Tough weight loss: 6 tips that can change everything according to a famous expert
Have you done many diets and all ended in failure? It's time to approach things differently and adopt good habits that really work to reach your goal. In response to a question from American Today, an expert from Harvard Medical School gave her her advice to take care of your health and lose weight.
Significantly reduce the number of calories eaten, and weigh themselves daily… Many people adopt these habits in order to lose weight. Often the result is the same: after feeling down, a place to regain the kilograms. How can we get out of this vicious circle and choose a more global approach to looking after our health?
For the needs of an American documentary film called "Better", experts focused on effective ways to learn to eat better in order to lose weight and thus fight diseases such as diabetes or obesity. Among them is Dr. Joan Manson, chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School (US). In response to a question from Today, the website for the NBC program, the therapist offered her advice on losing weight more easily.
Don't reduce too much calories
We can never say it enough: The best way to be healthy and keep the streak is to eat a balanced diet. Thus, strict, low-calorie diets should be avoided, as they can cause frustration, but also because they can paradoxically have a negative effect on weight loss.
To understand this phenomenon, it is necessary to pay attention to the concept of basic metabolism, which corresponds to the energy expended by the body during rest. The metabolism can be particularly fast or slow, thus burning more or fewer calories. A variable phenomenon that depends on the individual but also depends on various factors. Among the elements that slow down the metabolism, we find in particular the consumption of foods that are too fatty, too sweet or too salty.
But that's not all: Calorie restriction can also slow your metabolism. consequences ? "When you eat the same number of calories as before, you gain weight faster. This is one of the reasons why people often lose weight for a brief period while dieting," explains Dr. Joanne Manson.
Do regular physical activity
To take care of your health as well as your silhouette, regular practice of sports activity is essential. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults do at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity or at least 75 to 150 minutes of continuous-intensity physical activity each week.
The organization also encourages muscle-strengthening exercises twice a week or more. This is also what Dr. Joanne Manson recommends, who points out that muscle mass growth can boost metabolism and thus promote weight loss. She also recommends focusing on resistance exercises to reduce the loss of muscle mass that occurs with age.
Avoid fast food as much as possible
It's no secret: if you want to lose weight, it is recommended to avoid very fatty, very sweet or even processed foods. So chips, burgers or dessert should be as limited as possible. If it is not recommended, it is not only because it contains large calories, but also because it is harmful to health and does not satiate. "It causes a kind of 'hunger rebound' where you eat a lot more calories than you would need if you had a good diet," says Dr. Joanne Manson.
On the contrary, eating healthy foods promotes feelings of satiety. "A higher-quality diet almost automatically leads to better calorie control: You'll eat more filling foods," Dr. Joanne Manson tells Yahoo.com.
Focus on the right foods
Regaining that feeling of fullness is one of the many reasons why choosing the foods you eat is so important. Easier said than done? A balanced diet consists of “eating everything, but in the right quantities, and preferring foods that are good for our health (fruits, vegetables, starchy foods, fish, etc.),” remembers the National Healthy Nutrition Program (PNNS).
Dr. JoAnn Manson particularly recommends focusing on green vegetables, fruits that are low in fructose, carbohydrates that are rich in fiber, such as whole grains, legumes or even beans, and unsaturated fats called "good fats," which are particularly found in olive oil or fish, as well as high-quality proteins. such as lentils, salmon, or oysters.
Avoid any feeling of frustration
Are you particularly greedy and think that giving up sweet or fatty foods that you love is depriving? Do not panic: a healthy diet does not exclude some high-calorie foods, as long as their consumption does not become systematic. "If there are certain foods that don't fit into a healthy diet, you can still eat them periodically," Dr. Joanne Manson says today.
Target? Fight the frustration that can undermine the effectiveness of the diet. This is what a 2015 Ipsos survey revealed: at least 41% of French interviewed explained the failure of their system through the frustration they felt during this period.
Forget the scale
To observe the effect of all these new good habits on your body, do you have a habit of weighing yourself obsessively? bad idea ! This reflex can lead to frustration, because the number shown on the scale does not always represent reality. Weight can actually vary depending on various factors such as the period of your menstrual cycle or the intensity of physical activity.
What is the best way to follow its development according to Dr. Joanne Manson? Review how you feel in your clothes or measure your waist every two weeks. This last parameter is particularly interesting because it allows you to assess the amount of fat in the abdominal area, which is also called visceral fat . This type of fat, which accumulates between muscles and organs, increases the risk of developing certain diseases such as cardiovascular disease.
To measure your waistline, Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS) recommends standing with your feet slightly apart and passing a measuring tape between the twelfth and last rib and the iliac crest, which corresponds to the upper part of the stomach. at the pelvic level.
