• Sandwich diet, so a sandwich helps you lose weight and stay in shape
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When it comes to losing weight, it's not just about following a diet; Without it, it will be impossible to achieve the goal, but even if we do it, we do not guarantee to lose those extra kilos that harm both our health and our silhouette.

Because sometimes, and not a few, that regime that mortifies us far from allowing us to lose weight achieves the opposite effect and after days of deprivation we verify that instead of losing weight we even go further. We talk about the dreaded rebound effect and, also, about those errors that prevent us from losing weight even if we do not skip the regime ... or so we believe it. "Sometimes the premises are clear, but it seems that they do not serve to obtain the desired results, especially when we are turning years, and losing weight becomes impossible," says Paula Sáiz de Bustamante, pharmacist expert in Nutrition and director of the promotion of healthy habits of the health and wellness company Juice Plus +. Conclusion: we are doing something wrong.

To begin with, the starting point; It is not about losing weight in a timely manner, but about internalizing new healthy guidelines and avoiding all those mistakes that we make every day and that sabotage our diet without us being aware of it. "The most important thing is that healthy changes are made that become lasting habits," says Sáiz de Bustamante. An argument that also affects Dr. María Jesús García-Dihinx, specialist in Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery. "With diets, the foods we eat frequently are changed to others of the same type, but healthier. We must take advantage of these changes and make them a habit that we maintain after strictly following the regime."

Therefore, one of the first mistakes is to follow one of the so-called miracle diets. "There are hundreds that ensure great weight loss in a very short time. This speed, what attracts the most attention, will in no case be good. The body changes must be gradual so that the body can adapt and then there is no rebound effect, "says Dr. García-Dihinx.

It also does not help to obsess over weight and the stress that this will generate. "It will only be possible to delay the goal," explains the doctor, "when we are nervous, the body is more prone to fatty or sugary foods, because of the areas of the brain that are activated. In addition, cortisol is released, a hormone that promotes the accumulation of fat in the body."

In this sense, helping us with foods such as energy bars, high caloric density, only makes things more difficult, just like skipping meals. "The ideal is to make 5 daily intakes; breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus two snacks at mid-morning and in the afternoon, "say the experts of the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU). And "between one intake and another should elapse at least 2 hours so that they do not overlap," they add.

And beware of the appetizing beer of the aperitif; Alcohol is fattening. And a lot. "It provides 7 kilocalories per gram more than carbohydrates or proteins. A glass of whiskey or rum adds about 350 kcal, "they explain from the OCU. Beer, wine or cider provide fewer calories, but they are still "totally dispensable if you want to lose weight".

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5 Practical tips to lose weight

The equation needed to lose weight is pretty simple: eat fewer calories than you expend. This implies two parameters: reduce the amount that is ingested and increase caloric expenditure to end those that have accumulated. That is, a change in habits involves eating well and increasing physical activity. According to OCU experts, it's easier to follow these five tips:

  • Eat everything, without eliminating food, but limiting the amounts ingested.
  • Cook foods with little fat and lighter preparations, baked, grilled or steamed better than fried or stewed.
  • Include more fruits and vegetables in the diet, giving them as much weight as possible on the shopping list.
  • Beware of light versions of many products, although some have 30% fewer calories than the original, they still have many.
  • Get more physical exercise at least three times a week. Walking at a good pace on a regular basis and for at least 30 minutes can compensate for the fact of not practicing another sport.

The 10 mistakes that prevent weight loss

In addition, this is the decalogue of what we should not do when our goal is to lose a few kilos. According to Paula Sáiz de Bustamante, "working on good habits to enjoy a healthy body composition is key. Staying active and increasing foods such as vegetables, whole fruits, whole fruits, healthy fats (fish, nuts, olive oil in moderate amount...), and sufficient but not excessive intake of protein foods are good ideas. " In addition, he explains, we must avoid these 10, points, because they are the mistakes that prevent us from losing weight.

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  • Not sleeping well. Neither too much nor too little; what is necessary. As surprising as it may seem, sleep plays a fundamental role in weight. Sleeping fewer hours than necessary can interfere with the hormones that control the metabolism and reward center of our brain, which can cause us to accumulate up to 2.5 times more abdominal fat. The same goes for those people who sleep too much. What is the perfect average? Between 7 and 9 hours, experts say.
  • Eradicate fats. Completely eliminating fats from our diet in order to lose weight is a mistake: consuming healthy fats is necessary for the mechanisms that regulate weight to work correctly. In addition, good fats, in their right measure, have a satiating effect, which prevents us from eating excessive amounts. Restricting healthy fats from our diet can also lead to taking more carbohydrates, which translates into blood sugar spikes and the appearance of feelings of hunger. Therefore, to lose weight well it is advisable to include moderate amounts of healthy fats, as they will help us fight hunger and improve the functioning of our body. The best, nuts, avocado and extra virgin olive oil.
  • The illusion of 0% soft drinks and juices. Under the label light and 0% we tend to include in our diet soft drinks and juices, they are the support of our social life when we do a low-calorie regime. However, different studies show that the consumption of one or two soft drinks a day increases the risk of being overweight or obese, and 0% are equally harmful to our health, since they generate disorders in appetite and maintain dependence on sugar. Fruit juices are also not highly recommended; According to a public survey by the Harvard School of Public Health, eating them instead of eating whole fruits can increase the risk of diabetes by up to 8%.
  • Eat very quickly. It takes our stomach 20 minutes to tell our brain that we've eaten enough. Eating too fast interferes with stomach-brain communication, leading us to ingest more than we need and generates excess weight. On the other hand, taking less food than our body needs in order to lose a few kilos also has opposite effects to those expected: when detecting an insufficient energy supply, our body enters a state of alarm and does not consume calories, but stores them.
  • Do not drink water before meals. Taking a good glass of water before eating helps to generate a feeling of satiety and, therefore, to regulate the amounts of food. According to a study by the University of Utah, people who drink two glasses of water about 20 minutes before each meal lose 30% more weight when they follow a weight loss regimen.
  • Drink during meals. On the contrary, consuming water during meals contributes to the appearance of bloating and heaviness, which leads to increase the volume of our gut. To avoid these uncomfortable symptoms it is better to drink warm drinks such as infusions or lemon water.
  • Eliminate foods from our diet. Forbidding food only triggers the desire to consume them, which increases the risk of anxiety, and this will inevitably lead us to eat more. And to take those foods compulsively.
  • Eating dinner too late. When the goal is to lose a few kilos, it is best to have dinner before 21 pm. Although daylight hours lead to delaying this meal to ten o'clock at night, this schedule, a deeply rooted custom in our country, will cause losing weight to be a more difficult mission. The ideal is to make a light dinner with a base of vegetables and proteins two or three hours before bedtime.
  • Use food as a 'balm'. Joining food to our emotions is another of the big mistakes that prevent us from losing weight. It has been observed that those who admit to eating in response to a situation of emotional stress have three times the risk of being overweight or obese. Resorting to chocolate to relieve anxiety is not a good idea; To combat stress, experts advise drinking water, taking a walk, chewing sugar-free gum or practicing some relaxation technique.
  • Keep an eye on labels. Reading labels can be of great help when it comes to reaching the desired weight. Claims such as 'light', 'natural', 'bio' or 'low fat' sometimes hide unhealthy products that are as fattening as those considered 'conventional'. It is essential to read the list of ingredients on the labels well, taking into account that it is ordered from highest to lowest, according to the quantities. And, as a rule, always avoid ultra-processed foods.
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