Quick slimming premise
A question of professionalism
I open the following article with a brief introduction to distinguish what I will write from most of the media junk found on the net.
To colleagues who disclose and advise certain weight-loss strategies while knowing the implications, I remind you that it is possible to write a good article while remaining ethically correct and above all professional; to those who instead share them ignoring these aspects I suggest "hurry" in undertaking the academic studies necessary to operate in the field of dietetics and diet therapy.
As understood by most readers, on a CONCRETE line, losing weight quickly is WRONG; however, by using a professional yardstick, it is possible to offer a healthy dietary means suitable for the pursuit of rapid weight loss. For this purpose, taking for granted the good state of health and the absence of pathologies, I propose a monthly weight loss range between 1 and 3-4 kg (which corresponds to 250 and 750-1000g per week), where at 1kg is equivalent to a very slow weight loss and 4kg is a very fast weight loss ".
To close this brief introduction, I underline that what will be described below CANNOT and should NOT replace the consultation of a professional (dietician - dietician - specialized nutritionist). The risks and advantages (if any) of fast weight loss will be mentioned, as well as my personal method of food management aimed at reducing daily heat, optimizing nutritional metabolism and excess weight loss, all in full compliance with the guidelines for a healthy and correct diet.
Lose weight quickly: NO to excess, Yes to awareness
It is likely that most readers are already (or are convinced that they are) aware of the negative aspects related to fast weight loss. It is therefore not my intention to bore users by listing and describing the physiological processes involved but, to be fair, I will summarize them briefly.
WARNING! I stress once again that what I write refers exclusively to healthy, physiologically normal people without pathologies. If for certain subjects losing weight quickly, even within the recommended limits, is a harmful factor (eg in cases of kidney and liver disease, bone diseases, malnutrition, pregnancy, breastfeeding etc.), for other subjects it represents an unmistakable way of salvation (large obese people with very high cardiovascular risk and caused by: hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiac or circulatory defects, pulmonary ventilation defects, etc.).
Obviously, the assessment of the relevance or inadequacy of fast (or extreme) weight loss is up to the treating physician ONLY.
To be concise, lose weight quickly (over 4 kilograms a month) is WRONG for the following reasons:
- It subjects the subject's mind to stress that significantly increases the risk of recurrence; it is not by chance that most of the people who lose weight quickly regain at least the starting fat tissue
- Stresses the body of the subject to such a degree as to compromise: muscle tone, blood sugar, blood pressure, athletic prowess and brain efficiency.
- Sometimes, it includes certain side effects such as: ketosis (intoxication) and significant increase in the hepato-renal load
- DO NOT ALLOW TO REACH the recommended rations for vitamins, minerals, etc.
- In some cases (such as certain variants of controlled / intermitent fasting), it alters hormonal balance (reduction of thyroid secretion and increase in adrenal secretion)
- Sometimes it creates a simple "slimming illusion" due to the loss of large quantities of liquids (then restored following the recovery of customary nutrition)
- It does NOT provide any useful slimming tool because, being a potentially annoying strategy, it cannot be used for long periods or short periods of time
- DISPUTES those who follow it and contributes to the consolidation of false myths etc.
On the other hand, it is undeniable that losing weight fast can (but not always) favor the success of therapy in subjects with a modest adipose excess. Establishing a good weight loss progression is an excellent source of motivation even if, more often than not (in TOO fast weight loss), this is not enough to balance the sacrifices and the discomfort of a restrictive diet.
How to lose weight quickly while respecting health
We reiterate once again that the goal of those who lose weight fast must NOT exceed that of 4kg per month (better 3!). Often, the practice of some "extreme" food strategies leads to the ultra rapid loss of liquids, which, needless to say, does not correspond to a real weight loss, but rather to dehydration. To avoid this, it is essential first of all to respect the nutritional balance and in particular the share of carbohydrates; this excludes a priori all high-protein, ketogenic and low-carb diets in general. At the same time, an insufficient portion of lipids involves the inevitable reduction of the intake of fat-soluble vitamins and total essential fatty acids. As for proteins, I refer the many health considerations to the articles of high-protein diets. Obviously, even a diet TOO rich in carbohydrates is counterproductive, due to the massive stimulus that these exert on the release of insulin, the anabolic hormone responsible for the adipose deposit; also the chemical form of the latter constitutes an element discriminated, since digestibility, absorption rate and metabolization (generally linked to the process of refining food) affect the glycemic index, therefore the stimulus of the hormone mentioned above.
In general, it is possible to state that in order to lose weight quickly it is still necessary to comply with the following nutritional distribution parameters:
- 0.8-1.5g / kg (of physiological weight) of proteins (of which about 1/3 or 1/2 of animal origin)
- 25-30% of lipids (predominantly unsaturated, therefore mainly of vegetable origin)
- The rest in carbohydrates (of which no more than 10-16% are simple because most of the latter consists of sucrose)
The application of these principles, linked to the reasonableness of the portions and to the right distribution of meals, ensures a solid starting point to lose weight quickly. Among other things, this guarantees (almost entirely) also the contribution of micronutrients (mineral salts and vitamins). The only additional precaution to take into account is to maintain a portion of dietary fiber that is around 30g per day.
To better understand the various nutritional aspects linked to this division I suggest reading the article: Example of a balanced slimming diet.
Food choices
the key to losing weight fast while keeping fit
Taking for granted that to lose weight it is necessary to take no more than 70% of the total calories dictated by the individual daily needs, appropriately divided into 5 daily meals, it is necessary to highlight that also physical activity (understood as movements of everyday life and motor practice) carries out a key role; it helps to increase the total energy expenditure, to maintain a good basal metabolism and to promote muscle tone.
Calculate your daily caloric needs
Having said this, from MY point of view, to lose weight quickly while keeping fit it is very useful to apply a series of measures that can be summarized as follows.
- Eliminate sweetened foods, whether home-made or packaged; eliminate junk food or junk food (sweet and savory snacks, sweet and savory pastries, sweet drinks, fast-food foods);
- limit, if present, the consumption of alcohol to 1 daily alcoholic unit;
- use seasoning fats in a calibrated manner (no more than 10g per main meal - this is a carelessness that however sufficiently reflects the practical aspect).
- In the daily consumption of cereals, legumes and derivatives, prefer NOT processed products. This does not mean merely choosing whole foods, but preferring the whole seed shape. In practice, this translates into the formulation of stew and broth type pasta dishes, since they include (in addition to the fibers) the presence of higher water percentages. For example, PIUTTOSTO that 80g of dry pasta, which is cooked and served with vegetable sauce, oil and grana cheese, provides about 280g of food for a total of about 440kcal, MEGLIO opt for a wheat soup (or beans) and whole vegetables that, from 80g of dry seeds accompanied by vegetables, oil and parmesan, it will become an energetic first similar to the previous one but with a weight of at least 360g. This makes it possible to intervene further: REDUCING the weight of the cereal (therefore the calories) while ensuring the same food volume; moreover, it allows you to MAINTAIN the energy supply by increasing the satiety (thus reducing the other foods, above all the bread, inside the meal). The portion of dry cereal and derivatives should NOT exceed 80g, as well as that of dried pulses (of the latter it is advisable to guarantee at least 2 weekly servings).
Obviously this cannot be applied to certain foods, such as those for breakfast. However, even in this case, it is possible to improve one's eating style by preferring the most MOISTURIZED foods compared to the dry ones. NO to rusks and biscuits (especially to avoid sweet ones and those from white flour). SI to wholemeal bread and cereals with fibers that, despite being dry, accompanied by milk (thin or partially skimmed), become part of a food rich in water. The portion of breakfast cereals could be around 30g.
- Mutually balance the consumption of bread and pasta; the bread has an accompanying function, which is why its use must be associated ONLY to the preparations that require it
- As far as fruit is concerned, I suggest placing it in an optimal way away from meals, or at the snack points (we recommend about 2 servings a day). This choice allows NOT to further increase the energy / glycemic load of the main meals; moreover, it constantly promotes the intake of dietary fiber, mineral salts (potassium) and vitamins (A, C, E), improves digestion and fully exploits the satiating power of fruit.
- Vegetables must always be present for lunch and dinner. Their main function is to supply fibers, mineral salts (potassium), vitamins (A, C, E) and water but, containing less sugars than fruit, the portions can be less "rigid". It goes without saying that an excess of fibers does not constitute a positive aspect (it alters intestinal absorption and can induce the onset of diarrhea and / or meteorism), as well as that of fructose (anyway well present in carrots, onions, peppers etc.). It is good to remember that due to the thermolability of certain vitamins (and the dispersion during cooking) the fresh and raw vegetables should constitute at least 1/2 or 1/3 of the total.
- It is advisable to place the vegetable soup about once or twice a week; to it (since it is particularly "light") accompaniment with 1 or 2 slices of bread (also toasted) is allowed.
- As anticipated, seasoning fats should not exceed and it is recommended to use about 10g per main meal. Better to use vegetable oils rich in lipids with a good metabolic impact, essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins (such as E).
- In the event that it is useful to reach the daily lipid level, you could choose to consume a few grams of dried fruit (achenes), but in doses NOT greater than 10g; this, which has a reduced satiating power, is instead particularly caloric albeit rich in essential fatty acids.
- Yogurt and milk (or special fortified substitutes) must be present, better if in 2 or 3 portions a day (with the function of guaranteeing the supply of calcium and riboflavin), but possibly partly skimmed and without added sugar. Better to include them at breakfast and / or in secondary meals in portions of 120-250 ml.
- For the dishes, the speech is broad but already quite clear to the community. To respect the lipid breakdown it is necessary to prefer those with a low fat content (tendentially saturated and accompanied by cholesterol). Go ahead a
- chicken breast and turkey
- defatted beef, equine, pork and sheep muscle
- lean fish or even fat (NOT to be seasoned with oil)
- as long as "blue"
- cephalopod molluscs (octopus, cuttlefish, squid, etc.), fewer bivalve molluscs (mussels, clams etc. because they contain more cholesterol than previous ones) and even less crustaceans (even more rich in cholesterol)
- ONLY lean milk derivatives (eg ricotta, cottage cheese, etc.) and a few eggs (also rich in cholesterol in the yolk; 2 or 3 per week, with the possibility of integrating only the egg whites, available in bricks).
- It is NOT RECOMMENDED to make frequent use of cold cuts and fat cheeses (with the exception of 5 or 10g of Parmesan on the first course of the lunch); if desired, prefer roast beef, defatted sweet raw ham, bresaola and defatted cooked ham in portions of about 70-100g (if replacing the evening dish, half if added for lunch after the first course).
- In general, even in the diet to lose weight quickly, it is advisable to limit the addition of cooking salt to the maximum.
Lose weight quickly: conclusions
To end this brief article on fast weight loss, I stress that all the information reported is part of the cultural baggage of specialized professionals (see premise). Readers beware of drastic strategies and even more of "gurus" in vogue or in fashion. The process of weight loss is a food therapy initiated on the empirical estimate (mathematical cast) of energy expenditure, which respects the principles of a good and healthy diet, but continues in the practical, real and concrete elaboration of human nutrition. All this cannot be done (in whole or in part) with standardized systems since they do not depend on the specialist-patient interaction.
