They say that all problems are in our heads. Our fears, behavior, self-doubt and, of course, excess weight are all the result of the work of the subconscious, a consequence of what is written in it. Therefore, nutrition consultants and nutritionists have long come to the conclusion that for effective weight correction it is not enough just to adhere to a properly balanced diet and exercise regularly - it is important to understand yourself.
Today I would like to talk about why psychology and excess weight are so interconnected, how important it is to overload the brain in order to lose weight, who needs such a reboot and how to achieve it. Experts from the school of nutritionists at the Wellness Consulting Academy undertake to clarify these issues...
Safe rules and techniques for losing weight
To lose weight safely and effectively, you need to follow certain rules. By strictly following them, it is very easy to say goodbye to excess weight. All you need is:
- Lose weight slowly. Every day the human body needs to replenish the energy that is required for its normal functioning. If it stops flowing, the coordinated functioning of internal organs and systems is disrupted, which can lead to various pathologies. The norm is a loss of 1-2 kg per month, no more. Such safe weight loss will not affect your health in any way.
- Include healthy fats (unsaturated) in your diet: fish oil, olive oil, nuts, avocados, etc. They participate in the secretion of hormones and promote rapid satiety, improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
- Count calories. You can get rid of extra pounds without compromising your personal gastronomic preferences. Counting the calorie content of foods will help you lose weight correctly. Many people reject this technique due to its complexity. However, it is through reasonable calorie restriction that you can balance your diet and lose weight.
- Speed up metabolism. Over the years, the metabolic rate in the body decreases; it does not burn calories as actively as before. To speed it up and thereby safely lose weight, you need to: always get enough sleep, avoid fasting, exercise, and be sure to have breakfast with food rich in complex carbohydrates. It is also necessary to quit smoking and give up any type of alcohol.
- Maintain drinking regime. To start the process of losing weight without harm to health, you need to drink at least 1.5 liters of water per day. It has the ability to speed up metabolism and break down fats, as well as reduce appetite. Any methods of losing weight imply a ban on drinking carbonated and other sweet drinks.
- Reduce your sugar intake. Avoiding this product will help you lose weight quickly, because... 90% of food includes it. But you shouldn’t get rid of it completely. The body needs natural sugar (from fruits, berries), but refined sugar is harmful to health.
Nutritionists advise replacing black tea with green tea. Research has proven that this drink contains many antioxidants that help burn fat and speed up metabolism.
To lose weight safely, you should give up a strict diet. Strict restrictions on food consumption negatively affect the functioning of the entire body. In addition, after a strict diet, all the lost kilograms will return in record time. If you eat properly and balanced, weight loss will be effective and safe.
A course on the psychology of weight loss instead of constantly paying a psychologist
Wellness Consulting Academy decided to simplify the task for everyone who wants to effectively lose weight forever, having worked through all their psychological barriers and problems. Our team of experts has developed a special proprietary course “Lose weight. How to put order in your head and plate”, consisting of 10 modules of valuable and very interesting information.
After completing the course, you will receive all the knowledge you need to successfully correct weight, establish a new, better lifestyle and improve your relationship with yourself. This is much more profitable than constantly paying for consultations with a psychologist, turning to him again and again with new difficulties and fears.
For only $49 you get 90 days of access to all training video materials of the course, located on a modern online platform (access is possible from any device and gadget connected to the Internet).
In addition, during the training you will be able to use for free the author's calorie analyzer of foods and dishes for faster menu creation and the author's body composition analyzer for developing an individual weight loss program.
And if you need help and support from nutritionist consultants, you can always find it in a closed community of wellness specialists, to which you will be given access on an ongoing basis.
It is also worth noting that the speaker of the course is a practicing nutritionist, experienced psychotherapist, certified coach and consultant on eating disorders Lara Serebryanskaya. So you will definitely be in good hands.
All questions that arise during the course can be asked for discussion during the live webinar. In addition, you will have a personal curator who will provide assistance and assistance if difficulties arise in completing the training modules.
Physical exercise
Exercise helps you lose weight without harming your health. A quick way to lose weight is to exercise and diet at the same time. Physical activity not only helps build muscle and remove excess fat, but also improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system:
- Lunges with dumbbells are an effective way to work the pelvic and hip areas.
- Squats. These are excellent exercises for losing weight in the fight against extra centimeters not only on the hips, but also on the waist, because... During movement, all muscle groups will be involved.
- Strengthening the back muscles. Few people know that with the help of special exercises for the back you can lose weight. They help not only burn fat, but also build a strong muscle frame.
- Working out the press. Abdominal exercises will help you lose excess weight and create a slimmer silhouette. You can get the desired relief in the lower abdomen by creating a load on this area of the body. The popular exercises “bicycle” and “plank” do an excellent job with this task.
- Push-ups. One of the basic exercises that is recommended to be included in every workout and performed regularly. This type of physical activity is beneficial for people at any age.
If you combine push-ups with running or intense walking (Scandinavian), you can speed up your metabolism. As a result, there will be a faster loss of extra pounds.
When selecting physical activity, it should be taken into account that in case of obesity (BMI over 30), exercise should be supervised by a specialist. This is due to the fact that with large excess weight, the load on the body increases significantly. Playing sports can cause pain in the joints and spine, and increase the risk of hypertension (hypertensive crisis), stroke, heart attack and other diseases.
A set of exercises for obese people should be selected and dosed individually. The specialist prescribes the load taking into account physical characteristics, general health, the presence of concomitant diseases, the person’s capabilities, and specific goals.
Avoid additional stress
Exam stress, a new job, a change of apartment or a negative phase with a partner are stages of life in which losing weight will put additional stress on the body and psyche. Because reducing calories is a change in the whole body. Metabolism must work differently. Mood can also fluctuate. Anyone who starts a diet during a difficult time in life will almost certainly fail.
How to force yourself to lose weight. Motivation and advice.
Therefore, a good time to lose weight is a stable stage in life. If you have the opportunity: a few days off or even a vacation are especially good to start a diet. Favorite sports, carefully prepared meals and rest breaks are the best framework conditions.
List of bariatric surgeries for weight loss
Effective diets, physical activity and other methods that solve the problem of excess weight do not always bring the desired result. This is due to the fact that most people are unable to eat healthy and maintain a regular exercise routine. The extra pounds begin to add up rapidly. It is no longer possible to stop weight gain with proper nutrition alone. To achieve weight loss, surgeons use several types of surgical treatment.
Gastric banding
It involves installing a silicone ring (band) on the upper part of the stomach. The organ is divided into 2 parts. Food first enters the first small section of the organ, passes through a narrow passage in the ring area and then into the main part of the stomach. Due to the bandage, food is retained in the first part, so a person quickly gets full after eating a small portion. Banding is a reversible manipulation; if necessary, the ring can be removed.
Gastric bypass
The essence of the operation is to separate the digestion in such a way that the food bolus immediately passes into the distal sections without entering the duodenum. The surgeon cuts off part of the stomach, forming a small pouch with a volume of up to 50 ml. The remaining organ is sutured - it is not removed from the abdominal cavity. Creates an anastomosis between the “new” stomach and part of the small intestine. Due to the shrinkage of the stomach, a person will not be able to eat the usual portion. Food passes through a bypass route, its breakdown and absorption of nutrients occurs much later than before the operation.
Sleeve gastrectomy – Sleeve
One of the popular and effective surgical methods of weight loss. During the operation, 80% of the stomach is removed by cutting off the fundus and body of the organ. A long, thin sleeve remains, which is why the method is also called sleeve gastroplasty. The volume of the organ decreases almost 10 times. The bolus of food, passing through a narrow passage, lingers in the stomach for a long time. The result is a quick feeling of satiety.
After treatment, the digestion process is not disrupted, because all the physiological valves of the organ are preserved. The operation is irreversible - it is impossible to return the organ to its previous size. Used in patients with diabetes mellitus who are 3rd degree obese. Has an extremely low risk of complications.
Gastroplication
It can be called a modification of the classic vertical gastrectomy. The essence of the operation is also to reduce the size of the organ, but not by resection, but by suturing the walls. Part of the stomach is excluded from the digestion process. The treatment result is the same as with Sleeve surgery. The procedure is reversible within 12 months.
Biliopancreatic bypass
A complex operation that is accompanied by a large anatomical reconstruction of the digestive tract. Its goal is to reduce the absorption of nutrients in the small intestine. At the first stage, the stomach is resected to a volume of about 200 ml. Next, the small intestine is cut off in the area of the duodenum, and its final segment is sutured to the “new” stomach. The other is to the area where the small intestine transitions to the large intestine.
As a result of a complex operation, the food bolus goes one way, and the digestive juices go another. They are found almost at the exit into the large intestine. The effect of treatment is very high - patients achieve rapid weight loss. As a result of treatment, the amount of food eaten is reduced due to gastric resection, and the absorption of nutritional components decreases.
Gastric ballooning
Unlike previous methods, it is not an operation - it is performed not laparoscopically, but endoscopically. The procedure gives a short-term effect. The essence of ballooning is to install a silicone ball filled with a solution that is safe for the body into the stomach. Using an endoscope, it is inserted into the stomach and filled with liquid through a valve.
Being in the organ, it occupies most of it, which does not allow a person to eat much. The balloon is pressed against the walls of the stomach and activates satiety receptors, quickly suppressing the feeling of hunger. The procedure is reversible; after six months the ball must be removed or replaced with a new one.
Joint activity
Weight loss works best in a group. This is evidenced by an Australian study from Monash University. In a study of nearly 300 women, researchers compared whether sharing experiences together improved weight loss. It turned out that motivation in the group was better, and women lost weight faster than those who individually struggled with their excess weight.
However, you don't have to join a group right away to lose weight. Those who join forces with a friend, colleague or partner and lose weight together are likely to see faster success. It’s much easier together, you can encourage each other. This increases endurance.
The effectiveness of bariatric surgery
Bariatric surgery today is the most effective way to lose extra pounds with a body mass index over 30. Weight loss is observed within 1-2 years. The operation helps people who cannot limit themselves in food and exercise for a long time in the gym to find a new life.
A positive result after surgery is observed in everyone without exception. The fear of eating disorders disappears, people become more confident in their abilities and get rid of their complexes. The effectiveness of weight loss depends not only on the operation, but also on the patient. After surgery, you must strictly adhere to all doctor's recommendations. Ideally, take vitamin supplements and follow a diet, eating only healthy foods. To stay fit, exercise regularly.
Surgical intervention helps not only to lose weight, but also to restore health: metabolism improves, blood pressure and blood sugar levels are normalized.
Write down your beliefs
Psychologists know that beliefs that are regularly repeated in a ritualistic manner can actually have a certain effect on the subconscious. This fact can be used for motivation. The most important thing is that you want to do something good for yourself. Then the diet will benefit the body.
To remember that you are acting for yourself, a piece of paper with a belief system will help. This can, for example, be formulated as follows: “I was not born to be what others want me to be.” Pinned to your bathroom mirror, this sheet reminds you every morning and evening that you are acting in your best interests.
Contraindications for surgery
Restrictions on surgical treatment depend on the type of operation. Typically the following conditions are contraindications:
- mental illness;
- age under 16 years;
- pregnancy;
- breast-feeding;
- addiction to alcohol, drugs;
- chronic infectious diseases;
- severe pathologies of the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems;
- malignant neoplasms;
- blood coagulation disorder;
- pathologies of the digestive organs.
Choosing surgery for weight loss is a complex and responsible task. Like any surgical intervention, it carries certain risks, so bariatric surgery is used according to strict indications.
The main principle of safe weight loss is maintaining energy balance throughout your life. It is useless to “sit” once a month on water or another diet. You need to change your taste habits forever and learn to eat exactly as much food as your body needs to function properly. And then the problem of excess weight will disappear forever.
Half a kilogram per week
Goals should not be too ambitious. Diets that promise rapid weight loss are unrealistic. You can lose quite a lot of weight with their help, but mostly it’s just water. The body will replenish it.
After finishing the radical diet, the scale quickly shows your starting weight again. Therefore, it makes sense to set a realistic goal of losing about a kilogram per week. This is already great progress, which is currently achievable without great effort. This way you can avoid overload, which in turn will lead to failure.
How does this work correctly?
In words, all this seems easy and simple, but even here it is important to have a positive attitude, without a negative connotation. What mood will your day begin with if you tell yourself in the morning that you love your body and want to improve it in order to become better, and not resent how much you hate yourself and your figure with a dissatisfied face? Therefore, discipline, control, training are not the most difficult things you have to overcome; it is much more difficult to learn to love yourself. That is why, if you succeed in the last question, then you can handle any task in this life. There is only one request to you - do not overdo it, even self-love should be moderate. And a little self-criticism will only fuel your desire to improve.
Do not create pressure
This knowledge has long been known in psychology and pedagogy: pressure creates counterpressure, and therefore often has the opposite effect. This also applies to losing weight. With rigid resolutions containing words like “never again,” “always,” or “from today,” you put yourself under pressure.
For example, for a total chocolate lover, the resolution “never eat another chocolate bar” simply cannot be met. In just a few days you will not be able to resist and eat your favorite treat. Most likely, after the restriction, the limit will be greatly exceeded. This excess often leads to the destruction of everything. Good intentions crumble (“Now it doesn’t matter, I ate the candy, I’ll eat the box”), and failure becomes very real.
Become the best version of yourself
You can stop at any time as soon as it becomes difficult, bad, and so on. You will quit, return to your usual kefir diet, again get rid of five kilograms and then gain 10. Or you can put an end to this once and for all and at some point just overcome your fleeting weaknesses.
Overcoming difficulties is a difficult, but extremely entertaining activity that improves us every day. For example, you do squats 30 times every day and feel that this is the limit. Yes, you can stop, do the usual 30 squats and stay in the same place, but you can overcome your weakness and do at least one more! This is the essence of daily victory over yourself. Love yourself, no matter what the cost!
