50 Things you need to know about Weight Loss

50 Essential Facts About Metabolism and Weight Loss

We have asked doctors, dietitians, therapists, and other weight-loss experts to tell us important things that their clients do not seem to know. 

Make sure you understand these often unrecognized facts if you are trying to lose a few pounds.

1. Even healthy foods can make you fat

Many people think they can eat as much healthy food as they want, but it's important to limit the intake of non-essential calories, regardless of the nutritional value of the food.

2. The timing of the meal is as important as its content

The moment you eat is important for weight loss. 

Depriving yourself all day and leaving a big meal at dinner goes against the goal. 

Even if it is a good nutritional quality meal, if eaten too late, the body will not have time to turn calories into energy to use during the day. 

Calories will be stored by the body (fat cells) and less easily spent.

3. Check your medication

Some medications commonly prescribed for chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or depression - affect weight, either by making weight gain or by making it more likely to lose extra pounds. (These are not the only medications that make you gain weight). 

When a person has to take a long-term drug, a molecule that does not affect the weight or actually loses it is preferred. 

Talk to the doctor about your medications.

4. Reaching a target weight is not enough

You have to consume fewer calories and expend more energy to maintain weight loss than to lose weight. 

So if you let yourself go after you start losing weight, you'll regain all the pounds lost and more! 

The good news is that by starting to lose weight, you'll find it easier to keep spending time on the treadmill or doing exercises. 

Keep new challenges!

5. Have your thyroid gland checked properly

If you're having trouble losing weight, a good thyroid exam is a good one. 

Most people have to undergo more than just a thyroid profile. 

The standard profile is "normal" in 80 percent of overweight people, which does not correspond to reality. 

A complete thyroid check allows you to check eight parameters of thyroid function and compare them to optimal values and not to normal values. 

This latest review concludes that more than 80 percent of overweight people have hypothyroidism. It's a key factor in being overweight.

6. Alcohol prevents weight loss

Alcohol contains empty calories, in addition to impacting the weight loss process. 

It can interrupt or inhibit fat metabolism, making weight loss difficult. 

Alcoholic beverages also contain a lot of calories and carbohydrates that slow down weight loss, despite a decrease in caloric intake. 

If you drink, order a drink to drink slowly, like wine, rather than a glass of beer that you will drink with great sips.

7. Not all calories are equal

Calories are not just units of energy value. 

Some foods are nutritious, maintain and protect muscle mass and promote good metabolism — including lean protein, fresh produce, and whole grains. 

Other foods contain calories but have little nutritional value, such as refined grains, processed foods, and added sugars. 

Limiting your calorie intake can be good, but it can do so by consuming as many healthy choices as possible.

8. You also need to exercise

Exercise is important for many reasons, including the vitality of metabolism and weight loss. 

Although diet contributes more to weight loss than exercise, the synergy between these two elements promotes body health and metabolism, especially with age. 

I advise my patients to do strength training twice a week and cardio training most days of the week.

9. Sleep is the missing link in weight loss

For me, sleep is the third foundation of weight loss. 

In a person who sleeps less than 7 to 9 hours a night, the production of the hunger hormone, ghrelin, is stimulated while that of the satiety hormone, leptin, decreases. 

Lack of sleep makes it more impulsive, which reduces the chances of resisting cravings to stick to healthy foods and limit servings. 

Sleep scarcity also increases cortisol levels, which cause the body to overeat to compensate for stress.

10. Muscle mass is heavier but works for you

It is the amount of lean muscle mass that largely determines our metabolism. In other words, the more muscle mass we have, the more calories we burn. 

Muscle mass naturally begins to decrease after the age of 30; this process, called sarcopenia, accelerates to quarantine. 

So you need to lift weights and adopt a high-protein diet to preserve your muscle strength as you age.

11. Slowly but surely

Adopting a good attitude is paramount. 

During weight loss, it is better to take a step at a time. 

Small steps lead to big changes. And if you cheat, get your hands on it. 

Every new day is an opportunity to eat well and be in shape.

12. It's not about diet but about lifestyle

I would like my clients to understand that weight loss is not limited to the number on the scale.

Fashionable diets can promote rapid weight loss, but this loss is usually temporary and followed by even greater weight gain when the person resumes their previous eating habits. 

To lose weight, you have to change your lifestyle: diet, meal preparation, and frequency of physical activity.

13. There is no ideal diet

There is not a single diet that suits everyone. 

There are many possibilities, ketogenic, paleo, low fat, vegan, among others. 

However, the person's overall health status must be taken into account as part of their weight loss strategy. 

What works for someone can make another sick or not effective.

14. Diet is more important than exercise

You can't compensate for a bad diet by jogging. 

Many clients think that by working hard at the gym, they will be able to eat what they want. 

Fitness is essential to heart health and mobility, but it should not be forgotten that 80 percent of weight loss is diet-related.

15. Stressing makes weight loss more difficult

Watch your stress that increases cortisol levels. 

When cortisol production is high, it can impair memory, promote weight gain, and lower immune function. 

Cortisol can also cause overeating and cravings, especially foods high in fat and sugar. In addition, ghrelin, the appetite hormone, increases during periods of intense stress. 

Make sure you take the time to relax every day.

16. A snack can eliminate cravings

The appetite hormone, called ghrelin, increases with the feeling of hunger; this is why an afternoon snack can prevent excesses at the end of the day. 

Bring a snack to work or keep emergency supplies in your office to avoid temptations. 

Think nuts, seeds, fruit, yogurt, cheese in a stick, but puffed fat-free and low-sugar cereal bars. 

A snack that contains protein gives a feeling of satiety and helps alleviate cravings.

17. It could be a matter of hormones

If you've tried everything without success, I recommend seeing what happens on the hormone side. 

An imbalance of cortisol, stress-related hormones, or thyroid can affect your success. 

Diet and exercise are often not enough.

18. The microbiota is a factor in weight loss

Sending the gut microbiota - the balance between the good bacteria in the digestive system - can help the body lose pounds. 

Some good gut bacteria help to speed up metabolism. 

You can really analyze the gut microbiota for imbalance, and then work to restore balance.

19. Weight loss is not linear

Weight loss does not follow a straight line. 

Your weight will fluctuate at various times, especially at certain times of the month for women. 

Don't panic if your weight increases for a few days. 

Look at the general trend.

20. Don't blame yourself for eating candy

A treat will not ruin a healthy eating sequence. 

After an intense workout, it can even be beneficial. 

Don't blame yourself, because this mindset can push you backward. Instead, draw a line under this experience and resume your good eating habits.

21. Weight loss is an approach, not a destination

I would like people to understand that weight loss and weight maintenance are two sides of the same coin. 

Far too many people seem to want to lose weight as quickly as possible without really trying to change their long-term eating behaviors; they feel that they will be able to maintain their weight later. 

When people say they are going to 'follow a diet' it implicitly assumes that they will stop following it at some point. 

I always tell people that by changing habits to lose weight, they are just practicing to maintain their weight. I want them to care more about changes in behavior than about a target weight.

22. You absolutely have to write a food diary

I would like people to understand the value of a specific food diary. 

I encourage my patients to write a journal, but also to write down what they plan to eat and when they plan to exercise. 

This encourages them to follow their plan. 

I also suggest that they write down in their journals the intensity of their hunger before and after the meal and their mood. 

Many valuable things can be learned from a well-kept food diary. 

People can see if they are eating for emotional reasons rather than in response to hunger, and they also see how often they eat beyond a feeling of mild satiety.

23. Discuss the emotional problems that make you eat

When you deal with your emotions rather than eating to prevent them from surfacing, you save a lot of calories. 

Find out what really bothers you and face it instead of diving into a bowl of ice cream in search of comfort. 

When you look your problems in the face, you don't have to get stuffed and you get the mastery you want.

24. Lack of sleep makes you eat more

According to research data published in the European Journal of Nutrition, people consume more calories the day after a night when they have run out of sleep — about 385 calories more. 

Because it takes about 3,500 calories to gain 450 grams, a person could theoretically gain 4 kilos after 10 days of insufficient sleep.

25. Lack of sleep also makes you want junk food

As if ingesting 400 more calories a day wasn't enough, here are research findings published in the journal Sleep: Lack of sleep amplifies and prolongs blood levels with a chemical signal that 'increases the pleasure of eating, especially sweet or salty and high-fat snacks.

As a result, sleep-poor people have junk food cravings and eat more, which can lead to significant weight gain over time.

26. The cravings do not crack evenly

Recent research has shown that people are most vulnerable to early evening cravings and that young women have cravings more often than older men. 

By finding out what your 'personal risk factors' are, you may be better able to manage your cravings.

27. Liposuction is not a shortcut to weight loss

One of the biggest misconceptions about weight loss is that cosmetic surgery, especially liposuction, is a mechanism of weight loss. 

Liposuction can remove up to a kilo of abdominal fat, but it is a way to reshape the body and not a weight-loss tool. 

If I have an overweight patient, I will ask him to lose weight before performing liposuction.

28. Loving to eat is not enough to gain weight

You don't have to focus on the pounds to lose, but rather on what made you gain weight in the beginning. 

If you don't know, you'll probably regain the weight you're going to lose, because you won't have solved the underlying problem. 

The problem can range from hormonal imbalance to cravings, but there is a solution, most of the time.

29. You are not at the mercy of your cravings

A craving lasts about fifteen minutes. 

If you fancy something that doesn't fit with a healthy diet, change your mind for a quarter of an hour.

There's a good chance that cravings will pass or at least have a better understanding of the cause.

30. Eating fat doesn't make you fat

Many of my clients are terrified of eating avocados, nuts, hummus, and other healthy fats, on the pretext that these are 'calorie foods that make you get too fat'. 

I explain to them that fats digest more slowly than carbohydrates and proteins and contribute to the feeling of fullness. 

Regular dairy products, nuts, and vegetable fats promote weight loss rather than harm it.

31. Allergies can make you fat

Some over-the-counter medications can affect weight loss. 

I advise people who are trying to lose weight to avoid antihistamines as much as possible and opt instead for a one-time treatment of symptoms. 

If you have nasal symptoms, use a nasal spray instead of taking a tablet.

32. Rapid weight loss is not a loss of fat

A rapid weight loss, for example by four kilos in two weeks, as a result of food deprivation, draining juices, or total elimination of carbohydrates, is due to a loss of water and muscle mass; this can be very bad for your health. 

This type of weight loss is not sustainable, as the pounds return quickly; these losses and gains in sawteeth disrupt the metabolism. 

To lose fat and maintain this loss, you need to plan menus that include all food groups that will contain enough calories to allow your body to effectively burn fat.

33. Tech gadgets overeat

People have completely forgotten what satiety looks like. 

We eat in the car, at work, talking on the phone, or watching TV — we eat like automatons. 

To lose weight and maintain this loss, one must eat in full consciousness: eat when the body requires energy and stop eating when the body is full. 

Avoid distractions to encourage this behavior.

34. Skipping meals is useless

When will people understand that skipping meals, especially lunch, is useless? 

Many people think that by skipping meals, they will cut calories and lose weight, but it is quite the opposite. 

They're going to make up for it by eating too late or making unwise choices.

35. You're eating too fast

Slow down when you eat! 

Most people eat too fast and therefore swallow too much food. 

By eating slower — try dropping your utensils between bites or eating with your non-dominant hand — you give your stomach and brain time to connect. 

If you eat slower, you'll be able to eat less and feel fuller.

36. Slumping doesn't work

You have to eat to lose weight. 

I mean you can't deprive yourself of too much calories if you want to lose weight. 

Don't imagine that a small 200-calorie microwave-warmed meal will help! 

You will have better results if you eat enough. 

Eating too little can slow down metabolism, which won't help you lose weight.

37. Fibre, allies of people who want to lose weight

A high-fiber diet helps a lot to lose weight. 

The fibers prolong the feeling of fullness. 

They also promote the regularity of the digestive system and prevent constipation. 

A woman should consume an average of 25 grams of fiber per day, and a man, on average 38 grams — but most Americans consume half as much. 

When you consume more fiber, you should also drink water throughout the day to prevent bloating. 

It is also recommended to accompany protein fibers to promote satiety. 

38. Start reading nutrition labels

Read nutrition labels carefully, especially ingredients, not numbers. 

Make sure you eat good food. 

Best of all, opt for foods that don't have a label - fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats. 

Look for organic meat from free-to-work animals and pastures.

39. Sugar is your worst enemy

The main ingredient to watch is sugar. 

Remember that sugar is hidden in many forms — it has more than 61 names on packaging these days. 

Don't be fooled by words like evaporated cane juice, fructose, fructose-rich corn syrup, sucrose, dextrose, maltodextrin, among others. 

Sugar, especially hidden, causes weight gain and health problems in most people.

40. Get help

It is almost impossible to lose weight without help. 

Most people need the support of a coach, therapist, mentor, or group to stay the course.

41. Not planning is planning for failure

To achieve and maintain a healthy weight, structure is really important. 

I recommend using a diet plan, setting aside time for physical activity, preparing your food in advance, and consulting with a therapist to deal with related emotional aspects, especially body image issues.

If some days you run out of time to go to the gym, try these awesome ways to burn calories without doing sports!

42. Weigh yourself every day

Weigh yourself every day and keep a food diary. 

They are tools of accountability. 

If you know you're going to have to write it all down and weigh yourself, you may be more comfortable serving an extra serving or saying yes when you're offered chocolate cake for dessert.

43. The more you talk about it, the more you lose

Inform all your knowledge of your weight loss goal. 

The more people will know, the more likely you are to succeed because people will ask you how your diet is going and what you are doing to lose weight. 

Talk to your co-workers, your life partner, your friends; they can also help you take responsibility and offer you less temptation at your next meeting if they know you're trying to lose weight.

44. It's easier to resist a food than to burn calories after eating it

I would like my clients to understand how fast calories can accumulate and how long it takes the body to burn them. 

The soft drink you just drank while eating this lunchtime? 

You drank it in a few minutes, but you'll need to spend an hour on the treadmill set at moderate to high to burn calories. 

That little chocolate bar?

 Another hour on the treadmill. 

What spends a minute in the mouth can really stay a lifetime around the waist.

45. It's all about portion control

Many of my clients eat foods that are perfectly suited to them. 

It is the large portions that make them gain weight or prevent them from losing weight. 

I recommend that they use smaller plates. 

Portion control is a neglected part of weight loss.

46. Weight loss is forward-looking, not the past

I advise my clients to visualize what will happen once their goals are achieved. 

Imagine this day, where they will be, how they will feel, the pleasure of being healthier, the smells in the air, etc. 

Devoting a few minutes a day to putting yourself in a concrete position of success can be very motivating; it's a great mental strategy to use in difficult times when the temptation to give up good resolutions is strong.

47. Deprivations cause excesses

Frustration can sometimes affect the adoption of new, healthier eating habits. 

Frustrating deprivation can be both physical and psychological. 

If you have a craving that is accompanied by psychological frustration, you are more likely to cheat.

The more deprived you feel, the more likely you are to overdo it. 

If you give yourself a 'cheating day' or consume dessert or other pleasure in moderation a few times a week, you may avoid serious slippages.

48. Your chair is your worst enemy

People need to spend more time standing up during the day. 

During periods of rest or leisure, we often sit watching TV or playing on our phones; we also work in a sitting position. 

Just getting up to do these activities burns twice as many calories.

49. Eat more plants. Seriously

Planning meals around vegetables and legumes is one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to lose weight in the long run; Try to aim for at least eight servings of vegetables a day. 

Vegetable fibers give a feeling of satiety and contribute to intestinal health by diversifying the microbiota, which can play an important role in weight loss. 

You can choose any vegetable: raw Brussels sprouts served with Pecorino cheese and olive oil, or a stir-fry of mushrooms and zucchini. 

The goal is to eat lots of vegetables — raw, steamed, or lightly cooked.

50. You have to love yourself to lose weight

To hate yourself as long as you have not lost weight and to articulate one's happiness around a target weight to reach is useless. 

Thinking positively and developing good self-esteem are important factors in improving one's health.

So you have to love this body that you are trying to improve and be lenient towards yourself. 

The weight loss process will teach you a lot about yourself. 

Don't miss this opportunity to learn about yourself by focusing only on one goal.