Those who want weight loss, beware of Yo-yo Syndrome! What are the tips to slim down and lose weight without losing muscle?
It happens very often to those who try to get rid of their excess weight; Lose muscle, not fat! Because if calorie-restricted diets to lose weight do not contain enough protein, the reduced energy is met by the muscles, which leads to muscle loss.
Effective tips for weight loss
The healthy weight loss rate is 3-6 kg per month. Keeping the weight loss goal too high and eating an unbalanced and very limited diet causes muscle loss; which cause the metabolic rate to slow down, body resistance and performance to decrease, complaints such as fatigue and weakness, and decreased quality of life.
Moreover, ‘yoyo syndrome‘ is inevitable, that is, the weight lost quickly is regained quickly. Therefore, for correct and permanent weight loss, a personalized nutrition program supported by exercise must be implemented.
Here are some clinically proven effective tips on weight loss and how to lose weight from fat:
Eat right
Since each individual has different metabolic structures and lifestyles, finding an appropriate and sustainable diet is critical for healthy weight loss. The goal of healthy weight loss is to preserve muscle mass and lose fat by consuming enough protein. Fat loss is possible with balanced diets in which calories consumed are more than calories expended. It is important to control the portions of daily foods, pay attention to hunger and satiety signals, and make meal choices from healthier foods.
The following are the recommended amounts you should eat by age according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025:
Food type | Adults | Children 2-8 | Children 9-13 | Adolescents 14-18 |
Protein | 5-7 ounces (oz) | 2-5.5 oz | 4-6.5 oz | 5-7 oz |
Vegetables | 2-5 cups | 1-2.5 cups | 1.5-3.5 cups | 2.5-4 cups |
Healthy oils | 22-44 grams (g) | 15-24 g | 17-34 g | 24-51 g |
Grains | 5-10 oz | 3-6 oz | 5-9 oz | 6-10 oz |
Mindful eating for effective weight loss
According to clinical study published in 2018, slowing eating rate appears to be an effective strategy for reducing food intake. Eating slowly gives your stomach more time to tell your brain you’re full, which helps you learn to distinguish the feeling of genuine hunger vs. fullness. This can result in you eating less.
Consume good carbohydrates
Body fat ratio increases with wrong carbohydrate consumption. Excessive consumption of sugar, sugary drinks, foods such as pastries, muffins and biscuits, which pass into the blood quickly and increase insulin secretion rapidly, consuming more calories than consumed and a sedentary life, increase the fat rate in the body.
It is not a good practice to completely eliminate carbohydrates from the diet to achieve fat loss. Foods such as oats, bulgur, quinoa, buckwheat and rye bread, which can be considered as good carbohydrates, should be included in low portions in diet programs, both in terms of the fiber, vitamins and minerals they contain and because they increase the feeling of fullness. Sugar and sugary drinks and foods should be avoided.
Exercise regularly
The diet followed during the weight loss process must be supported by exercise. While regular exercise helps lose weight mostly from fat, it has positive effects on insulin sensitivity and metabolism.
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend combining cardio workouts with weight training for optimal health. Cardio exercises are good for fat burning, while appropriate weight or resistance exercises are also important to increase muscle mass.
Care should be taken to ensure that the daily step count is not less than 5000 steps and that the person should walk for 45-50 minutes 3 days a week. Exercise programs should be planned by a specialist to suit the individual. Exercises performed incorrectly can cause problems and injuries.
Include these foods on your plate
There is no miracle food or drink for weight loss. Some foods can help lose weight.
Compounds such as catechins and caffeine in green tea, capsaicin in hot peppers, and bromelin in pineapple increase the metabolic rate.
Cinnamon, with its chromium content, helps increase insulin effectiveness and reduces the desire to eat sweets.
Vegetables with high fiber and mineral and vitamin content, such as broccoli, celery and cabbage, should be added to the daily nutrition program as they increase the feeling of fullness and help bowel function.
Consume fiber for healthy weight loss
According to studies on high fiber diet, fiber moves slowly through the digestive tract and can help you feel fuller for longer to support weight loss. Food groups like grains and fruit that contain a lot of fiber include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, breads, and legumes. Many vegetables and legumes also contain fiber.
Get enough and regular sleep
While insufficient sleep negatively affects the release of growth hormone, this can disrupt protein synthesis and therefore muscle structure. The body needs 7-8 hours of sleep a day.
A study published in 2014 suggests that Insufficient sleep can cause an increase in cortisol levels. High cortisol levels have been associated with obesity, insulin resistance and increased body fat.
Another study published in 2018 on sleep deprivation and obesity found that people who regularly sleep less than 7 hours per night are more likely to have a higher body mass index and develop obesity than those who sleep more.
Quality sleep allows you to start the day more energetically with happiness and a rested body, which increases exercise performance and makes it easier to control appetite.
Make sure to drink enough water
Water, which is the most basic need of our body, is not consumed enough, especially in winter months. Beverages such as coffee and tea are definitely not a substitute for water.
A research published in 2010 found that people who drank two glasses of water before a meal lost more weight than people who didn’t drink water before meals — and they kept it off. This simple tip works in two ways. Thirst can mask itself as hunger, causing you to eat more. And water makes you feel fuller, causing you to eat less during a meal.
When water, which has important functions such as regular functioning of metabolism, electrolyte balance, removal of toxins from the body, and transportation of nutrients into the blood, is not consumed sufficiently, thirst, called dehydration, occurs.
Dehydration causes the person to feel tired, low performance and stressed, affects hormonal functioning and indirectly slows down energy expenditure. Therefore, drinking 10 glasses of water is a basic requirement to lose weight.