Lose weight healthily: here is the best diet to lose weight and not gain it back in the medium to long term

L'excess weight
not just an aesthetic problem but, as several scientific studies demonstrate, associated with some diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, hypertension, some types of cancer and other chronic diseases. But how to lose extra pounds and especially, don't take them back in the medium to long term? Can we do it on our own or is it better to turn to an expert? There is a diet that works lose weight steadily without taking risks? What to do (and don't do) to maintain the right weight
and also the
Health?

The secret to avoid accumulating kilos

First of all – says Dr. Andrea Ghiselli, director of the Master's in Food Science and Applied Dietetics at the Unitelma Sapienza in Rome – being overweight is a condition for which intervention is required, which must be carried out by a doctor or a nutritionist. But it would be better not to be in this situation. How to avoid it? The “secret” weigh yourself once a week And, if the weight is increasingall we have to do is move more and eat less, avoiding “superfluous” foods – replies the doctor –. If every day we have breakfast with a slice of panettone or another dessert or eat a bar of chocolate, it is obvious what needs to be eliminated. Likewise, alcohol and other superfluous foods (snacks such as chips, sweets, sugary drinks and juices) which we can afford it sometimes if we have a normal weightbut not if we want to lose weight. If you have them up to 5-6 kilos more compared to normal weight – advises Dr. Ghiselli – that's enough eat less and move more; self Instead enormous excess weight, it is better to contact your doctor or nutritionist.

Balanced nutrition

What to eat to eat correctly and healthily? In general, a balanced diet is mainly based on vegetable sources, therefore based on cereals (bread, pasta, rice, corn), then legumes, vegetables, fresh fruit, dried fruit in nuts, small quantities of animal products (including preferring dairy products and fish) which complement the diet, without weighing it down – explains the expert -. For the second coursesconsidering that there are 14 lunches and dinners per week, you can follow the “rule of three”, that is, eating three portions of legumes, three of fish, three of meat, three of eggs, three of cheeses, removing one of these foods in rotation, for example meat or egg, while the fish you can eat more frequently since among the “protective” foods against all diseases linked to weight gain such as diabetes, heart attack, mortality in general.

Carbohydrates aren't they?

true that to lose weight

Should we remove carbohydrates and eat more proteins? Today we tend to “blame” carbohydrates and “sanctify” proteins, as if the former made us fat and the latter did not, which is not true: if we gain weight, it is not the fault of one of the foods that make up the diet; and then – continues Dr. Ghiselli – between 45 and 60 percent of daily energy should come from carbohydrates (among these, free sugars must not exceed 5-10% of the total energy). In practice it means that, if we need two thousand kilocalories a day (varies depending on weight, height, age ed), about half must come from carbohydrates, which are found in bread, pasta but also in milk, fruit, vegetables; about 20-35% fat; between 12 and 18% from proteins.

Body mass index and waist circumference

To understand whether your weight is within the norm or how much it differs from it, you can calculate thebody mass index (BMI ) which is obtained dividing the weight (expressed in kilograms) times the square of the height (can be calculated here by entering your data). A BMI value less than 25 indicates that yes normal weight; 25 to 30 you are overweight; 30 to 40 indicate obesity And over 40 a severe form of obesity.
The body mass index, however, does not give information on the quantity and location of body fat. Another useful index for understanding the distribution and quantity of visceral fat – which predicts health risks such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome and metabolic complications of obesity – the measurement of waist circumference which should be measured just above the navel,
in an upright position, without holding your breath: it is desirable not to exceed 94 centimeters in men, 80 in women.

The best diet for losing weight

Which one best diet for weight loss? Several studies, which have put a comparison of various types of diets (Mediterranean, high-protein, fat-free, ketogenic and others), have shown that one a no-carbohydrate or low-carbohydrate or high-protein diet at the beginning causes you to lose a greater amount of weightbut an illusion because a weight consists mainly of water – recalls the expert, who was a member of the panel of experts that produced the 2003 revision of the Guidelines for healthy eating and chair of the Commission for their review in 2018 – . Over time, the weight is recovered moreand some may also occur metabolic alteration, which the Mediterranean diet does not induce. The results of the studies, however, confirm that the best diet for losing weight is the Mediterranean one: it makes it lose more slowly but more permanently. Even a diet with 70 percent of energy from carbohydrates, as shown by a recent study, can bring health benefits.

What to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner (and snacks)

But be careful, Dr. Ghiselli clarifies: The Mediterranean diet is not the dish of bucatini all'amatriciana, but a poor diet based mainly on land productstherefore cereals – preferably whole grains -, legumes, fruit, vegetables, dried fruit in shell, vegetable oil, with small quantities of fish, dairy products, meat, eggs.
For example, at breakfast you can take a cup of milk (if you don't like it you can choose yogurt, the vegetable drinks that are found in supermarkets today, but which are certainly not comparable to milk, ed.) with two-three biscuits or another sweet baked product and fat that can be equivalent to 30 grams of biscuits, so bread or biscuits with butter and jam, or croissant or slice of cake, breakfast cereals are fine. Then, during the day, no more sweets.

You can do one yesdot mid-morning with yogurt or a fruit or a handful of dried fruit in shell.

At lunch you can eat a plate of pasta (80 grams medium portion) or rice or corn preferably seasoned with tomato or other vegetables such as broccoli, and a second course following the rule of three, or a single dish such as pasta and beans or chickpeas, or rice and lentils.

In the afternoon you can snack on yogurt or fruit. As for the aperitif or happy hour, it can be done every now and then if you are of normal weight and in good health, but if you are overweight, it should be avoided as it is a source of superfluous calories. And, if you really don't want to give up an aperitif with friends, you can choose a tomato (or fruit?) juice rather than an alcoholic drink, but obviously without touching pretzels, pizzas, etc.

For the dinner the composition of the meal does not change compared to lunch, except for the quantities: since calories should be concentrated in the first part of the daylunch should provide around 35 percent of daily energy, while dinner around 25 percent, so it would be preferable not to eat much, explains the expert.

Sleep also affects weight

Another factor that affects weight is sleep. If we sleep little we tend to gain weight because our metabolism is much more developed during the first hours of the day, so we metabolize calories better if we eat early, the opposite happens if we concentrate calories in the evening – explains Dr. Ghiselli -. However, it often happens that we have dinner late, even after 9pm, and go to bed when we have not completely digested, so we lose hours of good sleep. You should have dinner by 8pm so that at least three hours pass before going to bed, sleep the right amount of hours – 7/8 – in order to wake up refreshed.

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