I’m watching my line: any recipes for the start of the school year?

The ten answers of Dr Patrick Serog,
nutriotionnist doctor (Paris)

I lost weight with the approach of summer, but how can I not gain back my weight as soon as I start the school year?
There are many diets, which one to choose?
Does a diet allow you to lose weight in specific parts of the body?
Can I drink diet sodas as much as I want?
Can I eat starchy foods (pasta, rice, potatoes, bread)?
How to lose fat without losing muscle?
When you have a lot of weight to lose, how can you not get discouraged along the way?
Are high protein diets dangerous for health?
Does sport make you lose weight?
Are there any appetite suppressants or slimming drugs?

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PLANS

pourquoidocteur: I lost weight with the approach of summer, but how can I not gain back my pounds as soon as I start school?
Dr Patrick Serog: In order not to gain back your pounds at the start of the school year, you must resume an extremely regular diet. That is to say, make balanced meals, make three a day and a meal is a starter, a main course and at least a dessert or a dairy product.

There are many diets, which one to choose?
Dr Patrick Serog: If you want to control your weight, diet is a very bad tool. What is needed is to eat regularly, that is to say to eat regular meals again every day, to do a little physical activity and not to rush on diets that will actually make you lose weight. weight – they are very effective – but unfortunately after we will regain weight, we will gain weight and we will not be able to stabilize it.

Does a diet allow you to lose weight in specific parts of the body?
Dr Patrick Serog: When you lose weight, you lose weight first in the abdomen, it is a much more mobile fat: that which is stored when you are a man and when you are a woman after menopause. So, we first lose in the abdomen and then we will lose in the thighs and buttocks but here it is true that it is more difficult and it takes much longer.

Can I drink diet sodas as much as I want?
Dr Patrick Serog: Well, you can’t drink diet sodas at will, as you cannot eat food at will, there is a regulation to respect. If we take a lot of diet sodas, we will consume a lot of synthetic sweeteners and we do not know in the long term what these synthetic sweeteners can do. Let us be reassured, in France, we consume small quantities of it and it is very good like that, there is no danger for health.

Can I eat starchy foods (pasta, rice, potatoes, bread)?
Dr Patrick Serog: Yes, you have to eat starchy foods because they are complex carbohydrates that will allow the body to use these sugars throughout the day and we know that even to lose weight, you have to use starchy foods.

How to lose fat without losing muscle?
Dr Patrick Serog: To lose fat without losing muscle, it is absolutely necessary to have regular physical activity, that is to say almost every day, of an average intensity, for example half an hour to forty five minutes. And under these conditions, we will increase our muscle mass and by paying attention to our diet, we will at the same time lose fat.

When you have a lot of weight to lose, how can you not get discouraged along the way?
Dr Patrick Serog: Losing a lot of weight takes a long time. You don’t gain weight in a few days or weeks, it often takes years. So, it will take months to be able to lose them again. And this is the reason why, in this very complicated and difficult job, you have to be encouraged by a professional who will guide you and gradually achieve this weight loss. I remind you that the average weight loss is 1.2 kilos per month, which represents 10 to 12 kilos per year. It’s already huge compared to the starting weight.

Are high protein diets dangerous for health?
Dr Patrick Serog: No, as long as you don’t follow them for too long. Otherwise, you can have eating disorders and ultimately completely disrupt your diet. So, you have to use them for a short period.

Does sport make you lose weight?
Dr Patrick Serog: Sport does not make you lose weight, it’s a legend. Sport allows you to stabilize your weight every time you lose weight, but it does not in any way allow you to lose weight unless you become a competitive athlete, but it is not given to everyone.

Are there any appetite suppressants or slimming drugs?
Dr Patrick Serog: There are no appetite suppressants or slimming drugs, they have all been deleted from the pharmacopoeia because they are dangerous. Recently, a new drug was released in the United States but it is similar to those we have known and whose weight loss has been poor one year. So, unfortunately for us, we have yet to find the wonder drug.

Interview with Sandrine Chauvard

Are diets useful?

Diets are very effective for weight loss, but they cannot be followed for a long time. As soon as they are stopped, we observe most of the time a regain of weight. “At five years of age, only 5% of the population maintains its new weight,” indicates Dr. Patrick Serog, nutritionist (Paris). It is better not to go on a diet, but to try to control your diet every day, to find a new eating rhythm, to gradually lose weight, while having a physical activity ”.

Should we set goals?
It’s okay to set goals, as long as they’re reasonable. The average weight loss should be 1 to 1.2 kg per month. “Losing ten pounds in a year is a reasonable goal,” says Dr. Serog. You have to try to eat well while having fun and not by constantly frustrating yourself. At that moment, it becomes encouraging ”.

The different types of diet
– High protein diets, based on foods rich in protein (meat, fish, vegetable proteins, protein sachets and bars, etc.)
– Hypolipidic diets, based on reducing fat consumption
– Low carbohydrate diets, where the consumption of fast sugars and starches is reduced.
– Dissociated plans, where certain food families are eaten separately.

The dangers of diets
Diets are often unbalanced and can have adverse health consequences. A report from the Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety Agency (ANSES) shows that diets lead to deficiencies, especially in vitamins and minerals. The protein intake is higher than the recommended nutritional intake and the fiber intake is insufficient. These diets can be bad for your bones, heart and kidneys.

Calculate your body mass index
The body mass index (BMI) is used to assess whether the weight is suitable for the height, and to assess the health risks. It is calculated by dividing the weight by the height squared. BMI can be interpreted according to criteria defined by the World Health Organization (WHO):
– less than 16.5 malnutrition or famine
– 16.5 to 18.5 thinness
– 18.5 to 25 normal build
– 25 to 30 overweight
– 30 to 35 moderate obesity
– 35 to 40 severe obesity
– more than 40 morbid or massive obesity

Tips for losing weight
Eat a balanced diet and in less quantity compared to your usual diet.
Eat at least three meals a day and especially not to skip meals
Have regular physical activity
Get help from a health professional

The composition of balanced meals:
– breakfast: a cereal product, a dairy product, a fruit and a drink.
– lunch and dinner: meat, fish or eggs (about 100 g) a portion of vegetables (80 to 100g) in the form of raw vegetables and / or as an accompaniment to the main course … starchy foods: wholemeal bread, rice, apple earth, pasta, lentils… a dairy product: cheese (30 g), a yogurt, a cottage cheese… a fruit for dessert: fresh, in a compote… water at will! Dinner should be the lightest meal.
Snack and afternoon tea are not mandatory, but they can help you wait until lunch or dinner time. They can consist of one or two foods, such as a dairy product, a grain product, or a fruit.

Find out more
Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety Agency
Nutrinet health study