Lean Feast: why people gain weight when they restrict their diet
On the initiative of the United Nations, World Healthy Eating Day is celebrated on October 16. The purpose of this campaign is to draw attention to the issues of proper nutrition, to prevent the development of diseases associated with overweight. Another important task is to inform people about the principles of rational nutrition, as not everyone interprets these principles correctly. Diets and self—restrictions, which are usually resorted to for weight loss, sometimes lead to the opposite effect - a person, despite his efforts, notices weight gain. Experts explain this paradox by the protective reaction of the body.: it slows down metabolic processes and begins to accumulate fat "in fear" of hunger. Izvestia figured out which line in reducing calories should not be crossed, how to accelerate the metabolism and why you should not flatly refuse junk food.
Calorie deficit
In pursuit of an ideal figure that meets all the trends of a healthy lifestyle, people unknowingly decide to take drastic measures. To reduce weight, it is really recommended to create a calorie deficit, but no more than 10-20% of the daily value, says Anastasia Lebedeva, associate professor at the Department of Dietetics at ROSBIOTECH University. This amount depends on many factors. In particular, it is important for most women to consume at least 1,200 kcal per day, and for men, they should not lower the 1,500 kcal limit. It is also necessary to focus on the age and degree of physical and mental activity of a person. Therefore, Lebedeva recommends calculating the daily requirement with specialists who are able to take into account all the individual characteristics of a person.
— Severe calorie deficit slows down the metabolism, leads to loss of muscle mass, deterioration of well-being and a quick breakdown – overeating, warns Anastasia Lebedeva. — During any diet, even when switching to a low-calorie diet with a small calorie deficit, the body undergoes a restructuring of all systems — adaptation to the new conditions of energy supply. Since the mode of saving resources for vital activity is turned on, a person's basic metabolism decreases, and water is retained in the body. Therefore, it is quite logical that in the first few days after switching to a diet, a person's weight may increase slightly. In addition, the hormonal background is disrupted, including the exchange of sex hormones in men and women, warns Lebedeva.
With a prolonged period of calorie restriction, such changes become irreversible, so much so that even with an increase in the intake of energy resources from food, some functions are not restored. Therefore, the same therapeutic fasting should be carried out under the supervision of specialists and is prescribed strictly according to indications, emphasizes the associate professor of the Department of Dietetics.
A healthy diet
According to Anastasia Lebedeva, the benefits of using a balanced low-calorie diet have been scientifically proven. But it should be balanced and complemented by other measures that help maintain health.
"After a few weeks, there is a decrease in the content of markers of oxidative stress in the body, which is accompanied by a decrease in metabolic and cardiovascular risks," explains expert Lebedeva. — Do not forget about regular physical activity. Many studies prove that effective suppression of oxidative stress can be achieved by a combination of a low-calorie diet and regular moderate aerobic exercise.
However, a low-calorie diet, for all its attractiveness, is still a stress factor, since a drastic change in eating habits worsens the quality of life.
— In this regard, in the last few years, the so-called interval, intermittent, periodic or intermittent fasting has gained popularity among both consumers and nutritionists, — says Lebedeva. — This program is based on alternating ad libitum nutrition days (at your own discretion) and days with limited energy consumption to 20-25% of the average caloric intake, that is, about 400 kcal per day.
Lebedeva strongly recommends that you generally adhere to a balanced diet with the mandatory inclusion of foods with a proven positive effect on the body's metabolic processes. This list includes seafood, legumes, whole grains, olive and linseed oil, as well as vegetables and fruits that should be present in the daily diet (about 400 g). It is also important to eat enough foods with easily digestible protein — cottage cheese, fish, poultry, low-fat meats, eggs.
— If you have a desire to try a weight correction diet, we do not recommend doing it yourself. It is necessary to consult with a specialist to select an individual diet. This will ensure the elimination of complications, make changing the diet and daily calorie intake comfortable, and will not significantly limit performance," the expert summarizes.
Of particular concern to those who seek to lose weight is a consequence such as a slowdown in metabolism. This is unavoidable when following any diet. In this case, it is also important to monitor the balance of the diet.
— I consider it a mistake to significantly limit the intake of protein, healthy carbohydrates and fats, vitamins and minerals, as well as liquids. The body's reaction in this case is a decrease in performance and energy levels, muscle atrophy. Moreover, fat deposits in this case decrease slightly," Lebedeva comments.
According to the associate professor of the Department of Dietetics, if the number of meals is additionally reduced, there is a high probability of digestive disorders, such as gastritis, duodenitis, cholecystitis, pancreatitis, colitis with constipation, intestinal dysbiosis.
Food Diary
Small portions are not always equal to a low-calorie diet, warns Tatyana Frolova, an endocrinologist at the Be Healthy on Frunzenskaya clinic.
— I recommend analyzing your diet, — says Frolova. — We often tend to underestimate the calorie content of dressings (including those based on healthy vegetable oils), slicing during the day, ready meals (often a source of extra fats), liquid calories (cappuccino and latte with syrups), etc.
In addition, our brain is designed in such a way that it tends to "forget" unpleasant moments for it and not take into account, for example, the jamming of emotions. Therefore, the endocrinologist advises using a food diary and special applications to analyze your actual diet. Often, fixing what you've eaten, even without counting calories, is enough to realize your weaknesses.
When the metabolism slows down, the reason must be sought primarily in dietary experience.
— If a person has repeatedly drastically lost weight, then there is a high probability that he has lost not only adipose tissue, but also muscle. But the more muscle mass, the higher the basal metabolism," explains Frolova. — Loss of muscle tissue is the main mechanism of metabolic adaptation, when the body adapts to resist further weight loss.
As a result, the body, just in case, not only stops giving even grams, but sometimes tends to store them for future use. "Figuratively speaking, in conditions of severe restrictions, he is under stress and does not understand whether food will continue to arrive at all," explains the endocrinologist.
According to Frolova, the phenomenon of metabolic adaptation usually overtakes slimming patients after losing about 15% of their initial weight. This often happens when strict restrictive diets are followed (with a daily caloric intake of less than 1,200 kcal) and a loss of more than 5 kg per month. This contributes to the persistent "plateau" effect when the weight "stands" for a long time. In this case, the patient's motivation to lose weight decreases, fatigue from prolonged restrictions accumulates, and a breakdown occurs.
Is it possible to get swollen from hunger
The expression "starve to death" is not a figure of speech, but a harsh reality, Anastasia Lebedeva believes.
— With an unbalanced hypocaloric diet with a significant restriction of protein foods, hypoproteinemic edema may occur, — says the candidate of Sciences. — Edema is inevitable when avoiding meat, fish or poultry, as well as reducing the amount of dairy products, eggs and legumes consumed to critical figures.
In this case, the body independently tries to restore plasma protein levels by synthesizing its reserves — collagen, elastin, muscle proteins, etc. But these resources are not enough to ensure the functioning of all organs and systems, including the body's immune system.
— Against the background of a decrease in plasma proteins, the fluid balance inside and around the vessels is disrupted, so the fluid begins to move into the intercellular space. If the protein deficiency is not eliminated, then fluid retention progresses," the nutritionist continues.
In addition, with an unbalanced diet, stress hormones such as adrenocorticotropic hormone, vasopressin, glucocorticoids, and catecholamines increase, which also contribute to fluid retention.
If there is a lack of food (and with it energy), the body will strive to process all resources into adipose tissue.
— This is due to the fact that one of the main tasks of the body and all its systems is to maintain vital functions, and this requires energy. The lack of resources for basic metabolism is perceived as a threat to vitality, and the body begins to store energy "for a rainy day," explains Anastasia Lebedeva.
Tatiana Frolova calls a popular misconception limiting the number of meals for the sake of weight loss, for example, avoiding dinner. Even at one meal, you can eat a daily calorie allowance if you are hungry.
In order not to gain excess weight, the associate professor of the Department of Dietetics recommends eating five to six meals a day: three main meals and two to three snacks. Such a multiplicity of meals helps to avoid overeating, not to feel hungry and not to be distracted by food during the working day.
— The intervals between meals should be 2.5–3 hours. The serving size is about 200 g," Lebedeva explains. — It is important to calculate the daily calorie intake — it depends on a person's gender, age, body weight and activity. Long intervals in eating are harmful, given that with rare food breaks, a person overeats.
If a person has breakfast at 7:00-8:00, then after three hours you can make a 15-20-minute fruit or cottage cheese snack. Then have lunch at 13:00-14:00. According to Lebedeva, there is a general rule: lunch in terms of calories is 40% of the individual daily allowance. The time for eating is 30-40 minutes. At 16:00-17:00 — another 15-20-minute snack (nuts, dried fruits).
Proteins, fats and carbohydrates
The endocrinologist considers an ideal diet in which no group of macronutrients "falls out". The approximate ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates from the total daily calorie content: 15-20% protein, 25-35% fat, 50-60% carbohydrates. At the same time, according to Frolova, 10-15% of the total daily calorie intake should be allocated to your favorite additional food: sweets, semi-finished products, sausages, chips, sugary drinks and more. A complete rejection of such food is ineffective — sooner or later it will lead to a breakdown.
And so that there is no temptation to eat everything, the endocrinologist calls life hacks that allow you not to eat too much.:
1. Motivation and understanding: for the sake of something more, it is better to give up this very excess.
2. Scaling feelings of hunger and satiety — evaluate these feelings in points, which will help you realize when it is better to finish eating.
3. A balanced "plate" in the main meals (proteins, fats and carbohydrates in the right amount, lots of vegetables and fruits).
4. Eat slowly, concentrating on food, not being distracted and enjoying every spoonful. The first two spoons are considered the most delicious, then the taste fades somewhat.
The endocrinologist emphasizes the need to distinguish between psychological and physiological hunger. People often eat emotionally — out of boredom, fatigue, using food as a way to cheer themselves up and make them happy.
— Psychological hunger is when the desire to eat arises regardless of how much time has passed after the main meal, — explains Frolova. — And that's when you want a specific meal — something special, not the conventional buckwheat with meat. Unlike physiological hunger, this desire cannot be postponed for a long time. It is located not in the stomach, but rather in the head. This problem should be solved with a specialist who will help determine the true cause of cravings for unnecessary food.
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