During many years of experience most of my interlocutors and clients do not know what does diet mean, why is it called that, that does not represent any avoidance or worse taking of food. In the following, we will clear up some misconceptions about diet.

Today’s health and fitness industry is based on the promotion of different diets, incredible innovations and inventions (some of them are justified, but most are not). Of course, profit is the most important thing of all these industries. There are basic guidelines that must be followed in order to achieve its objectives, they have been clearly and very simple. Each of their new correction gets a new name and get confuse us, it’s simple.

What is the truth about diet? It is based on:

Energy balance. It essentially represents the most essential thing that you lose or put on pounds. It represents the input of the amount of energy consumed and the amount thereof. It is expressed in calories Kcal. The point is to spend more calories than you consume and you will lose weight. Or enter more calories than you burn to gain weight (muscle mass or fat deposits).

Macronutrient balance. In case you’re not familiar with the term, a macronutrient dictionary defines as “any of the nutrients nutrition which are required in relatively large amounts: proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and minerals such as calcium, zinc, iron, magnesium and phosphorus. The main goal is: We want to get more muscle than fat and want to lose fat, not muscle. Pursuant to the order, we must not look at calories as only calories but also where it comes from. We have to look more at our listing of macronutrient. Increased intake of carbohydrates and fats may be part of a child but not protein intake can result in loss of muscle mass which is not good (there is a weakening of the muscles and a very difficult process to build desired muscle musculature). If you have a diet for losing weight daily protein intake should be from 1 g to 1.2 g per kilogram of body weight (this amount will preserve your muscle mass and also contribute to a sufficient intake of calories).

Choice of food. There is no food that is defined as a food for acquiring and losing weight. You can lose whatever fat you eat as long as regulate the input and maintain a state of negative energy balance. However, there are foods that due to its size, calories and macronutrient promote or not losing or gaining weight. Generally speaking, foods that are good for weight loss are small caloric value of a large volume (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat). This type of food has a lot of trace elements that are very important to restrict calories. Food that is not suitable for weight loss contains a high caloric value and small volume (candy, bacon, beverages, oil, butter, full-fat dairy products).

This is the point of each diet, it is important to listen to your body, to be moderate, apply the previous rules, allow yourself to occasionally enjoy your favorite foods that are not wished, of course, reward yourself if you followed the rules and achieve your target. Diet will be a lifestyle and not occasionally suddenly losing and regaining weight.