Excess weight is a problem for most women. Perhaps every woman at least once in front of the mirror uttered the phrase "It's time to lose weight", even if she is overweight. Until recently, pharmaceutical companies and the media actively supported the idea of turning into a stick, but the trend is gradually disappearing.
Many companies involve girls of normal weight in advertising photo shoots. How to understand if you are overweight? When should it really be reduced? And how to do it correctly? More on this below.
Excess weight: how to find out the norm and whether to lose weight
There are several formulas to calculate normal weight:
- Women: size minus 100. Men: size minus 110. Thus, the permitted body weight for a woman measuring 175 cm is 72 to 75 kg.
- Lorentz formula. (Height (cm) - 100) - (Height (cm) - 150)/2.
- Body mass index calculation: body weight divided by height squared. Example of weight 75 kg and height 180: 75/1. 8 · 1. 8 = 23. 15, which is a normal weight. An index below 20 means underweight, an index above 30 means overweight.
But you shouldn't just pay attention to weight. It is necessary to take into account your body shape, as well as the amount of adipose tissue. Many women are underweight and have clearly visible fat folds on the abdomen. Remember, women need to have at least 25 percent body fat for their body to function normally.
Psychologist-coordinator of treatment programs
If you have calculated your weight and it exceeds 5 kg, you should not immediately go on a strict diet. This may be your normal weight, since all figures are approximate. But if it becomes difficult for you to walk, shortness of breath bothers you, as well as other health problems, then your weight needs to be reduced.
We would like to immediately clarify that no pills, enemas or spells will help you have 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 serious if people accepted the above fact and stopped believing in quick and magical ways to lose extra pounds.
How to start losing weight psychologically?
From a psychological point of view, several factors interfere with weight loss:
- The ability to derive pleasure only from food.
- If a woman manages to lose 5 kilograms in 5 days, almost completely abandoning most foods, then such an experience introduces into her mind the idea that the less you eat, the better. But the body, trying to do what it wants, constantly demands food and the person inevitably collapses.
- Lack of love for yourself and your body.
- Unconscious benefits that a woman receives due to her excess weight. For example, she has already been the victim of harassment and even violence. The result is excessive weight gain to protect oneself from the prying eyes of men (although excess body weight does not guarantee complete safety at all).
- 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 maintaining weight, as many people think. Is this really true? In fact, 58% of women who lost weight regained their weight a few years after losing weight. But the point is often this: once the desired body weight is achieved, a person relaxes and stops monitoring his diet.
To maintain your weight, you have to maintain your 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 (and not exclude) flour, sweets, fatty foods, eat more vegetables and fruits, a sufficient amount of proteins and carbohydrates.
And of course, working with your internal problems and complexes will help you maintain your weight. Psychological weight loss for a woman is self-acceptance and independence from the opinions of others.
Why do people gain weight: is it always due to poor diet?
Most often, yes, but there are also cases where nutrition has nothing to do with it:
- Hormonal disorders.
- Tendency to swelling.
- Metabolism failure.
- Take certain medications.
10 reasons to lose weight
TOP 10 reasons women give for losing weight:
- Men like that.
- Wear clothes.
- Easily climb stairs, catch a bus, etc.
- Have sex without shortness of breath.
- Improve your health, conceive a baby, etc.
- Like you.
- Wear pretty underwear.
- Don't hesitate to undress on the beach, or in front of your partner.
- Easily installs on public transport seats.
- Improve your personal life.
If weight really bothers you and there is a lot of it, then losing weight will definitely help solve the above problems. But if a girl has 1 extra kilogram and she already considers herself a huge mountain, then it is necessary to solve the problem of self-esteem, otherwise it can lead to anorexia.
The most failed weight loss methods
In search of magical cures for weight loss, humanity seems to have tried every option: pills, herbs, Ayurveda, acupuncture, etc. And while some options are simply useless, others are also downright harmful.
Magic tea
Teas that help lose weight have a diuretic and laxative effect. As a result, the weight decreases by a few kilograms, but quickly returns. In addition, tea removes electrolytes and water from the body, which are necessary for normal functioning.
Pills
Diet pills have different mechanisms of action. Those that can be purchased at any pharmacy without a prescription are usually completely ineffective. The most they can do is remove excess water. The packaging of these drugs often contains a note: it is recommended to reduce portions, eliminate sweets, flour and fatty foods, and increase physical activity. In such conditions, you can lose weight on your own.
A completely different type of medication is prescription medications that reduce appetite or remove excess fat from food through the rectum. These drugs are used in people who are significantly overweight, 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. Medications 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 pepper, celery, coconut oil and much more. There is no proof, but many still believe this myth. There is NO product that accelerates fat burning.
Low-calorie diets
Diets designed for calories below 1, 200 are killing the body. Such weight loss will be rapid (up to a certain point), but dangerous:
- Hormonal imbalance.
- Stop the rules.
- 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 goes into energy saving mode, so there is a complete lack of libido and erectile dysfunction is possible in men.
After a while, the body adapts to these savings and stops "giving away" excess fat. What does a person who wants to lose weight think? "We still have to reduce our diet. »This already threatens with anorexia, acute lack of nutrients and exhaustion.
Why do we gain even more weight after dieting?
The answer is clear: strict diets force you to attack foods with triple force. In addition, it is almost impossible to give up your favorite foods again, so the weight regains. Diets with strict restrictions are especially dangerous: 1000 calories, protein, no salt, greens, etc.
Psychological training for weight loss
The basis of any training is the launch of positive thinking, cleansing of all negative attitudes and normalization of the emotional background. During the process, a psychologist is always present in the group to help those present to relax. A positive psychological attitude very often triggers and accelerates the weight loss process.
TOP 5 tips from a psychologist for losing weight
- Decide if you really need to lose weight. It's quite possible that you are comfortable with curves, and the desire to lose weight is just the result of public opinion.
- Set realistic goals. Healthy weight loss does not imply a loss of more than 3, maximum 4 kg per month.
- Learn to enjoy the process of losing weight: prepare delicious meals, serve them beautifully, buy a new sports uniform, look for new recipes for low-calorie dishes.
- Stop weighing yourself every morning and scolding yourself for having added 100 grams. You can weigh yourself once a week and weight fluctuations are completely natural, especially in women (for example, before menstruation, body weight increases due to water retention in the tissues).
- You should love your body regardless of your weight. So pamper and please your body, don’t put off buying beautiful lingerie 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, which is why the disorder should be treated with a psychiatrist. Anorexia occurs in three stages:
- Dysmorphomaniac. Criticism of appearance, caustic remarks lead to the first thoughts about losing weight as quickly as possible. A person focuses on his shortcomings and stops seeing his advantages.
- Anorexigenic. The lady cuts portions to microscopic sizes, almost all foods are removed from the diet. If food is eaten, the person induces vomiting.
- Cachectic. Stage of complete exhaustion. 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.
- The desire to eat separately from others in order 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, cessation of the menstrual cycle.
- Mood swings, depression.
Consequences of radical weight loss without consulting a psychologist
The most dangerous thing in losing weight without psychological work is the development of eating disorders. In this case, a person either completely excludes food (anorexia) or eats excessively, then causing vomiting (bulimia). These are the most popular types of RPA. In addition, the lack of work on one's complexes will lead to the emergence of a new "defect" with which a person will struggle. And so on in a circle.
Help from a psychologist for weight loss
Specialists provide assistance not only with chemical dependence, but also with weight loss. First you need to decide if you are actually overweight. If losing weight is really important, the psychologist uses certain methods of working with the subconscious in the program:
- Provisions.
- Psychophysiological.
- Games.
- Art therapy.
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy.
And of course, the specialist first collects a complete medical history: what kind of family the patient grew up in, what kind of relationship he had with his parents, what kind of relationship he currently has and much more.
Classes take place individually and in groups. You won't be given a list of "bad" and "good" foods, but will learn to control your emotions and distinguish between emotional and physical hunger.