For years now, losing weight has become a priority concern for many people, especially those in developed countries like France. If the BMI (Body Mass Index) can help you anticipate weight gain, this page has been created to guide you on the different ways to lose weight.
WHY DO INTERNET USERS WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT?
Want to lose weight but not sure how to get there? Here are some suggestions that could allow you to succeed in this not always easy to accomplish initiative. Nevertheless, be aware that the desire to lose weight must coincide with the idea of acting positively on your health.
Having a so-called “normal” corpulence is a real asset for your future. Check your body size regularly.
Overweight and obesity are health hazards . The main reason for your desire to lose weight must be health. Thus, improving one’s external appearance is positive, if it aims for example to gain self-confidence. However, improving one’s health remains the major motive in this undertaking. Be aware that obesity is a real source of complications, which can cause inconvenience or even very concrete dangers.
The example of type 2 diabetes is quite evocative. For a weight gain varying between +5 and +8 kilograms, you double the risk of being affected by this disease. Obesity also increases the risk of cancer (colon, prostate, kidney, breast, etc.), cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure or cholesterol. Other impacts, more or less dangerous, occur more easily with weight gain, such as sleep apnea, asthma or arthritis.
This observation is not alarming but serves to stimulate your attention vis-à-vis your corpulence. A good indicator is the Body Mass Index or BMI. It is calculated based on height in centimeters and weight in kilograms. Your level fluctuates according to its parameters and the thresholds calibrate you: from the status of lean build to that of massive build. By taking care to evaluate your BMI regularly , you will automatically know if you have to make efforts for your health.
WHAT TO DO TO LOSE WEIGHT?
Several avenues are to be studied to lose weight. Everything depends largely on your will and your abilities over time. But combining physical activity with proper nutrition appears to be the combination with the healthiest results.
Understanding energy balance
First of all, it is essential to be well informed about basal metabolism . Behind this name, which may seem complex, hides a relatively simple concept: your body needs a certain amount of energy per day to function . Indeed, for your organs to work, for your muscles to work, for you to be able to breathe, you need energy: this energy comes from what you eat and drink . If you didn’t eat, if you didn’t drink, then obviously you couldn’t survive.
Based on this logical observation, what is fundamental is to be well aware of the approximate amount of energy you need depending on what you do in a day. Because if you ingest more energy than you consume, this excess energy can hardly be evacuated and will therefore be stored: this is called fat!
This concept of energy balance is fundamental; it does not necessarily explain on its own all cases of overweight or obesity, but it plays a major role. If a person consumes too much energy per day compared to what is necessary for him, this person will normally gain weight. Conversely, if this person consumes less energy than it needs, then the body will draw on its reserves (in fat): the person will lose weight.
It all boils down to:
- Know what your body consumes approximately each day in terms of energy.
- Know how much energy represents what you swallow.
This energy is called “calories” in nutrition: on each food you buy the number of calories is indicated. A “Snickers” bar, for example, is 308 kcal (kilocalories), a “Big Mac” is around 500 kcal, a pain au chocolat is sometimes 400 kcal, a banana is 90 kcal, etc. . It’s easy to know how much energy you’re swallowing: just read product labels.
To know how much energy you consume, it’s more complex, you have to calculate your basic metabolism. For this, a tool is available to you at this address: https://www.calculersonimc.fr/autres-calculs/metabolisme-de-base.html
This tool will determine, based on your sex, your age, your weight and what you do during the day, the amount of energy that your body will approximately consume. If you are a 30-year-old woman, weighing 65 kilograms and 170 centimeters tall, then your body needs about 1742 kcal for a day when you are not active.
What does that mean ? This means that if you consume more than 1742 kcal, the excess energy will most likely be stored by your body because this energy will be “useless” for your body. Conversely, if you consume less than 1742 kcal that day, your body will be forced to draw on your reserves.
This energy balance, we have made a complete file accessible at the following address: https://www.calculersonimc.fr/autres-calculations/metabolisme-de-base.html .
- If we eat more than we expend, we gain weight because we store the unused energy.
- If we expend more energy than what our meals bring us, we lose weight, because the body draws on its energy reserves.
The basal metabolic rate has had a century in 2019: it has been 100 years since the official publication mentioning the basal metabolic rate and a method of calculation was born (cf. https://www.jstor.org/stable /83837 ).
Eat less and eat better
Monitoring your eating habits is an essential track. This is totally in line with what we have just mentioned above. For example, suppose you are a woman with an average daily consumption of 1742 kcal (to calculate your basal metabolic rate and this daily consumption, use the tool in the previous section) : on Sunday morning you have a hot chocolate, a pain au chocolat and a glass of orange juice (about 500 kcal), at noon you have a tabbouleh as a starter, then a steak accompanied by pasta with grated cheese, and a Viennese yogurt for dessert (approximately 780 kcal), and a slightly less hearty meal in the evening (approximately 500 kcal) then you have ingested 1780 kcal (against the 1742 kcal your body needs): the balance is good. Supposing now that you have taken a snack, for example that you have taken a bar of “Snickers” in the afternoon, then you add 308 kcal to your balance: this adds +17% energy compared to the previous day. We realize how fast it can go:
For food, there is a lot of literature on the Internet: there are sites telling you the different calories of different foods, you will learn for example that 100 grams of green beans are 4x less caloric than 100 grams of pasta: information that can help you better understand these energy concepts. Because it is not only “the quantity” of food that creates energy, it is also and above all the “specificity” of these foods: some yoghurts are at 40 kcal when other yoghurts can reach 200 kcal…
In terms of food, we also often think of dieticians : a specialized profession. One option that makes sense in the event that your diet is problematic is to entrust yourself to a dietician who will establish the strengths and weaknesses of your diet. Above all, do not fast or deprive yourself of everything because the body will interpret this fact as a famine . However, in this case, the body will tend to store everything you eat in order to stock up. This technique is therefore a double-edged sword. Nevertheless, not refilling and measuring the quantities remain effective solutions for starting a diet.
In general, breakfast is probably the most important meal of the day because it gives the body the energy it needs. Without a hearty breakfast, there is no effective diet. Eat two fruits a day and don’t skimp on vegetables in all their forms. They provide micronutrients and vitamins essential to our food health. In the evening, prefer a more comfortable light meal for a good night’s sleep. Do not hesitate to drink plenty of water during your day, it notably improves transit and the elimination of toxins.
Obviously avoid fatty substances and pay attention to hidden calories. Sauces or industrial products contain a lot of it. Alcohol, soft drinks, cheese, butter, cold cuts, pastries, sweets, etc. should be banned. The law now requires that all food products display their average nutritional values on their packaging ( and this information could change ). You can thus easily assess the level of calories ingested on a daily basis.
The time, speed and place of meals contribute to the well-being of your diet. They are beneficial physiological landmarks that should not be overlooked. Indeed, by dining out, at staggered hours and in five minutes, it is complicated to maintain an effective diet. Eating and working at the same time, for example, is not a good idea either , as Jean-Philippe ZERMATI (nutritionist) reminds us.
Learn about alternative methods
There are, especially on the Internet, a multitude of ” methods ” that do not claim to be diets in the strict sense. Of course, you have to be wary of some of these miracles that are too often promoted on the right and on the left, but learning about these different methods can help you understand your overweight from many angles.
Let’s take a concrete example: the “ ChronoNutrition ” method » is a method which is not exclusive and which is supposed to be adapted to your biological clock, it is a way of eating which wants to be respectful of your body. The interest of this method is normally to modify your eating habits in a sustainable & healthy way. What is interesting in this kind of method is to have a discourse centered on listening to one’s body. Conversely, some methods (such as “Weight Watchers”) are based on a certain number of points to which you are entitled each day: these points are actually very similar to the energy (calories) you need or not. In the case of Weight Watchers, it is therefore more the “mathematical” aspect of the scale that is put forward. All of these different methods have their pros and cons.
Get help from eBooks, or books
eBooks are books in electronic format. For some people, this can be a real help. Indeed the eBook is a book: you read it gradually, in order to assimilate the different things that the eBook seeks to transmit to you. Beware, however, of the very quality of the eBook.
On the Internet, slimming eBooks are legion, it is difficult to recommend one eBook more than another: the eBook that will be useful to you will be the one that will succeed in causing you to click . This is the one that will speak to you the most. Indeed, the writing of the eBook, its layout and the style used are often decisive. Generally, it is also the one that will have been written by (or with) the collaboration of one (or more) food or health professionals.
Do not hesitate to go to bookstores to find the book that might suit you: formats, illustrations, etc. So many criteria that can help you in your wish to lose weight: if you are dealing with a well-written, well-illustrated and easy-to-understand book, then you will surely be more inclined to change some of your habits (eating habits, physical activities , etc.)
Using videos (Youtube etc.)
Videos can be captivating when done well. On YouTube, tens of thousands of videos are available for free: do not hesitate to scrutinize the feedback you may have from certain people. This kind of feedback, when it is true, can be a real trigger in the way of eating better, behaving better (from a food point of view), etc.
For example, in a more “fitness” context, TiboInShape’s YouTube videos are real motivational boosts for many people. Watching these videos and participating in a community can really inspire you to change your habits.
Undertake a specific diet
One of the solutions commonly considered is that of diet. To do this, you can go to the diet section of CalculerSonIMC.fr. You will discover a selection of the most commonly encountered diets, each accompanied by objective comments, advantages and disadvantages and the opinion of a qualified dietician.
Use a slimming device
There are a multitude of slimming devices on the market. There are of course “classic” devices which include all sports devices (we will talk about the importance of undertaking a physical and sports activity below)
But there are also more unknown devices, and sometimes much cheaper. To name just one: the Cellublue slimming device eliminates fatty deposits under the effect of its vibrations and rotations. These devices intended for individuals can be useful to you even if they do not solve the problem of the energy balance on their own. On the other hand, they allow you to stimulate your skin, your muscles, and ultimately help you burn these stored fats.
Moreover, it is interesting to note that health professionals also use certain devices: for example cryolipolysis devices (destruction of fatty deposits and cellulite by cold), or devices producing radio frequencies. Even if the technology of private devices and professional devices is obviously difficult to compare, the basic premise remains similar: technology can help you and can potentially make your job easier, why not take advantage of it?
Consider surgery in the most complex cases
Surgery has made enormous progress, it has now set up operations specifically designed to combat obesity. These operations, which are extreme operations, of last resort, are mainly intended for people whose Body Mass Index (BMI) is greater than 40. You will learn more about it in our space dedicated to this subject.
Engage in physical activity and sports
Physical activity is an important vector of health and well-being and sport remains a relevant axis for weight loss. However, it is not necessary to prepare to try to compete in the Olympic Games! Know how to measure your efforts , establish a program and adapt its intensity. To lose weight, the interest of sport is the energy expenditure it generates. You will burn calories by drawing on your reserves. If you have two to three kilograms to lose, consider walking every day, for example leaving the car in the parking lot, or prefer the stairs to the elevator of the building. Swimming or light jogging are also good ideas because these activities gently work the whole body.
» Physical activity generally brings a feeling of well-being.
Some also want, and above all, to target their weight loss on certain parts of their anatomy: belly, thigh, buttocks, etc. In this case, with the advice of a professional, learn to perform some practical exercises on a regular basis. Thus, endurance (walking, running, fitness, aerobics, etc.) works effectively to lose belly fat. Conversely, cycling or stepping are recommended to act on the buttocks or thighs. Series of abdominals for the most voluntary finally help to find a flat and more muscular stomach.
Today there are many ” gadgets ” to motivate you in your business. Like for example connected bracelets . You will then have a small object on your wrist that will congratulate you if you accomplish certain sports tasks: the bracelet will then help you to set reasonable goals, and therefore will seek to “motivate” you if these goals are not achieved. For example, taking 10,000 steps daily (as recommended by the World Health Organization) can be a first objective.
However, if you want to lose more weight, you will have to combine this physical activity with a more controlled diet.
PATIENCE AND MOTIVATION ARE NECESSARY
To lose weight, it is necessary to give yourself time and be ready to make efforts: you cannot change your habits without a minimum of effort, and if you are overweight it is possibly because certain of your habits are bad. How to find the motivation to lose weight and especially how to find the motivation to change your habits after years? By rushing, you risk quickly becoming disgusted with your diet. It is a question of keeping a maximum of pleasure in eating and sticking to the rules fixed at the start. The first of these is precisely patience. Indeed, losing pounds is a process of several weeks, several months and sometimes several years. By combining physical activity and diet, aim to lose three or four kilograms in a month. To help you, it seems important to establish a kind of calendar to visualize your progress. As a reminder, the BMI index, noted for example every two weeks, can guide and encourage you.
Another example: you only eat ready meals because you never cook, so you never buy fresh beans at the market, etc. Your diet is therefore generally rather caloric. Don’t necessarily force yourself to change overnight: nothing prevents you from fixing 1 day a week where you will cook for yourself, first with products from the supermarket (canned beans, etc.): this will be a great first step. Thereafter, this day per week could become 2 or 3 days per week. Then you could set yourself the goal of going to the market once a month, etc. Weight loss generally goes with the desire to improve in general: think of yourself, listen to your body and do not hesitate to improve your way of life.
Willpower and patience are necessary for any weight loss.
Obviously, when you want to lose weight, patience goes hand in hand with motivation. Often mocked, motivation remains the main factor in your success in this business. Be gentle with yourself and don’t second-guess everything if something goes wrong. On the contrary, a family meal, a restaurant with friends, a glass of champagne or a square of chocolate can be positive for persevering in your initiative.
To conclude, losing weight is beneficial in any case. First of all, it reduces the risks to your health. Then, it gives you a better image of yourself. However, this image does not depend solely on a less corpulent silhouette but actually draws its effects from the success and personal success of this initiative.