Obesity is one of the most urgent problems of the modern world. In some countries it has already reached epidemic proportions. In our country, about 47% of men and 52% of women live with excess body weight. Excess weight is not only a defect in appearance. It can cause many physiological or psychological disorders. To get rid of fat deposits, you must first change your eating habits.
What are the dangers of obesity
Obesity is a consequence of the fact that the amount of food that enters the body of a modern person significantly exceeds what is needed for energy production. As a result, the unconsumed residue turns into fat. The quality of the products consumed is also important. If the basis of the diet consists of easily digestible carbohydrates, they will certainly settle in the form of unsightly folds.
Excess weight should not be seen only as a visual defect. It is a risk factor for the development of many diseases. The more adipose tissue grows, the stronger its destructive effect on the body.
Attention: overweight patients are three times more likely to suffer from diabetes mellitus, and twice as often to suffer from liver and cardiovascular system pathologies compared to people of normal weight.
Obesity is a systemic disease and can affect the functioning of all internal organs.
Among the diseases that are caused by excess weight:
- hypertension;
- Alzheimer's disease;
- strokes;
- arthritis;
- male impotence;
- phlebeurism;
- angina pectoris;
- pathologies of the respiratory system;
- depression;
- apnea (sudden cessation of breathing during sleep);
- heart attack;
- gallbladder pathology;
- osteoarthritis;
- diseases of the digestive tract;
- atherosclerosis;
- menstrual irregularities.
It has been scientifically proven that obesity increases the likelihood of developing breast, thyroid, colon, gall bladder and kidney cancer. The most clearly visible connection is between excess weight and malignant neoplasms of the esophagus, as well as of the endometrium. On average, body fat shortens a person's lifespan by 12-15 years.
The situation is complicated by the fact that obese people have a disturbed metabolism - this slows down the process of losing weight. But the situation is reversible. It is possible to "lose" even the heaviest weight. To do this, you must first change your diet. The main mistake of many people is that they try to give up food completely. As a result, periods of fasting are replaced by failures. The weight returns in even greater amounts, and health problems also occur. A professional nutritionist should choose a diet for an obese person.
Basic principles of nutrition in obesity
A diet to treat obesity must be balanced. The body cannot remain without essential substances, amino acids and vitamins. Improperly chosen diet can cause serious endocrine disorders, disorders in the liver, heart and other organs.
The basic rules of nutrition for weight normalization are as follows:
- daily calorie content ranges from 1700 to 2000 kcal. It is calculated individually, taking into account the patient's gender, age, height, build and physical activity;
- limiting the consumption of foods containing fast carbohydrates and animal fats;
- filling the diet with fiber, which is low in calories, but fills the stomach for a long time, creating a feeling of satiety;
- The recommended daily protein intake for an adult with average physical activity is 0. 75 g per 1 kg of weight;
- divided meals make it easier to control the feeling of hunger. It is recommended to eat 5-6 times a day;
- the daily amount of salt must not exceed 5 g;
- exclusion of spices, herbs, smoked food, pickles, spicy dishes that increase appetite;
- You should drink one and a half liters of water a day. Before each meal, you should slowly drink half a glass of liquid;
- Boil, bake or steam all dishes. Fried foods should be avoided;
- eat at the same time. Additional bites are prohibited.
Attention: a monthly weight loss of 3 kg due to fat is considered the norm. Faster weight loss is a great stress for the body!
A healthy diet in obesity must be combined with dosed physical activity. You need to start with 10 minutes of exercise, gradually increasing its duration and the complexity of the exercises.
The above rules must be strictly followed in the first month of treatment. Then the body adapts to the new diet and daily routine. The risk of breakdowns and returning to previous eating habits will be reduced.
Prohibited and permitted products
Obese patients are usually recommended the so-called diet chart no. 8. It is designed directly to reduce fat volume and normalize metabolic processes.
Attention: for patients with accompanying diseases of the cardiovascular system, liver and digestive organs, individual diets are selected!
Despite the strictness of this diet, it allows you to eat varied and delicious. The list of acceptable products is very extensive. We present the main ones in the form of a table.
| product group | allowed | prohibited |
| flour products | black or wholemeal bread (up to 150 g per day) | White bread; bakery products; puff pastry |
| meat | lean beef; rabbit meat; chicken meat without skin and fat; turkey; (any, up to 150 g per day) | pork; goose; duck; mutton; smoked meat; sausages; goulash; fat |
| fish | types with a low fat content (up to 150 g per day); seafood (up to 200 g per day) | all fat breeds; salted, smoked fish; canned food |
| vegetables | cabbage; cucumbers; radish; Zucchini; gourd; tomato; turnip; greenery; seaweed | potato; carrots (occasionally allowed); green peas |
| adverbs | buckwheat; pearl barley; barley groats; green beans | pasta; rice; semolina; legumes |
| eggs | cooked | fried eggs; fried omelette; |
| fruits and berries | sour fruits and berries; jelly; mousses | grapefruit; bananas; figs; dates |
| drinks | coffee; tea; natural juices from sour fruits and berries; mineral water; decoction of rose hips | sweet compotes; jelly; Packaged juices; soda |
| spices | sauces with herbs in a weak broth; tomato sauce; white sauce with vegetables | mayonnaise; mustard; horseradish; ketchup |
| milk products | kefir; curdled milk; cottage cheese (all low fat) | hard cheeses; cream; whole milk; cream |
It is good to write the menu in advance, buy all the products and divide them into meals. In this case, you will not have to prepare food "in a hurry" after work - this can lead to overeating.
Sample menu for the day
Breakfast
- boiled meat (100 g)
- roasted beets
- coffee without sugar
Lunch
- vegetable stew
- baked fish (100 g)
- fruit jelly
Dinner
- borscht without meat (150 g)
- low-fat cottage cheese
- dried fruit compote
Afternoon snack
- fresh apples
Dinner
- carrot salad with garlic
- buckwheat
Before going to bed, you should drink one glass of low-fat kefir.
Alternative diets
There are many options for a low-carb diet. Not too strict diets include the exclusion of so-called fast carbohydrates. The principle of creating a diet is similar to the "table no. 8". Such restrictions are really useful. They allow the body to receive all the necessary substances and burn stored fat reserves.
Another type of low-carb diet is strict. They exclude almost all products containing these substances. For example, the basis of a protein diet is proteins. They make up to 80% of the daily diet. Such food saturates quickly, is digested for a long time, freeing a person from hunger. In addition, the processing of vegetable and animal proteins requires a lot of energy - it takes up to half of the calories consumed.
Such diets are effective, but must be combined with serious physical activity. Otherwise, proteins that are not used for muscle mass form nitrogenous compounds, which are excreted via the kidneys. The load on the organs increases, creating prerequisites for the development of urolithiasis.
Lack of carbohydrates negatively affects the condition of bones, skin and hair. From these chemical compounds, the body produces glucose, the main nutrient for the brain. Experiencing a lack of energy, the body begins to use not only subcutaneous fat, but also muscle tissue for its production.
The popular keto diet, which involves complete abstinence from carbohydrates, is not recommended for beginners. It is allowed to consume only fats, proteins of plant and animal origin. The purpose of such a diet is to introduce a person into a state of ketosis. This is a type of metabolism in which the body uses ketone bodies (derivatives of subcutaneous fat) instead of glucose. The diet is also harmful because, along with carbohydrates, a person stops consuming fiber, vitamins and microelements contained in excluded products.
It is possible to lose weight on such a diet, but this is undesirable due to complex physiological changes. The diet was originally developed for patients with epilepsy, as a link was established between ketosis and a reduction in seizure frequency. The keto diet is not recommended for weight loss, but only for therapeutic purposes.
In any case, before starting this diet, it is better to consult your doctor. Not everyone can impose restrictions on their diet.
To whom are diets contraindicated?
For many diseases, as well as in certain periods of human development, strict diets are contraindicated.
First of all, you cannot adhere to a low-calorie and restrictive diet in childhood. The basis of metabolism is laid during intensive growth. Lack of nutrients can cause underdevelopment of the skeleton and internal organs and cause chronic diseases.
In adolescents, the lack of fat and carbohydrates causes improper synthesis of sex hormones. In adulthood, this can cause an unstable menstrual cycle and reproductive dysfunction.
During menopause, most women gain weight. This is due to the fact that hormonal imbalance affects all processes in the body, including fat metabolism. Strict diets during menopause are not only harmful, but also useless. You can stop weight fluctuations only by taking estrogen drugs recommended by your gynecologist.
Restricted diet for pregnant and lactating women is strictly prohibited. Lack of nutrients during pregnancy can negatively affect the course of pregnancy. Also, malnutrition often leads to the birth of a weakened child with neurological, immunological problems and developmental delays.
In lactating women, the weight usually returns to normal on its own within a year, as the accumulated reserves are "used up" by the body to produce milk with a reasonable, balanced diet. Dietary restrictions can cause hormonal imbalance and even greater weight gain.
There are certain diets for patients with certain chronic diseases. Among the pathologies:
- gastritis;
- heart disease;
- ulcer;
- intestinal diseases;
- kidney disorders;
- liver and gall bladder pathologies;
- pancreatitis.
People with diabetes and thyroid dysfunction cannot experiment with diet on their own. In these cases, body weight correction takes place under the strict supervision of a doctor, who selects an appropriate therapeutic diet for the patient.
How to lose weight without a diet
In most cases, in order to lose weight, it is not necessary to force the body with strict restrictions. It is enough to minimize the consumption of fast food, processed food, cream cakes and other unhealthy food.
Following a few simple rules will help you achieve your ideal figure:
- drink enough clean water. This will not only provide cells with the necessary amount of moisture, but will also help reduce appetite;
- Exercise will help you speed up your metabolism. It is enough to spend 10-15 minutes a day on exercises;
- eat often, in small portions. Do not eat while reading or watching TV. In this way, you can get distracted and eat much more than you need;
- spend more time in the fresh air, breathe more deeply. In this way, tissues are saturated with oxygen, metabolic processes take place faster;
- get a good night's sleep;
- don't finish eating "by force". It's good to take short breaks while eating; if you feel full, then you've had enough.
Between lunch and dinner, you can suck on a couple of slices of dark chocolate with a high cocoa butter content (at least 70%). You can replace it with a few dried fruits, which must be chewed slowly. Thanks to this, the brain receives a signal that there is enough glucose, and the appetite decreases.
Obesity is not just a harmless cosmetic defect. This is a dangerous pathology that can cause disability and premature death of the patient. It is necessary to normalize the weight, but the thoughtless desire for an ideal figure can cause no less harm to human health than fat deposits. You need to lose weight properly, under the supervision of a qualified nutritionist.