To lose weight, you must first understand the basic principles.
In this guide, we explain the basics of a balanced diet (proteins, carbohydrates, fats), how to calculate your daily calorie needs, the diet to adopt and the best fat-burning exercises.
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Understanding calories.
A calorie is a unit of measurement. It measures the energy value of food. All foods are composed of macronutrients: carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. These are sources of calories, but the amount each contains varies. Please note: in this chapter, we provide the official nutritional recommendations from ANSES. These figures refer to an average recommendation.
Carbohydrates.
Too familiarly referred to as sugars, carbohydrates are an important source of energy that is easily usable by your body. They are the essential fuel for your body. There are two types of carbohydrates:
Simple carbohydrates. A source of energy that can be quickly used by the body. Ex: Sugar, honey, syrup, candy, can of soda, fruit, etc.
. Complex carbohydrates. Their slow assimilation therefore limits blood sugar spikes. E.g.: Cereal products (oat flakes, rice), legumes (peas, soy), bread, etc. For a daily calorie intake of 2000 kcal per day, ANSES (French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety) recommends consuming between 200 and 275 g of carbohydrates per day.
Proteins.
Present in every cell of your body, proteins play a vital role in your growth, building and renewing your muscles, your appendages (hair, fur and nails), your bone matrix and your skin. There are two sources of proteins:
. Animal proteins. Meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, etc. all contain amino acids in large quantities.
Plant-based proteins come from grains (oats, rice, etc.) and legumes (peas, soy, etc.). While each source of plant-based protein may be deficient in certain essential amino acids, it is easy to combine different plant-based foods to achieve a complete amino acid intake. OKR products contain a combination of legumes and grains to ensure optimal amino acid content.
ANSES recommends consuming between 50 and 100 g of protein per day for a daily calorie intake of 2000 kcal.
Lipids.
Commonly referred to as "fats," lipids have a bad reputation because they are considered responsible for many diseases (obesity, hypertension, high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, etc.). In addition, many people mistakenly believe that eating fat will automatically lead to weight gain. However, they are just as important as other nutrients. In addition to being excellent sources of energy, they are essential components for the proper functioning of your body, such as certain hormones.
TO SUMMARY.
It's important to consider nutrition as a whole and not demonize foods. They all play a role in our nutritional balance and health. For a daily intake of 2000 kcal, ANSES recommends that:
- Carbohydrates should represent between 40% and 55% of total calorie intake, or 200 to 275 g.
- Proteins should represent between 10 and 20% of the total caloric intake, or 50 to 100 g.
- Lipids should represent 35 to 40% of total caloric intake, or between 70 and 90 g.
How to lose weight?
01. Choose your food carefully.
Eating a balanced and varied diet is essential when you want to lose weight. This doesn't mean you have to restrict yourself. You simply need to pay attention to the quality of the food you eat. Regarding carbohydrates, be sure to limit foods rich in simple carbohydrates, which can accelerate weight gain. Instead, favor foods rich in complex carbohydrates and fiber with a low glycemic index, such as al dente whole-wheat pasta, pecans, or raw or cooked carrots. Regarding lipids, it is advisable to avoid foods rich in saturated fatty acids. In excess, these increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and can lead to a rise in cholesterol. High-quality lipids such as unsaturated, omega-3, or omega-6 are recommended, including oilseeds, nuts, and oily fish.
02. Be active.
Daily energy expenditure represents the calories burned in a day. The more active you are, the more your body will have to draw on your energy reserves to perform and the more calories you will burn. Everyone has their own pace, however. Some people can exercise several times a week, and that's great for them. But if you're just starting your weight loss journey, there's no need to run 15 km a day! Start by taking the stairs instead of the elevator, getting off the subway 1 or 2 stops before your destination and finishing the journey on foot, walking at least 30 minutes a day, etc. However, logically, the greater the intensity of your physical activity, the more calories you burn.
03. Know your daily calorie needs and expenditure.
It's important to know how many calories your body needs so you can adjust your intake to achieve your weight goals. There are several metrics you can use to help you achieve this.
Your basal metabolic rate (BMR): this is the minimum daily energy expenditure that allows your body to survive at rest. It is linked to your breathing, the functioning of your body and your brain, etc. You can calculate it using the formulas of Harris and Benedict (1984):
MB male (kcal) = 13.707 x weight (in kg) + 492.3 x height (in meters) – 6.673 x age (in years) + 77.607
MB female (kcal) = 9.740 x weight (in kg) + 172.9 x height (in meters) – 4.737 x age (in years) + 667.051
Your physical activity level (PAL): this corresponds to the energy expenditure linked to various daily life activities based on the duration of these activities.
NAP < 1 (sedentary activity) Little travel, little leisure activity, office worker.
1.6 - 1.7 (moderate activity) Short trips, office worker with outdoor leisure activities on weekends or standing work.
1.8 - 1.9 (significant activity) Practices more than 3 hours of sport per week, numerous outdoor leisure activities, intensive professional activity.
> 2 (very important activity) Practices more than 6 hours of sport per week, numerous outdoor leisure activities, intensive professional activity.
Once your basal metabolism and your NAP are defined, you simply need to perform the following calculation to obtain your daily energy expenditure (DEJ) :
DEJ = MB x NAP
The resulting number represents an estimate of your daily energy expenditure related to your body's functioning and physical activity. This number represents the amount of calories you need to consume each day to meet your needs and physical activities. Once this number is established, you must reduce your daily calorie intake to get below this number. This will allow you to be in a calorie deficit, which is essential for any weight loss.
Appetite suppressant foods.
Almonds. Rich in vitamin E and magnesium, almonds are also high in fiber and protein. They're the perfect snack to satisfy a small hunger while providing a quick feeling of fullness.
Raw fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are naturally high in fiber. Since cooking can reduce their fiber content, it's best to eat your fruits and vegetables raw to help you feel fuller.
Oat bran. Oats are a high-fiber grain that can absorb up to 30 times its volume in water, thus expanding in the stomach.
Legumes. In addition to their low glycemic index, the fiber and protein in legumes (lentils, chickpeas, split peas, beans, broad beans) give them appetite-suppressing and digestive-regulating properties.
Tofu. Like lean meats, tofu (fermented soybeans) is high in protein and low in calories, making it a perfect appetite suppressant.
Chicken breast and other lean meats. Rich in protein, chicken breast and other lean meats are excellent appetite suppressants and have the ability to fill you up quickly.
Konjac. Glucomannan, the main fiber in konjac, has the ability to absorb water and expand in the stomach. This process mimics the effect of a large meal, promoting a rapid and lasting feeling of fullness.
Cayenne pepper. Capsaicin, the active ingredient responsible for the heat in chili peppers, stimulates the production of two neurotransmitters in your body: adrenaline and noradrenaline. These will send a message to the brain to reduce the burning sensation when ingesting a chili pepper. In response to this message, your body will experience an increased heart rate, an increase in basal metabolic rate, and sweating.
Water. Although it contains no calories, let alone fiber or protein, it will fill your stomach. This is why it can provide a beneficial appetite suppressant when you want to eat less or avoid snacking!
Training to lose weight.
HIIT.
HIIT (high intensity interval training) is a training protocol that involves performing intervals of intense effort with minimal recovery. There are several well-known training methods based on this principle:
The TABATA method: the athlete performs 20 seconds of exercise at maximum intensity followed by 10 seconds of recovery. Repeat 8 times for a total training time of 4 minutes. You can include 2 different exercises per TABATA circuit and perform 3 different circuits for a total training time of 12 minutes. A short and very effective session.
Ex: 20 seconds of squats - 10 seconds of rest - 20 seconds of push-ups - 10 seconds of rest x 4
The “7-minute workout” method: the athlete performs bodyweight exercises for 7 minutes, which can be repeated 2 or 3 times depending on their level. The exercises are to be performed for 30 seconds at high intensity (minimum 20 repetitions of each movement) followed by 10 seconds of rest as a transition before starting the next exercise.
Ex: Exercises in the order to be performed (you can modify them according to your level): jumping jacks, chair against a wall, push-ups, sit-ups, getting on and off a chair, squats, dips, plank, knee raises, forward lunges, diamond push-ups, side plank.
Adapt your bodybuilding program.
Being in a calorie deficit makes it impossible to build muscle. However, you can adapt your strength training to maintain and strengthen your current muscle mass while losing weight. To minimize muscle loss, it's important to continue strength training to maintain your muscle mass. However, there's no point in trying to increase your performance, as your body doesn't have the energy to sustain such efforts. Simply try to maintain your performance to avoid injury.
At the same time, increasing the intensity of your workout can help accelerate your weight loss. Unlike the methods discussed above, there's no need to modify your exercises. This will allow you to maintain a higher heart rate and burn more calories. Simply reduce the rest periods between sets and repetitions. If you usually rest for 2 minutes between sets of squats, take 1 minute 30 seconds, for example. To do this, you can also use supersets. These consist of performing two different exercises together before resting.
Incorporate other sports into your daily routine.
If you're more inclined to exercise outside of the gym or want to supplement your strength training, there are many sports you can easily do that will help you reach your weight goal.
Cycling. What could be easier than taking a bike to get to work during the week or to get around on the weekend? In addition to getting some fresh air, an hour of cycling can burn between 500 and 800 calories, depending on the intensity of your effort and the elevation gain of your route.
Swimming. The calorie expenditure associated with an hour of swimming is on average between 400 and 500 calories (or even more depending on the intensity and the type of stroke). In addition to strengthening all of your muscles, it allows you to improve your anaerobic capacity and does not put significant pressure on your joints.
Running. On average, a beginner runner will burn 500 calories in 60 minutes.
High-intensity training burns an average of 500 calories per hour. It not only burns calories during your workout, but also increases your basal metabolic rate in the hours following your workout. This increases the number of calories your body burns at rest, thus accelerating weight loss. This method has many benefits:
.A time saver: your session rarely exceeds 30 minutes.
.Proven effective for losing weight and boosting your metabolism: in short, you burn more calories during your workout and your body continues to burn them even after you have finished your session.
An improvement in your cardiovascular and muscular capacities.
A health boost.
Extreme practicality: you can train anywhere without equipment.
