Losing a few pounds without being hungry or frustrated is possible! No magic wand, no miracle diet, but a strategy of small steps, which can have great results. Here are 10 tips to set up a real food rebalancing.
Eat (a little) less and better, move more, to consume fewer calories than you spend, the equation is very simple to lighten up. However, nothing should be rushed. “There is no point in running, you have to start at the right time”, the expression of La Fontaine’s fable finds its full meaning here. In recent years, there has been a lot of talk about the harmful effects of restrictive diets, such as Dukan, Atkins or ketogenic. Yes, we lose weight quickly, but in the long term, we regain all the lost pounds, and sometimes more.
In the long run, deprivation is synonymous with failure. “It is not realistic to want to change everything overnight,” insists Noémie, nutritionist (on noemienutrition.com, and her Youtube channel Noémie Nutrition). As with all learning, this must be done step by step. This is the secret of success, which will make it possible to hold over the months, and especially to have lasting results. Here are all our tips to say goodbye to your extra pounds, once and for all.
I make a diagnosis
“To start a food rebalancing, you must start by observing your own habits,” advises Elodie Dacher, dietician nutritionist.
“What do I like?”, “What mistakes do I think I will make?”, “What changes can I easily implement on a daily basis?” A professional can help with this analysis. »
Is it useful to set a goal? “It may motivate you, but it’s not an obligation,” says Elodie Dacher. I do not advise setting a weight loss goal. This can lead to stress, or demotivate if it is not reached.
I prefer to direct towards other, more interesting goals, such as drinking 1.5 liters of water a day, adding vegetables to all meals, reducing alcohol consumption, or trying to plan your menus in advance to better organize your shopping and meals. »
I’m learning what’s good for my body
“There are no rules,” insists Noémie. The goal of a rebalancing of food is to learn what is good for your body, and to strive as much as possible towards this goal. Ideally, plates composed of 2/5 fruits and vegetables, 2/5 starchy foods (preferably whole grains, potatoes, legumes …) and 1/5 protein, focusing on fish, white meat and vegetable proteins. Care should also be taken to consume enough quality lipids that are found mainly in fish, oilseeds and vegetable oils (olives or rapeseed for example). Finally we can boost the nutritional intake and flavors with spices and fresh herbs … Starchy foods, banned from certain regimes, are nevertheless essential. They do not make you fat, quite the contrary, because by satiating, they avoid snacking between meals. As soon as possible, they are chosen complete.
I color my plates
Eating at least 5 fruits and vegetables a day is good for your health, and for the line. Because not only do they provide a lot of vitamins, minerals and fiber, but they also have a satiating effect. This makes it possible not to throw yourself on a package of cakes between two meals. The ideal is to choose them in season (in addition, it costs less), and to vary them as much as possible. Beware of fruit juices. Too sweet, low in fiber, they do not count as a portion of fruit. Dried fruits – dried apricots, dried figs… – are excellent.
But caloric, they should be consumed in small quantities.
I take the time
“At first, you have to give the body time to adapt, and introduce changes little by little,” advises Noémie. Eating two to three times more vegetables overnight is not a good idea. The person may just have transit problems, bloating, which will in turn create fatigue. It’s the same for sport, you have to increase the dose gradually. Going too hard, too fast, just risks leading to exhaustion, and abandonment of the practice.
I’m learning how to handle the pan
Going behind the stove has a big advantage: it allows you to dodge ultra transfor industrial products.Més, often too fatty, too sweet and too salty.
With canned or frozen vegetables, unseasoned, lack of time is no longer an excuse. Their nutritional qualities are excellent, and they save valuable time. You can also try “batch cooking”, which consists of preparing several meals in advance, for example on Sunday for the rest of the week. So, when we come home one evening exhausted by work and without any desire to cook, a small healthy dish awaits us in the fridge …
I limit sweet products
“Beware of cakes, flavored yogurts and fruit juices,” warns Elodie Dacher. Beware also of false friends like coconut sugar and agave syrup. If they are a good alternative to white sugar, they remain important sugar intakes. They tire the body, and limit weight loss. »
Cracking permit
When the rebalancing is well done, the new good habits remain anchored. “It must be a pleasure to eat a little differently, and to feel the benefits,” says Elodie Dacher. But as always, sometimes you may want to crack. So, you have to do it from time to time, and above all, never feel guilty. »
Move more
“Playing sports helps us feel good about ourselves, reduce stress and regulate our hormones, which helps us feel hunger and satiety better,” says Noémie. Playing sports doesn’t have to mean training for a marathon, or lifting weights at the gym five times a week. It can already start by walking more, on a daily basis. Collateral benefit of sport: the more muscular you are, the more the basal metabolism increases, and the more calories you burn.
I do not forbid myself anything
Chips, chocolate, sweets… must not be banned. “The ban provokes envy,” says Elodie Dacher. Some foods should be limited, but never banned. The most important thing? “Listen to your hunger,” Noémie replies. Our body is quite capable of telling us what it needs. When we eat less than we need, the body can interpret this as a starvation situation, and slow down the basal metabolism to cope with it. As a result, weight loss slows down and when you eat again, you get fat. It’s the opposite with a food rebalancing.
I don’t count my calories
“I’m totally against it, because it creates a lot of frustration and takes us away from feeling hungry.
Depending on our physical activity for example, we will not need the same number of calories every day. You have to be able to adapt the size of your plate,” says Noémie. In addition, not all calories are created equal. “For equal calories, the body will not react in the same way with a glass of coca that contains water and the equivalent of eight spoons of sugar, and half a banana, which will provide fiber, slow carbohydrates, potassium, magnesium and good protein. Yet it’s the same number of calories, adds Elodie Dacher. The old diets calculated calories. But science is making progress, and we now know that this is not the right method! »
I remain realistic
Miracle diets promising to lose 8 kilos in a month expose you to take everything back very quickly.
It is better to hope to lose 500 g to 1 kilo per week, or 2 to 4 kilos per month. Beyond that, there is a risk of recovery, and especially frustration. “You really have to stop saying ‘I’m going to lose X pounds in so many weeks,'” advises Noémie.
All you do is put pressure on something you can’t control. Better to focus on the things we can change. On the other hand, you have to be reasonable with your objectives. Sometimes what we want in aesthetic terms is just not achievable, because it does not correspond at all to our morphology. It’s as if you’re chasing 39 and you want to get into 35 at all costs: it can’t work. Listening to your hunger and satiety signals allows, in the long term, to regain your healthy weight. Even if this weight of form is not always the one we had in mind…
I avoid pitfalls
“The regimes have been around for many, many years. If there was one that worked, everyone would do it, insists Elodie Dacher. Diets are often drastic.
Yes you lose, but when you stopBe what? This is the recovery in 90% of cases. In addition, these diets, which prohibit many foods, are often unbalanced. “As for fat burners, I assure you that if there was an effective one, everyone would have it. Nothing burns fat, these products should be called “wallet burner”. »
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