Basic Principles of Healthy Weight Loss

22.12.2024

Weight loss is one of the most common goals that motivates people to start changing their lifestyle. However, many choose the path of quick and strict diets or exhausting workouts, which often lead to fatigue, loss of motivation, and even health problems. For weight loss to be sustainable, safe, and truly beneficial, it’s important to follow the principles of a healthy approach. Let's examine them in detail.

1. Balanced Nutrition: Foundations of Harmony

Healthy Eating is the foundation of healthy weight loss. It helps you work in harmony with your body’s needs rather than fight against them. It's important to remember that a diet based on strict restrictions will not bring long-term results: as soon as you return to your usual eating habits, the lost kilograms can come back. Here are several key points:

• Don’t exclude entire food groups: Proteins, fats, and carbohydrates are all essential macronutrients for normal body function. Proteins (meat, fish, eggs, legumes) help maintain and build muscle, complex carbohydrates (grains, vegetables, fruits) provide energy, and healthy fats (nuts, avocado, vegetable oils) support brain function and the hormonal system.

• Portion control: It’s important to avoid overeating. Choose smaller portions, monitor your meal size, but do not let yourself get to the point of exhausting hunger.

• Eat more fiber: Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes not only make you feel full, but also help maintain digestive health. Plan your meals so that half your lunch or dinner plate is filled with vegetables.

• Minimize sugar and processed foods: Sweets, soda, fast food, and ready-made products not only cause blood sugar spikes but also add empty calories that provide no benefit to your body.

• Maintain water balance: Drink enough water (1.5–2 liters per day). Water aids metabolism and reduces the risk of overeating, as we sometimes mistake thirst for hunger.

2. Moderate Calorie Deficit: The Path to Sustainable Results

One of the key mistakes when trying to lose weight is creating too severe a calorie deficit. Many people, aiming to lose weight as quickly as possible, cut their food intake to a minimum, which leads to exhaustion, slowed metabolism, and, ultimately, failure.

• What is a calorie deficit? It is the difference between the amount of energy (calories) you consume with food and the amount of energy your body uses for life support and activity. A moderate deficit of about 300–500 calories per day is the safest way to lose weight steadily and without harm to your health. You can calculate your calorie norm for comfortable and healthy weight loss in our SYPB 30 calorie counter.

• Why shouldn’t you cut calories too much? Extremely low energy intake can cause constant hunger, slow metabolism, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and hormonal imbalances. The body goes into "energy-saving mode," and fat burning may stop entirely.

• Individual approach: Determine your calorie norm based on your age, gender, activity level, and weight loss goal. You can use our free mobile app for this SYPB 30 calorie counter

3. Regular Physical Activity: The Key to Success

Physical activity is another important element of healthy weight loss. It not only helps burn calories, but also supports cardiovascular and muscle health, enhances mood, and boosts motivation.

• Find a suitable type of activity: If you don’t enjoy a sport, you won’t stick with it for long. Choose what you like: running, swimming, dancing, yoga, strength training, or simply walking.

• Combine cardio and strength training: Cardio exercises (running, cycling, walking) help effectively burn calories, while strength training (with dumbbells, barbells, or bodyweight) strengthens muscles and speeds up metabolism.

• Progress gradually: Start with small loads to prevent injuries and excessive strain. Gradually increase your workout intensity.

• Make activity part of your daily life: Walk, take the stairs instead of the elevator, move more throughout the day.

4. How to Set Realistic Goals

The right goals are what make the weight loss process not only effective but also motivating. Unrealistic expectations often lead to disappointment and giving up.

• Don’t set rigid and short-term goals: For example, losing 10 kg in a month is harmful to the body and almost always results in regaining the weight. It is generally considered safe to lose 0.5–1 kg per week.

• Set measurable and specific goals: Instead of the vague “I want to lose weight,” try formulating a goal like “be 5 kg lighter by a certain date” or “reduce my waist by 5 cm in 2 months.”

• Focus on the process, not just the result: For example, plan to eat healthy five times a week or walk 10,000 steps daily. When you concentrate on actions, the result follows naturally.

• Consider your body and abilities: Age, hormonal changes, and health conditions all affect the rate of weight loss. Comparing your progress to others is a common mistake. Focus on your own pace and progress.

Healthy weight loss is not about racing for quick results or enduring exhausting diets and extreme workouts. It is a gradual, comprehensive process encompassing all aspects of your life: nutrition, physical activity, mindset, and even your relationship with your own body. Be patient, love yourself at every stage of the journey, and choose sustainable methods over temporary solutions. Only then will your result become not just an achievement, but a new way of life.