burning” it is difficult and only if there is force majeure. So, any diet is an imitation of such force majeure. We “cut” the supply of energy (calories), forcing the body to little by little “eat up” its reserves. Accordingly, the speed of this process depends primarily on the size of this delta. Other factors against this background are so insignificant that they can be completely neglected.
Therefore, the choice of a specific “diet” is unimportant. If only it created an energy deficit. True, it is worth considering that the more crazy the menu (for example, kefir with cucumbers), the faster the body will exhaust its vitamin and mineral reserves. In the worst case scenario, it is fatal. You should still choose a diet based on common sense and logic. Another important criterion is personal preference. Since losing weight is, in any case, a process that takes several weeks, you need to choose an option that will be most convenient for you personally to adhere to. For example, many girls, whose usual diet practically does not include meat dishes, will have a difficult time on a high-protein diet at first (until the enzymatic system is rebuilt). For others, the keto diet, which emphasizes eating fatty foods (yes, you can successfully lose weight on fats!), will be poorly tolerated.
So if you really need a diet, be careful with your choice. And keep in mind that “eat as much as you like” will not work. You can lose weight on any diet. Or gain weight. It all depends on the quantity, so...
Little tricks
We all know how hard it is to limit yourself to your favorite foods. But if you use your imagination and hidden culinary abilities, you can make the same finished product less high in calories by reducing not its quantity, but the amount of fat - calories.
Many prepared foods contain hidden fats, the consumption of which leads to invisible overeating. Reducing its content helps reduce calories in any dish and makes it possible to double the amount of such a serving.
List of substitute dishes with lower calorie content:
- Trout baked with mayonnaise and cheese, or healthier, but less calorie trout with vegetables.
- Pizza with bacon, and less calorie - with vegetables. This option is a real find for pizza lovers.
- Pies with cabbage in the amount of five pieces are superior in energy value to a dish of oatmeal with nuts, dried apricots, honey and a sandwich.
- A chocolate bar exceeds the calorie content of a dinner of vegetable salad with new potatoes, baked fish, black bread, pear and tea.
Allow yourself all foods! However, you should not take the diet mechanically, eating only fatty and sweet high-calorie foods in minimal quantities. This way, although you will reduce the centimeters at your waist, you will then gain them back. Change your diet towards healthy foods.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9yp1hvGSg8
We consider BJU: why?
The most, in my opinion, rational approach to losing weight comes down to a banal accounting of everything eaten - that is, calories. Why? Because this is the most flexible approach to creating your diet. You can “fit in” almost anything, anytime. For example, on one day distribute calories between cottage cheese, rice, chicken fillet and vegetables, and on another - between chocolate and ice cream. If it is equal in caloric content (and for you it will be fewer calories than you spend per day), you will lose weight with the same success on both days. Of course, the first option is not very tasty, but you will feel full almost all day, and the second option is not very tasty, but tasty. It's a matter of choice. But as for me, the main thing is that this very choice is always there.
Reviews
Reviews from those who counted calories for weight loss:
Counting calories really helped me in terms of willpower and helped me get used to eating normally. Fried foods and flour (except for pizza and spaghetti) left my diet, but not because I forbade them. It’s just that when you are faced with a choice: a piece of cake that you will eat, and after 10 minutes you will want again, or a plate of rich soup, after which you will not feel hungry for the next 3 hours, the choice will become obvious
Those who have lost weight by counting calories are not afraid of the calculator
