You should not try everything to lose weight: some solutions are counterproductive and even dangerous.
- To lose weight sustainably, it is important to take your time and have an achievable goal.
- We must banish miracle diets, excessive exercise and guilt.
- Stress or lack of sleep can also slow down weight loss.
“How many pounds to lose in three days?“, “can i lose 5 kilos in two weeks“ or “how to lose weight quickly?“: here are the searches frequently carried out on weight loss on the internet. Everyone generally shares the same goal: to quickly get rid of the pounds recently gained, especially after the end of year holidays. But when it comes to weight loss, we must not do anything. This is the message carried by the American Cleveland Clinic. She lists ten ideas to avoid if you want to lose a few pounds.
Setting unattainable goals: an obstacle to weight loss
If you want to lose 5 kilos in a week, you will have to rethink your goal. According to specialists, losing 450 to 900 grams per week is an achievable goal. “This gradual approach is more likely to result in lasting habits, which will help prevent weight gain.”, specify these American researchers. But it’s also a way to stay motivated. “Don’t underestimate the power of positive reinforcement, explains psychologist Susan Albers. When you do things that make you feel better, you want to keep doing them.”
Weight loss: certain diets can harm your health
Fruit mono-diet, miracle diet that allows you to lose weight very quickly: this type of program should be avoided. “By removing certain food groups, these vegetables exclude major nutrients for the body, which can harm your health., continue these specialists. It can also create an unhealthy relationship with food that can lead to eating disorders. For Beth Czerwony, dietitian, a healthy and sustainable diet consists of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, proteins and dairy products, in appropriate quantities.
Guilt Should Not Be Your Motivation to Lose Weight
To lose weight sustainably, you must succeed in regaining a healthy relationship with food. Negative thoughts and guilt will only make things more complicated. “If you only perceive your way of doing things as good or bad, then you just risk giving up on everything eventually.”believes Dr. Albers.
You should not skip meals!
Beth Czerwony adds that it is important not to deprive yourself. “By missing a meal, you risk not getting essential nutrients for your body., she recalls. It can also slow down your metabolism, causing the body to burn fewer calories. Ultimately, there may be weight gain due to a physiological adjustment linked to this deprivation. This is also valid for drastic diets, with a very low quantity of calories per day. Some diets today are based on intermittent fasting, but daily calorie intake should not be reduced.
To lose weight, forget your scale!
It’s important not to become obsessed with numbers. The ideal is not to weigh yourself too often, but to use a piece of clothing as a scale. If you feel better, it means you have lost weight. If you can’t resist stepping on the scale, Dr. Albers recommends being kind to yourself. “Expect weight to fluctuate, this is normal.”
Excessive exercise is not an ally for weight loss
Doing sports is good for your health. This is even part of the recommendations of the World Health Organization. But there is no point in overusing it. Physiologist Katie Lawton explains that too much high-intensity exercise can harm the immune system and increase the risk of injury. High-intensity workouts should be done a maximum of three times a week.
Weight loss: hydration must be sufficient
These are two related bad ideas: dehydration and over-hydration. Our weight is half water, some may try to drink less to lose a few pounds by trying to sweat more. “You don’t just lose water with sweat, warns Katie Lawton. You eliminate electrolytes and vitamins and minerals.”
Conversely, drinking more water to fill your stomach and reduce hunger is a bad idea; it increases the risk of hyponatremia, a drop in the amount of sodium linked to excess water.
Weight loss: you don’t have to purge yourself!
Vomiting or taking laxatives to lose weight are techniques linked to eating disorders. They can be very dangerous for the body and cause various disorders: arrhythmia, hypotension, cardiovascular accident, osteoporosis, etc.
Diet and sport are not the only keys to losing weight
Diet and sport are the foundations of a healthier life leading to weight loss. But they are not the only ones. Dr Albers recommends paying attention to the quality of sleep and stress levels which can also have an impact on our diet.
In short, there is no miracle recipe for losing weight. This takes time and patience.