Do we lose weight at all costs? – 2nd part

In co-operation with Iva Finderle (MA in Nutrition) from the blog Healthy Little Tooth, I present the second part of the blog about weight lost and healthy diet.

Did you decided to confront yourself with increased body weight, but the only thing you pay attention on is the number on the scale? Think again…
Given that the ideal of beauty is imposed to us every day we feel the pressure to achieve the perfect appearance no matter what the price is, often putting our health at risk by starving ourselves or by choosing a diet which ejects certain nutrients. What do you get or lose with this? The truth is that you will lose on your body weight and muscle mass, however, by avoiding certain nutrients you will put your body under a great risk. Do not forget about the fact that once you achieve your desired body weight and you decide to return to the “old diet” you also risk a well known yo-yo effect which brings the weight back.

Losing body weight is a challenge and it represents more than just simply losing kilograms. Some of the most important factors in regulating body weight are changes in behavior and lifestyle and those changes should become new habits. Emphasis should be on a general health improvement and on creation of new, healthier habits in everyday life which includes physical activity, as well as the changes in eating habits. These two segments are inseparable when talking about healthy weight loss.

To lose body weight, your energy intake should be lower than the energy you consumed, and at the same time you need to make sure to import enough nutrition. All changes in diet, primarily in the selection of food, should be slow but continuous, with the aim to get closer to the principles of proper nutrition. It is very important to consume whole foods (plant foods) and get your body used to it. This means that on your plate you should always have vegetables and whole grains, accompanied by fruits and wholesome protein source, all flavored with small amount of healthy fat.
When considering proper diet three inseparable principles should be taken into account: diversity, moderation and balance. You should moderately intake variety of foods to cover the full spectrum of nutrients that your body needs on a daily basis. It is important to be moderate in the daily energy intake, as well as in the intake of certain groups of foods, primarily the food that is the source of “empty calories”. In this way, at the end of the day you achieve the balance between energy intake and energy consumed.

By making small diet changes and with occasional planning many savings can be made, especially those on the calorific value, but without losing nutrients. To recognize and combine nutrients can sometimes be challenging, but through the right education it is possible to achieve desired goals.

The aim is to eat better and smarter, not less because nothing is more efficient than the proper and healthy diet!