Various wonderful diets promise to get rid of excess body quickly. But a horse with a row of those who successfully and forever got rid of unnecessary kilograms. Often times, it seems that the opposite effect is achieved by using such diets. We asked a specialist why this is happening.

Apple diet, salad, rice diet, high-protein diet … Thanks to them, we are to lose a few kilograms in a week or two. The use of such diets can give a spectacular effect at the beginning, but after some time the yo-yo effect usually appears, then the weight may show even higher values ​​than before starting the diet.

This is confirmed by research: paradoxically, it is these people who, while struggling with overweight, use such dietary inventions, have the greatest problem with getting rid of excess kilograms. The more they diet, the more they gain weight.

Why it is so and what to do to actually lose weight effectively, we talk to Dr. Justyna Jessa, MD, a clinical dietitian.

How to understand the concept of "miracle diet?

Justyna Jessa, MD, PhD:This is a general definition of various diets that promise rapid weight loss. Of course, there are many such diets, such as the cabbage diet, juice diet, but also all dietary experiments, such as "fat burning soup", drinking apple cider vinegar and others, fit into this concept. They are often deficient diets - based on a single ingredient or low-energy diets.

Why are nutritionists so critical of them?

J.J.:Very low-calorie diets do not achieve the average basal metabolic rate of adults, which is at least 1,300 kcal per day. Meeting this minimum demand allows for basic life processes, such as gas exchange, heartbeat or the effective work of individual organs.

Any diet that does not provide us with this basic energy will disrupt these processes, and at the same time will not be able to cover the demand for basic minerals, such as iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium, and vitamins, thus will devastate the body.

Remember that people who fast include obese and overweight people who may already be malnourishedqualitatively - they eat meals that provide a lot of energy, but not enough valuable nutrients. Such diets will therefore only aggravate the state of malnutrition. Remember that obesity is not a state of "overnutrition" of the body, but an excessive accumulation of adipose tissue.

What is very important, when we are talking about the slimming process - failure to nourish the body as a result of diet causes an excessive increase in the concentration of ghrelin, which is a hormone responsible for feeling hungry - and this in turn manifests itself in increased appetite.

We recommend

Author: Time S.A

An individually selected diet will allow you to easily lose weight, and at the same time eat he althy, tasty and without sacrifices. Take advantage of Jeszcolubisz, the innovative online dietary system of the He alth Guide and take care of your he alth and well-being. Enjoy the perfectly selected menu and the constant support of a dietitian today!

Find out more

Supporters of such diets argue that they help cleanse the body of toxins.

J.J .:Indeed, many people fall for another promise of "miracle diets". This is not true. Our body constantly gets rid of metabolites that are harmful to he alth through the liver, kidneys and lungs.

Starvation does not initiate these processes, because they still happen. What we can do is not to disturb the body by leading an unhe althy lifestyle, i.e. consuming excessive amounts of alcohol, sweets, fast food, and on the contrary - supporting the cleansing processes.

We can do it by properly hydrating the body - drinking mineral water in amounts adequate to our body weight and physical activity - and consuming as much fresh vegetables, fruit and in general - plant-based food.

The ingredients contained in them are cofactors of many enzymes (cofactors are substances necessary for enzymes to function properly), responsible for metabolizing and excreting unnecessary substances, which means that in order for these processes to run properly, we must provide a lot of nutrients.

Plant foods are also an excellent source of dietary fiber, which acts like a duster to remove anything that should be excreted. Therefore, cleansing the body will be much more effective if our diet is rich in nutrition every day than if we treat the body to a demanding diet once a year.

And how is the initial weight loss effect produced in the "miracle diet"?

J.J .:Diets assuming a large energy deficit and low in the building component, which isprotein, of course, sometimes cause very rapid weight loss, but it is apparent. Yes, we lose weight, but it is because we lose water from the breakdown of the liver's energy stores, or glycogen, and lean body mass, or muscles. So in practice, we lose water and muscles.

Worth knowing

Lose weight while sleeping

Sleep is a good opportunity to burn fat. A 8-hour sleep is an energy expenditure of 600 kcal, which will be covered by the burning of liver glycogen and fat tissue, but, what is important - as long as we did not eat the last meal later than 3 hours before going to bed. Sleeping well also regulates the concentration of hunger and satiety hormones, so when we sleep too little, we go hungry during the day.

The scale shows that we are losing weight, but in fact it is not?

J.J .:Exactly, because with such a diet the adipose tissue remains intact. Yet the goal of real weight loss is fat loss! Meanwhile, we lose muscles - this is extremely important because the content of muscle mass determines the body's need for energy.

It is the muscles that consume the most calories, and by losing some of their mass, we weaken the fat burning process even more.

And where does the yo-yo effect come from?

J.J .:Eating too little energy and protein causes a rapid increase in body weight after the end of the diet. Why? During the diet, we do not provide enough calories, and the body, defending itself against it, goes into the saving mode, burning as little as possible and accumulating every unnecessary calorie. As a result, when we return to the old eating habits, she begins to "accumulate" energy during hunger in the form of adipose tissue.

This is one of the mechanisms of the yo-yo effect. But there is another one - the yo-yo effect is also caused by the aforementioned ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates the feeling of hunger. We are hungry, so we eat more and… gain weight. As a result, in a short time we weigh even more than before starting the diet.

Can the use of the miracle diet harm your he alth?

J.J .:The effects of a poor diet are many: from subtle nutrient deficiencies to complete dysregulation of metabolism. In extreme cases, hormonal disorders and decreased immunity may occur.

There are also deficiency symptoms: dry skin, hair loss, breaking nails or irritation.

What should be the rules of composing a diet if we want to effectively get rid of excess kilograms?

J.J .:You definitely need to be moderate in this process. I know that the promises of the creators of various diets are tempting, and sometimes even explaining the mechanisms of their action sounds convincing, like the theories of the paleo diet supporters at one time, but the most durable effect is the constant change of eating habits.

That's why nutritionists don't even like to use the word "diet" in the context of weight loss. We want to teach a given person how to eat, so that he will maintain a he althy body weight permanently. The diet must therefore contain adequate amounts of vegetables and fruit - half the volume of all foods eaten during the day, as little as possible sweets, sweet drinks, at least 1.5-2 liters of mineral water a day.

Remember that the basis should be plant products: in addition to vegetables and fruits - legumes, nuts, seeds, groats, rice, whole grain bread and pasta. Food of animal origin, such as meat, eggs, dairy products should be added to the menu. And one of the most important aspects: don't cut calories too much, don't go hungry.

What should be the right pace of losing weight?

J.J .:The optimal weight loss rate is 0.5 kg / week. Remember that it is impossible to lose weight in the sense of fat loss of more than 1 kg per week. It is simply our physiology that determines it. If we lose more than 1 kg per week, we can be sure that we are losing water.

Can anyone lose weight on their own?

J.J .:If we are generally he althy people, i.e. we do not have any metabolic or gastrointestinal diseases other than overweight or obesity and we know the general principles of rational nutrition, and at the same time we know What mistakes do we make in our daily nutrition, we can try to eliminate the biggest mistakes ourselves, such as reducing sweets, increasing the consumption of unprocessed food or increasing physical activity.

You can also use well-composed, intelligent solutions that facilitate weight loss available on the Internet, preferably those where we have contact with a dietitian. However, it is always good to consult a qualified dietitian at the beginning of the process, who will indicate the right direction, best for a given person.

On the other hand, people who, apart from being overweight, suffer from other more serious diseases, such as type 1 diabetes or intestinal disorders, or have several disease entities in which dietary recommendations are mutually exclusive, I would suggest permanent cooperation with a dietitian, preferably one who specializes in managing certain diseases.

ExpertDr. med.Justyna Jessa A graduate of the Medical University of Warsaw. She completed her PhD in autism diet at the Institute of Mother and Child. She gained professional experience while working in a hospital pediatric ward and a private office, consulting patients with various disease entities. She is the author of numerous scientific and popular science articles as well as webinars on he althy nutrition for children and pregnant women. He conducts lectures and workshops for professionals as well as patients and people interested in a he althy lifestyle. He manages a team of nutritionists from the Jesz co Lubisz dietary platform.

Category:

Diets