Eating that will make you lose weight in a healthy way

How many times have you heard incredible offers and diets to lose weight fast?: Lose 30 pounds in 30 days", "eat all you want and lose weight!", "this toner will lose several inches in no time!". Forget false promises: here I am going to show you how to adopt a diet that will make you lose weight in a healthy way.

Remember that a sedentary lifestyle and a poor diet are the two main causes of weight gain above appropriate levels; stress, anxiety and harmful habits such as alcohol and cigarette consumption also have an influence.

It is useless to follow fad diets that are not healthy or provide the nutrients your body needs. Read on to find out how to lose weight in a healthy way, eating healthy, without affecting your health and with results that you can maintain forever.

Quick Weight Loss vs. healthy weight loss

To lose weight there are two options:

The second option involves making many decisions related to a healthy lifestyle, such as choosing a healthy, balanced and varied eating plan.

It is very important that you know the food you eat and its composition, learn to read nutritional labels and know what amounts of salt and sugar they contain.

What is a healthy eating plan?

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, healthy weight loss requires a healthy eating plan that takes into account the following aspects:

How many calories should I consume to lose weight in a healthy way?

To follow a healthy diet you DO NOT have to count calories . It is more important to reflect on what you eat.

Counting calories is only one part of the weight loss equation, which if it becomes an obsession, can become a harmful and perverse habit. There are other more important factors, such as eating foods that keep insulin values ​​stable throughout the day and that satisfy your hunger.

You must analyze the food you eat and plan the diet, based on your particular objectives: do not eat less to go hungry and be unhappy; eat better, more fresh food and reduce processed products as much as possible.

Nor is it convenient to obfuscate yourself with having a perfect diet and feel guilty when you "skip the diet", since this can end up affecting your self-esteem.

For this reason, it is important to have the support of medical professionals or nutritionists, so that they teach you to eat well, marking a change in your eating habits. Don't choose a healthy diet because it's the right thing to do, but because it also makes you happy.

Remember that the World Health Organization (WHO) defines the term health as "a state of complete well-being, physical, mental and social". This means that in a healthy life different factors intervene and that of food is basic. As well as practicing exercises, sleeping the required hours, staying hydrated, managing stress and healthy fun, so that people achieve and maintain good health and therefore a good practice of healthy lifestyle habits.

Short-term benefits of healthy eating

It is very common to think that the benefits of a healthy diet can only be seen in the long term. But in a short time, your quality of life increases, since your personal, family and work performance exponentially improves.

Eating healthy foods is a main axis to maintain your health and prevent diseases in the long term.

How to create a healthy eating plan

Set the goals you want to achieve

It is better small goals that you can measure (daily, weekly or monthly). For this, keep in mind:

record your progress

People who keep a regular log may be more successful at losing weight and keeping it off.

Watch how it's done:

Write down the healthy things you do in a notebook or journal.

• Review it when you start to doubt yourself or your abilities.

pay attention to how you feel

Can you notice a difference when you eat better? Or do you feel the change when you sometimes eat poorly?

• Notice if your food preferences change: As you change what you eat, you'll start to like new foods. You may find that you don't like some of the foods you used to eat before, and you may have learned to enjoy new foods that you thought you didn't like.

Get lab tests

You will be able to monitor the effects that your new diet generates in your body and reflect better values.

• Blood sugar tests will tell you if your diet is helping to control insulin.
• Regular blood tests can measure your cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
• Check your blood pressure to see if the changes in your diet are improving it.

give yourself a reward

• When you reach one of your goals, reward yourself : Link each reward to a specific, measurable goal, such as “I managed to eat 5 servings of vegetables and fruits a day for 1 week”.
• The reward CANNOT be food: buy yourself new clothes or treat yourself to a massage session.

Habits that will make you lose weight in a healthy way

According to the recommendations of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of the US Department of Health and Human Services , the recommended healthy habits to lose weight in a healthy way and without risk of losing weight and not increase it again, are as follows:

Choose healthy foods:

Eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products.

Fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables

Choose them in a variety of rich colors: red (red bell peppers, cherries, cranberries, red onions, beets, strawberries, tomatoes, watermelon); green (avocados, broccoli, cabbage, cabbage, cucumbers, dark lettuce, grapes, honeydew, kale, kiwis, spinach, zucchini); orange and yellow (apricots, plantains or bananas, melons, papaya, carrots, mangoes, oranges, peaches or peaches, pumpkins, sweet potatoes); blue and purple (blackberries, blueberries, grapes, plums, purple cabbage, purple carrots, purple potatoes). This way you will get a variety of vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Prefer steamed, grilled or baked foods instead of fried ones.

Limit unhealthy foods

Added sugars, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and saturated fats, also known as "solid fats" (fatty meats and high-fat dairy products like butter).

eat protein

That are low in fat such as beans, eggs, fish, lean meats, nuts, and chicken or turkey.

eat small portions

Use a smaller plate or check the Nutrition Facts label to learn what your serving sizes should be.

Move the body in your daily routine

Garden, go for a walk with your family, play a sport, start a dance club with your friends, swim, take the stairs, or walk to the store or work.

rest properly

When you don't sleep well, a whole cascade of hormonal events happens that could cause you to gain weight , as the appetite hormones leptin and ghrelin are made during sleep, which means people have a decreased sense of satiety if they don't get enough sleep. enough.

manage stress

Being constantly stressed affects many vital processes. And it is that when you are in a situation of physical or emotional stress, the hormone cortisol or hydrocortisone is produced, which causes anxiety and makes you eat more. In addition, it causes hormonal imbalances, weight gain by increasing insulin resistance, loss of muscle tissue, weakens the immune system, increases the risk of osteoporosis, infertility, and hinders the absorption and secretion of minerals such as sodium, calcium, and potassium.

Eating that will make you lose weight in a healthy way

The diets or diets to lose weight that provide safe and healthy eating habits are the following:

Mediterranean diet

It is the way of eating based on an idealization of the dietary patterns of the Mediterranean countries, especially: Spain, Italy, Greece, Morocco, San Marino, Cyprus and Croatia.

Without a doubt, it is a great option if you want to follow a diet to lose weight in a healthy way and eat a variety of foods. Its benefits are undeniable, since it helps the cardiovascular system and prevents many heart diseases.

It is characterized by the majority intake of fruits and vegetables, dairy products, eggs, carbohydrates, cereals and fish. In addition, it has some star products, such as olive oil, which is nutritionally better than vegetable oils or butter.

This diet also encourages the practice of daily exercise, as well as the consumption of local and seasonal products.

atlantic feeding

It is distinguished by being varied and nutritious and refers to the eating style shared by the areas bathed by the Atlantic Ocean towards northern Europe in countries such as Portugal, Spain, France and England, mainly.

Some studies have shown that the longevity of its inhabitants is higher than that of residents of the Mediterranean area.

What should you consume on an Atlantic diet?

1. A lot of:

• Vegetables, fruits, cereals (whole grain bread), potatoes, chestnuts, nuts and legumes.
• Fresh, frozen or canned fish and shellfish.
• Olive oil for seasoning and cooking.

2. Moderate servings of:

• Beef, pork, game and poultry.
• Milk and milk derivatives, especially cheeses.

The difference between the Atlantic diet and the Mediterranean one lies in the habitual consumption of fresh, seasonal and local foods, minimally processed.

DASH diet or hypertension diet

DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension and was originally created to help reduce high blood pressure.

Thanks to the benefits it provides, it is counted as one of the healthiest diets to lose weight.

MIND diet (Mediterranean-DASH intervention for neurodegenerative delay).

This is the fusion of various diets and was created to prevent certain neurodegenerative diseases from a correct diet.

In 2015, two large studies conducted in the United States showed much slower cognitive decline for 35% of people who followed it flexibly and 53% of those who followed it rigorously.

Although it was not designed as a diet to lose weight, it is a good diet to promote weight loss.

• It consists of consuming whole grain three times a day, in any of its forms (rice, bread, pasta...).
• Guideline that vegetables and fruits are consumed daily, as well as 30 grams of nuts.
• Every two days, legumes should be taken and, twice a week, the consumption of red fruits is established, since they are powerful antioxidants.
• Chicken meat and fish should be eaten several times a week and unhealthy, pre-cooked or processed foods should be avoided (industrial pastries, fried foods and any food that contains excess sugars also come in here).

To lose weight in a healthy way, the important thing is to be constant and always make healthy options in your diet.

Over time you will be able to have better eating habits. And by thinking more positively and focusing on the foods you can eat, you'll help yourself establish healthy eating habits.

Remember to consult with a health professional to follow a healthy diet or if you are having trouble making changes to your diet and are concerned that you are not getting all the nutrients you need.