How to lose weight?

How to lose weight? how to lose weight fast?

Weight loss

Millions of people wonder about weight loss, sparking countless articles, spreading numerous rumors, and fueling endless debates. Some claim eating Maggi can help you build muscle, while others advocate for low-carb or low-fat diets. Meanwhile, many individuals promote products with false promises. Amidst all this confusion, an entire industry has emerged around the concept of weight loss., often leaving people unsure of what truly works.

Let’s understand this concept :

scientifically, We need to distinguish between what’s true and what’s a myth? You should know what to eat and what to avoid to lose weight? And which diet is the best? Let’s find out.”The Wonder 10-day diet!”

“Burn away fat, while you sleep!”, “A diet that can work when nothing else will.”, “Many people try the popular Paleo diet.”, “Ketogenic or Keto.”, “Researchers have developed a promising new weight loss drug.”, “Scientists might soon make another groundbreaking weight loss drug available in pill form.”, and “could soon be available in pill form.”

Core Concept :

Logic:

The logic behind weight loss is quite simple. Imagine that you have a bank account. Your bank account accumulates all the money you earn. Your bank account deducts all the money you spend. So if you want to increase your bank balance, you either have to increase your earnings or reduce your expenses.

Similarly, our body has a calorie bank, You accumulate the calories you consume here. And the more you spend, it is deducted from the stored calories. This calorie bank is our body. To store calories, they are converted into fat and stored by the body, which increases our weight. So if you want to lose weight, either reduce your calorie intake or spend more calories. To spend calories is known as Burning Calories.

Think about Calories :

Let’s talk about how calories burn later, before that, let’s know where do calories come from? The food you eat, whatever you drink, except water, all of them have energy in the form of calories. In nutritional science, the definition of calories is that “it is a unit of energy.” So, the food and water you are consuming, that is where the calories are coming from. Since calories are a form of energy, everything for which the body uses energy, calories are burned for those.

The most obvious thing that comes to people’s mind to burn calories is exercising.”This is true“, our body needs energy is needed for every process, so the body burns calories for everything. To make your heart beat for your lungs to breathe, to digest food in your stomach, energy is needed for all.

For this reason, your calories are burned even while sleeping at night. You heard it right. On average, a person burns 400 calories during 8 hours of sleep. And the body burns calories merely to stay alive, this is known as Basal Metabolic Rate or BMR.

Every person has a different Basal Metabolic Rate. It depends on your height, weight, muscle mass, and many other factors. You can use an online calculator to calculate your BMR..

Understanding BMR and the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF)

For example, The person is 28 years old, 186 cm tall, and weighs 80 kg. So the calculation shows that the BMR is 1828 calories per day. So will burn this many calories every day without doing anything.

Eating provides calories to the body. But do you know, Depending on what food you are eating, Your food can burn calories? Here comes the concept of the Thermic Effect of Food, in short TEF.
The logic is very simple when you eat food, The body must digest the food, absorb nutrients, and store the food. In all these processes, the body uses energy and burns calories.

Thermic Effect of Food:

So some things have a low thermal effect, Like fats, oil, flour, and butter. Our body digests these things very easily. There is almost no need to burn any calories. On the other hand, whole grains or protein-rich foods, Dairy, eggs, high-fiber vegetables, fruits, spinach, and broccoli, have a high thermal effect.

The Myth of Negative-Calorie Foods

Our body has to burn a lot of calories to digest these foods. That is why it becomes difficult to gain weight
by eating this type of food. Now you will wonder, Some types of food may provide negative calories., the body is burning more calories to consume that food. This is a myth, friends!

Understanding the Thermic Effect of Food: Debunking the 100% Myth

To achieve this, the thermic effect of any food should be more than 100%, which is impossible. This can’t happen. The highest thermic effect possible is around 30%, usually found in proteins. This means that if you are eating 100 calories of protein, you are spending 30 calories to digest that protein, and your body is actually gaining only 70 calories.

Why Cutting Calories Alone Isn’t the Safe Path to Weight Loss:

Now, there is no need to go into the math too much, I am not asking you to find out the thermic effect of every food before eating. I just wanted to give you a basic idea, so that you know that this kind of concept exists. Now, let’s talk about weight loss. After Reading what I wrote till now, people might wonder why should we exercise at all. If you consume fewer calories than your body’s basal metabolic rate, you will lose weight automatically, Theoretically, this is true, but practically, it is very dangerous.

The Hidden Dangers of Calorie Restriction Without Exercise:

Eating fewer calories than your BMR without exercising means that your body’s hormonal balance can deteriorate. You will be more tired. You will become more irritable. It will be very difficult for you to focus on your studies and work. Do you know which body part consumes the most calories in the human body?

“Our brain“, Almost 20% of the energy usage of the human body is consumed by the brain. It becomes difficult to self-control for the body. Many people struggle to eat less, feel weak, experience mood swings, and stick to a diet. Eventually, they start overeating, which causes their diet to fail.. That’s why our goal should not be weight loss, but healthy weight loss. And for healthy weight loss, exercise is very important.

The Four Pillars of Effective Weight Management: Diet, Exercise, Sleep, and Stress Control:

In fact, four main things are very important. Diet control, exercise, proper sleep, and keeping yourself stress-free. The last two points are quite obvious, but if you struggle with them, keeping yourself stress-free and getting 8 hours of sleep daily, then it means that you are not managing your time properly.

Time Management in your life:

And in such a situation, you need the right time management in your life. you must learn time management and productivity help. The special thing is that you must focus a lot on happiness. Waking up at 5 am every day and working for 12 hours a day, I am strongly against this type of hustle culture advice. That’s why time management will not only increase your productivity but also your overall life satisfaction. because you will see a great transformation in your life after learning Time Management Skills.

Understand diet control in detail. Have you ever had a feeling that even though you have eaten a whole chocolate bar, still you are feeling hungry? After eating certain things, you still don’t feel full. The reason behind this is the Satiety Index. or Satiety value.

The Satiety Index: How Certain Foods Keep You Fuller Longer

The thing is that there are some types of food after eating which you feel full and some types of food aren’t like that, In 1995, some researchers tested 240-calorie servings of 38 types of food.

They found that boiled potatoes had the highest satiety index among all potato dishes. Potatoes were given a score of 323. There are some other things like pulses, high-fiber foods, low-fat dairy products, eggs, and nuts, These things also have a very high index. This means that for the same amount of calories if you eat high-satiety food items, you will comparatively feel more full. You will feel less hungry.

The Pitfalls of a Potato-Only Diet: Why Variety and Nutrition Matter:

even though the number of calories is the same Now, some people will say that they would eat boiled potatoes throughout the day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So they consume the least amount of calories in the day while feeling full, They’ll go on a potato-only diet. But again, this is a wrong approach. It is alright to tweak a few things here and there, but overall, the body needs a nutritious diet.

Healthy Weight Loss: Balancing Essential Nutrients for Optimal Function:

our goal here is healthy weight loss, Meaning, you don’t want to lose muscle, you don’t want to lose your health, you just want to lose weight, There are 6 different essential nutrients that the body needs for optimal function: Proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water.

^{Note: So when you are on a healthy weight loss diet, you will definitely need proteins, vitamins,minerals, and water.}

Understanding Carbohydrates: Their Role in Weight Loss:

Now the question is about fats and carbohydrates, What about them? Many people suggest different types of low-fat, low-carb diets. So let’s talk about carbohydrates first. Carbohydrates, in short carbs, what is their relation with weight loss?

The sugar that comes out of carbs is an important source of energy for the body. If our body does not use
that energy immediately, the energy from the carbs is converted into glycogen and stored in the liver and muscles. If a person eats more carbs than his body needs, the body converts those carbs into fat cells and stores them as fat. If this energy is not used later, it remains in the form of fat cells and you gain weight.

Carbohydrates and Weight Loss:

You might think that carbohydrates should be avoided but this is the wrong conclusion. I apologize in advance for disappointing the fans of keto or low-carb diet. In 2017, a meta-analysis was done of 32 controlled feeding studies. Keeping the level of protein and calories the same, they found out whether a high-carb diet is better than a low-carb diet. This research found that there is no benefit in weight loss whether you follow a high-carb or a low-carb diet.

Weight loss, ultimately, works only due to Calorie Deficit. The same calorie bank balance that I explained in the beginning. In 2012, another study was conducted at a Swedish University to compare whether a low-fat diet is better or a low-carb diet. This study monitored people for 2 years and ended with the same conclusion.

Weight loss has nothing to do with these things, Only calories are important here, Now, some people go on a high-protein diet to lose weight. Some people have a perception that if they eat fats or carbs, they will convert into fat cells leading to weight gain. But if they eat protein only, their muscles will grow bigger.

The Truth About Protein and Carb-Restricted Diets: Water Weight vs. Actual Weight Loss:

Indeed, protein is usually used for muscle building and muscle repair. So if you do weight training, exercise more, wrestle, or such, then naturally you will need more protein. But if you sit on the sofa all day, don’t move, don’t exercise, then the excess protein you are eating also converts into fat.
Some people may say that, they went on a low-carb diet and lost weight, thinking that it works for them. But here I would like to say that if your body is suddenly deprived of carbs, then your body loses water weight. Glycogen stores help retain water in our bodies. So if you go on a keto diet for a week, you will lose 1-2 kgs of weight for sure. And that will be because your body has lost its water weight. As soon as you start eating carbs again, that water weight will be returned.

The Impact of Low-Carb Diets on Lifespan: How Low Should You Go?

Dr Sara Seidelmann and her team of researchers did a study on 15,400 people for 6 years. It was published in the famous Lancet Public Health Journal. It studied people who are on a low-carb diet but are eating more animal protein. This study found that this diet can actually reduce the lifespan. When a low-carb diet is replaced by plant protein and fat, it will be beneficial. I have discussed this in the video of the World’s Oldest Human and the things that can be done to extend our lifespan. Now, if we have to go low-carb, how low should we go?

This study found that less than 40% of total energy comes from carbs or more than 70% of total energy comes from carbs. Both pose a higher risk to our health. It means that what we were taught in school is very important here. A balanced diet. While doing a healthy weight loss, you don’t need to completely remove carbs from your diet. Rather, you need to eat healthy carbs.

“Carbohydrates” is the food for the brain:

If you stop eating carbs, your brain health may start declining. Aggression, depression, nervousness, anxiety, trepidation, all these are part of it.” What are healthy carbs?
Carbs that are absorbed by the body slowly. These don’t raise or lower the blood sugar level. And give the body a steady source of energy. Examples of these are whole grains, fruits, and starchy vegetables.

Understanding Fats: Essential Nutrients and Their Role in Absorbing Vitamins

And now, let’s talk about fats. When you hear the word fat, you might think that it makes you fat. But this fat nutrient is also an essential nutrient and the body needs it too. Many vitamins like Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, and Vitamin K are fat-soluble Vitamins, so the body needs fats to absorb them.

Apart from this, fats are needed for hormonal balance, energy storage and to protect our vital organs.
Human brains are made up of 60% fat. This advice was given by a popular nutritionist Dr. Marion Nestle has expressed skepticism about very low-fat diets. She argues that:

Nutritional Balance: A very low-fat diet may not be nutritionally balanced, as fats are essential for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) and other important physiological functions. So, a healthy weight loss diet is a balanced diet in which carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are present.

The next question is, what is the optimum percentage of each of them? What is the healthy proportion?

Healthy Proportions for Optimal Nutrition:

There is a range called Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges (AMDR). According to this, 45-65% of your daily calories should be from carbohydrates. 20-35% of calories should be from fats. 10-35% of calories should be from protein. The percentage you should be in this range depends on your personal lifestyle choices. Your age, how much muscle you want to gain, whether are you diabetic, and what kind of food you prefer. For these, you can consult a professional dietician, and it will be a good idea, to get a diet plan customized for you. If you do not want to consult a dietitian, then for an average person who is not facing any health problems, it would be better to stay within this range.

So, the next question you will ask is, how can you stay within this range?

What to eat and what not to eat?

Let’s clear this point by point: What should you eat? You should eat whole grains. Complex Carbohydrates. Other than wheat and rice, you should eat different types of grains like corn, oats, barley, Finger millet, buckwheat, or pearl millet. Eat them as flatbreads or porridge.

Apart from this, you should eat legumes like beans, chickpeas, peanuts, lentils, etc, These are good sources of complex carbohydrates. And they also have fiber and protein. Then you focus on other healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. Kidney beans, chickpeas, soy protein, gram powdered, fruits, berries, dry fruits, peanuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, spices, and eggs. Dairy items like milk, curd, and cottage cheese contain healthy fats. They should be eaten in controlled amounts. It is important to mention that many people think that, they are eating a balanced diet. But in reality, their diet is not balanced.
They should increase the amount of vegetables. “Other than water, what else should one eat?
Drink water, and eat green vegetables, green is very good for the body. It contains antioxidants, and it is good for the skin.”

what you should not eat in a healthy weight loss diet:

First of all, refined flour. Refined carbohydrates like refined flour get digested very quickly in your body.
You can see unhealthy spikes in your blood sugar levels because of this. And if you eat many things made of refined flour then after 1-2 hours of eating, start feeling hungry again. Because shortly after eating these,
your blood sugar levels drop rapidly. The second problem with refined flour is that, it has bad cholesterol,
known as LDL cholesterol, which causes arteries to clog, increases blood pressure, increases hunger, and increases craving for sweets. Second, stop eating sugar. This is the same problem with refined sugar, which is also called added sugar. This added sugar is not only found in cold drinks but even in ice creams, candies, biscuits, etc. Third, stop eating bad fats, As I told you earlier, there are two types of fats.

Good fats and bad fats:

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are beneficial for us. We get these good fats from plant sources. Like peanuts, olive oil, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, almonds, pistachios, walnuts, sunflower oil, and flaxseed oil. On the other hand, we need very little saturated fats. But most people eat a lot of saturated fats. They are found in butter, raw coconut oil, or clarified butter.

If you eat a lot of saturated fats for many years, it increases the risk of heart attack. Palm oil also has saturated fats, which are found in most packaged foods, And then comes trans fats, which are the most harmful. These trans fats are found in refined oil, which is usually in everything that you eat out. Fried food, fried chicken, fried momos, fried doughnuts, french fries, and street food, all of have a high value of trans fats
because they are deep-fried. Deep-fried foods should be avoided.

Some people see this and say that I am fear-mongering.

Anyway, Good Luck with your healthy weight loss Keep things better!