Worried about having gone too far with aperitifs and meals out during the summer and especially in the last month?
No fear … or rather less fear than you might believe! Why? Because most of the weight gain may be due to changes in the water sector … therefore water and not fat. Another aspect to consider is the frequency of “excesses”. It is the repeated and constant excesses that have negative effects, certainly not the ice cream, the aperitif or the dinner out.
In any case, it is essential not to make mistakes due to “corrective maneuvers” with questionable effectiveness and to rely on the September re-start with small tricks with great positive effects:
• Restore the circadian rhythm: it is essential to recover the correct sleep-wake cycle, which is put to the test during the summer. This first step is essential for the optimal control of hormones and the hunger-satiety balance.
• Setting plausible goals: healthy and lasting weight loss or the acquisition of healthy eating habits are processes that take time. It is not always appropriate to rejoice in seeing the scales go down so many kilos, as this can mean loss of lean mass and not fat mass.
• Do not skip meals: balance throughout the day is always essential, both in terms of the breakdown of macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats), and in terms of the distribution of the meals of the day (breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner).
• Do not eliminate carbohydrates, an exclusion often mistakenly implemented to lose weight quickly, functional, on the other hand, to create nutritional imbalances and to return more easily to an unbalanced diet, especially if bread, pasta, pizza and the like are particularly welcome foods.
• Reduce seasonings: raw extra virgin olive oil is the main ideal seasoning for our dishes. Reducing salt by relying on spices and aromatic herbs, where not contraindicated, to give strong flavors to dishes, can be an excellent strategy.
• Do not forget the crucial role of water, to purify the body and keep cells adequately hydrated, and of fibers, which are essential above all for the proper functioning of the intestine, the “second brain” and center of wellbeing.
• Do not rely on fat burners and various slimming: nutritional balance and consistency of correct behaviors are the only guarantees of achieving the goal.
• Do not overdo physical activity, aiming for greater energy expenditure, especially if you have reduced movement during the summer. Instead, it is useful to plan the training and resume the same gradually.
There is no single food plan for everyone, the “best diet”, but healthy habits at the table must take into account biochemical and anthropometric parameters, as well as organizational and working needs, such as a tailored suit, which cannot fail to include most loved foods, without guilt. This flexibility makes healthy habits a sustainable and lasting lifestyle, guaranteeing well-being and health.
