It may be that you want to lose 5 kg for several reasons: because last summer’s clothes didn’t fit the same, because you have a wedding or an important event coming up. After all, the doctor scared you with the results of the latest tests, for example. New Year’s resolution… or even because the good weather is coming and you want to lose those kilos you have gained during the winter. For all these reasons, there are many people who, to lose weight, join the striking OPERATION BIKINI  and are willing to follow a miracle diet to achieve it. Well, with this article I am going to try to ensure that you are not one of them.

Let me put you in context, what is a miracle diet?

Following diets that have one or more of these characteristics: they have no scientific endorsement, they have a strict restriction on certain foods (such as the dreaded carbohydrates, for example), they are based on a single food: shakes, supplements that promise you be Elsa Pataki in 3 weeks… They promise you speed in achieving your goals, omitting the consequences that may entail, and countless other examples. Although the latter may catch your attention, don’t get carried away by impatience.

When these recommendations are followed, the goal in 99% of cases is purely weight loss, without worrying about tomorrow, about that October that will also arrive, and if you have followed a nutritional education process, all the mistakes you made before starting the bikini operation, they will return and the scale will go back up (known as the yo-yo effect of unhealthy diets). It makes no sense to go on a diet every May, to recover it in September, and then have bikini surgery again the following year, and so on every year… It is very important that you are clear about the objective and this should be to improve eating habits and that these changes are kept forever. We must love our body more because at the end of the day, we only have one and it should last forever. In short, no operation is more effective than one that combines a healthy and varied diet 365 days a year and regular sports practice.

Lose 5 kilos in 3 days or a week

The Internet and YouTube are full of videos with tips to lose 5 kilos in 3 days or a week. But is it possible to lose 5 kilos in just a few days? The answer is that it can be done but it is against your health. If you are looking to lose weight very quickly, you will do so primarily in the form of water and at the cost of losing muscle. Losing more than half a kilo of fat a week is very rare, especially if you do not lead an active lifestyle and play sports. To seek this type of rapid loss, they are usually done with packet diets of less than 1,000 calories or with broths or drinks that provide very few calories (and nutrients).

Everything that the bikini operation consists of is what you have to avoid if you want to lose weight in a healthy way and, above all if you want to maintain that weight loss. So I’m going to give you 12 keys so you can healthily lose 5kg:

Do not skip breakfast. Try to have breakfast when you get up or after an hour at most. If you can’t handle a big breakfast, it’s okay, you can save the sandwich for mid-morning, but when you get up, eat something (such as a glass of milk with oatmeal or cereal without added sugar). Make sure to leave home with breakfast.

At lunches and dinners, keep in mind the Plate Idea: All meals and dinners must have the appropriate proportions, that is, if you eat a plate: the main part is the vegetable (whether cooked or salad), half a plate, for example. The plate must also contain a portion of protein, approximately a quarter of the plate: meat, fish, eggs, or vegetable protein (tofu, tempeh, seitan, textured soy protein…), and the other quarter of the plate is missing the carbohydrates (pasta, rice, legumes, potatoes, bread). It will always be better to consume whole. With these references I am talking about proportions, not quantities, the quantity will vary according to your needs and objectives. To lose that 5 kg, keep in mind that the carbohydrate part must be a smaller amount (I will give you an example at the end of the article), but that they must always be present at both meals and dinners.

Eat every 3-4 hours: If you go many hours without eating, anxiety may appear, and with it, a great desire to eat undesirable foods. The number of recommended intakes varies depending on your schedule, habits, and lifestyle, but I recommend that you have an order in your diet and that you have a healthy mid-morning and afternoon, this way you will avoid arriving hungrier for lunch and dinner.

Don’t skip any meals: If you do it often to “compensate for something extra”, stop doing it or else your body will react and defend itself. As? You will be hungrier in the following hours or even the next day and this will make you eat more or snack. Hunger accumulates, therefore, skipping meals can have the opposite objective of what you are looking for.

Base your diet on healthy foods such as white fish, oily fish (minimum 1 day a week), fruit (2-3 pieces a day), vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.

Limit fats in your diet. Control the amount of olive oil (used raw and for cooking) to 2-3 tablespoons per day. Above all, limit the consumption of foods that provide you with unhealthy fats (sausages, processed or smoked meats, light cheeses…). Do not underestimate the fats from light foods (they can be up to 30%). Instead, you can use healthy fats such as the olive oil that I mentioned, avocado, nuts, and oily fish… Leave red meat for 1 day a week and choose lean meats such as chicken or turkey.

Avoid processed, packaged foods: such as potato chips, snacks, cookies… Instead, you can make celery and carrot crumpets with hummus, cherry tomato skewers with fresh cheese, anchovies, pickles, or nuts (as long as they are not fried or salted and in small quantities).

Drink 1.5 liters of water daily and avoid alcohol, soft drinks, and juices. Hydration should be done basically with water. Avoid sugary drinks, soft drinks, packaged juices, and alcohol, which still contain a large amount of calories and sugars. Occasionally you could consume a light soda, but there are other healthier options, such as cold tea, and sparkling water…

Be organized when shopping: Having a refrigerator and pantry full of healthy foods is key to being able to have a healthy diet. Plan your weekly menus and shop accordingly. This will help you reduce improvisation and thus avoid unwanted choices.

Use simple and healthy dishes: The most suitable dishes to use are: grilled or grilled, oven, in its juice, microwave, boiled, sautéed, sautéed, or in papillote. Avoid fried and battered foods. To give flavor to your dishes, use spices: thyme, oregano, peppers, nutmeg, cumin, etc. And also garlic, onion, lemon, parsley, mustard, and vinegar. Moderate salt consumption.

Get enough rest/sleep: According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), adults ages 26 to 64 are recommended to have a recommended sleep range: of 7 to 9 hours. Sleeping less than recommended makes weight loss difficult, as it increases weakness and snacking.

Practice physical exercise: It is not only important that you have an active life: avoid the car, elevators, escalators, and the sofa. Better to walk up the stairs. And also find the sport that makes you enjoy! You can go cycling, walking, going to the gym… Exercise helps you lose body fat, and improve your physical fitness and your health. If you can practice it outdoors, much better, this way you also take advantage of the contact of the sun with the skin and increase your synthesis of vitamin D.

Become aware of your routines, do not think that you should continue eating certain foods because they have always been present in your diet, routine, habits, and customs… if you are now aware of what they can mean for your health, you can make decisions accordingly.

How to lose 5 kilos

Losing 5 kg may be more difficult to achieve than losing a considerably larger amount, this is because as you get closer to your healthy weight, the body does not lose weight as easily. But, even if it is a little more difficult for you, don’t leave it, don’t think that you don’t need to diet since “it’s only 4 kg.” If you don’t have good habits, your tendency over time may be to gain more weight and this can become, even if slowly, 7 or 10 kg extra. Remember the importance of maintaining these habit changes once you have achieved the goal of losing weight.

Example of a day’s nutrition

I’m going to give you an example of a menu that meets all the points that I mentioned previously:

BREAKFAST:  a coffee with skimmed milk (200ml) + 60g of whole wheat bread with avocado and sliced ​​tomato.

MID-MORNING: a bowl of strawberries

FOOD: Salad with lettuce, arugula, carrot, red cabbage, onion, tomato + lentils (130 g cooked). Grilled salmon with lemon with a tablespoon of oil. For dessert, a 0.0% yogurt

SNACK:  2 slices of pineapple

DINNER:  Mashed Zucchini with potato (80g). Mushroom omelette (1 egg + 1 egg white). Whole wheat bread (30g). A tablespoon of oil. And a 0.0% Yogurt

Recipe Examples

MACARONI WITH CRUSHED TOMATO AND MINCED MEAT

In a large frying pan add a tablespoon of olive oil, crushed tomato, and two finely chopped onions. Cook over very low heat until the tomato is cooked.

On the other hand, boil the macaroni and cook the lean minced meat.

Once everything is cooked, put the ingredients together and you can serve.

ZUCCHINI AND ONION MASH

In the pot, cook 4 zucchini and 3 onions, previously peeled, washed, and chopped. Add a little salt and water to cover and cover it. Cook in the pot until the vegetables are tender. Next, adjust the amount of water, add one or two tablespoons of olive oil, and blend it.

STEWED SEPIA WITH POTATO AND VEGETABLES

In a large frying pan add a tablespoon of olive oil and first sauté the cuttlefish (it should not be cooked, just mark), remove it in a few minutes. Next, you add the potato and vegetables, sauté them for a few minutes over high heat and then add one or two glasses of water or vegetable broth and let them cook over low heat for about 20 minutes. When the vegetables are practically cooked, add the cuttlefish and cook for about 3 or 4 minutes (until it is cooked). At this time you can serve.

Take the first step and put yourself in the hands of registered dietitians-nutritionists

It is important that when you want to achieve a goal related to food and weight (lose weight, gain weight, improve performance or health, learn to eat) or want to know more about nutrition, you go to a truly qualified professional, that is, nutritionist dietitians. Ultimately, our goal is to educate and teach how to have a varied and healthy diet. But, also, in a balanced way, without miracle diets or unhealthy promises. With personalized and individualized nutritional plans, carrying out an assessment of nutritional status, setting realistic and achievable objectives. At Alimmenta we can help you achieve it.