Diet without losing the pleasure of eating

Based on nutritional re-education, flexitarianism proposes variety as a pillar of a healthy diet. When it comes to losing weight, it is common to think that a diet without certain foods, such as sweets, is the best way. On the one hand, this premise may be true, but the human body is not an exact science. At the moment, […]

Based on nutritional re-education, flexitarianism proposes variety as a pillar of healthy eating

When it comes to losing weight, it’s common to think that a diet free of certain foods, such as sweets, is the best solution. On the one hand, this premise may be true, but the human body is not an exact science. It is currently possible to find several studies that demonstrate that severe dietary restrictions, i.e. those that prevent us from enjoying certain pleasures in eating, are the main cause of binge eating.

This habit can end up hindering the weight loss process far more than helping it. In this sense, the flexitarian diet represents an excellent alternative in this research. The method involves adding a greater variety of foods to meals. Laura Calipo, nutritionist specializing in weight loss and partner of Flormel, explains the importance of pleasure in eating and the food re-education process: “It is extremely important to continue to feel pleasure in eating, in order to maintain a weight loss process. It is during food re-education that we need to learn how much and how to consume the foods most pleasing to our palate”.

Re-education is not a regime

Laura highlights the importance of understanding that nutritional re-education is a process distinct from diet. The diet has a beginning, a middle and an end, so the patient will follow a dietary pattern, with many restrictions, which is the big problem. “When the individual reaches his goal with that ‘closed recipe’, there is no way to maintain it for life and, so, he returns to exactly the same imbalance as before. As a result, there is a recovery of weight and that’s how people people get into the accordion effect,” he explains.

In this sense, it is possible to realize that a sweet treat every now and then will not be your biggest villain when it comes to losing weight. For the nutritionist, sweets, in adequate quantities, can also be included in the everyday diet. But for those who prefer not to give up, the big advantage is the healthy and sweet options. There are several options available on the market without added sugar and with a flavor identical to traditional sweets. To do this, it is worth keeping an eye on the food label and checking whether it is really healthy or whether it is a fitness fake, which is not so rare.

An example of motivation

In 2021, certain events made entrepreneur and digital content creator Matheus Granado realize that it was necessary to reduce the scale by a few digits. His vision became blurry and he began to feel uncontrollably thirsty. For days Matheus believed his glasses were weak and even made an appointment consultation to the ophthalmologist. Despite this, he decided to take a blood glucose test at home and, to his surprise, the first measurement was almost 400 mg/dl, when normal blood glucose levels are between 70 and 99 mg/dl.

The reality is that he was diabetic and was going blind due to obesity. “When I started nutritional monitoring with Matheus Granado, his weight loss process was already satisfactory, with good results. However, it was necessary to make changes in relation to the quantitative and qualitative nutritional distribution throughout the day and at meals. It was necessary to pay attention to ensure that his personality and his pleasure in eating are not lost, continuing to evolve towards his goal, which is weight loss”, recalls Laura, who also underlines the value of patience, given that the dietary change of the patient is gradual, that is, he is re-establishing eating habits and behaviors for life.

Healthy options

For the professional, the distribution and quality of carbohydrates ingested in the diet

they deserve a lot of attention. “There are sweets on the market that do not contain sugar, so we quantified, based on calories and carbohydrates, the options of Matheus’ food plan, which are included as options at various times of the day, such as pre-workout, afternoon snack, such as added to breakfast or as a sweet treat of the day. All calculated according to your needs”, he explains.

The process of the entrepreneur, who has already lost 25 kg, is a great inspiration for many people who try to lose weight throughout their lives, as it shows the reality: the process of losing weight should be something pleasant and gradual, and, Although everything works well, most of the time there are difficult moments. “It is precisely in this moment that you need to stop, think and remember why you chose to do something different and where you want to go,” says Laura.

Should I include sweets in the process?

According to the expert, the conscious and balanced intake of healthy sweets generates emotional and physiological pleasure for your body. “This happens because its consumption is associated with affective memories, as well as causing the release of neurotransmitters that give us a feeling of pleasure and happiness,” he explains.

One of the biggest difficulties we encounter in relation to the weight loss process is controlling the intake of sugary sweets and although we currently have a lot of access to “candy” fitness recipes, when we prepare them, the flavor and texture have no relation to the name of the product, original dessert intended for the recipe, this creates yet another great frustration for the patient.

Balance is the way!

It’s worth remembering that understanding that eating sweets in small amounts isn’t harmful may be just the breakthrough your body needs to no longer experience the accordion effect. In this regard, the nutritionist gives some advice: “Listen to your body! Make peace with food, making it your greatest ally. You will thus learn to understand hunger and satiety, to respect your desires – without exceeding – and also and what are the triggers that make you lose adherence to your food transformation”, concludes the professional.

Finally, if one day your diet doesn’t go as planned, stop, reflect and start again. The only way to change your eating pattern is to want and practice a conscious, tasty and balanced diet every day.

Source: Terra

Rose

Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.