How to eat properly to lose weight (main principles and recipes)

Which diet should you choose to stay in shape? We discuss the principles of proper nutrition, the menu for each day and important restrictions.

Proper nutrition for weight loss

Principles of healthy eating

The main principle for long-term weight loss is not to go on a diet. It has been proven that in the process of following a diet, especially if it is quite rigid, with caloric restrictions, there is a decrease in metabolism. The harder and longer the diet, the lower the metabolism. The problem is that the metabolism is very difficult to restore, it can take months or even years, and for those people who have gone through several cycles of weight loss and weight gain, the metabolism is almost impossible to restore. Therefore, there is something in scientific dietetics that is rational, that is, only healthy nutrition for every day, and a competent dietician will advise you exactly that for weight loss.

An important principle is a long-term change in the nutritional paradigm, i. e. adherence to the principle of rational nutrition throughout life, not only during the period of weight loss. This is how people who are not prone to overweight eat. They do it unconsciously, they learned it in childhood, not even knowing it was right, or they came to it intuitively. Overweight people will have to learn the principles of rational nutrition at a conscious age, but it is possible.

The first rule in a rational diet is the variety of food with a combination of products containing the main macronutrients (proteins, fats and carbohydrates) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, biologically active substances). Dietary diversity can be symbolized by the plate rule formulated by Harvard Medical School. Half of the plate should be complex carbohydrates - vegetables and fruits, one quarter - protein products, and the remaining quarter - cereal products (cereals). Milk or fermented milk product or water is offered on a plate as a drink. There should be 3 such meals during the day.

I must say that snacks are not mandatory, but if you feel the need for them, then they are possible. 2-3 snacks per day are allowed. A snack can be various vegetables (carrots, turnips, daikon, cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, avocados, etc. ), nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, unroasted) - 10-15 g per day, fruit (a total of 3-4 fruits per day150-200 g each), dried fruit - no more than 50 g, fermented dairy products without added sugar, fresh cheese and dishes made from it.

Important limitations

There are certain restrictions that people who want to lose weight should follow. First, we limit products that contain explicit and hidden fats. Everything is clear about explicit fats - this is fatty meat, desserts with cream, mayonnaise, vegetable oil. And hidden fats are those foods that contain a lot of fat, and you may not even know about it. This is a danger, because you do not know that you are getting excess fat and calories from these products. An example of such products: all meat gastronomy (sausages, hot dogs, carbonated and other meat products, dumplings, etc. ), almost all industrial bakery products (except those that contain hidden fats, because trans fats, which disrupt metabolism, are still mostly represented), fastfood, fast food (chips, crackers, etc. ), fatty dairy products (especially cheese), nuts and seeds, salads, vegetable side dishes seasoned with vegetable oil.

Second, we pay attention to trans fats. These are fats that do not occur naturally, but occur in the production of margarine and spreads, as well as in the process of industrial frying. Trans fats disrupt metabolism, affect the state of the satiety center, and can play a role in the development of atherosclerosis. Trans fats are found in fast and junk food, industrial pastries, as well as in margarine and spreads. These products are not recommended for people who want to maintain a normal body weight.

Third, drink. Try to drink only drinks with minimal calorie content: water, tea, coffee, herbal teas. You can use milk, dairy products, but not more than 2-3 servings a day. Sugary drinks should be completely eliminated, even freshly squeezed juices and sweet yogurts, because they are a source of easily available carbohydrates that do not even need to be digested, are quickly absorbed and contribute to weight gain.

But you can eat sweets. We add them as a dessert to the main dish. You can eat up to 25 grams of added sugar per day. That's about 50-100 grams of sweets, depending on their composition. Exception: people with diabetes.

You can eat bread and you even need it! Black, 2nd grade, grain, bran. White bread is limited. You need 3-4 slices of bread of 30 grams per day! Bread gives a feeling of satiety, contains fiber, complete proteins and B vitamins, reduces the risk of overeating and spoilage for sweets. Exception: people with gluten intolerance, wheat protein allergy or celiac disease.

Attention should be paid to the use of alcohol. This in itself is a very high-calorie product. In addition, high-calorie snacks are usually served: cheese, sweets, snacks, etc. Alcohol also increases appetite and we end up eating more than usual. Sometimes it is he who is the cause of overweight, although the rest of the time a person can eat properly and not overeat.

It is believed that the combination of food groups affects the speed and correctness of food digestion (and therefore metabolism and weight loss). There are different methods - for example, separate nutrition, in which special compatibility tables of products have been developed for proper nutrition. But in fact, they have nothing to do with a balanced diet, which should be followed daily.

Should I drink a lot of water to lose weight?

I would like to talk about another such popular topic as the use of water. Water alone has no effect on metabolism or calorie burning. But it can be useful in some respects. So, sometimes a person, experiencing hunger, actually experiences a feeling of thirst. Therefore, if less than 3 hours have passed after eating and you are still hungry, it is recommended to drink a glass of water, and if the feeling of hunger has passed, then it was thirst. It is also recommended to drink 1-2 glasses of water immediately before or during a meal. This allows the fiber in your food to absorb water and create bulk in your stomach, which makes you feel full quickly and doesn't overeat. Taking a drink (water, tea) during a meal also contributes to this, which is not at all harmful, according to some patients and even doctors. Therefore, water must be included in the menu of a proper diet for a week for weight loss.

A sample weekly diet menu

It is very important that the diet is varied and balanced. We offer a menu of proper nutrition for every day for weight loss. In our menu, food without drinks, you can add tea, coffee without sugar or water to every meal.

Day 1

  • breakfast:oatmeal (150 g), multi-grain bread (30 g), hard cheese (20 g), baked apple (150 g).
  • dinner:buckwheat soup with meatballs (200 g), rye bread (30 g), tomato and cucumber salad (100 g).
  • afternoon snack:cottage cheese 5% (50 g), walnuts (15 g), dried apricots (20 g), kefir 1% (200 g).
  • dinner:oven-baked chicken (100 g), boiled potatoes (100 g), multi-grain bread (30 g)

Day 2

  • breakfast:cottage cheese (100 g) with apricot jam (20 g), pear (150 g).
  • dinner:chicken soup with vermicelli (150 g), vegetable salad (100 g), rye bread (30 g).
  • afternoon snack:fruit (200 g), unsweetened yogurt (100 g).
  • dinner:steamed fish cakes (100 g), cherry tomatoes 50 g. , multigrain bread 30 g.

3rd day

  • breakfast:millet porridge (150 g), rye bread (2 pieces), avocado (80 g).
  • dinner:mushroom soup (200 g), multi-grain bread (30 g), cabbage salad with cucumbers and vegetable oil (100 g).
  • afternoon snack:fresh cheese (150 g), 1 tspmed, baked pear (180 gr. ).
  • dinner:stewed vegetables (200 g), boiled chicken fillet (150 g).

Day 4

  • breakfast:rye bread toast, hard cheese (20 g), banana.
  • dinner:potato soup with herring (200 g), rye bread (30 g), apple.
  • afternoon snack:fruit jelly (200 g), kefir 1% (150 g).
  • dinner:lazy sarmice (100 g), salad of celery, radish, cucumber (100 g), 2nd grade bread 30 gr.

5th day

  • breakfast:2-egg omelet with vegetables, rye bread (2 pcs. ), orange.
  • dinner:pilaf with lean meat (200 g), stewed vegetables (150 g).
  • afternoon snack:yogurt (200 g), apple.
  • dinner:lean cooked meat (chicken, rabbit, veal) (250 g), fresh or pickled cucumber, 2nd grade bread (30 g).

6th day

  • breakfast:rye bread (2 pieces), lightly salted trout (60 g), avocado (80 g), fruit (150 g).
  • dinner:soup with meatballs and spinach (200 g), rye bread (30 g).
  • afternoon snack:low-fat cottage cheese (100 g), dried fruit (50 g), walnuts (15 g), apple.
  • dinner:stew (100 g), boiled buckwheat (100 g), vegetable salad 100 gr.

7th day

  • breakfast:poached eggs (100 g), tomato, wheat bread (30 g), orange.
  • dinner:baked fish (200 gr. ), salad of cabbage or green leafy vegetables with olive oil (150 gr. ), 2nd grade bread (30 gr. ).
  • afternoon snack:vegan cherry strudel (100 g).
  • dinner:boiled or baked fish (100 g), brown rice (100 g), stewed vegetables (100 g).

Recipes for pp from simple products

Green broccoli and spinach puree soup on the healthy food menu

Many people think that a healthy lifestyle is difficult and expensive. But that's not the case at all. There are a large number of recipes for proper nutrition for a healthy lifestyle, there are dishes that are easy to cook at home yourself.

Green soup Puree

Ingredients:

  • broccoli - 400 g;
  • spinach - 100 g;
  • medium-sized bulb;
  • cream 10% - 200 g;
  • vegetable or chicken soup - 200 g;
  • salt to taste.

cooking:

  1. Chop broccoli, onion, pour hot broth, cook for 15 minutes.
  2. Get ready vegetables (do not pour the soup), add spinach, chop in a blender.
  3. Pour the obtained mass back into the broth, add cream, salt, cook for 10 minutes.

vegetable frittata

Ingredients:

  • eggs - 5 pcs. ;
  • tomatoes - 2 pcs. ;
  • sweet paprika - 2 pcs. ;
  • broccoli - 100 g;
  • green onion - 50 g;
  • cheese - 50 g.

cooking:

  1. Cut the vegetables.
  2. Beat the eggs, add to the vegetables.
  3. Pour the mixture into a baking dish, sprinkle with chopped onion and cheese. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.

Chicken with spinach

Ingredients:

  • chicken fillet - 400 g. ,
  • light bulb - 1 pc. ,
  • garlic - 1 clove,
  • spinach - 40 g. ,
  • salt, pepper to taste.

cooking:

  1. Cut the chicken fillet lengthwise into several pieces about 1 cm thick, season with salt and pepper.
  2. Chop the onion, wash the spinach.
  3. Pour 1 tbsp into the heated pan. l. butter, put spinach, sour cream, onion, garlic and salt passed through a press.
  4. Simmer for 5-7 minutes.
  5. Arrange the chicken pieces on the bottom of the baking dish, followed by the sautéed spinach and grated cheese. Bake the dish in the oven for 12-15 minutes.

Oatmeal Banana Cookies

Banana-oat cookies with raisins - a healthy dessert for weight loss

Ingredients:

  • oatmeal - 1 cup;
  • banana - 2 pcs. ;
  • raisins - 2 tablespoons. l.

cooking:

  1. Blend the peeled, chopped bananas with the leaves until smooth.
  2. Add washed raisins.
  3. Form round patties.
  4. Place on an oiled baking sheet. Bake at 180 degrees for 15 minutes.

But what about sports?

A few words should be said about physical activity. They are necessary when losing weight, and it does not have to be a visit to a sports club. Start by walking briskly, exercising at home, using machines in the yard, dancing, doing yoga, doing what you love.

In conclusion, I would like to say that one of the most important principles is building a relationship with your body, listening to feelings of hunger and satiety, eating carefully, and this will help reduce body weight and maintain a healthy weight.