Wasted sacrifices: why strict diets don’t work?

Almost everyone at least once tried to lose weight with the help of a rigid diet. Limit yourself, strictly monitor the diet and do not allow a gram of extra – to get rid of excess weight in this format is difficult, and often ineffective. After all, the stricter the rules, the greater the desire to break them. So is there any point in sitting on diets and making vain sacrifices? Do such short-term changes in the diet work? Let’s find out together with nutriciologist and fitness instructor Taisia Prokopenko.

What can be called a diet?

Translated from Greek, “diet” is a way of life, the way a person eats every day. Such a regimen implies a quantitative and qualitative ratio of nutrients and foods that the body needs to function normally. Initially, the diet did not imply strict restrictions. However, today many people, speaking of this approach to nutrition, mean exactly a strict restrictive system.

What kind of diets are there?

There are several types of diets that are built on a restrictive system of nutrition.

Protein diets. Assume a smaller amount of carbohydrates.

Carbohydrate. In this case, we limit the consumption of fats.

Japanese. During it, you should consume a maximum of protein and fiber, a minimum of carbohydrates and strive for low calorie food. Basically, with this diet eat fish dishes and seafood (in some variants – meat), vegetables, fruits, seaweed and soy cheese.

Kremlin diet. In fact, it is a type of high-protein diet. The amount of carbohydrates should be reduced, and proteins, on the contrary, increased.

What problems can arise after diets?

Diets are almost always minus calories. The body does not receive this or that element, there is nutrient hunger, psychological and then physical need to satisfy this hunger, which leads to breakdowns. This happens in 99% of cases.

Among the negative consequences of diets can be distinguished:

• stress: a sharp reduction in the daily calorie allowance inevitably leads to the production of cortisol, the stress hormone;
• unstable psycho-emotional state: there is a fixation on food, can develop anxiety, depression, eating disorders;
• short-term results: according to statistics, 80-95% of people return to their original weight after dieting;

• loss of muscle mass: not only fat deposits are reduced, but also muscle tissue, which negatively affects health and appearance;
• deficiency of useful substances: a person restricts calorie intake and lacks important vitamins and minerals, this can lead to malfunctions in the work of internal organs, exacerbation of chronic diseases and mental problems.

What is a healthy diet?

Taisia: I don’t like the label “proper nutrition”. All food is just food. There are those that contain just calories, and those that, in addition to calories, also contain useful substances for the body. If you build a competent diet, you can indulge yourself even harmful products – and everything will be fine. Thus, the diet of a healthy person should consist of 80% of food rich in useful elements.

Nutritionist recommends eating every 2.5-3.5 hours. It is important to take into account your well-being, psycho-emotional state and weight.

Healthy nutrition on a regular basis, unlike rigid diets, ensures the full vitality of a person. It includes useful substances, micro- and macronutrients that the body needs, in addition to calories. In addition, a healthy diet implies maintaining water balance: it is necessary to drink enough fluids during the day, the average daily norm is 35 ml per 1 kg of weight.