Excess weight is a problem for most women. Probably every lady has uttered the phrase "It's time to lose weight" at least once in front of the mirror, even if it is overweight. Until recently, pharmaceutical companies and the media actively supported the idea of working on a stick, but the trend is gradually disappearing.
Many companies include normal weight girls in advertising photoshoots. How to understand if you are overweight? When do you really need to cut it back? And how do we do it right? More on this below.
Excess weight: how to find out the norm and whether you need to lose weight
There are several formulas for calculating normal weight:
- Women: height minus 100. Men: height minus 110. Thus, the permissible body weight for a woman with a height of 175 cm is 72-75 kg.
- Lorentz's formula. (Height (cm) - 100) - (Height (cm) - 150)/2.
- Calculation of body mass index: body weight divided by height squared. Example weight 75 kg and height 180: 75/1. 8 · 1. 8 = 23. 15, which is normal weight. An index below 20 means underweight, above 30 means overweight.
But you should not pay attention only to the weight. It is necessary to take into account your body type, as well as the amount of fatty tissue. There are many women who are underweight and have visible fat folds in their abdomen. Remember that ladies should have at least 25 percent body fat for normal body function.
Psychologist-coordinator of treatment programs
If you have calculated your weight and it has exceeded by 5 kg, you should not immediately go on a strict diet. This may be your normal body weight, as all numbers are approximate. But if it becomes difficult for you to walk, shortness of breath bothers you, as well as other health problems, then your body weight should be reduced.
We want to clarify right away that no pill, enema or magic will help you get a good figure. The only option is to eat well, respect your calorie intake and increase your level of physical activity.
The problem of losing weight would not be so acute if people would accept the above fact and stop believing in quick, magical ways to lose extra pounds.
How to start losing weight psychologically?
From a psychological point of view, there are several factors that interfere with weight loss:
- The ability to get pleasure from food alone.
- If a woman successfully lost 5 kilograms in 5 days, giving up almost completely from most foods, then such an experience instills in her consciousness the idea that the less you eat, the better. But the body, trying to get its way, constantly asks for food, and the person inevitably breaks down.
- Lack of love for yourself and your body.
- The unconscious benefits that a woman receives due to excess weight. For example, she once experienced harassment, or even violence. The result is gaining excess weight as protection from prying male gazes (although excess body weight by no means guarantees complete safety).
- Eating disorders. This problem is diagnosed in most overweight women who want to lose weight.
Is it possible to lose weight forever?
Losing weight is not as difficult as keeping it off as many people think. Is this really true? In fact, 58% of women who lost weight regained their weight within a few years of losing the weight. But often the point is this: after reaching the desired body weight, a person relaxes and stops following his diet.
To maintain weight, you need to maintain calorie intake, that's the whole secret. And it is not at all necessary to constantly count calories and weigh food, it is enough just to limit (do not exclude) flour, sweets, fatty foods, eat more vegetables and fruits, a sufficient amount of proteins and carbohydrates.
And of course, working with your inner problems and complexes will help you keep the weight off. Psychological weight loss for a woman is self-acceptance and independence from other people's opinions.
Why do people get fat: is it always due to poor nutrition?
Most often, yes, but there are also cases when nutrition has nothing to do with it:
- Hormonal disorders.
- Tendency to swelling.
- Failure of metabolism.
- Taking certain medications.
10 reasons to lose weight
TOP 10 reasons for weight loss given by women:
- Men like it.
- Put on some clothes.
- Easily climb stairs, catch a bus, etc.
- Have sex without panting.
- Improve your health, have a baby, etc.
- Like yourself.
- Wear nice underwear.
- Feel free to undress on the beach, or in front of your partner.
- Fits easily in public transport seats.
- Improve your personal life.
If weight really bothers you and there are a lot of them, then losing weight will certainly help to solve the above problems. But if a girl has 1 extra kilogram, and she already considers herself a big mountain, then it is necessary to solve the problem with self-esteem, otherwise it can lead to anorexia.
The most failed weight loss methods
In search of magical weight loss remedies, mankind seems to have tried all options: pills, herbs, Ayurveda, acupuncture, etc. And if some options are simply useless, then some are also completely harmful.
Magic tea
Teas that help you lose weight have a diuretic and laxative effect. Because of this, the weight decreases by several kilograms, but it quickly returns. In addition, tea removes electrolytes and water from the body, which are necessary for normal functioning.
PILL
Diet pills have different mechanisms of action. Those that can be bought at any pharmacy without a prescription are usually completely ineffective. The most they can do is remove excess water. The packaging of such drugs often contains a note: it is recommended to reduce portions, eliminate sweets, flour and fatty foods and increase physical activity. Under such conditions, you can lose weight on your own.
An entirely different type of medication are prescription drugs that reduce appetite or remove excess fat from food through the rectum. These medications are used for overweight people only under the supervision of a doctor. And one more thing: these are not magic pills that allow you to eat tons and lose weight. Medicines require a balanced diet and compliance with calorie intake.
Fat burning products
On the Internet you can see an impressive list of foods that "help" burn fat: pineapple, grapefruit, chili peppers, celery, coconut oil and much more. There is no evidence base, but many still believe in this myth. There are no products that accelerate fat burning.
Low calorie diet
Diets designed for calories under 1200 kill the body. Such weight loss will be fast (up to a certain point), but dangerous:
- Hormonal imbalance.
- Stopping menstruation.
- Hair loss, deterioration of skin and teeth.
- Sudden weight loss leads to sagging skin and the appearance of wrinkles.
- Memory deteriorates.
- Performance decreases.
- The body activates energy-saving mode, so there is a complete lack of sexual desire, and erectile dysfunction is possible in men.
After some time, the body adapts to such savings and stops "donating" excess fat. How does a person who wants to lose weight think? "We still need to reduce the diet. "This already threatens with anorexia, acute lack of nutrients and exhaustion.
Why do you gain even more weight after dieting?
The answer is clear: strict diets force you to attack food with triple force. In addition, it is almost impossible to give up your favorite foods again, so the weight is added again. Diets with strict restrictions are especially dangerous: 1000 calories, protein, no salt, green, etc.
Psychological training for weight loss
The basis of any training is the initiation of positive thinking, the clearing of all negative attitudes and the normalization of the emotional background. During the process, a psychologist is always present in the group to help the participants relax. A positive psychological attitude very often promotes and accelerates the process of losing weight.
TOP 5 tips from a psychologist to lose weight
- Decide if you really need to lose weight. It is very possible that you are comfortable with being curvy, and the desire to lose weight is just a result of public opinion.
- Set yourself realistic goals. Healthy weight loss does not include losing more than 3, maximum 4 kg per month.
- Learn to enjoy the process of losing weight: cook delicious meals yourself, serve them beautifully, buy a new sports uniform, look for new recipes for low-calorie dishes.
- Don't weigh yourself every morning, scolding yourself for having gained 100 grams. You can weigh yourself once a week and weight fluctuations are quite natural, especially in women (for example, before menstruation, body weight increases due to fluid retention in the tissues).
- You should love your body regardless of your weight. Therefore, caress and enjoy your body, do not put off buying beautiful underwear or a dress until "later".
Anorexia: anti-motivation to lose weight
Anorexia is a form of eating disorder in which a woman (girl) simply stops eating because she constantly feels like she is fat. The disease often leads to death, so the disorder must be treated together with a psychiatrist. Anorexia appears in three stages:
- Dysmorphomaniac. Criticism about the appearance, caustic remarks lead to the first thoughts to lose weight as soon as possible. A person focuses on his flaws and stops seeing his advantages.
- Anorexic. The lady cuts portions to microscopic sizes, almost all foods are removed from the diet. If the food is eaten, the person induces vomiting.
- Cachectic. Complete fatigue stage. Even if a woman weighs 30 kg, she still considers herself fat.
If you have signs of anorexia, you should consult a specialist:
- Obsessive thoughts about losing weight, your whole life begins to revolve around ways to lose weight.
- Wanting to eat separately from everyone else to hide your disorder.
- Excluding almost all foods from the diet, the menu contains only lettuce, kefir and water.
- Sudden weight loss, deterioration of hair, skin, interruption of the menstrual cycle.
- Mood swings, depression.
The consequences of radical weight loss without working with a psychologist
The most dangerous thing in losing weight without psychological work is the development of an eating disorder. In this case, a person either excludes food completely (anorexia) or eats too much, which then causes vomiting (bulimia). These are the most popular types of RPP. Moreover, the lack of work in one's complexes will lead to the appearance of a new "deficiency" with which a person will struggle. And so on in a circle.
Psychologist's help for weight loss
Specialists offer help not only for chemical addiction, but also for weight loss. First you need to decide if you are really overweight. If weight loss is really important, then the psychologist uses several methods to work with the subconscious in the program:
- Agreements.
- Psychophysiological.
- Games.
- Art therapy.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy.
And of course, the specialist first collects a complete medical history: in what family the patient grew up, what relationship he had with his parents, what relationship he has now and much more.
Classes are held individually and in groups. You won't get a list of "bad" and "good" foods, but you will learn to control your emotions and distinguish between emotional and physical hunger.