This post is for those who suffer from the dreaded accordion effect and those who are starting a weight loss process and don’t want to face this problem.
To avoid the accordion effect, you need to understand how it works. When we lose weight, our body goes through metabolic changes and makes some adjustments, intending to maintain its energy stores and function correctly.
Adaptive Thermogenesis Favors The Accordion Effect
We call these metabolic adjustments adaptive thermogenesis, characterized mainly by increased hunger, reduced energy expenditure (metabolism slows down) and increased metabolic efficiency (less energy expenditure to perform the same functions).
In other words, our body “fights” against weight loss out of a survival instinct. But there are ways to reduce these impacts, and I will detail them below!
Avoid Restrictive Diets And Prefer Dietary Re-Education
The first thing to avoid weight regain is to lose weight correctly. And that means losing weight with your body and mind. Restrictive diets associated with strenuous exercise are not sustainable in the long term.
Losing weight too quickly deregulates the hormones that control satiety, increases the risk of binge eating and is closely associated with the accordion effect. And most importantly, it only works on changing habits, which sustains weight loss.
It would help if you learned the nutritional value of foods prefer those with greater nutritional power and that generate more satiety. There are no prohibited foods; there are better choices when to eat them, without exaggeration. You have to make peace with food!
How we eat should also be different, with a defined routine, chewing food well and eating slowly to help the brain identify when we are full. It is in this context that medical and nutritional help are so important.
Maintain Medical And Nutritional Monitoring
The doctor plays a fundamental role in weight loss, as obesity is a chronic disease with multiple behavioral and metabolic causes. The specialist can identify them and create individualized treatment strategies and protocols. The nutritionist will guide the patient on the eating plan and healthier choices.
Unfortunately, this treatment has no end. As I said, our body seeks to adapt and “break” weight loss. Medical and nutritional monitoring evolves according to the body’s attempts through strategies to overcome the plateau effect or avoid weight regain.
It may seem complicated, but when habits are built, everything becomes more accessible! You can become the primary agent of your health; the professional will support you.
Take Care Of Your Intestinal Health
This is a golden tip. A healthy gut helps fight chronic inflammation and regulate hormones that control eating behavior.
A healthy gut depends on:
- A diet rich in vegetables and whole grains (fibre)
- Hydration
- Probiotics
- Reduction in the consumption of processed foods, sugars and sausages
- Regular physical exercise
- Stress control
- Do not consume medications without medical advice.
Practice Physical Activity Daily
Physical activity is more than an ally for weight loss, as it increases caloric expenditure. It helps build muscle, which is essential for improving body composition and keeping your metabolism faster (remember the tendency for it to slow down with weight loss).
Furthermore, exercise promotes the release of hormones and neurotransmitters of pleasure and well-being, such as endorphins and dopamine, greatly helping to control anxiety and stress. And we know that food often plays this comforting role, right?
Additionally, physical activity helps improve sleep quality, another essential agent for those who want to maintain weight.
Don’t Forget That Obesity Is A Chronic Disease
A common mistake made by those who lose weight is abandoning, even if gradually, the changes achieved. Or even a certain lack of concern. For example, sweets are once again part of the daily diet, pizza becomes dinner on Tuesday, and laziness sabotages the gym on Friday…
Careful! Obesity is a chronic disease; it can be controlled, but there is no cure. It is necessary to insist on strengthening habits, and this requires discipline. Dietary re-education and lifestyle changes have no beginning and end; it is a lifelong process.
Take Care Of Your Mental Health
As I said previously, obesity has many causes, and the mental and emotional aspect plays a relevant role.
Food has a comforting power; it provides immediate pleasure and, therefore, serves as an escape valve for stress, anger, sadness, anxiety… The chance of compulsion is real without controlling these triggers with other tools.
Therefore, it is necessary to invest in activities to manage better stress, therapy, hobbies, relaxation, meditation, and yoga, among others.
Also Read: Six Best Teas For Weight Loss (And How To Prepare Them)
