In order to lose weight in a healthy way, the most advisable is to follow a varied and balanced hypocaloric diet in which all the nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals) are found in adequate proportion. To this end, it is necessary to try to combine foods from all groups (bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, cereals, legumes, meat, fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, etc.), adapting to the patient’s tastes and preferences. It is important, at the same time that the diet is being carried out, to explain and teach the patient the basics of healthy eating. In this way, “learning to eat”, it will be possible to ensure that after the completion of the diet, the weight achieved will be maintained in the future. Along with dietary treatment, daily physical exercise (at least 30 minutes at a moderate intensity) is also necessary, not only for better weight loss results, but also for long-term health.
Are weight changes throughout the year healthy?
It is not advisable for our weight to vary excessively throughout the year. We can consider it normal to fluctuate a couple of kilograms around our usual weight. Every time we gain or lose a considerable amount of weight, our whole organism must readapt to this new situation, so large fluctuations, especially in short periods of time, are not advisable.
Does ideal weight vary with age?
The ideal weight of a person is a very limited value and does not contemplate a variability of possible weights within normality. This means that there is a range of possible weights (within what we call normal BMI) for a person depending on his or her size and age.
Are diets that control the mix of foods eaten, but not the amounts, healthy?
This type of diets are based on the fact that proteins and carbohydrates cannot be digested and assimilated in the same meal, recommending to take them in separate meals. First of all, it is necessary to say that there is no food that contains only proteins or only carbohydrates (For example, bread, a food rich in carbohydrates also contains a small proportion of proteins; or milk, a mainly protein food, also contains lactose, which is a carbohydrate) therefore it is impossible to completely separate these two nutrients in the same meal. In addition, many of the “interactions between foods” that these diets claim are not based on any study or reliable scientific knowledge. On the other hand, these types of diets do not control the amounts or proportions of the different nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins and fats), therefore they are not what we scientifically call balanced, and not at all healthy. Even if weight loss occurs, it will not be maintained in the long term, firstly because the diets are not adapted to the person’s usual diet or tastes, and secondly because the patient does not learn to organize his or her diet or to choose foods appropriately.
How to combat anxiety?
First of all it is necessary to try to find out what is the fact or the situation that causes anxiety. This is the first step to find a solution. In case the person is not able to find a solution, it may be helpful to go to a psychologist or psychiatrist. From there we can work with the patient organizing the diet in a way that helps in difficult moments and always relying on the practice of physical activity that helps to relax, reducing in many cases, the symptoms of anxiety.
Does junk food create addiction?
Junk food usually contains a high amount of fat. Fat gives foods a texture or palatability that makes them more palatable, and this is why, on many occasions, they are a more popular choice than others.
Is caloric expenditure the same for everyone?
Yes, first of all, a person’s metabolic expenditure is directly related to the amount of muscle mass. Thus, the greater the muscle mass, the greater the metabolic expenditure. People who practice sport on a regular basis develop more muscle mass than people who do not, therefore, their energy expenditure will be higher even when doing the same activity and being of the same age and sex (at the same weight and height). This is also another of the innumerable benefits that regular physical activity has on health.