How to bring nutrition to normal without stress

This is how harmful eating habits, which here and now seem innocent, but in the long run have a detrimental effect on the body, enter our lives.

A poor diet affects both the condition of the figure and the skin, as well as the well-being. Extra pounds come gradually, lethargy and drowsiness occur not only after dinner, but become chronic.

If you have at least one of these eating habits, then there is something to work on right now:

different number of meals per day;
different meal times;
frequent snacks;
long breaks between meals (8-10 hours);
eating fast food more than twice a week;
the presence of semi-finished products in the diet - dumplings, cutlets, pancakes, etc.;
drinking tea and coffee with sugar;
excessive love for confectionery - cookies, waffles, cakes, buns and other sweets.

Healthy food will help:

Get rid of excess weight. By eliminating "wrong" foods from the menu, you will reduce the amount of calories consumed, and the fat will gradually begin to disappear.
Save health. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States, proper nutrition reduces the risk of diabetes, some types of cancer, cardiovascular and skin diseases, atherosclerosis, and allergies. And WHO experts believe that proper nutrition is as important as giving up smoking and alcohol.
Improve the work of the gastrointestinal tract. Some products can cause heartburn, bloating, diarrhea, while others will only help to improve the work of the gastrointestinal tract. Yes, the NHS advises to fill your diet with fibre, drink plenty of fluids and reduce your fat intake to aid digestion.
Support hormonal balance. The diet directly affects the hormonal background, which, in turn, controls the functioning of organs, immunity, mood, and the reproductive system. For example, studies have shown that polyphenol-rich pomegranate, as well as dark chocolate and green coffee, can reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol, thereby improving mood.
Improve the quality of sleep. A heavy meal at night or, on the contrary, severe hunger can harm a restful and sound sleep. Moreover, as recent studies have shown, a large amount of fast carbohydrates in the diet shortens the phase of deep sleep.

The plan consists of five consecutive steps. Take your time and move from one stage to another only when you feel you are ready for it.

And sincerely want to bring nutrition to the norm. It is better to get rid of bad habits in the position of "I love myself and want to do it for myself" instead of "this is how it should be."

Also, before changing the diet, it is important to break the link "food = pleasure". Yes, junk food brings instant gratification, but if you're reading this, chances are that maintaining a healthy body for many years is more important to you.

Let food give us energy and trace elements, and leave the function of filling joy to a favorite hobby or sport. The latter, by the way, contributes to the production of serotonin and dopamine - even home training helps with this.

Your future meal plan will depend on this.

Understand whether you want to stay at your weight or lose weight. How many kilograms? Or maybe you need to gain muscle mass or simply maintain your health? A clear understanding of the goal will help you easily get involved in the process and maintain discipline.

The norms of healthy eating are individual for everyone. However, there are general principles on the basis of which individual indicators are determined, such as the number of necessary calories per day and the optimal balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

WHO recommends consuming as many calories as you expend. You can determine an exemplary figure by experience. For seven days, record the calories of all the foods you eat, and also calculate how many calories you burned through physical activity - a smart watch will help with this. If your weight has not changed by even 100g by the end of the week, then you have found your calorie norm.

It can be changed depending on the purpose. If you want to lose weight - reduce this volume, gain weight - increase it. I recommend deviating from the norm by no more than 20% in order to feel good and not break down.

The ratio of nutrients in your diet will also depend on the goal. Rosspozhivnadzor states that proteins, fats and carbohydrates should be present in a ratio of 15/30/55. To lose weight, you can change the proportions to 30/35/35.

You should reduce consumption, and then completely exclude:

sugar;
gasification and energy;
fast food;
semi-finished products;
snacks;
sausage products;
alcohol;
bakery products.

At the same time, it is necessary to include in the daily diet:

fruits;
vegetables;
nuts;
whole grains - unpolished rice, oats, wheat;
legumes - beans, chickpeas, lentils.

Determine your needs: How many calories and what nutrients you need each day based on your age, gender, height, weight, physical activity level, and goals.

It is not necessary to count every calorie in order to eat properly. At first, the YAZIO, FatSecret or Lifesum programs will help control their volume, and then you will begin to intuitively understand how many calories are in the portion of food in front of you.

Design a menu to suit your needs. It should be varied in order to get all the necessary nutrients. Include meat, fish, various side dishes, vegetables, fruits, greens. Prepare different dishes so that proper nutrition does not turn into "boiled breast with buckwheat" on a permanent basis.

Set short, medium and long term goals. For example, you can start eating more vegetables and fruits in the next month, reduce your intake of fatty foods in six months, and maintain a healthy weight in a year.

Track your progress and make adjustments to your meal plan if necessary. For example, if you don't get enough protein, you can add more eggs, meat, and legumes to your diet.

I always monitor changes in my shape in connection with changes in nutrition. For 18 years in sports, I have thoroughly studied my body through trial and error. I gave up meat for eight months and realized that it was not for me. I brought the protein to 3.5-4 g per 1 kg of body weight and began to feel worse - I realized that 2 g is quite enough for me.

But this is for me - a man with a height of 190 cm and a weight of 100 kg. For each person, these numbers will be different, the main thing is to find the norm of nutrients and adhere to it on a permanent basis.

Here are some important tips to help you get your nutrition in order and not fail in the process.

Do not punish yourself if you are tempted to eat something harmful. Say: "It's okay, it happens, it's rare for me." And keep following your own plan.
Reward yourself for achievements and efforts. But remember that rewards should not be food. Instead of eating pizza, you can go for a massage or buy new sneakers.
Follow your individual needs and consult your doctor if you have a medical condition or need to follow a special diet.