Causes of weight gain

Excess weight comes from an irrational diet: some nutrients come with food in excess, some – not enough, so the body’s needs are not met. Other causes of weight gain are:

  • Heredity;
  • overeating;
  • sedentary lifestyle;
  • hormonal malfunction.

Physiological weight gain in women is noted during pregnancy and the period of breastfeeding. Decrease in female hormones, slowed metabolism during menopause is also one of the causes of weight gain in women. A nutritionist can help determine the causes of overweight.

How to lose weight quickly?

In order to lose weight quickly at home, you need to calculate how many calories your body spends in a day, and reduce the number of calories consumed with food by 10-20%. Recommendations for losing weight fast:

  • give up sugar;
  • Cook food with olive oil;
  • Drink green tea;
  • Do a set of daily exercise;
  • get up from the table with a slight feeling of hunger – satiety comes later;
  • Do not limit yourself in food, choose a meal with a reasonable ratio of proteins, fats, carbohydrates;
  • pay attention not to the weight, but to changes in parameters.

A drastic weight loss is considered to be more than 5% over six months in the absence of lifestyle changes (diet, exercise). A nutritionist can help you choose among the possible ways of losing weight that are suitable for you.

How can I lose weight without dieting?

To lose weight without dieting will help you to eat rationally, select food according to the number of calories and the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, abandoning bad habits and adjusting your lifestyle. It is necessary to exercise regularly and to choose active types of recreation (walking and cycling). In order to lose weight without dieting, you need to:

  • drink more fluids;
  • not be distracted by other things during meals;
  • Use small dishes.

It is also important to avoid stress and get enough sleep. When you do not get enough sleep, hormones that cause increased appetite (ghrelin, cortisol) are released in large quantities. Healthy sleep (7-9 hours) promotes the release of the hormone leptin, which suppresses hunger and is responsible for feeling full.

What should I eat to lose weight?

In order to lose weight without harming your health, it is recommended to eat often, but in small portions. Between meals, you can eat foods that help satisfy hunger:

  • nuts;
  • legumes;
  • Apples and pears.

Chili peppers, vinegar, and olive oil added to main dishes also contribute to fast satiety. Nutrition for weight loss includes green tea, porridge, lean meat and fish, green vegetables and fresh fruit. You need to choose low-calorie, protein, fat and carbohydrate balanced meals to stay satiated and maintain a calorie deficit.

If you have a chronic disease, it is up to your doctor to design a diet. The diet for diabetes and other endocrine diseases is chosen by an endocrinologist.

How many calories a day do I need to lose weight?

In order to lose excess weight, you need to consume less calories than the body spends per day. The daily calorie allowance for an adult is calculated according to the Mifflin-San Jaurier formula:

  • for women: (10 x weight) + (6.25 x height) – (5 x age) – 161;
  • For men: (10 x weight) + (6.25 x height) – (5 x age) + 5.

The results obtained must be multiplied by a factor of 1.375. For a woman of 25 years of age with a weight of 60 kg, height of 1.6 m, the caloric norm is 1800 kcal, for a man of 25 years of age with a weight of 80 kg, height of 1.8 m – 2480 kcal.

If you lead an active lifestyle and engage in sports in order to lose weight quickly and efficiently, it is possible to reduce the caloric content of the diet by 10%. For people who lead a sedentary lifestyle, it is recommended to consume 20% less calories than your body uses per day.

How to lose weight during pregnancy?

A woman normally gains about 10 kg during pregnancy (the weight of the fetus, placenta, enlarged uterus, amniotic fluid and fatty tissue). With this kind of weight gain in women it is prohibited to exhaust yourself by diets – gained kilograms will go without effort in the first months after childbirth. Weight gain, going beyond the norm, can give a heavy load on the body of the future mother (on the legs, spine), provoke excessive weight in the fetus. To lose weight during pregnancy without harming the baby, you need to:

  • Eat a rational and varied diet;
  • Exclude the use of fast food, baking, carbonated drinks, pickles and pickles;
  • eat often and in small portions;
  • plan the last meal three hours before going to bed;
  • drink enough water;
  • Maintain an active lifestyle (daily walks).

During pregnancy, it is important not to limit the intake of vitamins and minerals. Essential micronutrients that a woman should take during pregnancy include iodine, iron, calcium, folic acid, vitamin D.

How to lose weight after childbirth?

After childbirth a woman’s body is weakened and she needs time to recover her resources. It is recommended to plan a weight loss program when lactation is established, the mother gets good sleep, feels comfortable and has no contraindications. Slimming down properly without harming the woman and the baby does not happen quickly – this process may take up to a year.

In the first month after childbirth you can do minor physical exercises only in the prone position, a little later – start warming up in a sitting position. Gentle exercise (yoga, water aerobics, Pilates) a woman can start 1-1.5 months after natural childbirth and 1.5-2 months after caesarean section. And only 4-5 months after the birth a woman can start full-fledged exercises to lose weight after childbirth.

How to lose weight as a teenager?

In adolescence, the desire to lose weight may be caused not so much by extra pounds, but by the influence of social standards and dissatisfaction with appearance. Gaining weight for no reason can be a symptom of endocrine disorders, so before you go on a diet, you should consult a nutritionist and an endocrinologist.

Rules to help you lose weight as a teenager:

  • actively engage in sports, attend sections of interest (gymnastics, boxing, soccer, volleyball);
  • while writing homework or playing games on the computer, take breaks to warm up;
  • not to skip the main meals;
  • adhere to a 1:1:4 ratio of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates in the diet;
  • use steamed, boiled, or stewed foods;
  • take fruits and vegetables as snacks;
  • add more protein foods to the diet (eggs, milk, legumes), which are good for satisfying hunger;
  • Limit the use of carbonated drinks, muffins, sweets.

Support from loved ones is extremely important for the teenager – it is recommended that all family members adhere to a healthy lifestyle and proper eating habits. Also an important aspect is organizing activities together.

Why don’t I lose weight on interval fasting?

Interval fasting involves dividing the day into two periods. During the first half of the day you can eat, during the rest of the day you need to abstain from eating. There are different patterns: 13/11, 16/8, 18/6, 36/0 (the first number stands for hours of eating, the second for hours of fasting).

When fasting, the body gets stressed and starts to use up its own reserves of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Weight loss in the first 24 hours of the diet is due to the burning of carbohydrates, and later due to the burning of proteins and fats. Protein reserves are in muscle tissue, if their amount is reduced, the metabolism slows down. Fat deposits are burned in the last place. Therefore, the best way to lose weight is to choose the right diet and physical activity at the consultation of a nutritionist.

How to speed up your metabolism and lose excess weight?

Weight loss can be complicated by a slow metabolism, provoked by gastrointestinal diseases, endocrine pathologies, genetic predisposition. An endocrinologist and a nutritionist can help you lose hormonal weight.

To speed up your metabolism and lose excess weight, you must follow the rules:

  • Do not skip breakfast, the first meal should account for 40-50% of the daily diet;
  • Follow the drinking regime;
  • consume more protein foods (eggs, legumes, nuts, meat), fiber, fresh fruits and vegetables;
  • do aerobic exercises (running, swimming, cycling);
  • eat small meals every 3-4 hours;
  • Stop eating fatty foods;
  • take a walk in the fresh air every day;
  • Distribute the hours of work and rest rationally (sleep 7-8 hours a day);
  • Give up bad habits.

It is necessary to include in the diet simple carbohydrates (cabbage, cereals, dried apricots, raisins), and foods rich in vitamin D (seafood, butter), iron (nuts, beef, seaweed, red fish), calcium (milk, cottage cheese, cabbage).