The vicious circle of diets

Achieving a balanced diet means : 

1. The quality The diet must provide a variety of foods, so that the various essential nutrients can be found in different foods.
2. Quantity : The energy ration must make it possible to compensate for energy expenditure and to cover the needs of our body
3. During the day, there should be several food intakes ranging from 3 to 4 meals in order to spread the intake.

In fact, our body will use carbs first, then proteins and lastly fats. Thus, if the intake is too rich in simple sugar, it will use it first, and will therefore not draw on fat, which will then be stored, resulting in weight gain!

It is therefore advisable to respect the recommended energy percentages as much as possible: your body will then use what it needs, without unnecessary storage.  

The vicious circle of diets : If you are overweight, you should not immediately think about dieting (restrictive or low-calorie diets are meant here). If you want to lose weight, the target loss must be realistic (0.5 to 1kg per week). If the weight loss is too rapid, the weight regain will be just as rapid, or even greater than the weight initially lost: this is the yo-yo effect. 

Why is this? During the period of deprivation, the body's metabolism is slowed down. 

If the person breaks down or stops the diet abruptly, their metabolism will slow down and they will not be able to use all the food they have eaten, which will then be stored, leading to weight gain.

Thus, rapid weight loss is in any case not recommended as it can lead to : 

• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Heart problems
• Anemia
• Menstrual disorders
• Slowing of the metabolism, resulting in long-term weight gain
• Muscle loss

But that's not all! Toxins are released, oxidative stress is increased, the intestinal microbiota is disturbed, etc. The harmful consequences are numerous. 

How to eat better without restrictions? 

The principle of a balanced diet is based first of all on the choice of food.

This means thinking about what you could add to your meal (more vegetables, fibre, drinking lots of water etc.) rather than banning certain foods. Did you know that? It is proteins that allow us to feel full quickly, and provide a feeling of satiety that fats do not. 

Nothing new: the best diet is the one that doesn't cause frustration, that doesn't force you to eat one calorie at a time, and that still gives you the pleasure of eating.

It's a question of becoming aware today of what we consume, of being an actor in our health!