Nutrition for weight loss plays a huge role. Nose The fitness industry deliberately maintains a complex approach that a weight loss beginner simply does not need. In fact, losing weight is very simple if you know the basic rules. Simple things work, and it doesn't make sense to try something complicated as long as something simple works.

Most simple steps on the planet for weight loss, in order of importance:

1. Know your calorie intake and create a calorie deficit

2. Find out the rate of protein

3. Find out the rate of fat

4. Find out the rate of carbohydrates

Step 1: Create a Calorie Deficit

Fat is stored energy. The only way to force the body to use it is to create a need. The need to waste reserves appears when energy ceases to come from food every day in sufficient quantities.

Energy is measured in calories, and all food provides calories. The body takes what it needs and saves the rest for a rainy day. If a rainy day comes, stocks begin to be used.

So the only way to get rid of fat is to get less energy (calories) from food. This is the calorie deficit - the alpha and omega of weight loss. You can eat whatever you want to eat properly and cleanly, but if you do not have a calorie deficit, i.e. get more than you spend, you will not lose weight. Read more about energy balance.

There are many different ways create a calorie deficit.

1

The most obvious is to simply reduce the total amount of food you are used to. That is, everything is the same, but twice as small. Less food equals fewer calories, and that works great.

2

You can change the quality of food: replace fatty foods with fat-free ones, fatty meats with lean ones. Replace sugar with sweeteners. dietary products harder to overeat. And here it is not the quality of food and special “clean” foods that are the cause of weight loss, but the calorie deficit created by them.

3

Another way is to start eating more protein and less fatty and carbohydrate foods. Protein foods (meat, poultry, fish, cottage cheese) saturate well and help control appetite. And again, it's a matter of calorie deficit: it's not protein that has magical fat-burning properties, but the calorie deficit created with it.

4

Do not change the diet, but increase physical activity, that is, create a calorie deficit again, only, unlike the previous approaches, not reducing the "income", but increasing the "expenditure". The problem is that the number of calories that can be spent on training is small for a beginner. The only people who can burn tons of calories in a workout are experienced athletes, but they usually don't need it. Beginners do not burn such a huge amount of calories, as exercise machines and various wrist devices show. Therefore, limiting calories in food and increasing activity will work best.

5

The most difficult for a beginner, but the most accurate and fastest way to get results is to count calories and keep a food diary in any smartphone application. Here you can afford a variety of products, and even a little harmful every day, if everything fits into the daily calorie intake.

People who lose weight without counting calories and oppose energy balance still lose weight with energy balance. To lose fat, you must spend more or eat less. This is probably not what most want to hear, but it is.

How many calories do you need?

In general, 10-12 cal/lb is a good starting point for fat loss (to convert your weight to pounds, multiply your weight in kilograms by 2.2).

Please note that this is just a starting point and calories should always be adjusted based on actual changes. Some people with a high level of activity may need more calories to lose weight, while those who lead a sedentary lifestyle may need less. AT modern world most people have a very low level of daily activity (office, computer work, car). Some particularly inactive people may need as little as 8 calories per pound.

Do not overestimate your daily activity. We all move very little, and the standard three-time workout per week does not cover the minimum daily activity that everyone needs.

Step 2: find out the protein rate

After total calories, the most important aspect of losing weight is eating enough protein.

Firstly, protein protects against muscle loss, and muscle protection is the main goal on a diet after fat loss, otherwise a person who has lost weight, but remained without muscles, will look like his former self, but in miniature.

Secondly, protein creates a feeling of satiety for a long time. It is digested and absorbed for a long time, helps to control blood glucose levels. This means that the feeling of hunger will not come sharply and strongly.

In general, overweight people tend to lose less muscle mass than lean people, so they don't need a lot of protein to maintain muscle. Once a person starts getting leaner, the protein requirements increase. An additional factor is activity: regular exercise also increases protein intake.

Athletes have long used the 2.2g/kg bodyweight diet recommendation, and this is a good starting point. But as noted above, lean athletes on a diet should increase their protein intake, and here 3.3 g/kg per lean body weight (body weight minus fat weight) may be a good option. To do this, you need to subtract it from total weight, and do all the calculations already on the received "fat-free" weight

For individuals who are overweight and inactive (or minimally active), a starting point of 2.2 g/kg may also be sufficient.

Step 2: find out the rate of fat

Paying special attention to fats is worth it for several reasons.

Firstly, to provide the body with sufficient amounts of essential fatty acids (omega fats), which are very important for health. They reduce inflammation, improve insulin sensitivity, and may help control appetite. And if omega-6 fats come in sufficient quantities with food from vegetable oils, then almost everyone is in short supply of omega-3 fats. However, omega fats linseed oil are digested very poorly, so if you eat little oily fish, it makes sense to think about supplements.

Secondly, low fat diets very difficult to comply with due to the constant strong feeling of hunger and the lack of taste in food. Fats make food taste better. And, like proteins, they prolong the feeling of satiety by slowing the emptying of the stomach. Studies have shown that a moderate amount of fat keeps blood glucose levels more stable, and this seems to be related to slower gastric emptying as well.

Sources of fats: oils, nuts, seeds, oily fish, avocados, olives and black olives

Starting point for fat: 0.48-0.72 g/kg body weight.

Step 4: Carbohydrates

Calories, proteins and fats are the three most important aspects of a diet. After determining the norm of calories, protein and fat, the remaining "free" calories come from carbohydrates. This is where dieting gets tricky: the amount of carbs depends on activity level, insulin sensitivity, personal preference.

An active person needs more calories (and therefore carbohydrates), an inactive person needs less. A slender person on a diet can eat more carbohydrates (2-4 grams per kg of weight), an obese person - less due to poor insulin sensitivity (but not less than 100 grams per day).

Everything else - the timing of meals, the combination of products with each other, the number of meals, supplements and dietary supplements - plays a very small role.

0 9064 2 years ago

For those trying to lose weight, it is important to understand that losing weight consists of three main factors. Training stress loads that stimulate catabolic processes in the body. Recovery, which accelerates the metabolic processes in the body, and most importantly, a calorie deficit. It is nutrition that plays a decisive role in controlling your own weight. This proves the fact that it is possible to lose weight without training, even if it is not as useful as in the case of using the correct rocking of the metabolic scales.

Let us consider in more detail the topic of creating a caloric deficit in nutrition, including such aspects as:

• determination of individual calorie intake;
• the reasons why modern diets are in most cases not effective;
• how to increase caloric expenditure without increasing mobility;
• how to change the calorie intake without health consequences.

Weight norms

Perhaps it’s worth starting with the most important, namely, determining weight norms, determining the level of body fat and the very concept of a calorie deficit in dietetics.

There are classic formulas that define weight standards for men and women:

• Height - 110 for men;
• Height - 120 for women.

For athletes, slightly different weight calculation formulas are used that take into account increasing mass. In particular, these are:

• Height - 100 for men;
• Height - 110 for women.

What is the correct way to follow this formula. Let's be honest - it is far from perfect and is only a statistical factor among athletes who are not involved in weightlifting.

What really needs to be considered? First of all, you need to consider the following indicators that will allow you to determine the weight that is optimal for you:

• temperature factors;
• Bone thickness;
• Fat layer;
• The level of testosterone hormones;
• The level of general physical fitness.

As you can see, there is not a single factor associated with growth in this formula.

Let's consider in order.

How do temperature factors affect overall weight. The fact is that our body constantly adapts to environment. And one of the important factors is thermoregulation, which is possible only with sufficient accumulation of energy reserves. This energy can be located in glycogen stores or body fat. But the essence is extremely simple. The hotter the region you live in, the lower your overall body fat level should be.

And this means that the weight of equally trained athletes with the same metabolism and other related factors can differ by more than 10 kilograms. For example, for residents of the northern regions, the accumulation of excess fat is not a genetic, but a purely adaptive factor. Therefore, if they fall below a certain weight threshold, then this will become excessive stress for the body, in which it will try by any means to return to its optimum.

The next factor is the thickness of the bones. This factor, which is a consequence of the original physique, few people take into account. But the weight of the bones is almost 30% of the total weight. And so the man with the heavy and broad bone, indeed, can weigh 20 kilograms more than a professional bodybuilder with the same height.

Let's move on to another factor that determines the norms of weight - this is the fat layer. Regardless of other aggregate factors, for ordinary person it ranges from 15 to 25%. For athletes, this figure is skewed downward. Those. in fact, an athlete, despite the large mass, is thinner than a non-athlete.

The overall level of physical fitness affects the factor how much additional energy the body will store. And the level of hormones is the main regulator of total body weight, as it can independently change the level of body fat, regardless of speed.

Only taking into account all these factors, it is possible to determine the optimal weight for each person. Therefore, you should not pay attention to standardized formulas that reflect only a statistical sample among people in a certain region.

Having determined the optimum weight to strive for, you can move on to the most important thing - creating a calorie deficit.

Weight loss, due to a reduction in the overall level of nutrition, is exceptional. This is the core myth of bodybuilding. In particular, it is impossible to build muscle mass and lose body fat at the same time (at least not without the use of AAS).

At the same time, it is worth understanding how weight loss works. The body has certain needs for which it spends total energy. If he has an excess of calories, he can store it in reserve (in the form of glycogen or body fat), at the same time, if he experiences a lack of nutrition, then he will use up reserves. But there are a few clarifications that should be mentioned before you start counting calories.

The deficit for loss must be moderate. The thing is that any drastic change in the diet plan is perceived by the body as a serious stress, and it will do everything to resist this stress. In particular, a severe reduction in calories will be perceived as hunger, and instead of energy sources (adipose tissue), the body will kill energy consumers (muscle layer), which will lead to a slowdown in metabolism, weight loss, but fat preservation, as much as possible.

After the return of caloric content to normal, the body will strive to prepare for the next phase of hunger, which means it will not restore muscles, instead it will create additional fat depot in reserve.

This is all determined by evolution, which determined the survival of our species at the cellular level. Therefore, the whole task of cutting calories depends only on whether a particular person can trick his body in order to get the desired result.

Types of deficiency

Starting catabolic processes is possible only when creating a negative calorie balance. Absolutely all dietary programs are built on this. However, to create a caloric deficit, it is not necessary to restrict yourself in nutrition, you can simply increase calorie expenditure.

Consider how a certain percentage of nutrient deficiency affects metabolic processes in the body.

Small

A small caloric deficit of nutrition is from 5 to 15% in total. It allows you to quietly, and most importantly passively reduce the level of body fat. The body begins to adapt to the deficit only after 2-3 weeks. In addition, you need to constantly adjust the caloric content of the diet in connection with the reduced weight.

To create such a calorie deficit for weight loss, it is not even necessary to cut food, you can simply increase the consumption in accordance with the overall diet (add running, walking, additional physical and mental stress).

Stable

Such a calorie deficit ranges from 15 to 30%, it is actively used by athletes in preparation for competitions. The main difference from the previous type is that calorie content is limited not only by cutting food, but also by various tricks. Whether it is dynamic caloric content (one day without a deficit, the second 50% deficit). In total, a deficit of 25% accumulates, but the body does not have time to slow down metabolism, and, therefore, weight loss is at a steady pace.

It is important to understand that the implementation of weight loss, in this way, is only possible for athletes with a certain physical fitness, adjusting the diet to reduce the negative effects on the muscles, and it works up to 8 weeks. After that, the body finds a balance point, and the decrease in body fat goes to zero.

Extreme

An extreme calorie deficit works for very short periods (up to 4 days), until the body has time to adapt to the changed conditions. The total calorie intake barely covers the basal needs. In view of this, the body, through severe exhaustion, optimizes resources in an extremely short time, and uses all available energy.

Yes, with the help of an extreme deficiency, you can successfully lose up to 4% of the body fat in the specified period, but it is worth noting that after returning to normal mode, the body will more than pay for all the stress experienced, but the systems that worked on the verge of their capabilities will no longer will recover.

Therefore, do not use extreme mono diets associated with the consumption of an extremely small amount of calories, or limited to one product.

Deficit calculations

In order to understand how to create a calorie deficit for weight loss, it is necessary to take into account not only the intake of external nutrients and food sources, but also take into account the daily calorie expenditure.

Note: all calculations in the table are per kilogram of clean body without taking into account body fat.

Kind of activity	Calorie consumption per hour
Basal rate	12 kcal/hour
Dream	15 kcal/hour
Digestion of food	8 kcal/hour
fermentation	1.2 kcal/hour
Creating a hormonal background	3.2 kcal/hour
Recovery processes	1.8 kcal/hour
Walking	7 kcal/hour
Sports step	14 kcal/hour
Moderate Intensity Workout	19 kcal/hour
competitive training	80-100 kcal/hour
Sprint running	100+ kcal/hour
Cross running	50-75 kcal/hour
Aerobic exercise	45-60 kcal/hour
Anaerobic exercise	15-30 kcal/hour
View feed in a contact	0.8 kcal/hour
Chatting	1.9 kcal/hour
Reading	2.5 kcal/hour
Reading technical literature	7.5 kcal/hour
Learning material	12.5 kcal/hour
Mental activity	15 kcal/hour
Intense mental activity	35 kcal/hour
Gaming	1.5 kcal/hour
Watching series	2 kcal/hour
Listening to a lecture	9.5 kcal/hour
Letter	2.6 kcal/hour
sit-ups	25 kcal/hour
Push ups	27 kcal/hour
Pull-ups	32 kcal/hour
Playing a musical instrument	1.9 kcal/hour
Remembering information	7.9 kcal/hour
Long discussions	3.5 kcal/hour
Passive consumption	0.5 kcal/hour
High Intensity Workout	18 kcal/hour
Climbing stairs	16kcal/hour
Cleaning in the apartment	9 kcal/hour

Example of consumption/receipt calculation

In order to understand how to calculate the calorie deficit and calculate the required diet based on it, you need to correctly calculate the calorie consumption per day. Let's consider the consumption of a person weighing 95 kilograms, with a body fat of about 30% of the total body weight.

The net weight will be about 60 kilograms, from which we will calculate the total energy requirement of the body. The man leads a sedentary lifestyle, which means he does not play sports. In view of this, his metabolism is slower in relation to the athlete's metabolism. Consider the daily routine of the day, and calculate the total calorie expenditure.

• Basal flow - 24 hours. 720 kcal
• Sleep - 8 hours - 170 kcal
• Digestion of food - 2 hours - 150 kcal
• Fermentation - 1 hour - 50 kcal
• Creating a hormonal background - 1 hour - 25 kcal
• Recovery processes - 4-6 hours - 150 kcal
• Walking - 1 hour - 300 kcal
• Playing a musical instrument - 2 hours - 250 kcal
• Memorization of information - 1 hour - 75 kcal
• Long discussions - 2 hours - 100 kcal
• Climbing stairs - 15 minutes - 35 kcal
• Cleaning in the apartment - 1 hour - 200 kcal
• Mental activity - 8 hours a day. - 150 kcal.

Let's calculate his daily consumption. In total, a man spends about 2300 kcal per day, while leading a rather relaxed pace of life. To put yourself in order - and reduce body fat from 30 to 15%, you need to spend a total of 105,000 kcal.

With a moderate calorie deficit of 10 percent, he will need to reduce his total food intake to 2000-1900 kcal. In this case, his weight loss will take 262 days, during which he will lose 15-20 kilograms. At the same time, this process will take place absolutely comfortably and imperceptibly, since metabolic processes will take place in the standard mode.

When creating additional physical activity, he will spend an additional 700-1000 kcal per day, which will accelerate weight loss and slightly accelerate metabolism. In this case, his calorie intake should be 2500, with a total deficit of 700 kcal. Taking into account the removal of toxins and the launch of mechanisms, losing weight by 15 kilograms will take about 4-5 months.

With more extreme diets, drastically restricted diets, or carbohydrate alternation, it is important to understand that such experiments are only conducted in short-term distances. So, for example, by creating extreme conditions for carbohydrate alternation combined with long-term aerobic exercise, he can create a total deficit of 1800 kcal per day. In this case, in a week he can get rid of up to 10-20% of the presented goal, after which he will need to return to the level of the previous deficit (10-15% of total income and spending).

Note: For extreme methods investigators. Even if you are a follower of therapeutic fasting, and sincerely believe that you will not break your metabolism, remember that you should not lower your caloric intake below your basal metabolic rate. Since in this case, any diet can not only cause potential harm to your health, but also begin to threaten your life in the long run.

There are certain life hacks that will help you understand how to make a calorie deficit without changing your diet and increasing physical activity.

Method 1: acceleration of metabolism. This method allows you to increase your basal calorie expenditure. In particular, for this it is enough to take the same number of calories, but in a larger number of parishes. Divide food by 2-3 times compared to the current number of meals, and the overclocked metabolism will feel a constant desire to replenish energy, which means that it will start catabolic processes aimed at breaking down excess adipose tissue stores, with the accumulation of glycogen cells

Method 2: Use of adrenaline stimulants. These include caffeine, ephedrine, and other energy drinks. Adrenaline stimulants release a large amount of energy into the body from all sources, which ultimately leads to an acceleration of metabolism, and increased passive consumption. But most importantly, it increases your energy reserve, and allows you to work harder.

Method 3: Use of thermogenics. This category of drugs increases body temperature. And according to Rubner's law, the higher the general body temperature, the more energy is spent on its maintenance.

Summing up

It is important to understand that in an effort to lose weight, many strive for excessive thinness and misjudge their results. Whether you play sports or lead a passive lifestyle, remember that not always a new value on the scale means weight loss. So, for example, with the help of training, you can increase the glycogen depot with a decrease in fat depot. In fact, your weight will not change, only the percentage of body fat will change. The body will need more calories, and you will look much leaner and feel better.

And finally, a kilogram of muscle is almost 3 times smaller in volume than a similar volume of adipose tissue, and, unlike the fat layer, is not an energy carrier, but an energy consumer. Therefore, try to sign up for a gym, tone your muscles, and then, after a while, you will notice that the percentage of adipose tissue in the body has become smaller.

Many of us wonder how many calories we need to cut off from our TDEE levels in order to effectively and safely lose fat. Is there such a thing as "too big a calorie deficit"? Have you ever wondered why some people can be on a very low calorie diet and still not experience major problems while others suffer from even a mild deficiency? Should the calorie deficit be the same for everyone or, like all other aspects of life, should it be adjusted individually? Questions like these are completely natural and should not be ignored. I think that the latest research by scientists in the field of nutrition and fat burning can shed light on this problem. This article talks about the good old "minus 500 kcal" or "minus 20%" deficit to lose 500 grams of fat per week, and much more.

3500 calories is 0.5 kg of fat or 3 kg of muscle?

First, let's deal with the old advice: "There are 3,500 calories in 500 grams of fat, so you need to create a deficit of 500 calories per day and therefore 3,500 per week in order to lose 500 grams of fat." In fact, everything is not so simple.
Having studied the problem of burning fat for a long time, I had to delve into human physiology, which led me to wonderful sources (articles and research by scientists) that can help answer the cherished question "how much". Perhaps one of the most respected organizations in this field is the National Institute of Health. Researcher Dr. Kevin Hall in his writings drew attention to the various mechanisms that regulate human weight. Dr. Kevin's work was largely based on material developed by his predecessor, Dr. Gilbert Forbes. Recently, Dr. Kevin Hall published an article in the International Journal of Obesity titled "3500 calories to lose what...?".

This article, as well as many other works on this issue, prompted me to create the "New BFS Rules", or to be more precise, "Additions to the Basic Rules".

Below are some of Dr. Kevin Hall's more plain language. Read them carefully. They contain a large amount useful information, which will help you better understand the issue and create the calorie deficit that will take into account exactly your individual needs.

Calorie Deficit Research Shows:

3500 kcal to lose 0.5 kg of fat has always been an unshakable rule. However, this rule is based on another rule, which states that the loss will be solely due to adipose tissue.
. Muscle tissue is lost along with adipose tissue. This needs to be understood. It's all about proportion. That is why "3500 for 0.5" is too simple solution on such a difficult issue.
. The amount of muscle loss depends on the initial level of adipose tissue and the size of the calorie deficit.
. Lean people tend to lose more muscle tissue and retain more fat tissue.
. People with a lot of body fat tend to lose more fat with less risk of losing muscle tissue, even in the face of a large calorie deficit.
. Too large a calorie deficit and low-calorie diets contribute to more muscle loss than moderate diets.
. 0.5 kg of muscle does not contain 3500 kcal, but only 600 kcal, which explains the ease of losing muscle tissue compared to fat.
. If you lose weight too quickly, then you lose more muscle tissue than fat.
. If you create a deficit of 3500 kcal per week, and the loss occurs solely due to fat, then you will lose 0.5 kg.
. If you create a deficit of 3500 kcal per week, and the loss occurs solely due to muscle tissue, then you will lose 3 kg (of course, in this case you need to hang a medal with the words "professional dieter" around your neck).
. If your initial fat level is high, then you will lose more fat in proportion to muscle. You may need a larger calorie deficit to lose the same amount of body fat as a lean person.
. With large weight loss, the calorie deficit must be managed as TDEE levels decrease.
. The rate of weight loss usually decreases over time. This is due to an adaptation of the metabolism, due to deviations from the rules of the system, or for both reasons (many people, over time, more and more often back off the diet).
. Increasing strength training and adequate protein intake can increase fat loss relative to muscle loss. If you use your muscles in a calorie deficit, then the body saves them by virtue of a protective mechanism.

New BFS Rules

So, based on the above points, what should we do? Throw out all the formulas that we used before? ... No, not necessarily.
You can use these formulas to determine where your optimal deficit lies within (500-1000 kcal depending on your starting weight). Mathematical formulas do not always reflect the course of things in real life, especially when it comes to questions of physiology. However, these formulas are a good guide to help you understand the basic principles of nutrition and a calorie deficit.
It is for this reason that I so often say that formulas are not dogmas, they are just a starting point.
That is why a deficit of 1000 Kcal for one person can be the limit of hunger, and for another an ideal figure (although not absolute).

For example. You are a large man with a high level of activity and a lot of both muscle and fat tissue. Your TDEE level is approximately 3400 kcal. In this case, if you cut off 1000 Kcal, then you have as much as 2400 Kcal left (the deficit will be 30%), which, in principle, is enough to maintain muscle with a properly balanced diet and sufficient protein. Plus, sufficient reserves of adipose tissue in combination with strength training can reduce the risk of losing muscle tissue.

Another example. You are a tiny woman with a low level of activity. Your TDEE level is 1900 kcal per day. If you cut 1,000 calories from your diet, you are left with only 900 calories per day, which is a 53% deficit. Obviously, in this case, the end of the stick of 1000 kcal will clearly not turn in your favor.

Everything is simple. Instead of using "500 kcal" "1000 kcal" as fixed standards, you're better off using percentages. In addition, you must consider your goals, starting weight, desired rate of weight loss, as well as your body fat percentage.
15-20% below TDEE = moderate deficit
20-25% below TDEE = medium deficit
25-30% below TDEE = big deficit
31-40% below TDEE = very large deficit (risk)
50%+ below TDEE = almost hungry or hungry (dangerous)

Maximum Deficit (Lower Calorie Bar)

Previously, a question was asked about the minimum number of calories below which you should not fall. Often sounded such figures as 1200-1300 for women and 1800-1900 for men. This all sounds good, but a woman is different for a woman, just like a man for a man.
Obviously, if a woman weighs 80 kg, has 30% body fat and does sports 5 times a week, then she does not fall under general rules, like a man whose weight is 55 kg, the percentage of fat is 20, and from his activity he only has walking for beer to the nearest stall.
From this it is clear that for this woman 1200 kcal will be an ordinary hunger strike, and for this man 1900 kcal is simply unacceptable gluttony.
Where did these numbers 1200 and 1800 come from? In fact, this is nothing more than average statistical data based on a study of women and men aged 23 to 50 years. However, no study can take into account all the nuances and non-standard situations that we talked about above.
Now we understand that there is no “minimum calorie intake” that is ideal for everyone, expressed in a specific figure, because a 1000 kcal deficit for a man with a TDEE of 2800 and a woman with a TDEE of 2100 is not the same thing.
Differences in calorie deficit depending on the initial level of body fat.
Typically, a person is advised to reduce the calorie content of their diet by 15-20% of the TDEE level. However, studies show that there is a difference between lean and overweight people in their ability to lose fat versus muscle.
If your initial body fat percentage is very high, then the basic rules may not apply to you sufficiently. It is possible that even a large calorie deficit will allow you to lose fat safely and quickly.
It has been observed that those people who, due to their large body weight, have a high level of TDEE, when cutting 15-20%, have more than enough food in stock. In simple terms, the more you have, the more you have left and the easier it is for you to share.
If you have a million dollars, then 15% is a less noticeable loss than 15% of a salary of 2000 rubles. By the same analogy, with high salaries, taxes become higher, because. it is understood that it is less painful for a wealthy businessman to lose 30-40% of a large income than for a poor person to lose 15% of a meager salary. It's the same with calories.

So, which deficit should you choose?

Before deciding which deficit to choose (15%, 30% or more), I would advise you to think about 4 things:

1. Consider your starting fat level

The more body fat you have, the lower the risk of losing muscle. you have a huge amount of energy in stock, which the body will readily share, protecting you from hunger mode. If you already have low body fat and want to get even leaner, then you should be more careful, because a large amount of muscle tissue consumes a lot of energy and the efficiency of training for body weight is higher than that of a full person, whose adipose tissue is not motor unit. Simply put, a person with 8% body fat and 80 kg will produce more energy (and therefore consume) than a person with 80 kg and 15% body fat. The reason is that more motor units are activated during physical activity compared to a person with 15% body fat and the same weight. That is why you are given two formulas to choose from, one of which is based on the amount of muscle tissue. As long as your body is nearing the average, then a formula based on body weight will do, but once your body is out of the standard range (below 10% body fat in men and 19% in women), then it is wiser to apply the formula, based on the amount of muscle tissue, since it makes up the majority of your body, and the amount of adipose tissue is so low as to be negligible.

2. Consider Your Real Results

If you are rapidly losing fat and maintaining muscle tissue at a 30% deficit without experiencing any physiological and psychological problems, then why not continue this course in the same direction. If you're using a 15% deficit under the same conditions and too low a rate of change makes you mentally weak, why not try to speed things up a bit by using a higher deficit. High psychological tone from positive results is also an extremely important condition, giving you more chances to emerge victorious in a difficult battle with fat. In any case, remember that what works well for you right now is good. Be prepared for the fact that today's diet may not work tomorrow. Avoid extremes. Be flexible, open to change, but not stubborn, and then you will understand in time how to react to the situation.

3. Use both tools to influence energy balance

Remember that you can get into fat reserves not only by cutting calories, but also by increasing the level of activity? So, don't forget also that it's better to cut calories by 20% and increase your activity level by 40% than to cut calories by 30% and increase your activity level by only 10%. In other words, both of these values ​​are inversely related in a calorie deficit. The larger the deficit, the more difficult it is to create a high level of activity. There is no clear evidence as to what proportion of calorie cuts should be combined with an increase in activity levels. It depends on the individual characteristics of the organism, genetics, level of training, etc., but it is clear that extremes are undesirable. It is also known that it is easier to lose fat if your energy flux (calorie intake and expenditure) is higher. Simply put, it is easier to lose weight for someone who eats a lot and does a lot of exercise than for someone who is starving and doing nothing.

4. Consider Your Deadline

When you set yourself a specific, time-bound goal, you should ask yourself if you're willing to take the risk (losing muscle, etc.) and feel uncomfortable with hunger pangs, lack of carbohydrates, etc. in order to achieve the goal by a certain date. If you reached your goal through heavy losses, draw some conclusions and next time set yourself a more realistic deadline. In this situation, everything depends not only on the goal and deadline, but also on your personality. Some people need to prove to themselves that they keep their word to themselves and even losses do not bother them. If your motivation is highly dependent on success in achieving some goal by the deadline, then this should be used. However, if you suffer losses over and over again and do not analyze the situation, then you will not go far on motivation alone. Following moral inspiration due to a sense of power over the body, there will come a physical failure due to banal malnutrition and overtraining. There is a risk of falling back in results, and then your time-dependent motivation will begin to play against you. Weigh the importance of achieving the goal and the reality of this achievement, and then you will protect yourself from unnecessary consequences.

What about medical diets?

Everyone who turned to professional nutritionists noticed that for the most part, doctors recommend sticking to a diet whose calorie content is on average 40-50% lower than your norm (for women, on average, this is 800-900 Kcal per day). We know that 800-900 kcal per day is just a disaster for our metabolism. Then why, you ask, do doctors as one advise such diets to patients?

Well… it's very simple. Think about the context of the problem. In severe cases of obesity, the danger of being overweight outweighs Negative consequences low calorie diet. The physician has little concern that the patient will fall victim to the yo-yo effect in the future. For a doctor who prescribes such a strict diet, it is important that the person does not fall victim to a heart attack or stroke. In addition, the doctor knows perfectly well that the first kilograms will really go away faster (remember about overweight people who are less likely to lose muscle compared to fat), and the rate of excess weight loss in such cases is the most relevant, since trouble can happen to a person at any time. time, so the doctor does not have the opportunity to devote a lot of time to instill the right culture of nutrition and lifestyle. At the moment, he is thinking about saving the person as soon as possible.
As mentioned above, if a person, after losing a significant mass of fat, can switch to proper nutrition, including the already permitted physical activity and adjusting the diet in accordance with the new conditions, then indeed, such strict diet under the supervision of a doctor and with a properly selected course of nutritional supplements (mineral-vitamin complexes, etc.) can give a good start for future changes. Therefore, you must understand that individual differences have a big impact on whether the diet that suits another person is right for you. Obviously, if your goal is aesthetic in nature, then such medical diets will do more harm than good.

Many of you have probably heard of sports diets. There are people on the forum who believe that it is enough for them to consume only 20-30% of carbohydrates in order to maintain a high level of physical activity. They believe that if they eat enough calories from protein, then everything is in order. However, the problem is that a large amount of protein is not digested at a time, so they simply waste food. In addition, insulin is needed for protein to be digested, and insulin is released when carbohydrates are consumed adequately. You can also say about the dubious prospect of maintaining a high level of physical activity for a long period of time, but now the topic is not about that. Some commercial diets have gone even further. They offer the so-called "liquid protein sports diet". Liquid protein is digested faster and is supposed to be able to compensate for insufficient intake of carbohydrates and lack of insulin. In practice, such a diet is very low in calories. In addition, liquid protein consumed in large quantities without simple carbohydrates, can provoke severe allergic reactions, because. requires a higher rate of insulin release to reach the construction site. Simply put, if this diet is suitable, then only for overweight people who have fat in stock. For spotmen, this diet is not suitable, because they are already slender, and the desire to go on a low-carb diet is dictated by nothing more than impatience.

Compared to the above diets, BFS looks more like a lifestyle. What is BFS? This is a fat burning system, but fat burning itself is just an intermediate link or a starting point that gives you confidence that you are able to control your body in the way that you need. You don't have to be in a calorie deficit your whole life. Scarcity cannot be a lifestyle, because it is a temporary tool, although, of course, in some cases, it can take several years.

Real-time calorie deficit correction

It is VERY important to understand that after you have calculated your initial diet, you need to adjust it from time to time. In order to do it right, you don't have to use the formulas again and recalculate the number of calories you need.

Real-time adjustment of calorie intake (nutrition) and calorie expenditure (training) in real time is very important because the energy balance is dynamic. This means that the number of calories you need today may be different from the number of calories you need in 3 months. If your weight changes, then the number of calories you need will also change. If your activity level changes, then the calorie requirement will also change.
In general, if you are losing weight, then every day you need fewer and fewer calories in order to meet the needs of an already smaller body. On average, after losing 20 kg, you need 300-350 kcal less per day.
It is for this reason that many stop in their results after a certain amount of time.
On the other hand, the dynamics of the energy balance should not drive you into a panic and force you to recalculate your calories every day. This will add nothing but stress to you. Also, keep in mind that over time, your activity level may become higher than at the beginning of the program. You will become more qualitatively and for a longer time, because your level of physical fitness will increase. The amount of muscle tissue may also increase. Consequently, the need for calories will also increase. It is difficult to give any exact recommendations, so you need to start from weekly reports, from well-being, vigor, quality of training and other factors that need to be taken into account. The circumstances can be huge.

Simple scheme.
Exam week has begun. You are forced to sleep less. Consequently, you began to study less or less qualitatively. Obviously, the need for calories decreases.

When to count your calories?

Without talking about special cases, there are three main cases when the need for calories should be recalculated.

1. Recalculate your calorie requirement when starting a new phase of a program or a new training program

Usually, new program or a period in the training cycle is associated with the introduction of new exercises in order to avoid adaptation, so you need more calories. Or, for example, you took 4-5 weeks of half-strength recovery training. In this case, you need to slightly reduce the calorie content of the diet)

2. Recalculate your calorie needs when your body is undergoing major changes.

As already mentioned, the smaller you become, the fewer calories you need.

3. Recalculate calories based on your activity level

As already mentioned, this can mean both an increase and a decrease required amount calories. Particularly big changes should be made by athletes who, for whatever reason, leave the sport. As stated in the book, we get better not from the fact that we used to play sports, but from the fact that now we do not exercise and eat the same way as when we did.

All of the above may seem like an excruciatingly difficult and painstaking process to you, but in practice it will all become second nature to you in a few months. Do you remember how difficult it was to drive a car (to speak foreign language) at first? A person can get used to everything, so why not get used to doing things that will guarantee your safety in terms of body control and health, without taking more time than making a list of products for a party?

1. Forbes GB. Body fat content influences the body composition response to nutrition and exercise. Ann NY Acad Sci. 904:359-365. 2000
2. Hall, KD., What is the required energy deficit per unit of weight loss? Int J Obesity. 2007 Epub ahead of print
3. Hill, James, Understanding and Addressing the Epidemic of Obesity: An Energy Balance Perspective. Endocrine Reviews, 27: 750-761. 2006
4. McArdle W.D. Exercise physiology: Energy, Nutrition, and Human performance. 4td ed. Williams & Wilkins. 1996
5. Wishnofsky M. Caloric equivalents of gained or lost weight. Am J Clinic Nutr. 6:542-546.
6. Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle. Tom Venuto. 2004
7. Everything you wanted to know about Fat Loss, Chris Aceto
8. Tkhorevsky. Human Physiology, Moscow 2001

How to lose weight by 10 kilograms

Create a calorie deficit

Have you tried all modern diets in conjunction with going to the gym 2 times a week, but you still did not manage to lose weight? Then this article is definitely for you. And even if you fail to follow the proposed path - to lose weight by creating a calorie deficit and jumping rope, you will find out why you failed to lose weight in previous attempts.

First you need to decide on the concept of "calorie", as many vaguely imagine what it is. A calorie is a measurable unit of energy that can both heat water and make our heart beat. In order to jump up 1 time, the body must expend a certain number of calories. And in order for these same calories to be in our body, we must throw fuel into it, that is, food that it will process into energy. Even if we do not jump, but sit or lie down, our body still needs energy, which is consumed for the work of all organs and systems. After all, even at night, when we sleep, our heart beats, our lungs breathe, cells divide, and blood flows through our veins. All this takes energy (calories), which comes during meals.

Depending on age, individual metabolism, various factors, such as breastfeeding, and lifestyle, the human body requires a different amount of calories for a full life. For example, a person aged 25-51 with a sedentary lifestyle - an office worker, a watchman on duty - and sedentary leisure - the Internet, TV, reading books - on average needs 1,900 kcal per day. A person of the same age category with active work - a pedestrian courier, a loader, a builder, a waiter, who, moreover, after work works out for another 2 hours in the gym, needs from 2,700 kcal per day.

And now let's imagine that active labor workers and athletes will consume up to 1,900 kcal per day, and sedentary office workers from 2,700 kcal per day. Obviously, the former will lose weight, as their body will begin to take the missing calories from glycogen, after which - from fat reserves, and the latter will begin to get fat.

From physics, we must remember that energy does not go nowhere, and if an extra 800 kcal (2,700 minus 1,900) is received, they will be deposited in reserve in fat cells, which are cells and, when filled, turn into balls. We can feel these balls with our fingertips, and with an excess of fat deposits, new, completely filled with fat layers begin to put pressure on the upper (oldest deposits) - and here it is, the notorious cellulite in the form of an orange peel.

Surely, in the process of dieting, having reduced your diet, you are faced with such a problem: in the first days, the weight goes off with a bang at 300-600 g per day, and after 4-7 days it literally freezes, decreasing by 30-50 g, or even comes back . This is a common problem for all weight loss people. In the first days, excess fluid leaves the body, and then fat, but very weakly.

The fact is that reducing the amount of food does not mean artificially creating a deficit in daily calorie intake or significantly speeding up your metabolism. Many people who lose weight believe that if you switch from a regular diet to vegetables and fruits, you can lose weight with a 100% probability. And they don’t even know that, for example, their favorite grapes contain about 700 kcal per 1 kg, bananas - 900, cherries - 630, and avocados - 2,230. All values ​​​​are averaged, and if we take the sweetest varieties of the listed berries and fruits, the calorie content is much higher.

Thus, if you eat 1 kg of bananas, grapes, cherries and 1 avocado in a salad per day, then consume about 2,700 kcal, which is 800–1,000 more than your daily allowance with sedentary manner life. And if even during the diet you still allow yourself small weaknesses, for example, salad dressing with high-calorie vegetable oil, sweet tea, cocoa or coffee, nuts or seeds, then you can safely round up to 4,200, because nuts and seeds are high-calorie foods ( 200 g of seeds - 1200 kcal). And where to go with the extra 2,300 kcal that came to us with fruits and seeds, if our body consumes only 1,900 per day? Correctly! In hateful fat. If you translate 2,300 kcal into grams of human fat, you get about 250 g. After spending a month on such a diet, you will get an extra 7.5 kg. But about these calculations a little later, but for now let's figure it out to the end in the intricacies effective diet, because, as you know, in the fight against excess weight, all means are good.

It is worth adding that it is possible to achieve the necessary results only by dieting or just playing sports, but it is very difficult: the weight loss time will be calculated for many months. Therefore, we will consider the process of burning fat in the aggregate - diet plus sports.

So, with regard to diet, it is clear from the calculations: if you want to lose weight, create a calorie deficit. If the body of a sedentary office manager requires 1,900 kcal per day to remain at the same weight, then he needs to be given a little less. Let us clarify that it is necessary to underestimate calories, but not vitamins and microelements that are involved in important processes of the body's life.

It would seem, what a wonderful solution: we cut the intake of calories by 2 times - and the problem is solved. But everything is not so simple. By significantly reducing the intake of calories, we can imperceptibly limit the intake of important nutrients into our diet, which will lead to a breakdown and sleepy-sluggish state, beriberi, and in rare or advanced cases - to partial loss of vision, hair loss, crumbling of teeth. Therefore, the calorie deficit should be reasonable, the transition from one nutrition plan to another should be smooth, and the diet should contain all the necessary substances.

It is much more effective not to force your body, but to give it food, the processing of which takes more energy than usual. Such food includes low-calorie foods containing a lot of protein, namely: eggs, lean meat, some offal, mushrooms, seafood, fish, low-fat cottage cheese, fat-free cheeses up to 25%, black beans, tofu (soy cheese). The digestion of the proteins contained in these products, the body will spend 27% of the total calories received. For comparison: if calories enter the body in the form of fats, then the body will need only 2.5% for their processing, and if in the form of carbohydrates - 7%.

This shows that when 100 kcal from proteins enter our body, only 73 kcal are actually absorbed, because 27 kcal is spent on protein processing. But if we get 100 kcal from fats, then our body receives 97.5%. That's why most diets recommend low-fat dairy products, lean meat without fat layers, chicken fillet skinless and do not recommend nuts, although they contain much more protein than an egg or mushrooms.

Now back to our goal - to lose 10 kg. Five of them we will try to drive away with a diet, and the remaining five - with sports. Calculations, of course, are averaged, but if you start keeping your personal diary, consisting of a table in which you record everything you ate, and in what quantity, write down your entire diet in calories (as well as proteins, fats and carbohydrates), the amount liquids, sports activities and weight every morning, then you will more or less begin to understand your body.

Before doing the calculations, you should know that 1 kg of pure human fat without water contains 8,750–9,000 kcal. Animal fat in its pure form has approximately the same figures - 8,970 kcal per 1 kg. For convenience, we will take 9,000.

To calculate how many calories are in 1 g of fat, you need to divide 9,000 kcal by 1,000 g. It turns out:
1 g of fat is equal to 9 kcal. So, if our sedentary manager consumes 1,900 kcal per day, which is 210 g of fat, wants to lose 10 kg, of which 5 kg - with the help of a diet, and sets himself a period of 60 days, then we need to achieve a loss of 2 from the diet. .5 kg per month. If we divide 2,500 g by 30 days, we get 83.3 g per day, which we need to get rid of with the diet. Further, 83.3 g of fat is multiplied by 9 kcal, we get 754.2. That is, you need to create a daily deficit of 754.2 kcal: 1,900 minus 754.2 = 1,135.8.

So, in order to achieve weight loss by 2.5 kg per month due to the diet, you need to consume no more than 1,135.8 kcal per day. But if you have chosen the path of a protein diet, then do not forget that 27% of the total calories that came with them are spent on the absorption of proteins. This means that you can afford to eat 344 kcal more, otherwise you will lose weight by more than 2.5 kg per month. That is, in fact, sitting on a protein diet, you may not feel a calorie deficit.

Many protein diets are based on the fact that you do not limit yourself in the amount of food, but eat strictly protein foods. Here to help you - food tables with calories and proteins, a calculator and your own diary. Over time, you will be able to develop your own menu for every day, based on individual calculations, body behavior and taste preferences.

Egg, meat, poultry, mushrooms delicious food, besides very heavy, and therefore satisfying. If on a fruit and vegetable diet you would think about food every half an hour, then after eating a good, satisfying protein lunch, you will forget about hunger for 3-4 hours. You will not even feel that you are undereating 420-754 kcal per day! If you have a sweet tooth, don't fret. Not all sweets are prohibited; you can treat yourself to protein desserts, such as marshmallows and meringues. These treats are high in protein, low in carbs, and completely free of fat.

Cardio workouts for weight loss

So, we have more or less figured out the diet, learned how to calculate calories, now we move on to sporting events in order to achieve a loss of 2.5 kg per month from them.

As a sporting event, any cardio training is suitable. Why cardio? At the beginning of the article, it was said that every heartbeat, respiration, cell division requires calories. So, it is cardio training, unlike strength training, that accelerates the heart to 200 beats per minute. During passive rest, our heart beats at an average rate of 40 beats per minute. A rapid heartbeat causes the veins to pump blood faster, the lungs to breathe several times more often, and for all these internal processes the body requires much more energy costs than in a passive state. In addition, during cardio, you sweat, getting rid of excess fluid, salts and toxins. And in general, they are good for health, because they strengthen the heart muscle, lungs and blood vessels.

For cardio, aerobics, jumping on the steppe, running are suitable, but we will consider jumping rope as the most affordable activity. Not every person has the time or money to visit a fitness center, and a jump rope can be bought at a price of up to 100 rubles, it is always at hand, classes can be held in free minutes right at home, if space permits.

As a model, consider the aforementioned manager, already on a diet, with the following parameters:

age - 31 years;

height - 152 cm;

weight - 55 kg;

ideal weight - 47 kg, but wants to lose weight to 45.

Again, all calculations are averaged:

1 kg of human fat - 9,000 kcal, 1 g - 9 kcal;

1 minute - 100 jumps, 5 minutes - 500 jumps;

the pace of jumps is fast;

5 minutes of jumping - minus 55 kcal.

If we divide 55 kcal by 500, we get 0.11 kcal for 1 jump, or 1 kcal - 9 jumps. This means that in order to burn 1 kg of human fat (9,000 kcal), you need to do 81,000 jumps. We need to burn 2,500 g of fat in a month (22,500 kcal), so 202,500 jumps will be required. Divide
202,500 for 30 days, we get 6,750 jumps per day.

If you translate 6,750 jumps per minute, this is 67.5 minutes of fast pace, without interruptions. If you get tired and slow down or stumble and lose time, then the duration should be increased.

In one approach, you are unlikely to master 6,750 jumps, so it’s better to break this number into four sets of 15 minutes each, then look at the rope counter and jump off the remaining amount in the fifth run. Gradually, you will develop a comfortable and familiar rhythm for yourself, which will guide you. But it is worth noting: with each kilogram thrown off, the number of jumps will have to be increased, because the lower the weight of the jumper, the lower the energy consumption.

Do not forget that the above calculations were made for a model with specific parameters. You also need to calculate your values. To do this, jump for 1 day for at least half an hour (you can do it in 6 sets of 5 minutes, the main thing is that the classes are intense), and the next day enter the value in the table.

Important! All proposed methods are designed for healthy people. If you have kidney problems, then protein diets are contraindicated for you, and if you have a heart problem, then cardio is prohibited.

It does not hurt to know that 5 kg per month is a sharp weight loss with stress for both the body and the skin. Perfect option- no more than 3 kg per month.

How to lose weight is your choice, but before any diet and exercise, you should consult your doctor.

Alesya Igorevna, Smolensk.

food calorie table
	Product name In alphabet order		Number of calories in 100 g of product
	Fruits and berries
	apricots
	Orange
	Cowberry
	Grape
	Grapefruit
	strawberries
	Gooseberry
	Mandarin
	Currant
	Vegetables and greens
	eggplant
	Green pea
	White cabbage
	Brussels sprouts
	Sauerkraut
	red cabbage
	Cauliflower
	Boiled potatoes
	Green onion
	Onion
	fresh cucumbers
	Sweet green pepper
	Parsley
	Tomatoes
	Mushrooms
	white mushrooms
	Dried white mushrooms
	Mushrooms boiled
Mushrooms in sour cream
fried mushrooms
boletus
Aspen mushrooms
Nuts and seeds
Walnuts
groundnuts
Pine nuts
pistachios
Dried fruits
Prunes
Eggs
Chicken egg 1 pc.
Egg powder
Bakery products
Flatbread rye
Sweet pastries
Drying, gingerbread
Bread Darnitsky
wheat bread
Rye bread
Dairy
Acidophilus (3.2% fat)
Brynza cow
Yoghurt (1.5%)
Kefir fat
Kefir (1% fat)
Fat-free kefir
Milk (3.2% fat)
Whole cow's milk
Creamy ice cream
curdled milk
Cream (10% fat)
Cream (20% fat)
Sour cream (10%)
Sour cream (20%)
Dutch cheese
Cheese Lambert
Parmesan cheese
Russian cheese
Sausage cheese
curd curds
Curd (18% fat)
Low-fat cottage cheese
Cottage cheese with sour cream
Cereals and legumes
Peas Green
Wheat flour
Rye flour
cocoa powder
Groats Buckwheat
Groats Buckwheat
Semolina
oatmeal
Pearl barley
Wheat groats
Barley groats
Cornflakes
Pasta
Cereals
Lentils
barley flakes
Meat, poultry and meat products
Fat lamb
Beef stew
Roast beef
Brisket
boiled sausage
Semi-smoked sausage
rabbit meat
boiled chicken
Fried chicken
beef liver
Sausages
Pork chop
Pork stew
Veal
Fish and seafood
Caviar granular
Caviar caviar
Pollack caviar
Fried carp
Canned fish In oil
Canned fish in own juice
Shrimps
Fried salmon
Smoked salmon
sea ​​kale
Atlantic herring
Sprats in oil
Sauces, fats
Melted fat
Mayonnaise light
Cream margarine
Margarine sandwich
Margarine for baking
Corn oil
Olive oil
Sunflower oil
Butter
soybean oil
Ghee butter

Some calorie table ready meals(per 100 g of dish)

Dish	kilocalories (per 100 g)
Soups
Fresh cabbage borscht (per 500 g)
Borscht from sauerkraut(per 500 g)
meat broth
Potato soup
Soup with pasta
Milk soup with pasta
Milk rice soup
Pea soup
Okroshka meat
Rassolnik
Homemade noodles
Shchi from fresh cabbage
Meat dishes
Beef goulash
Pork goulash
Beef meatballs
Fried beef liver
Beef pilaf
Stewed meat
heart in sauce
Beef jelly
Fish meals
Fish meatballs
Boiled fish (perch, pike)
Sturgeon, stellate sturgeon
Fish stew with vegetables
Sea bass fillet
Salads
The vinaigrette
radish salad
radish salad
Cabbage salad
sauerkraut salad
beetroot salad
meat salad
Cucumber salad
Tomato salad
Kashi
Buckwheat porridge
Millet porridge
Rice porridge
Barley porridge
barley porridge
Wheat porridge
vegetable dishes
Potato fritters
Boiled potatoes with butter
Boiled potatoes with sour cream
Boiled potatoes with sauce
Eggplant caviar
Squash Cavier
Puree with butter
Carrot puree
Flour dishes
Pancakes with butter
Pancakes with cottage cheese
Vareniki with potatoes
Vareniki with cottage cheese
Vareniki with cottage cheese and sour cream
Pasta
Egg dishes
Boiled eggs (2 pcs.)
Fried eggs (2 pcs.)
Beverages
cocoa without sugar
Kissel from fresh berries
Dried fruits compote
Instant coffee without sugar
Black coffee with sugar
Coffee with milk without sugar
Coffee with cream without sugar
Coffee with milk and sugar
coffee drink
syrup drink
Apple juice
plum juice
apricot juice
cherry juice
grape juice
Orange juice
Tea without sugar
Tea with sugar
Tea with lemon and sugar
Tea with milk and sugar
Tea with cream and sugar

After a low-calorie diet, many people gain weight again. And it's not a lack of willpower or bad eating habits. This is because the body tends to return to a given amount of fat.

A given amount of fat is a certain level of adipose tissue in the human body.

This amount is strictly individual and depends on genetics, activity level and. But whatever it is, the body will try to keep this amount unchanged.

How the body stores fat

Slowdown of metabolism

The further you go from your target amount of fat, the more your body prevents further fat loss by forcing your energy system to Biology's response to dieting: the impetus for weight regain. work as efficiently as possible. Mitochondria - the energy sources of cells - begin to produce more energy from less fuel.

At the same time, the metabolism slows down, the amount of energy that you spend on ordinary activities decreases, even the thermal effect decreases. Effect of circadian variation in energy expenditure, within-subject variation and weight reduction on thermal effect of food . food - the number of calories you spend to digest food.

And the more fat you lose, the more efficient your body becomes. Moreover, the more often you subject your body to such a test, the better it learns to conserve energy. That is, in your fourth attempt to lose weight on a low-calorie diet, fat will go much more slowly than in the first three.

hunger hormones

When you lose weight, your fat cells shrink, triggering the secretion of leptin, the hormone that makes you feel full.

Study Leptin signaling, adiposity, and energy balance. showed that during a calorie deficit, the fall in plasma leptin levels exceeds the rate of decline in fat stores. Moreover, this level remains low for some time after the weight stabilizes. This means that even after the end of the diet, it will be difficult for you to get enough.

At the same time, a calorie deficit elevated level Ghrelin is the hormone responsible for the feeling of hunger. Thus, you constantly feel hungry, meals do not bring satiety, while your body saves energy - ideal conditions for weight gain.

And when you quit a diet, you not only return to your old weight, but also gain even more.

Why do you gain weight after dieting

The fat target we talked about above is determined by the number and size of your fat cells. When you quit the diet, the shrunk fat cells get bigger again. In theory, this should tell the body that weight has been regained and there is no longer a calorie deficit, so you can stop saving energy.

However, the experiment Weight regain after sustained weight reduction is accompanied by suppressed oxidation of dietary fat and adipocyte hyperplasia. in mice proved that rapid weight recovery after losing weight provokes the formation of new fat cells.

The more fat cells you have, the smaller their average size. Lack of fat cell size and reduced leptin levels signal to the body that fat is still reduced, so your body continues to conserve energy. All this makes you accumulate even more fat than before the diet.

It turns out that in order to really lose weight, you need to avoid a sharp slowdown in metabolism during the diet and correctly return to the usual diet after it. Let's look at three strategies that will help you lose weight without slowing down your metabolism and return to your caloric intake without gaining fat.

Three strategies for effective weight loss

1. Find your calorie deficit

First of all, you need to find out how many calories, proteins, fats and carbohydrates (PJU) you consume without any restrictions. For three days, just count nutritional value everything you ate, on paper or in a special application.

Then determine how many calories you need to consume to lose fat without slowing down your metabolism. Try the simplest method: take your weight in kilograms and multiply by 26.5. For example, if you weigh 60 kg, you will need to consume 1,590 kcal to lose weight.

Do not take this meaning as an absolute truth. This is just a starting point, an approximate number to start with.

To find your number of calories, you need to carefully monitor your condition.

If you feel low energy and constant hunger, then you need to slightly increase the calorie intake, otherwise the deficit will lead to adaptation and slow metabolism.

If you feel great and are not hungry, you can, on the contrary, reduce the calorie intake, but it is advisable to do this gradually, since a quick transition will again slow down the metabolism.

2. Use a Reverse Diet to Get Out

When you reach your goals, it's time to increase your calorie intake. However, a rapid transition to increased caloric intake can lead to the formation of new fat cells and a set of excess weight. To avoid this, use a reverse diet.

The essence of this diet is a gradual increase in calories - by 80-100 kcal per day. This approach allows you to slightly speed up, slowed down after a long calorie deficit, return to your nutrient norm and at the same time not gain excess weight.

The specific increase depends on how big your calorie deficit was, how you feel and how afraid you are of gaining weight after the diet. If you've created a large calorie deficit, feel weak, and aren't afraid to put on some fat after you quit your diet, you can take the big leap and add 200-500 calories quickly.

If you feel good on a diet and do not want to gain a single gram of excess fat, increase calories very carefully. For example, each week increase the amount of carbohydrates and fats in your diet by 2-10%.

3. Find small wins to strengthen your resolve.

We have already said that constantly jumping from a low-calorie diet to a regular diet only worsens your results. Therefore, try to avoid disruptions.

Physical discomfort from a lack of calories should be compensated for by mental satisfaction. You won't be able to stay long on the mere anticipation of results - you need daily small wins.

Eliminate situations that make you feel guilty and take away small joys.

For example, if you're constantly going over your carb limit, why don't you just increase it?

When you understand that you manage to follow a diet and keep within your norm, and at the same time you feel good, there is no weakness and wild hunger, you begin to enjoy the process, and this is the key to a long diet with sustainable results.