Dieting is always a slightly expensive process. In order to carry it out properly, several aspects must be taken into account, which will vary from person to person. Hence the importance of a personalized diet.
When setting a diet to lose weight we have to take into account 3 elements:
1) Physical activity you are doing
2) Habits in your eating habits
3) Types of food you are eating.
This, as stated by experts in Endocrinology, is aimed at making the diet, on the one hand, as comfortable as possible and, on the other hand, that we do not feel bad, especially on days of increased physical activity.
1) Physical activity being performed:
That day we have to use carbohydrates to recover energy and not feel bad.
Simple carbohydrates (fruits and vegetables) should be consumed before physical activity, to be used during exercise.
Compound carbohydrates (rice, potatoes, legumes, pasta) should be used on the days of physical activity and not on other days. They can be taken throughout the day but it is better to ingest them at midday.
Proteins (meats, fish, dairy products, eggs, legumes and nuts) should be used more frequently if we are doing a physical activity of strength or muscle building exercise.
2) Eating habits:
It is important to respect, as far as possible, that person’s way of eating (number of meals and food distribution). Later on we will give some guidelines, if necessary, on how it would be better.
The ideal is to change habits little by little, with suggestions, without impositions. It must be taken into account that habits are very ingrained and changing them all at once would make the situation more annoying than dieting. There are people who do not eat lunch, or do not have a snack, or have changed work shifts and must adapt their meals.
Therefore, we have to correct the difficulties that may arise. We are looking for the person to say “I do not feel like I am on a diet”.
3) Types of food that are being ingested:
We have to track the type of food that the person is eating. We will have to reduce some of them, change others for their healthier or lighter form and eliminate some of them.
The ideal is, therefore, to make the diet as personalized as possible.