When we want to lose weight, we really need to eliminate the body fat accumulated during our sedentary life. To meet this goal, we need to combine training with nutrition; so that we can burn fat, increase our muscle mass and be healthier.
In the case of nutrition, there are some factors that you must consider to have a balanced diet that allows you to actually lose weight. In this article, we want to explain the basic principles any diet must comply with to be useful. Let's get started!
Create a small caloric deficit
We know that to lose body fat, we have to create an energy deficit, that is, to burn more calories than we consume. However, this deficit cannot be very large, since, in addition to burning fat, we can also lose muscle mass or bone mass. A 500 calories deficit is enough to start your diet.
Eat more protein
There is always the risk of losing muscle mass when we start a diet and exercise routine. To prevent this you should maintain a high protein intake and do strength training. Experts recommend consuming a minimum of 2.2 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight.
Eat more dense foods
Dense foods are those that have a large number of vitamins and minerals for each calorie. When you have a diet full of these, you can eat less and feel full quickly. Some dense foods are vegetables, whole grains, fish, meat, eggs, and nuts, among others.
Carbohydrates and fats
In one of the previous points, we highlighted the importance of proteins. In this sense, we must also mention the other two macronutrients: carbohydrates and fats. There should always be a balance between the two: if you consume a lot of fat, you should reduce carbohydrates, or if you eat a lot of carbohydrates, you should decrease your fat intake.
In general, it is recommended to consume more carbohydrates since they can help you maintain your performance when training.
