The question I hear the most and have heard the most in my life is: “Doctor, what do you have to eat to lose weight?“. To answer it, I will first appeal to one of the “laws” devised by Dr. Pedro Escudero, creator of the first National Institute of Nutrition of Argentina in the 30s and for whom today the Nutritionist’s Day.
The fourth law of Dr. Escudero speaks of adequacy, this means that for an eating plan to be effective, The person, their habits and their context.
What weighs most heavily on a person’s mind? ¿The Science, evidence or beliefs? In some cases, science and evidence, but in most cases, beliefs. Therefore, although the only two diets with more proven benefits according to scientific evidence are the Mediterranean diet and the DASH Diet (which consists of a dietary approach to controlling hypertension), many people are still looking for fashionable or magical recipes to lose weight.
One of the great challenges of today is that many people self-perceive who have a medical situation that they do not always have, such as those who follow gluten-free diets, even if they do not have a diagnosis of celiac disease. This also happens with physical activity, many perceive themselves as athletes, but only play one hour of football per week.
Therefore, today more than ever the fourth law of Escudero, to adapt the eating plans to each person are fundamental, and in that way, it is important to transmit the changes in habits necessary to achieve weight loss. In 11 keys, we will review some of the precepts necessary for a healthy eating plan:
When you order yourself start eating better. If you can add a snack before lunch and one before dinner, that’s convenient because it decreases your appetite for the next meal. Planning each meal and shopping in advance is critical. And this should also be completed with regular weighing, it can be once a week, for example.
Whoever wants to lose weight should have a notion of their body weight, use the scale at home and keep track of the modifications.
If a person is eating five cookies, he should not lower the proportion to one. Because that’s not sustainable. It should go down to four. It is true that it will not go down with the same speed, but will decline steadily. The same if it is between the possibility of choosing a large container and a small one. Choose the guy.
One of the keys to lowering the volume of food on a plate and making people feel satisfied with fewer calories is key to incorporate more liquids. Drink plenty of fluids and increase everything that is vegetables, fruits, vegetables, legumes.
In terms of composition, in general more proteins and less saturated fats, less sugars and flours, less salt and less alcohol.
In a Volumetric feeding plan, more volume and more nutrients are sought. The nutritional quality of the foods that compose it is combined with another equally important factor: satiety, the only possible way to sustain the diet over time. The axes of this diet are volume.
It is recommended decrease portion, savor food, Eat slowly, chew more, concentrate, and organize bites into small sizes.
One can calmly say “I’m eating a milanesa or I’m eating an arugula and tomato salad”. What one consumes in the first place, from the nutritional point of view, They are proteins, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, phytochemicals and other large amounts of nutrients that food has.
When you say, “I’m going to eat meat,” you’re not just eating meat. What one does is Eat a dish prepared with meat. However, the experience does not end there, one eats that dish in a certain situation or context, that is called Commensality. That specific scenario where I consume one food or another, is key to the commensalidad.
With a 70% of the population that is overweight, Many people help themselves with the Meal Registration. Many patients record what they eatn to see where what needs to be changed may be, and can be corrected to achieve floor regulation. In that record you not only have to put what foods are eaten, at what time, but you also have to detail the situation in which you ate.
What’s the point of thinking about commensality? If one wants to maintain a healthy weight, you need to know that the problem isn’t just the food we eat. How, when and with whom we eat, in short, the situation of each meal, are also fundamental for eating habits
Having the record not only of each food and its calories or fats, but also becoming aware of the experience we live when eating serves to know at what times one should take care of oneself more to be able to control weight. You don’t eat what you like, you like what you eat.
To achieve this task, you have to accept the problem, really choose the change and opt for a comprehensive treatment that involves a new way of eating. Therefore It is important in principle to forget about “I can’t” and focus on the “I’m going to make it”.
To arrive at an ideal diet, The key to losing weight and maintaining yourself is to make a balanced eating plan, establish a real commitment to yourself and carry it out with perseverance.. If you want to achieve a reasonable weight loss, half a kilo per week, there are no easy formulas to lose weight, nor magical results.
Many people believe that change occurs suddenly, but it is not. Change is the result of many other small changes, of planning, of perseverance, of wanting to improve physical condition and understand that you can freely choose another way of approaching the care of the body and health.
Yes, there is a kind of personal magic: Accept the problem of obesity, really choose change, opt for a comprehensive treatment that involves a new way of eating and enjoying what you eat. It is a gradual and quiet process of modification of habits, with which you can then continue for life, without feelings of deprivation.
We must Learn to use alternative behaviors Instead of eating in front of certain sensations or feelings that one goes through, such as anger, boredom, resentment or frustration.
With regard to the primary recommendations, Half of what a person will eat should be fruit and vegetables. It does not matter if it is homemade food, or delivery. And another key is to consume everything seasonal.
Try to consume at least 20 different foods per week without forgetting the right to an everyday pleasure at least once a day.
If you make a variety of all foods and combine these groups you will have a Varied diet and possibly complete.
Eating well means eating according to a combination of foods. Everything that comes out of the ground unprocessed, which are fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, seeds, nuts and spices, are beneficial and you should consume a lot of that. You also have to consume proteins, such as fish and other seafood.
The lean part of the cow and its product, if possible dairy and skim cheeses. Everything that comes out of the hen, its meat and the egg.
Combining foods involves regulating what is most consumed. According to data from a recent study called eat better, An initiative for Promote food and nutrition education carried out by a team from the Argentine Catholic University (UCA), just the 11% of the population has a Quality food. At the other end is a 39% of households that are carrying a poor diet. The Poor diet covers all socioeconomic groups.
These 11 recommendations should be accompanied by a increased physical activity which must be carried out regularly and a Good night’s rest.
*Dr. Alberto Cormillot is a renowned Argentine obesity specialist, health educator, writer and lecturer. He founded and directs the Nutrition Clinic and Health that bears his name, Dieta Club, the ALCO Foundation (Anonymous Fighters Against Obesity) and the Argentine Institute of Nutrition, from where he advises industries for the development of dietary and healthy products.
