Proper nutrition is key to weight loss. No matter how much and hard you train, an excessively high-calorie diet will not allow you to lose extra pounds. The only option is to make your workouts as intense as possible, add more cardio, and control your diet. We have already touched on this topic in one of the previous articles - we talked about how to lose weight without a diet. And today we’ll talk about what proper nutrition should be like for weight loss and how to use it to lose weight even faster.
Important: we will not talk about a strict and time-limited diet, but about the basics of creating a diet that will give you enough strength and energy, but at the same time create a calorie deficit and help you lose weight.
Basic recommendations
The first and main rule: treat food adequately and correctly assess the impact of your diet on health and quality of life. It is important to understand that a new diet is not a punishment, but a need for your body. You must make a conscious choice in favor of health, otherwise, you will not be able to avoid breakdowns.
Trying to spend what you eat through exhausting workouts is ineffective. Just think about the fact that in an hour of running on a flat road, a person on average burns 500-700 kcal, which is comparable to the energy value of just one chocolate bar.
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Other essential nutrition rules for weight loss:
Eat as often as possible and reduce portion sizes - speed up your metabolism, and do not torment yourself with hunger.
Drink at least 1.5-2 liters of water per day, depending on the individual needs of your body.
Reduce salt intake to a minimum, and try to completely give up sugar.
Don’t ignore sports and functional nutrition – it will help you get the right nutrients even on difficult and busy weekdays.
Try to cook yourself - do not buy semi-finished products, they are too often full of harmful and high-calorie ingredients.
At the same time, it is worth forming the habit of counting calories. Not up to tenths, at least approximately. This way you can control the weight loss process and understand at what point you need to reduce calories in order to maintain the dynamics. We also recommend combining proper nutrition with physical activity - this will significantly speed up weight loss. In most cases, you should focus on cardio. Read about how to create a training program in our blog. If necessary, contact a trainer to develop an individual plan.
What is important when creating a menu
It is better to plan a diet for weight loss for a long time. At the same time, at the initial stage it is worth writing out the menu in detail and immediately purchasing everything you need. This disciplines and simplifies the transition to proper nutrition. It is advisable to prepare the main dishes several days in advance - then you will not have the excuse of an acute lack of time on weekdays.
What else is important to consider:
Be sure to include a hearty breakfast on the menu. It should account for about 50% of the daily carbohydrate intake, 30% protein and 20% fat.
For dinner, it is better to eat protein foods. For example, lean meat or low-fat cottage cheese topped with unsweetened yogurt.
It is important to choose the right snacks - not fast food, but healthy fruits, salads, and nuts.
Consider physical activity - if a heavy workout or active recreation is planned for the day, then the calorie content of the daily diet can be increased.
Try to drink clean water at room temperature and green tea. If you drink coffee, do not add sugar, syrups, or heavy cream to it.
Over time, eating right will become a habit. You will automatically reject foods that are harmful to you, understand the approximate calorie content of dishes, prepare for the week ahead, and store healthy preparations in the freezer. The most difficult period is the first 2 weeks. Especially if you previously allowed yourself everything without restrictions.
Mistakes of losing weight
The key mistake is the lack of understanding of the principles of proper nutrition for weight loss and sufficient motivation. Some people who suffer from obesity are also unaware of the psychological nature of food addiction. If you are unable to give up harmful foods, but they are clearly harmful to your health, seek advice from a psychotherapist.
The most common mistakes when losing weight include:
A categorical refusal of your favorite foods leads to breakdowns and a decrease in the effectiveness of weight loss. If you love sweet fruits, eat them, but in measured, small quantities.
Eating fried and smoked foods is something that proponents of the keto diet are especially guilty of. There may be no carbohydrates in such food, but it still harms the body. You can fry the same meat only without oil, and you can smoke it for no more than 20 minutes without the use of artificial smoke.
Frequent consumption of alcohol - it is distinguished by its high-calorie content. In addition, it harms your health and increases the feeling of hunger.
Drinking water while eating prevents food from being properly digested. You can drink water and other drinks only an hour after eating.
Large portions are harmful, especially during dinner. You should prefer small amounts of food, but reduce the intervals between meals.
It is also not recommended to skip meals so as not to slow down your metabolism. It is better to avoid sauces and dressings, and prefer raw vegetables to boiled and fried vegetables. The diet should be as balanced as possible - you should receive natural vitamins and microelements so that losing weight does not harm your health.
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What kind of nutrition can be called correct?
Proper nutrition (“PN”) is a rather vague term. And not always with a positive connotation. Many bloggers and “nutrition consultants” interpret it incorrectly, subsume it under the principles of dubious diets, and tie it to various ideologies.
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In fact, “PP” involves eating foods that are good for you and avoiding harmful ones as much as possible. However, there is no universal list - only approximate lists. It is important to understand the needs of your body.
Please note: “PP” is also about a reasonable approach to creating a diet. It is important to learn to count calories, understand the qualities of foods and their effect on the body, know the value of natural vitamins, and achieve the balance of nutrients your body needs.
What foods can be consumed without restrictions?
Let us make a reservation that these products can be consumed with virtually no restrictions in the absence of individual contraindications. These include:
clean water, tea without additives;
lettuce, spinach, and all kinds of greens;
mushrooms;
meat, fish, and poultry;
vegetables without high sugar and starch content.
It is important to pay attention to the quality of the products. So chicken, in theory, is ideal for proper nutrition, but in reality, when raising poultry, hormones, and antibiotics are often used, which remain in the meat.
What foods should you eat in moderation?
In limited quantities you can use:
dairy and fermented milk products;
boiled potatoes;
legumes and whole grains;
pasta from durum wheat;
whole wheat bread;
eggs, seeds, nuts.
You can also consume some fruits and berries in limited quantities, which are not prohibited.
What foods should you exclude?
Prohibited foods for weight loss:
vegetable and butter, mayonnaise;
smoked and fried meat, sausages, sausages;
canned food and semi-finished products;
bananas, dates, watermelons, melons, grapes;
sweet pastries, jam, any desserts and confectionery;
sweet and alcoholic drinks.
You can cook it in any way except by smoking. When frying, the use of oil and other fat is not allowed.
How to make a meal plan for weight loss
Be sure to take into account the individual characteristics of your body. You can and should be guided by general recommendations, but with the calculation of the calorie content and proportions of the BJU needed specifically for you. It is also worth considering your goals since the diet for gaining muscle mass differs in many ways from the menu for weight loss.
Diet for weight loss for women should include more healthy fats and fiber. However, the daily calorie content should be at the level of 1500-2000 kcal, depending on body weight, body condition, and physical activity. Women spend less energy than men. At the same time, their metabolism is almost always slower, so they should eat as many meals as possible.
Diet for weight loss for men, on the contrary, should contain a minimum of fat. The emphasis should be on protein, without forgetting about the necessary microelements. In particular, it is important to get enough zinc from your diet, which is necessary for testosterone production. Metabolism in men is faster than in women. They expend more energy throughout the day. Therefore, the approximate daily calorie content is in the range of 2000-2500 kcal.
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Meal regimen for early risers
We are talking about people who go to bed early and get up early - for example, at 6.00 and 22.00, respectively. Since it is recommended to eat every 3 hours, the diet should be divided into at least 5 parts. Breakfast an hour after waking up, that is, at about 7.00. Dinner - 3 hours before bedtime, that is, approximately at 22.00.
Dietary regime for night owls
Here we are talking about people who wake up after 9.00 and fall asleep after midnight. Everything is the same as for “larks”, only adjusted for time. Accordingly, you should have breakfast at about 10.00, and dinner at 21.00 or later, but at least 3 hours before bedtime.
How to create a menu for the week
It's easier than it seems. Calculate your daily calorie intake taking into account the deficit required for weight loss and select foods from those that are allowed or allowed in limited quantities. Let's present a sample menu for the week with the main meals and a breakdown by day, taking into account a variety of snacks.
Monday
Breakfast: Cheese pancakes, fresh berry smoothie
First snack: 30 g walnuts
Lunch: Chicken broth, vegetable salad
Second snack: Green apple
Dinner: Boiled beef with fresh salad
Tuesday
Breakfast: Oatmeal with pears in sugar-free syrup
First snack: Natural yogurt
Lunch: Vegetable stew, borscht without potatoes
Second snack: Protein shake
Dinner: Stewed cabbage, boiled chicken breast
Wednesday
Breakfast: Buckwheat porridge with milk
First snack: Apple smoothie
Lunch: Cream of mushroom soup, meat salad
Second snack: Pear
Dinner: Beef stew with vegetables
Thursday
Breakfast: Cottage cheese casserole, apple
First snack: Any fruit except prohibited ones
Lunch: Meatball soup without potatoes, vegetable salad
Second snack: Protein shake
Dinner: Steamed pollock with fresh vegetables
Friday
Breakfast: Hercules, curd cheese
First snack: Apple or pear
Lunch: Beef broth, vegetable and cheese salad
Second snack: Natural yogurt
Dinner: Meat casserole, vegetable salad
Weekend
Breakfast: Rice porridge or noodles with milk
First snack: Any fruit of your choice
Lunch: Boiled beef, vegetable broth
Second snack: 30 g hazelnuts
Dinner: Cottage cheese casserole with boiled chicken
Remember that you can increase the calories and number of meals in your diet for the days you plan to train. Physical activity is a prerequisite for fast, effective weight loss. It is best to train in collaboration with an experienced trainer. Any DON-Sport fitness center will help you choose the optimal training program and formulate the correct technique for performing exercises.
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