A balanced diet to maintain weight involves consuming exactly the same number of calories from food each day that you burn.

How and why do you need to maintain normal weight?

When we take in more calories than we expend, then we gain weight. If we create a small deficit, body weight decreases. It must be taken into account that each person's calorie needs are different. Everyone burns them differently. Therefore, star diets often turn out to be ineffective. In this matter, only a reasonable individual approach works well. To maintain weight after losing weight and always remain in excellent physical shape, you do not need strict temporary diets.

Strict dietary restrictions that lead to stress from malnutrition are not a way to maintain a figure, but a dangerous experiment on oneself. On the contrary, you need to switch to a constant correct way of eating in order to receive the full range of nutrients, not experience exhaustion, have great energy potential and feel great.

Calorie nutrition

The correct daily caloric intake is different for everyone. The indicator depends on several factors, such as:

• age – at different stages of life, the body’s metabolism changes;
• gender - as a rule, the male body requires increased nutrition compared to the female;
• ratio of total body weight to muscle volume - people with large muscles require more nutrition;
• state of the hormonal system - hormones affect metabolism;
• nutrition system - the state of the body depends on what and how we eat;
• status of the human body - growth, health, illness, injury, pregnancy;
• daytime activity level;
• general nature of physical sports activities.

Adjusting your caloric intake to maintain your figure

So, to create an optimal balance between energy expenditure and calorie consumption, let’s analyze several factors. It is obvious that the body spends the energy received from nutrition on physiological needs - the harmonious functioning of organs and systems. If the diet is poor, human body regards this as starvation and plunges into a kind of stress - it begins to work in a special way, activating the natural survival mode. What you need to do to create the perfect balance:

• determine the required amount of kcal needed to meet the basic needs of the body and normal metabolism;
• multiply the resulting number by the exponent physical activity taking into account all energy costs;
• develop your own menu according to energy consumption and taking into account the calorie content of products.

The best formulas for calculating calories

Harris-Benedict

To make the necessary calculations, it is enough to apply a simple proven formula. This is the so-called Harris-Benedict equation for calculating basal metabolism during passive activity. It is believed that this calculation method gives excessive calorie values, but is still popular. The formula is not for people with large amounts excess weight, since it was developed on the basis of research into the body of young active people.

• Female formula: 655+(9.6 x weight kg)+(1.8 x height cm) - (4.7 x age).
• Men's formula: 66+(13.7 x weight kg)+(5 x height cm) - (6.76 x age).

Mifflin-St. Geor

There is another authoritative formula from Mifflin-Saint-Geor. It does not take into account the percentage of fat and, as a rule, overestimates calorie needs. At the same time, the computational method is in demand today and has many positive reviews. The method of calculating calories is as close as possible to the lifestyle, the way of eating of the majority modern people.

• Female formula: (9.99 x weight kg) + (6.25 x height cm) - (4.92 x age) -161.
• Formula for calculating male calories: (9.99 x weight kg) + (6.25 x height cm) - (4.92 x age) +5.

Ketch-McArdle

Also today, a huge number of people use the Ketch-McArdle formula. It produces the most clear and adequate values. This technique, unlike the previous two, takes into account the volume of the fat layer. For accurate results, it is important to be able to correctly determine your fat percentage.

• Basal Metabolism: 370+(21.6 x LBM).
• To calculate LBM: (weight kg x (100-fat%)/100.

Using these universal formulas, you can obtain an indicator of basic metabolism for people over 18 years old - this is the number of calories that must be consumed to cover the physiological needs of the body. Incorrect results can be obtained if you incorrectly determine the level of stress, fat mass, or incorrectly estimate the amount of kcal obtained from food.

Calorie intake and physical activity

Using one of the formulas, we get the daily calorie content. This value is not final, because it has yet to be multiplied by a coefficient appropriate to the level of physical activity. Here are the required numbers:

• 1.2 - sedentary lifestyle, bed rest, zero or weak physical activity, so-called sedentary work;
• from 1.3 to 1.4 - light loads, which means moderate physical activity during the day in combination with simple exercises, classes from 1 to 3 times a week;
• from 1.5 to 1.6 - average level of physical activity with training from 3 to 5 times a week;
• from 1.7 to 1.8 - high level of physical activity, active life coupled with complex training 6-7 times a week;
• from 1.9 to 2 - increased physical activity, strength training every day, hard physical work, super-active rest.

Calories and weight

A simple calculation technique is based on how many calories are consumed daily per kilogram of body weight:

• from 26 to 30 kcal per kg of body weight - required by the average healthy person with little physical activity, these are employees in sedentary work;
• from 31 to 37 kcal per 1 kg of weight - needed for people with a moderately active lifestyle, sports training consistently 3-5 times a week;
• from 38 to 40 kcal per 1 kg of body weight - people with heavy physical work and a constantly active lifestyle;
• from 41 to 50 kcal per 1 kg of weight - for people who intensively practice strength training for 15-20 hours a week;
• from 50 kcal per kg of weight - required for people with hyper-strength loads in life and impact training in the gym.

BZHU for weight maintenance

Macronutrients are required for normal functioning of the body. You can simplify the calculation based on universal relationships, for example:

• BZHU=30-40-30;
• BZHU=40-40-20;
• BZHU = 20-30-50.

But to more accurately calculate the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates in the diet, it is better to take into account the physical activity of a particular person.

How much protein do you need?

There are generally accepted meanings:

• strength training - from 1.2-1.6 g of protein per 1 kg of body weight;
• training to increase endurance - from 1.4-1.8 g of protein per 1 kg of weight;
• young man in the growth stage - from 1.8-2.2 g of protein per 1 kg of weight;
• very thin people on a low-calorie diet with an average percentage of fat - 1.25-1.5 g of protein for every 0.453 kg of their weight;
• thin people with a low-calorie diet and an undetermined percentage of fat - 1.33-2 g of protein for every 0.453 kg of dry mass;
• people with a lot of extra pounds who do not adhere to a low-calorie diet and do little exercise - up to 1 g of protein for every 0.453 kg of weight.

Fat calculation

You cannot deprive your body of fats, as they are required for beautiful hair, strong teeth, youthful skin, and the health of the body as a whole. Who needs how much fat:

• fats for thin people or people with an average build - 1-2 g per 1 kg of total weight;
• people with significant fat deposits - 1-2 g per kg of dry weight.

Carbohydrate needs

Obviously, carbohydrates are important for athletes and all active people to successfully train, gain weight and have good health. The carbohydrate data is as follows:

• moderately active athletes - 4.5-6.5 g of carbohydrates per 1 kg of weight;
• athletes with intense exercise - 6.5-9 g of carbohydrates per 1 kg of body weight;
• average person = total calories - (protein g x 4) + (fat g x 9).

Explanation for the last point for ease of calculation - 4.1 kcal - 1 g of carbohydrates; 3.8 kcal - 1 g protein; 9.3 kcal - 1 g fat. That is, we subtract fats and proteins from the total calorie content and divide the resulting value by 4, we get carbohydrates in grams.

Maintaining an ideal figure and normal body weight is easy - you need to consume the optimal amount of calories and monitor the correct ratio of dietary fat in your diet so as not to lose your beautiful shape and not gain excess weight

Diet to maintain figure

How to eat to maintain weight?

From the above it is clear that the nutritional system is compiled based on the calorie needs, lifestyle and nature of the sports activities of a particular person. The right diet will help you not gain extra pounds, and at the same time not lose weight, maintaining your shape.

It is recommended to include healthy foods in the menu to maintain weight and a beautiful body; we will talk about them later. Most often, 5-6 meals a day in moderate portions are recommended. Some sources insist on 3 meals a day. The optimal pause between meals is 2-4 hours. Usually it is 3 hours. Ideally, it is advisable to develop your own schedule and eat at approximately the same time.

Proper breakfast

A good breakfast for a beautiful figure can be made from the following dishes and products of your choice. All of them are optimal for use in the morning:

• yogurt with fruit salad or cornflakes;
• dairy and dairy-free porridges - oatmeal, rice;
• eggs prepared by regular boiling or hard-boiled, classic scrambled eggs or omelet without oil, egg whites separately;
• pancakes with sweets (honey, syrup, jam, jam);
• low-fat cottage cheese with fruit - bananas, persimmons or any seasonal fruits;
• unsweetened 5% cottage cheese with fruit and sour cream;
• mousse of berries and cottage cheese;
• pancakes with sweets (honey, syrup, jam, jam);
• cottage cheese with berries without sugar or with a sweetener Fit Parade;
• medium or high fat meat - baked turkey or chicken dishes;
• salad (radish, tomatoes, greens, white and red cabbage, cucumbers, olive oil);
• fruit juices;
• vegetable juices;
• fruits - orange, grapefruit;
• pancakes with sweets (honey, syrup, jam, jam);
• dried fruits;
• cottage cheese casserole or cheesecakes.

Drinks for breakfast can be consumed according to your taste, the main thing is to avoid sweet soda. This can be unsweetened green or black tea, black coffee without sugar and cream, unsweetened rosehip infusion.

Healthy snack options

Between main meals, for example, for lunch, you can eat the following dishes and products:

• skim cheese;
• low-fat yogurt;
• bread with bran, whole and puffed grains, buckwheat;
• chocolate with peanuts;
• regular and drinking yoghurts;
• kefir with berries;
• fruits and berries - orange, cherry plum, tangerine, banana, pineapple, grapefruit;
• fruit and berry salad;
• fruit juices;
• juice with crackers;
• dried fruits;
• bun with cheese and tomatoes.

Healthy hearty lunch

You need to have a hearty lunch, but so that there is no feeling of heaviness. Here are ideas for lunch:

• beef borsch;
• turkey goulash;
• salmon with pepper;
• chicken with onions and carrots;
• fish and mashed potatoes;
• vegetarian vegetable soup;
• fish soup;
• lean pork;
• vegetable stew with beans (white, red, green beans are useful);
• boiled or baked potatoes;
• rabbit meat with tomato;
• beef stew with vegetables;
• salad (sweet peppers, greens, onions);
• boiled rice;
• salad (fresh cabbage, cucumbers);
• stewed potatoes with meat;
• durum wheat pasta with fried meat;
• cabbage soup;
• stewed fish with vegetables;
• vegetable salads (tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants);
• the vinaigrette;
• slicing vegetables;
• light salad (cucumbers, herbs, tomatoes, lemon juice);
• salad with sauerkraut;
• chicken soup with rice or noodles;
• boiled buckwheat with beef gravy;
• steamed or boiled skinless chicken;
• boiled turkey;
• cauliflower.

For lunch you can drink compote or tea. It’s also a good idea to drink sweet milk tea, coffee with sugar and milk, sweet fruit tea with milk, sweet chicory with milk, unsweetened green tea or coffee.

Afternoon snack

A proper second snack in the form of an afternoon snack after lunch can be represented by these products and dishes:

• fruit salad with cottage cheese and yogurt;
• baked apples and pears with cottage cheese and berries cream;
• fruit and berry salad with ricotta and yogurt;
• cottage cheese with berries;
• cottage cheese and fruit mousse;
• dark chocolate with natural coffee;
• tea with oatmeal cookies;
• banana milkshake (prepared in a blender);
• dried fruits with unsweetened tea;
• low-fat curd cheese and cocoa;
• citrus juice and biscuit;
• tomato juice with cornbread;
• yogurt and apple.

Light and nutritious dinner options

The following dishes and products are suitable for a healthy dinner; you can safely eat them in the evening and not gain weight (the main thing for a feeling of lightness and proper digestion is to wait 3-4 hours before going to bed, during this time it is better not to eat or drink anything):

• okroshka with kefir and chicken;
• okroshka with beef;
• okroshka with turkey;
• bran bread;
• oatmeal, rye-wheat or wheat bread;
• steamed fish cutlets;
• low-fat cottage cheese with orange or grapefruit;
• boiled chicken, stewed cauliflower with cheese or soy sauce;
• durum wheat pasta with fish stew;
• fruit juice and veal stew;
• stewed beans (green, red, white), boiled potatoes, broccoli;
• stewed beans, broccoli and pasta;
• chicken or beef shish kebab, juice, baked vegetables;
• vegetable salad, pilaf, green tea;
• boiled meat, bread, unsweetened tea, stewed cabbage;
• salad (tomatoes, cucumbers, green peas, radishes, olive oil), low-fat fish (cod, pike, hake) with rice.

The basics of a beautiful figure

Be sure to listen to these tips, they will help you maintain a normal weight and set you up for a healthy lifestyle.

Don't eat heavy food in the evening. Before going to bed, you need to fast for 3-4 hours. You should not weigh yourself too often. To avoid breakdowns from the pp diet, regularly have a Cheat meal - eat delicious desserts and your favorite foods with pleasure, without guilt or anxiety.

Eat healthy not alone, but with your family members or friends - the team spirit will be your bonus and will not allow you to switch to unhealthy eating. We advise you to pay a lot of attention to the right snacks and drink enough clean water, it is these little things that protect against overeating.

Instead of regular bread products, buy whole grain products, bread, and bran bread. It is better to eat slowly, without being distracted by anything. Focus on natural, safe products. If you need to change the calorie content of your diet - reduce or increase it, then all changes to your menu should be introduced gradually. Best option for a proper diet - simple food with minimal processing, dishes from a small number of ingredients.

Get enough sleep and rest for comfortable well-being and high performance at work and training. For reference healthy image In life, you need to protect yourself from stress in every possible way. Even if you don't need to lose weight, try to move more for your health and good mood - at least 40 minutes of intense movement every day will definitely be beneficial.

A sedentary lifestyle is definitely harmful for everyone. If you're used to not moving much during the day, do at least some light morning stretching or quick cardio exercises. Also, everyone should take long walks in the fresh air in good company or with a dog. It is very useful to swim, play tennis, ski, skate and rollerblade, jogging (jogging) or Nordic walking.

Perform marital duties regularly and never drink alcohol or smoke. All this taken together will help create perfect body, always look young and attractive.

Your weight is ideal, you achieved it through diet, exercise or other means. However, weight is a dynamic concept, how to keep it in a stable state and not add too much? This is a serious, complex issue and requires a separate discussion - sometimes it is easier to lose weight than to maintain it, and sharp fluctuations in weight are not very good for health.

But if we are honest with ourselves, most weight problems are our own fault, abruptly giving up dieting or training when we achieve results. Passion.ru tells us what to do to maintain a stable weight and shape.

From a scientific point of view

The point of view of many scientists and psychologists on losing weight through diets is ambiguous. They claim that diet is not the way sustainable weight loss , because those who were on diets for 2 to 5 years of life then gained weight not only to the original level, but even gained excess weight.

Their health status was assessed in the long term and turned out to be unsatisfactory - such experiments with weight developed into heart and vascular diseases, diabetes And obesity , the immune system was compromised and stroke episodes increased sharply.

Doctors made a conclusion about the reasons that led to the weight return: they were weight loss of more than a quarter of the original body weight, and, moreover, it occurred in a critically short period of time. The subjects also showed prolonged sitting in static positions: watching TV, lying on the sofa, or hours spent in front of a computer monitor - that is, they showed inactivity.

According to scientists, a “weight dominant” is created in the cerebral cortex and subcortical structures; in other words, the body gets used to living at a given weight. With a sudden weight loss, the brain will try in every possible way to regain it - because it does not like change.

Therefore, you need to maintain the reduced weight for at least six months to a year, then the brain will form a new dominant, that is, it will get used to living in a thinner body and rebuild its metabolism to suit this weight. This is a real possibility that after losing weight you will no longer regain your previous weight.

Why does the weight come back?

The sources of excess weight are our natural laziness and boredom: as we reach the required weight, a person begins to relax, exercises less and allows himself weaknesses in the form of eating in front of the TV, even if it is crackers with tea.

Every extra cracker or candy throughout the year gives you a couple of extra kilograms - and so on for every meal. Wean yourself from eating with company, out of boredom, and in front of the TV (or near the monitor).

If you want to eat

If the desire to chew something is irresistible, you should have apples, pears, fresh vegetables ready - in a word, healthy and low-calorie food . By the way, “biting” is not such a bad habit from the point of view of maintaining weight. If you eat regularly, you will not feel ravenous, which means that you will eat little at your main meals and not exceed the amount of calories.

Eat when you are truly hungry, not when you need to or when the whole family is eating. If you have a complex and unstable job with an irregular schedule, there is no opportunity to eat in peace, drink more fluids and snack on light foods - salad, cottage cheese, yogurt , fruits.

If you are incredibly hungry in the evening after work, take a break and drink a glass fresh or green tea Before eating, eat a tomato or salad, and 15 minutes later sit down to dinner - you will eat much less and will not get excess calories.

Don't give up your favorite foods

Many people give up their favorite dishes for the sake of their figure. This spoils your character and makes you want to break down. Therefore, eat whatever you want, but set limits for yourself - tasty, but harmful products eat a piece, savoring it, and infrequently, for example, once a week. It would be good to do this in a restaurant, where the portions are small and the atmosphere is pleasant, with friends - this will even more set you up for positivity and the desire to maintain weight.

Weigh yourself correctly

As you reach your goal weight, be aware of its natural fluctuations throughout the day and throughout the menstrual cycle. Make it a rule to weigh yourself once a week, on the same day and time. This will allow you to objectively assess your dynamics, without errors such as “drank a lot of water”, “didn’t have a bowel movement”, “were on a visit”.

If there is a stable gain of two or more kilograms in a week, you need to reconsider your diet: your income exceeds your calorie expenditure.

Think over your diet

Remember why you first gained weight and then lost weight? That's right - you changed your diet, therefore, it would be logical not to return to the diet that added weight to you. Reconsider your diet and daily nutrition - diversify your diet, making it your eating style. Then the likelihood of weight gain again will be reduced (but not excluded, alas).

The diet, regardless of the season, should contain the vast majority of unprocessed thermally processed foods - salads, vinaigrettes, vegetable and fruit snacks, desserts, fresh vegetables and fruits. Eliminate from your diet or reduce to a minimum potentially harmful foods - sausages, sausages, margarine, mayonnaise, smoked meats, marinades.

It is most correct to cook for yourself at home, avoiding the use of store-bought semi-finished products - they are very fatty and contain inferior soy protein.

Don't be lazy

Laziness is obesity's best friend; it forces us to give up training, which is simply necessary for a modern person.

To keep your muscles toned and excess weight under control, you need to exercise for at least half an hour every day. It doesn't have to be Gym: you can work in the country, run , swim in a river or pool, walk home from work at an intense pace. In the morning, do ten minutes of exercise - this will give your muscles a workout and brain activity.

On weekends, get out into the open air more often and relax actively: sitting at the computer is not relaxation. And most importantly, believe in yourself, do not succumb to the provocations of envious people who cannot lose weight, and rejoice in your slim figure.

Do you have secrets that help you maintain normal weight?

It's no secret that being overweight is harmful to our body. Accordingly, and this is no secret to anyone, the “correct”, healthy weight is beneficial and improves the quality and length of life. Achieving and maintaining an optimal body weight is important to your overall health and can help you prevent and manage many diseases and conditions, stay youthful longer, and lead an active lifestyle.

To gain weight means to weaken the body and make it defenseless against illnesses. Overweight people are less attractive to the opposite sex. Their organs cope less energetically with infections, they catch colds more often, get tired more often, and their performance decreases. Of course, every 10 kg of excess weight is like a bucket full of water, which we carry on ourselves without stops and breaks, even sleeping with it!

What are the risks of obesity? In the early stages, the disease may be asymptomatic, but eventually affects the organs and systems of the human body. Excess body weight impairs blood circulation in the body, which supplies tissues with oxygen and removes carbon dioxide and waste products. This manifests itself in the feeling constant fatigue, frequent fatigue, memory deteriorates, foggy consciousness is observed, and difficulty concentrating appears. Also, a person constantly has cold hands and feet even in warm weather, there may be tingling in the fingers and feet or loss of sensation in the limbs, pain in the legs when walking.

Excess weight puts extreme stress on joints , which are not capable of working normally in extreme mode for a long time. And this leads to the fact that the cartilage covering the articular surfaces is mechanically injured, literally worn out and begins to hurt, swell, and become deformed. And we are not just talking about the joints of the legs. The situation with the spine is no better. With obesity, intervertebral discs are injured, which increases the possibility of intervertebral hernia. All this limits a person’s mobility and reduces his activity. If the contents of the intervertebral disc begin to put pressure on the spinal nerves, the person feels severe pain. In addition, the functioning of internal organs deteriorates. There may be problems with urination and defecation.

Obese men experience decreased libido and erection problems. Fat women often suffer from infertility. Moreover, as soon as a woman normalizes her weight, everything returns to normal. Obesity increases the risk of breast cancer.

Poor nutrition is an indispensable companion of excess weight. Eating excessively high-calorie, fatty foods leads to various diseases digestive organs, liver, intestines, gall bladder, kidneys. Increased risk of diabetes mellitus. Eating excessively spicy, salty foods disrupts the water-salt balance of the body, excess fluid accumulates in the tissues, swelling occurs, and cholesterol levels increase.

Blood vessels lose elasticity and wear out faster. Veins suffer from varicose veins, arteries from atherosclerosis. Blood pressure increases. Atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels occurs, and as a result, dementia. The possibility of a cerebral stroke increases.

Obesity can lead to serious heart disease. The risk of coronary heart disease increases, which can lead to myocardial infarction.

This article is intended for readers who have already read Chapter on protection against cardiovascular diseases, from Part A Science-Based Self-Care Plan our Smart Consumer Guides to Health Care Services and Information.

As you may have already learned, maintaining body weight at an optimal level significantly reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.

In this article you will find scientifically based recommendations with which you can organize effective and safe weight loss.

What should be the optimal body weight?

To assess the adequacy of your weight (in terms of your risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes), you need to measure several parameters:

1. your height,
2. Your weight,
3. your waist circumference.

Height to weight ratio (body mass index, BMI)

Based on your weight and height, you can calculate your body mass index(BMI) using the following formula:

You can also find your BMI using the following table:

Weight, kg)	Height (cm)
	150	155	160	165	170	175	180	185	190	195	200
40	17,8	16,6	15,6	14,7	13,8	13,1	12,3	11,7	11,1	10,5	10,0
45	20,0	18,7	17,6	16,5	15,6	14,7	13,9	13,1	12,5	11,8	11,3
50	22,2	20,8	19,5	18,4	17,3	16,3	15,4	14,6	13,9	13,1	12,5
55	24,4	22,9	21,5	20,2	19,0	18,0	17,0	16,1	15,2	14,5	13,8
60	26,7	25,0	23,4	22,0	20,8	19,6	18,5	17,5	16,6	15,8	15,0
65	28,9	27,1	25,4	23,9	22,5	21,2	20,1	19,0	18,0	17,1	16,3
70	31,1	29,1	27,3	25,7	24,2	22,9	21,6	20,5	19,4	18,4	17,5
75	33,3	31,2	29,3	27,5	26,0	24,5	23,1	21,9	20,8	19,7	18,8
80	35,6	33,3	31,3	29,4	27,7	26,1	24,7	23,4	22,2	21,0	20,0
85	37,8	35,4	33,2	31,2	29,4	27,8	26,2	24,8	23,5	22,4	21,3
90	40,0	37,5	35,2	33,1	31,1	29,4	27,8	26,3	24,9	23,7	22,5
95	42,2	39,5	37,1	34,9	32,9	31,0	29,3	27,8	26,3	25,0	23,8
100	44,4	41,6	39,1	36,7	34,6	32,7	30,9	29,2	27,7	26,3	25,0
105	46,7	43,7	41,0	38,6	36,3	34,3	32,4	30,7	29,1	27,6	26,3
110	48,9	45,8	43,0	40,4	38,1	35,9	34,0	32,1	30,5	28,9	27,5
115	51,1	47,9	44,9	42,2	39,8	37,6	35,5	33,6	31,9	30,2	28,8
120	53,3	49,9	46,9	44,1	41,5	39,2	37,0	35,1	33,2	31,6	30,0

Based on your BMI, you can determine which category you fall into:

How do we know that these particular BMI indicators are optimal?

As with many other clinical indicators, for BMI, optimal values ​​were established based on observations of the health status of a large number of people. Statistical analysis of these data showed that people with a BMI greater than 25 are at greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease than people with a BMI less than 25. In addition, it was found that a further increase in BMI (above 25) leads to a corresponding, directly proportional increase the likelihood of developing cardiovascular diseases (in particular, heart attack), diabetes and overall mortality. On this basis it was generally accepted 25 upper limit of optimal BMI.

On the other hand, observations have shown that a BMI below 18.5 is recorded mainly in people who eat too little food (for their height) and are therefore prone to developing a number of diseases (including anemia) associated with a lack of vitamins, minerals and proteins. For this reason, 18,5 was considered to be the lower limit of optimal BMI.

It turns out that the optimal weight does not depend on age and gender?

Yes, if we talk about body weight as a parameter influencing the state of the cardiovascular system, then we can say that for all adults of the same height (regardless of their age or gender), optimal weight body has the same limits.

Calculating your optimal weight limits.

Now that you already know the formula for calculating BMI and that 18.5 is the lower limit of optimal weight and 24.9 is the upper limit, you can calculate exactly how much you can weigh to be within your optimal weight range.

Waist circumference

In the course of scientific research, it was found that the most significant negative impact on a person’s condition (in terms of increasing the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and diabetes) is exerted by adipose tissue located in the abdomen and internal organs.

For this reason, waist circumference used as another clinical indicator(in addition to BMI), which allows you to assess the level of cardiovascular risk.

How to measure your waist circumference?

Take a regular tape (meter) and, after exhaling, apply it around the circumference, directly on the skin at the level of the navel. Make sure the tape lies parallel to the floor.

Observations of large groups of people have shown that exceeding these indicators

has a strong statistical association with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke. A particularly high risk of developing these diseases is observed in men with a waist circumference greater than 102 cm and in women with a waist circumference greater than 88 cm.

Could it be that my BMI is within the optimal range, but my waist circumference is larger than necessary?

Yes, this is possible and, in this case, you should assume that you are at increased cardiovascular risk (and that you need to lose weight to reduce it).

In the body of every person, the main weight falls on muscles, adipose tissue, internal organs and bones. The weight of bones and internal organs differs little between different people of the same height. On the other hand, the weight of muscle and fat tissue can vary widely. People with good physical shape have more muscle mass.

If any person has excess fat tissue, and, at the same time, significant lack of muscle mass, the overall ratio of his weight and height will remain within the optimal BMI (usually at the upper limit of this indicator). However, due to the excess amount of adipose tissue, this person will be at increased cardiovascular risk.

Losing weight. How to organize a safe and effective weight loss program?

In this part we will answer the following questions:

• What scientifically based methods of solving the problem of excess weight exist at the moment?
• How safe and effective are each of these methods?

Science-Based Weight Loss Concept

The concept described below has been used for many years by doctors of various specialties who advise people with excess weight and help them overcome the problems associated with this condition (diabetes, high blood pressure, post-heart attack, etc.).

This concept has no proprietary name and no specific author, since its principles (just like in the case of other methods of treating various diseases) were formulated in the course of scientific research, the joint efforts of many researchers, over many years.

Structure of a weight loss program

1. As a rule, changes for the better do not happen on their own. Their implementation requires planning. In turn, planning takes time. The first and most important step part of a weight loss plan is to set aside a certain amount of time that you will regularly spend planning to resolve all other issues related to the implementation of your weight loss program.
2. Once you've taken the time needed to plan, you can move on to the next step: correction of nutritional composition.
3. Once your nutritional structure is established, you will be able to determine your realistic weight loss goal.
4. Once you define your goal, you can adjust the amount of energy that you will receive from food. It is from this moment that weight loss will begin.
5. Once you start losing weight, you will need Monitor your progress with regular weigh-ins. This will help you determine if you are getting closer to your goal and if you need to change anything in your program.
6. When the composition and quantity of food have been adjusted, you can move on to establishing a physical activity regimen. This is necessary so that weight loss occurs without loss of muscle mass and bone density.
7. Finally, when you reach your optimal weight, you will need learn to support it.

Taking time to plan

Setting aside time for planning means finding a certain amount of time in your daily or weekly routine that you will regularly devote to solving all issues related to the implementation of your weight loss plan. Here are some examples:

During the planning periods, you will be able to:

• re-read the recommendations presented in this manual;
• read all other materials that you may need to draw up your plan;
• review your meal plan, make a new shopping list, find new recipes;
• monitor how your weight loss is progressing, whether you need to adjust your plan and if so, how exactly.

There should be enough time; 45-60 minutes a week, at least, and you should plan it every week.

Planning is base element solving any long-term problem. If, some time after starting your weight loss program, you find that you are no closer to your goal, you should know that cause the problem is lack of planning. You either didn't spend enough time collecting necessary information, either did not have time to reconsider your eating style, or did not discuss the changes with other members of your family, did not buy the necessary things, etc. and so on. Don't miss a single planning session. If some day it happens that, due to unforeseen circumstances, you have to do something else instead of planning, take just 5 minutes to sit down and think that, this time, you are skipping planning , but it is important to you, and next time you will spend it. This will preserve the tradition of planning, and the tradition will preserve the entire program.

The Right Attitude

It will be right if you treat yourself and your intention to lose weight with respect and kindness, however, at the same time, objectively and constructively.

This means that you should not see losing weight as a punishment that you are going to inflict on yourself. On the contrary, you can respect yourself for this decision because it will lead to you taking better care of yourself. It also means that you will evaluate your efforts and results honestly, but will not dwell on criticism. Once you recognize the error and its cause, you can resolve it using planned actions. This is a constructive approach.

Correction of nutritional composition

From Chapters on protection against cardiovascular diseases You may have already learned what science-based nutrition principles are. The same nutritional principles must be followed during the process of losing weight.

You will find detailed information on this matter in the article Science-Based, Practical Nutrition Recommendations.

Assuming that all readers will open this guide, here we will list only the main advantages that such a nutritional system gives to people who want to lose weight:

1. As we have already said, this nutritional system has a scientifically proven positive effect in terms of reducing the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease, and this is very important, since the risk of developing all these diseases is increased in overweight people.
2. The implementation of all the principles of this nutritional system allows us to ensure a more adequate intake of various macro (proteins, fats, carbohydrates) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals and other biologically active substances) into the body. For people who want to lose weight and who will have to reduce the amount of food they consume to do this, this is very important, as this will allow them to get the necessary nutrients.
3. The nutritional principles outlined in this system are suitable and recommended for all people. This means that the whole family can switch to a new nutrition plan along with the person who intends to lose weight. In addition, by organizing such meals for your loved ones, you will reduce their risk of developing a number of dangerous diseases.
4. Once you reach your optimal weight, you won't need to change anything to maintain it. Scientific research shows that people who follow this diet plan find it easier to maintain an optimal weight for a long time.

Setting a realistic weight loss goal

The third point of a weight loss plan is to set a realistic goal. A realistic goal means how many kilograms you need to lose, at what speed you will lose weight and, accordingly, how long it will take to achieve your optimal weight.

Do the following calculation: subtract from your current weight the upper limit of your optimal weight(it can be calculated using the formula 24.9 x (height, in meters) 2).

You will receive a number that indicates how many kilograms you need to lose to reach your optimal weight.

For example, if you weigh 74 kg and your upper optimal weight is 62 kg, you can consider yourself to be 12 kg overweight (at a minimum).

By doing this calculation, you will have a realistic idea of ​​how many pounds you need to lose to reach your optimal weight and, at the same time, reduce your cardiovascular risk. This is a completely different matter than setting a goal to “lose a little weight” or “get in shape.” This gives you the opportunity, at any time, to objectively evaluate your progress.

By dividing the weight you need to lose by the rate at which you're losing weight, you can calculate how long (weeks, months, or years) it will take you to reach your goal.

For example, if to achieve your optimal weight you need to lose 12 kg, dividing this figure by 1.5 or 2 (this is the amount of weight you can lose in 1 month), you can estimate that it will take you have at least 6-8 months.

More fast weight loss Justified only if being overweight has already caused you certain health problems that cannot be controlled with medication. However, in this case, you may need the help of a doctor to organize a weight loss program.

Adjusting the amount of energy you get from food. This is where weight loss begins.

When regular planning has become habitual for you, and when you have already restructured the composition of your diet, you can begin losing weight. To do this, you will need to partially limit your food intake.

This is the fourth point of your program, and this is where weight loss begins.

A number of scientific studies have found that in order to achieve an optimal rate of weight loss...

Maintaining optimal weight

Maintaining optimal weight
(or why diets don't work most of the time)

Andrey Patrushev
(based on materials from foreign press)

Finding a truly working method of losing excess weight and maintaining an optimal weight for yourself is perhaps one of the most important and sought-after issues of your entire life. No one knows better than you (and maybe some of us) how difficult and demoralizing it can be to be overweight and fight for every pound you lose and the constant fear of gaining weight again. And this fear constantly delays the start of a new battle with kilograms.

• You look in the mirror at your body...
• A fashionable suit does not fit you well, to put it mildly.
• Friends and family talk down to you or laugh behind your back

How terrible it is to hear in the finale from loved ones who have repeatedly tried to inspire you to the next battle, words that are bitter for you: “Oh, okay, stop worrying - we still love you”. This may completely break you, but it may also inspire you to take the next decisive step...

So, you decided to go on a diet and get rid of excess weight. Wonderful!

But first, get ready to bravely face the accompanying phenomena: restriction of freedom, constant hunger, obsessive counting of every gram and every calorie. In addition to these troubles, you often have to spend a fair amount of effort and money.
Here are the naked facts about the diet industry with a turnover of... 10 billion dollars and a dismal 2-5%, characterizing their success for clients.

Millions of people invest money, time and energy into weight loss diets. Diets that don't work. Yes, at the beginning the kilograms go away, but most often and quite soon they return, and even with a group of friends...

Do you want to know why diets don't work?

Actually, it's simple - because they are very stressful. The body successfully resists weight loss and quickly regains it at the first opportunity. Think about it, you (your mind, armed with your limited life experience) are fighting against a monstrous machine (your body), which has millions of years of successful struggle for survival behind it.

The diet causes significant losses in your body and is interpreted by it as a threat of starvation - very stressful conditions.
Lack of food switches the body to “economy mode.”
1) Metabolic processes slow down
2) The brain reduces the production of endorphins - the most important neurotransmitters that control states of pleasure and peace, which forces us to look for a way out of the current situation
3) All incoming food is stored in storage areas - fat deposits (in case it gets even worse).

Dieting forces the body to store supplies for future use at any cost. Eat healthy. You know what that means. Lists of suitable foods are included in every diet guide and health book.

Eat less, but more often. Instead of skipping breakfast and making up for it at lunch, eat five times a day. When food is divided into small portions, it is absorbed more fully and efficiently and does not load you with extra calories. Which will be stored as fat. This method will allow you to maintain an optimal level of metabolism, energy and be satisfied with a moderate amount of food with a minimum level of hunger.

A person on a diet, under stress, with a low metabolism, experiencing all the burdens of a new lifestyle, feels emotional derivation and seeks a way out in gluttony, which is just a subconscious reaction to stress.

A dieter may even completely abandon all weight-loss efforts and return to their previous uncontrolled food intake, quickly replenishing losses and even gaining additional pounds.

The main reason why 98 out of 100 people give up their efforts is that the way of losing weight through dieting does not take into account basic human psychology. In short, the diet itself has a built-in mechanism that leads to a low level of success for the individual and high level success for the diet industry

And number one in this mechanism is STRESS, which leads to the complete collapse of your hopes for success.
The Chinese character for “Stress” contains two characters for “Danger” and “Opportunity”. Stress is both a friend and an enemy, depending on how you react to it. People react to the same stressful situation differently. It is not the situation, but only our reaction to it that can cause anxiety, frustration and other undesirable reactions. On the other side. Managed stress can really enhance your ability to cope with life's next difficult circumstances.

There is one more fact and caution that you need to know before you reach Nirvana.

People who are overweight, especially obese people, not only carry more cells in their bodies, but those cells are also larger. compared to “regular” cells. And this situation is aggravated by a long period of connivance towards one’s own figure.

When a “fat” person goes on a diet, these large cells do not become smaller. They simply shrink in size as they starve, but still remain with that person. The body on a diet must gradually reduce the number of these cells, including getting rid of the "fat-filled space" around previously fat cells, to allow them to live a healthy life - a normal supply of nutrients and waste products. This requires considerable time. Until this new balance is established, you may lose all patience. While any connivance instantly returns these cells to their previous size and an increase in weight and body size.

This phenomenon is known as "yo-yo effect", and instead of enjoying the quick results of your undoubtedly very effective diet It is important for you to follow a long-term plan and strategy to allow your body to get rid of excess cells. Only after this will you be able to maintain your new weight and desired body size without much effort.
In this battle of intentions between you (your mind) and your body, we fortunately have on our side one immutable rule regarding the body: “If you don’t use it, you lose it,” which means that if the additional cells are not nourished and are not used for what they were created for, the body will notice them and remove them, including the extra fat around them. As a result, your body will become truly toned again, just like before.

Now you can no longer be afraid of gaining weight again, because the “fat stores” have disappeared!

Your body no longer has room to store supplies, and you may even indulge yourself from time to time (but don't get left behind again!).

A sedentary lifestyle, especially for a long period, does not lead to health. And if you get rid of fat deposits by leading an active lifestyle, faster and more sustainable results await you. You will become more active and with better hopes for the future.

Diets lower the level of metabolic processes and primarily lead to the loss of muscle mass, not fat. At the same time, exercise increases your metabolism, keeps it high for many hours and can even raise it above baseline. Thus, you continue to burn a large number of calories even during sleep and rest. Exercise also leads to the release of increased amounts of growth hormone (which also helps remove fat and strengthen muscles and bones) and neurotransmitters responsible for pleasure and peace (such as endorphins, and serotonin), energy and vitality (dopamine, norepinephrine).

Therefore, your success depends on careful and long-term consideration of the following factors:

• STRESS– Control stress as soon as you recognize its presence.
• "BARS FOR FAT"- Your body needs to get rid of them
• THIS NEEDS ENOUGH TIME– When this happens, your body itself will give you a signal: “I’m full, stop eating!”
• STAY ACTIVE ALL YOUR LIFE and your life will be long

This information was first published in the Biotrol Company Inc. newsletter.
Please keep in mind that this information primarily applies to those who are overweight but do not have specific medical problems. Those who have such problems should first consult their doctor. However, reducing your stress levels and calming your nerves is useful under any circumstances.

Andrey Patrushev