Dietitian Lisa Athenskaya: people losing weight should not practice strict restrictions in their diet and completely exclude carbohydrates from the diet.
Often, in order to lose weight, people give up foods containing fat or carbohydrates, or otherwise limit their diet. But doctors state that carbohydrates and fat, along with protein, are necessary for the human body to function normally, including for active metabolism. Thus, according to endocrinologist Ekaterina Young, giving up fat contributes to the fact that a imbalance occurs in everyday nutrition – a person begins to abuse carbohydrates and does not control this process. As a result, instead of losing weight, you can only achieve weight gain.
Nutritionist Athinskaya noted that a similar reverse effect occurs in cases where abstinence from carbohydrates is used to lose weight.
“You shouldn’t limit yourself too strictly: for example, try to eliminate all carbohydrates. This will not help you lose weight faster. The prohibitions lead to the development of a strong craving for sweets, and the person experiences stress,” the expert explained on Telegram.
Doctor Athenskaya advised eating foods with low energy density to lose weight – according to the doctor, this is a much more effective method that helps to remove extra pounds. Such products, first of all, include sugar-free gifts of nature in the form of greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, berries, lettuce, and so on. All of them are a rich source of fiber, which is slowly absorbed, increases the volume of food mass in the gastrointestinal tract and promotes long-term satiety, and also stimulates the growth of beneficial intestinal microflora. In addition, they contain a lot of vitamins and microelements.
“Including foods with low energy density in the diet is a more effective way to combat excess weight than strict restrictions. When you eat them in large quantities and add them to your main meals, you eat less throughout the day,” Athenskaya said, citing research.
Other weight loss methods that the doctor also considers effective are avoiding added sugar ( especially from sweet drinks), increased mobility and physical activity, good sleep.
Earlier, the MedikForum.ru portal wrote that not drinking enough water prevents you from losing excess weight, endocrinologist Olga Yatsishina spoke about this in more detail.
Important! Information is provided for reference purposes. Ask a specialist about contraindications and side effects and under no circumstances self-medicate. At the first signs of illness, consult a doctor.
Liza Athenskaya Healthy lifestyle nutritionist