Lose Weight Quickly

Premise on fast weight loss

A question of professionalism

I open the following article with a brief introduction to distinguish what I will write from most of the media garbage available on the net.

"On the various sites that have published their own (or others')" fast "strategies to lose weight, we frequently read the warning:" Losing weight quickly can be harmful to health ". This is correct. So why make an unhealthy tool available while being aware of the risks associated with it? The answer can be summarized in three simple words: hypocrisy, ignorance and immorality.
To colleagues who disclose and recommend certain slimming strategies while knowing their implications, I remind you that it is possible to write a good article while remaining ethically correct and above all professional; to those who share them ignoring these aspects, I suggest that they "hurry up" in "undertaking the academic studies necessary to operate in the field of dietetics and diet therapy.
For com "is understood by most readers, CONCRETE online, losing weight fast is WRONG; however, using a professional benchmark, it is possible to offer a healthy dietary means suitable for the pursuit of rapid weight loss. To this end, taking for granted the good state of health and the absence of pathologies, I propose a rweight loss ranges between 1 and 3-4 kg per month (which correspond to 250 and 750-1000g per week), where 1kg is equivalent to a very slow weight loss and 4kg corresponds to a very fast weight loss ".

To close this very brief introduction, I underline that what will be described below CANNOT and MUST NOT replace the consultation of a professional (dietician - dietician - specialized nutritionist). The risks and advantages (if any) of losing weight quickly will be mentioned, as well as my very 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 healthy and proper nutrition.

Lose weight quickly: NO to excesses, YES to awareness

It is likely that most readers are already (or are convinced they are) aware of the negative aspects related to losing weight quickly. 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.
ATTENTION! I emphasize once again that what I write refers exclusively to healthy people, physiologically normal and free of pathologies. If for some subjects losing weight quickly, even within the recommended limits, represents a harmful factor (eg. In cases of kidney and liver diseases, bone diseases, malnutrition, pregnancy, breastfeeding, etc.), for other subjects it represents an "unequivocal way out. salvation (large obese people with very high cardio-vascular risk and caused by: hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, heart or circulatory defects, pulmonary ventilation defects, etc.).

Obviously, the assessment of the relevance or inadequacy of fast (or extreme) weight loss rests EXCLUSIVELY with the treating physician.
To be concise, losing weight fast (over 4 kilograms per month) is WRONG for the following reasons:

1. It subjects the subject's mind to such stress as to significantly increase the risk of relapse; it is no coincidence that most people who lose weight quickly regain their weight at least the starting adipose tissue
2. It subjects the body of the subject to such stress as to compromise: muscle tone, blood sugar, blood pressure, athletic prowess and cerebral efficiency.
3. Sometimes, it includes certain side effects such as: ketosis (intoxication) and significant increase in hepato-renal burden
4. DOES NOT ALLOW TO REACH the recommended rations for vitamins, mineral salts, etc. in full.
5. In some cases (such as certain variants of controlled / intermittent fasting), it alters hormonal balance (reduction of thyroid secretion and increase of adrenal secretion)
6. Sometimes it creates a simple "illusion of weight loss" due to the loss of large quantities of liquids (which are then restored following the recovery of the usual diet)
7. It does NOT provide any useful weight loss tool since, being a potentially "annoying" strategy, it cannot be used for long periods or short short periods
8. DISEDUCES those who follow it and contribute to the consolidation of false myths, etc.

On the other hand, it is undeniable that losing weight quickly can (but not always) favor the success of the therapy in subjects with a modest excess fat. Seeing a good progress in weight loss 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 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 quickly must NOT exceed that of 4kg per month (better 3!). Often, the practice of some "extreme" dietary strategies leads to ultra-rapid loss of liquids, which, needless to say, does not correspond to actual weight loss, but to dehydration. To avoid this, it is first of all fundamental to respect the nutritional balance and in particular the carbohydrate quota; this excludes a priori all high-protein, ketogenic and low-carb diets in general. At the same time, an insufficient portion of lipids leads to the inevitable reduction of "intake of fat-soluble vitamins and total essential fatty acids. As far as proteins are concerned, I refer the many health considerations to the articles on high-protein diets. Obviously, even a diet that is TOO rich in carbohydrates is counterproductive, due to the massive stimulus that these exert on the release of insulin, the anabolic hormone responsible for fat deposits; even the chemical form of the latter constitutes a discriminated element, since digestibility, speed of absorption and metabolization (generally linked to the food refining process) affect the glycemic index, therefore the stimulation of the aforementioned hormone.
In general, it is possible to state that in order to lose weight quickly it is still necessary to respect the following nutritional distribution parameters:

• 0.8-1.5g / kg (physiological weight) of proteins (of which about 1/3 or 1/2 of animal origin)
• 25-30% of lipids (mainly unsaturated, therefore mainly of vegetable origin)
• The rest in carbohydrates (of which no more than 10-16% simple since a large part of the latter is made up of sucrose)

The application of these principles, linked to the reasonableness of the portions and the correct distribution of meals, ensures a solid starting point for quickly losing weight. Among other things, this also guarantees (almost entirely) the contribution of micronutrients (mineral salts and vitamins). The only additional precaution to take into account is to maintain a quota of dietary fiber that is around 30g per day.
To better understand the various nutritional aspects related to this breakdown I suggest reading the article: Balanced weight loss diet example.

Food choices

the key to losing weight quickly while staying fit

Assuming that in order to lose weight it is necessary to take no more than 70% of the total calories dictated by the individual daily requirement, appropriately divided into 5 daily meals, it is necessary to highlight that physical activity (understood as daily movements and motor practice) also carries out a fundamental role; it helps to increase total energy expenditure, to maintain a good basal metabolism and to promote muscle tone.

Calculate your daily calorie needs

That said, from MY point of view, to lose weight quickly while staying fit it is very useful to apply a series of tricks that can be summarized as follows.

• Eliminate sweetened foods, both homemade and packaged; eliminate junk foods or junk-food (sweet and savory snacks, sweet and savory pastries, sweet drinks, fast-food foods);
• limit, if any, alcohol consumption to 1 alcohol unit per day;
• use seasoning fats in a calibrated manner (no more than 10g per main meal - this is a carelessness which, however, sufficiently reflects the practical aspect).
• In the daily consumption of cereals, legumes and derivatives, prefer non-processed products. This does not mean simply choosing whole foods, but preferring the whole form of the seeds. In practice, this translates into the formulation of stewed and broth-like first courses, since they include (in addition to the fibers) the presence of higher percentages of water. For example, RATHER than 80g of dry pasta, which cooked and accompanied with vegetable sauce, oil and parmesan cheese, provides about 280g of food for a total of about 440kcal, BETTER opt for a soup of wheat (or beans) and whole vegetables that , from 80g of dry seeds accompanied by vegetables, oil and parmesan, it will become a first energetically similar to the previous one but with a weight of at least 360g. This allows to further intervene: REDUCING the weight of the cereal (therefore the calories) while ensuring the same food volume; moreover, it allows to KEEP the energy intake constant by increasing satiety (thus reducing other foods, especially bread, inside the meal). The portion of dry cereals and derivatives must NOT exceed 80g, as well as that of dried legumes (of the latter it is advisable to guarantee at least 2 weekly portions).
  Obviously this cannot be applied to certain foods, such as those for breakfast. However, even in this case, it is possible to improve your eating style by preferring more HYDRATED foods than dry ones. NO to rusks and biscuits (especially avoid sweet and white flour ones). YES to wholemeal bread and cereals with fibers which, despite being dry, accompanied by milk (low fat 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; bread has an accompanying function, which is why its use should ONLY be associated with the preparations that require it
• As for fruit, I suggest placing it in an optimal way between meals, or in correspondence with snacks (about 2 portions a day are recommended). This choice allows NOT to further increase the energy / glycemic load of the main meals; moreover, it constantly favors the intake of dietary fiber, mineral salts (potassium) and vitamins (A, C, E), improves digestion and takes full advantage of the satiating power of fruit.
• Vegetables must always be present at lunch and dinner. Their main function is to provide fiber, mineral salts (potassium), vitamins (A, C, E) and water but, as they contain less sugar than fruit, the portions can be less "rigid". It goes without saying that an excess of fiber is not a positive aspect (it alters intestinal absorption and can induce the onset of diarrhea and / or bloating), as well as that of fructose (however 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) fresh and raw vegetables should make up at least 1/2 or 1/3 of the total.
• It is advisable to insert the vegetable soup about once or twice a week; it (since it is particularly "light") is allowed to be served with 1 or 2 slices of bread (also toasted).
• 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 achieve the daily lipid quota, you could choose to consume a few grams of dried fruit (achenes), but in doses NOT exceeding 10g; this, which has a reduced satiating power, is instead particularly caloric although rich in essential fatty acids.
• Yogurt and milk (or special fortified substitutes) must be present, preferably in 2 or 3 portions a day (with the function of guaranteeing the calcium and riboflavin intake), but possibly partially skimmed and without added sugars. Better to insert them at breakfast and / or secondary meals in portions of 120-250 ml.
• For the dishes, the discussion is broad but already clear enough to the community. To respect the lipid breakdown it is necessary to prefer those with low fat content (generally saturated and accompanied by cholesterol). Green light a
  • chicken breast and turkey
  • defatted muscle of bovine, equine, porcine and ovine
  • lean or even fatty fish (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 the previous ones) and even less crustaceans (even richer in cholesterol)
  • ONLY low-fat dairy products (eg ricotta, cottage cheese, etc.) and a few eggs (also rich in cholesterol in the yolk; 2 or 3 a week, with the possibility of integrating only the egg whites, available in brick).
  The function of foods of animal origin is to provide iron, calcium, certain B vitamins (riboflavin, niacin) and some fat-soluble (A, D). The portions of the dishes should weigh approximately 150-250g and be placed at dinner or, in small quantities, even at lunch.
• It is NOT RECOMMENDED to make frequent use of cold cuts and fatty cheeses (with the exception of 5 or 10g of Parmesan cheese on the first course of lunch); possibly, prefer roast beef, defatted sweet raw ham, bresaola and defatted cooked ham in portions of about 70-100g (if in place of the evening dish, half if inserted at lunch after the first course).
• In general, even in the diet to lose weight quickly, it is advisable to limit the addition of table salt as much as possible.

Lose weight quickly: conclusions

To end this short article on fast weight loss, I underline that all the information reported is part of the cultural background of specialized professionals (see introduction). Readers should be wary of drastic strategies and even more so of "gurus" in vogue or trendy. The weight loss process is a dietary 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. be done (in whole or in part) with standardized systems since they do not take into account the specialist-patient interaction.