Effective weight loss methods are not always the most common. Often, as a panacea, we are presented with all kinds of diets, active sports, body wraps, baths and saunas are promoted. Unfortunately, these weight loss methods don't work. They allow you to lose weight for a short period of time, after which the kilograms safely return, taking a couple extra.
Why obesity develops
Most of us are convinced that excess weight comes from overeating. This is partially true, but there are underlying reasons. Doctors suggest treating obesity as a disease and a professional approach to its treatment.
Science explains the appearance of excess weight by the fact that the energy obtained from food is not completely consumed by the body and is deposited in fat cells. There are 2 types of obesity: hyperplastic and hypertrophic. With the latter, the size of fat cells increases, but their number does not change. In the hyperplastic type, the number of fat cells increases from birth. Doctors attribute it to genetic abnormalities.
According to the reasons, the appearance of excess weight is:
- Nutritional. Obesity develops due to overeating and little physical activity. Typical for people over 50 years old, more for women. Overeating occurs from the banal habit of overeating at night, eating more than necessary, due to sedentary work, under the influence of stress, and simply out of boredom. Sometimes children also suffer from a bad habit if their parents try to feed them high-calorie foods more often. Some adults understand that eating fatty foods is a healthy diet. The habit of lying down after lunch also contributes to excess weight.
- Hypothalamic obesity is the result of a disorder of the hypothalamus region of the brain. It is responsible for appetite, the production of hormones. The thyroid gland slows down, while the adrenal glands work hard. A hormonal alteration occurs. A person constantly feels hungry and wants to eat.
- Endocrine. Weight gain occurs as a result of disorders of the endocrine system (thyroid and pancreas, pituitary gland, gonads). As a result of hormonal disruption, metabolism is disrupted. The body does not absorb useful compounds, the patient feels hungry, and excess food is deposited in fat cells.
With hypothalamic and endocrine obesity, only diets and sports are essential. You will need a consultation with a neurologist, endocrinologist, a treatment plan. With high rates of excess weight, they resort to surgical interventions to remove excess fat, gastric bypass, etc.
When excess weight appears as a result of the habit of overeating, irrational unbalanced diet, little physical activity, you can resort to diets and sports. The control of doctors and psychologists is required if the patient himself cannot recover and change the regimen.
When choosing a method for weight loss, remember that not all popular methods are effective. Some do not work and even have a negative effect on health. Consider which method will not help you lose weight.
Weight loss methods that haven't paid off
Let's dwell on the popular weight loss methods, which have become a tradition among the misinformed population. These methods are taken as axiom. But recent research has shown that they don't work. If they give temporary results, they undermine health.
Starvation
There is a belief: if you eat less, you will definitely lose weight. The method works partially if the cause of obesity is only overeating. So you really have to reduce the portion size.
If a person eats a little but continues to gain weight, fasting will not help. Scientists have confirmed that severe caloric restriction causes the body to slow down its metabolism and store nutrients even more actively. Our body perceives fasting as an emergency mode, because it ignores our intention to lose weight.
If for a long time there is little or even switch to fluids, you can lose weight. But the state of health will worsen, weakness, memory disorder, attention will appear. Dizziness, fainting may occur.
Furthermore, there is evidence that after such stress, the body can slow down its metabolism for a whole year. Is it worth the risk?
To test the adverse effect of prolonged fasting on the body, 11 obese patients fasted for 12 to 117 days (1). Only water and vitamins were consumed. The complications that developed during fasting were: severe hypotension (3 cases), anemia (1 case), gouty arthritis (2 cases).
After receiving food, all the negative effects disappeared, but a significant amount of protein and potassium was lost from the body. Experts do not recommend prolonged fasting with a history of coronary heart disease or brain disease, gout, or liver disease.
Increased physical activity.
Moderate physical activity can help you lose weight. But it is not necessary to spend all day in the gym and exhaust the body. Four 10-minute sets on a stationary bike will burn 35% more calories than training all day.
You can't eat at night
Experiments at the Donne Nutrition Center in Cambridge have shown that our bodies do not store nutrients over time. It is important how many calories are consumed during the day. You may not eat in the morning or at lunchtime, but eat a large snack in the evening, while losing weight at the same time.
At night, it is advisable not to eat fatty food: it is difficult to digest and the body will not have time to use the energy received. But protein foods will be good. She will quench hunger for a long time and give energy in the morning.
Do not eat fatty foods
Not all fats are harmful to the body. There are healthy foods that are high in fat that the body needs to function properly (fish, vegetable oils, nuts). They contain fatty acids, without which the brain cannot function.
Avoid foods that are not fatty, but high in fast carbohydrates (baked goods, sweets, bread). Glucose is quickly stored in the body as fat. Such products are necessary only for high physical activity, which is not relevant for obese people.
Studies confirm that people who get their daily calories from fatty foods, and not carbohydrates, stay fit longer. There is even such a diet on fats - ketogenic or ketogenic diet, which is used to treat epilepsy in medical centers.
Eating out and consuming sugary drinks can be another factor that triggers weight gain. Adolescents are especially prone to this obesity. To determine how this hypothesis corresponds to reality, a one-year study was conducted.
The result is disappointing: Obese children and adolescents consumed significantly more meat, sugary drinks, and French fries, contributing to higher calorie, fat, and sugar intakes compared to non-obese children and adolescents.
Eat more protein to lose weight
This fact is only partially true. Eating more protein while reducing carbohydrates helps you lose weight. But you cannot stick to such a diet for more than 2 weeks.
The prospective (factual) study was carried out with the participation of 43, 396 Swedish women aged between 30 and 49 years. The patients completed an extensive questionnaire and were followed for a mean of 15. 7 years.
As a result, scientists found that high protein diets consumed on a regular basis without regard to the nature of the carbohydrates (complex / refined) or the protein source (plants / animals) are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
The body needs carbohydrates to digest food. Without them, the acetone level rises, which can lead to fainting and even coma. Excess protein causes kidney damage. After a high-protein diet, you can end up in the hospital with kidney failure or other illnesses.
Sauna, hot wraps melt fats
This assumption is an absolute myth. During the heating of the body, excess fluid is released with toxins and toxins. After the procedures, the person feels light, the scale may show a slight decrease in weight. But it only happens due to the removal of excess fluid. These methods have no effect on fat cells.
These methods are popular because they are easy to implement at home. But the results of them are temporary and questionable.
Proven Factors Influencing Weight Loss
Recent research by scientists has identified the most effective methods for losing weight. Some experiments were carried out in mice, others were justified in human trials. These are the most effective.
Restore circadian rhythms
Circadian rhythms refer to fluctuations in physical activity throughout the day. In particular, the processing of consumed products is highly dependent on lighting and its spectrum.
The test was carried out on 2 groups of mice. They lived in the same conditions. One group ate incorrectly, the second according to biological rhythms. The first group was recovering quickly. People who want to lose weight are advised to eat at the same time every day and avoid late dinners after sunset. But each one has its own rhythms.
Another human study has shown that lifestyle-related sleep disturbances lead to increased body fat and impaired metabolism. The causal relationship of these associations has not yet been clarified.
Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep a day
Lack of sleep is directly related to obesity, increasing the risk of weight gain by 89% in children and 55% in adults. With lack of sleep, hunger occurs, which is associated with the production of appetite hormones. Lack of sleep, frequent nighttime awakenings as a result of stress also negatively affect metabolism.
Drink lots of clean water
Nutritionists, who suggest drinking more water throughout the day, explain this recommendation by the fact that water suppresses hunger. But its function is different. Research has shown that water increases fibroblast growth. They accelerate energy consumption and burn brown fat. Water also stimulates the metabolism and allows you to burn an additional 100 kcal during the day.
Consume more oxygen
Recent studies in the West have confirmed that people who have high levels of carbon dioxide in their blood are obese. The modern person spends more time indoors, where the level of carbon dioxide is high.
When inhaled, the pH of the blood decreases. Increases the acidity of the cerebrospinal fluid. The cells of the hypothalamus, responsible for appetite, increase activity. As a result, appetite increases and energy consumption decreases.
The more you walk outside, the more likely you are to lose weight.
Diet food leads to gluttony
An experiment was carried out at the British Nutrition Foundation under the direction of Dr Jeff Branstorm. Participants were offered 18 foods, indicating their calorie content, and asked to determine how much food they needed to satisfy their hunger. More low-calorie foods were required. As a result, the participants could no longer control themselves. Portions were large, he ate too much.
It is important to eat well. You do not need to eat only low calorie foods. You can eat any, but keep in mind the calories consumed.
It is more efficient and safer to consume more foods that promote fat burning.
Slimming protein
Scientists recently made a sensational discovery. In experiments with mice, BP3 was identified, which affects the reduction of the growth of cancerous tumors. During the research, it was found that the introduction of protein contributes to the rapid burning of fat. Scientists are now investigating whether protein can be used as a weight-loss drug and whether it has side effects.
Despite the myriad of weight loss methods, proper nutrition is still paramount. If you overeat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, sticking to circadian rhythms, getting enough sleep, and sticking to your drinking regimen won't help.
Nutritionists and endocrinologists recommend formulating the diet so that the diet contains all the necessary nutrients with the optimal amount of calories. Therefore, the balance of the BZHU comes to the fore.
The above facts suggest: urgent weight loss through fasting is only possible temporarily. It ends with overeating and gaining weight. It is better to adhere to moderate physical activity, a balanced diet, a lifestyle in accordance with biological rhythms. So losing weight is much easier.
In case of obesity caused by a disease of the internal organs or hormonal disturbance, you should consult a doctor. He will select the optimal diet and prescribe the treatment. It is impossible to select a diet on your own with serious pathologies.