"Why, even though I'm on a diet, can't I lose weight?" . It is one of the questions that I am asked most often in the consultation. And the answer is that there are many factors that can prevent you from losing weight. For example, at age 20, a week of taking care of what you eat is enough to lose two or three extra kilos. But with the passage of time it is not so easy to take off the extra kilos. This is almost always attributed to a change in metabolism, but there are other reasons.
HAVE MADE MANY DIETS
The dreaded yo-yo effect is one of the first consequences. The more diets we have done without having managed to maintain the ideal weight later, or even recovering the lost kilos and adding some more to them, the worse our body reacts to a new diet.
For this reason, every time we try to eat less, our metabolism goes into "saving mode", that is, it slows down because it already knows that we are going to "starve" it. And for this reason it burns less and reacts by conserving its energy stores. Hence the importance of making a correct weight loss diet and then maintaining the weight.
TAKE AN EXCESS OF HYDRATES
Bread, pasta, rice … It is essential to take carbohydrates, but better in its integral version and in its right measure. To give you an idea, the ideal quantity tends to coincide more with a serving of garnish than a whole plate. Why? Well, because in this way there will be little free insulin in your body, which will increase the possibility of releasing fat and thus eliminate one of the brakes that prevent you from losing weight.
Insulin is a hormone that is released when we eat flour or sweets, because its function is to lower the level of sugar (glucose) in the blood. But this has another effect, it stops lipolysis, that is, the possibility of burning fat, making it a brake on a diet.
OMEGA 3 DEFICIT
The hormones that work on the body to release and burn fat can have trouble doing so if the cell membranes are dry. And this can be caused by a lack of "good" fats such as omega 3. For this reason, it is important that you include oily fish, nuts and flax seeds in your regular diet, which give elasticity to cell membranes.
LACK OF CERTAIN MINERALS
Make sure you don't have a mineral deficit , especially in these three:
- Chrome. Because it increases the insulin response, protects the muscle and improves the output of fat. You can find it in eggs, oysters, brewer's yeast, bread, and cheese.
- Magnesium. Fatigue is often attributed to a lack of iron when in fact magnesium is lacking. And it is that this is part of the "currency" with which the cell "pays" the energy it needs for certain metabolic processes. You can find it in whole grains, legumes, chocolate, fruits and vegetables. Do you think you are lacking magnesium? Find out in this quiz.
- Potassium. Excess kilos are sometimes due to fluid retention. To avoid it there must be a balance between sodium and potassium, but we usually take up to three times more of the first than the second. Therefore, we must increase the consumption of lettuce, zucchini, artichokes, tomato, bananas … rich in potassium.
LOW LEVEL OF SEROTONIN
It is about the "pleasure hormone" and its lack can lead you to suffer that mid-afternoon anxiety that it seems that there is not enough chocolate to calm it, which makes it difficult to follow a diet. This situation improves by providing tryptophan, an amino acid precursor of serotonin abundant in cereals, dairy products and chocolate. Discover the satiating power of serotonin.
3 AIDS TO LOSE WEIGHT
Just as there are factors that prevent you from losing weight, there are others that can help you achieve it:
- Green Tea. It has an antioxidant and metabolism activator power. To help its fat burning action take 3 cups a day or extracts.
- Cinnamon. The polyphenols in cinnamon improve insulin sensitivity and fat output from the cell. Use powdered as a sweetener instead of sugar.
- Red wine. Its polyphenols become food for the "good" bacteria in the intestine, and a healthy flora helps you lose weight. Of course, do not drink more than one glass 3 or 4 days a week.
SLIMMING COMBINATIONS
- Whole wheat bread + chocolate. A delicious breakfast or snack that will help you control hunger and put you in a good mood.
- Banana + nuts. The tryptophan of the banana combined with the omega 3 of the walnuts calms the mood and reduces anxiety.
- Whole wheat couscous + chickpeas. A main dish rich in magnesium that also includes vegetables and greens.
- Mini wholemeal bread + cheese. A mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack that combines two foods rich in chromium.
- Eggs + potatoes. They are not for every day, but from time to time giving yourself a treat can come in handy and increase your chromium intake.
