Dr. Lydia Ionova, the author of the popular diet, has published a new book, this time with recipes. We will certainly introduce you to them, but first we suggest that you learn to calculate what and how much to eat to lose weight or maintain a weight that suits you. So, what habits do we need to eat properly and lose weight?
Varied and healthy food
Why is diet diversity an important eating habit? It is variety, and not the absence of tasty things, that is one of the main principles of healthy eating. A varied menu not only provides you with vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other essential nutritional factors, but also serves as a guarantee of your commitment to a healthy diet in the future and the prevention of breakdowns. After all, only a variety of food does not become boring, does not cause boredom and the desire to pamper yourself with something tasty, which was usual before the program (depending on gastronomic preferences, sweets, baked goods, fast food, sausage, etc. can act as tasty food).
Ionova's diet reviews and results
Yulia, 28 years old, I recently decided to lose a few kilograms. Ionova’s diet helped me a lot in this matter, thanks to which I don’t experience severe hunger, because... my diet has become more balanced and varied. I lost about 2 kg in a week, and soon I’m going to sign up for fitness classes to improve the effectiveness of the diet.
Irina, 32 years old Over the course of several months, I reviewed and tried many diets, but the weight constantly came back. This nutrition plan turned out to be one of the most adequate. Its menu is balanced, and the advice on healthy habits is clear. I have been using this method for about 2 weeks - during this time I managed to lose almost 3 and a half kg.
Ekaterina, 38 years old The diet is understandable and very interesting, but the large number of rules and habits that need to be followed are alarming. I sat on it for several days, following only some advice, but gave up because... It is not possible to follow everything exactly with the proposed scheme. True, even during this time I achieved a result of minus 1 kg.
Drinking regime
A person weighing, say, 80 kg needs 2.8 liters of fluid. When forming this habit, the main task is to gradually, over the course of several weeks, increase the amount of water consumed per day to the norm - 35 ml per kilogram of weight.
This recommendation is for people with healthy kidneys. If you have any problems with the urinary system, be sure to consult your doctor! If you find it difficult to drink the required amount of water, start drinking clean water before meals and between meals. In addition, you should give up sugary drinks and juices (including freshly squeezed ones), replacing the latter with whole fruits, since their glycemic index is much lower.
Basic principles of Lidia Ionova’s diet
Ionova’s dietary program is based on the following principles:
- Nutrition should be balanced. When compiling a diet, it is necessary to take into account not only the total number of calories consumed, but also the amount of certain beneficial vitamins and minerals. Thanks to this, it is possible to avoid the problem of a lack of some important substances (this problem is relevant for many non-professional diets that take into account only the number of calories, but ignore the content of useful microelements). This diet allows you not only to lose weight, but also to maintain health.
- Weight loss should be gradual. When drawing up a diet, WHO standards are taken into account, which state that weight loss is considered normal when a person loses 3-5 kg of excess weight in a month. Of course, for weight loss you can use more effective diets, which allow you to get rid of 6-8 and even 10-12 kg per month, but such weight loss is extremely rarely stable, and after completing the diet, a person will soon gain weight again. Gradual weight loss allows you to instill in a person healthy dietary habits that will remain with him throughout his life.
- Losing weight should be comfortable. During a diet, a person should not suffer and suffer, since in this case there is a high risk of diet failure. Of course, comfort diets show fairly modest success, but in the long term they are the most reliable.
- During the diet, healthy dietary habits should be formed. If a person has lost excess weight, that's great. However, how a person eats after completing the diet is also of great importance. Lydia Ionova’s treatment plan allows you to reduce calorie intake and get rid of cravings for fast food and unhealthy foods, which allows you to stabilize your weight for many years.
Ionova’s diet for weight loss is designed for a three-month period. At the same time, you can lose about 3-6 kg per month, which is a good result. It should be understood that such a diet is very effective from a psychological point of view, and a person will not have to torture himself with the help of a diet.
The effectiveness of the diet can be increased if you combine it with light sports (football, slow long-distance running, volleyball, and so on). However, sports activities should create a moderate load on the body, and strength sports are contraindicated. If necessary, the diet can be stopped at any time without any negative side effects.
Availability of all product groups
Your diet only has a chance of becoming balanced when it contains the following food groups every day:
- Protein products
- Starchy foods
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Fats
There is also a group of dairy products, and in his book “Healthy Habits. “Dr. Ionova’s diet” I included it in the list of mandatory ones for daily consumption. But scientific developments in the field of nutrition are ongoing, and recently studies have appeared that talk about the possible negative consequences of regular consumption of dairy products, especially for men. Therefore, until absolute clarity appears on this issue (if it ever appears!), I excluded the group of dairy products from the mandatory ones.
Let me remind you that in addition to milk, dairy products include kefir, yogurt, fermented baked milk, and yogurt.
The main task before you is to include all five food groups in your daily meal. In this case, your diet will be balanced.
The protein group includes all foods containing large amounts of protein. These are various types of meat and fish, cottage cheese, cheese, eggs, legumes (beans, peas, lentils). Protein group products are the main source of complete proteins. They contain the entire set of amino acids necessary for the construction and renewal of cells in the human body.
Starchy foods include bread and baked goods, cereals, pasta, legumes (since they contain both protein and carbohydrates), and vegetables - potatoes. The main purpose of products in this group is to supply the body with energy.
The group of fruits includes, of course, the fruits themselves, as well as berries, fruit juices and dried fruits.
The group of vegetables , of course, includes all types of vegetables (including leafy ones, such as salads, spinach, etc.), and mushrooms. Vegetables and fruits are the most important suppliers of mineral salts (especially potassium salts), a number of microelements, organic acids and fiber.
The group of fats includes healthy vegetable fats: all types of oils (sunflower, olive, soybean, pine nuts and walnuts, flaxseed, etc.), nuts and seeds.
Of course, this group also includes animal fats, but since we strive to reduce their consumption to a minimum, there is no need to specifically add them to the diet.
Ionova's food pyramid
Before 11.00 only cereals are consumed. Porridges made from buckwheat, oatmeal or millet are cooked only in water. White bread and pastries do not fall into this category.
From 11.00 to 14.00 – only low-fat meat and fish dishes are allowed. Of course, sausages and canned fish do not belong here. Dishes are baked or steamed.
From 14.00 to 17.00 – time for dairy products. This includes fermented milk products. But cottage cheese or yogurt should not contain sugar or sweet additives.
From 17.00 to 19.00 – we switch to fresh fruits and berries. You can eat whatever you like, but no more than 300 grams. However, remember that fruits such as mangoes and bananas have a GI of over 50.
From 19.00 to 23.00 - before going to bed, you can eat a serving of vegetables no more than 400 grams. You can eat raw, baked or steamed any vegetables except potatoes and corn.
Additional Products
Nuts, seeds, butter can be added to dishes, but not more than 20 grams per day. Vegetable oil is also limited in quantities. You can season salad or vegetables with 15 grams twice a day.
The body must receive water in full, which is calculated using the formula 30 ml. per 1 kg of weight.
Balanced diet
In addition to the presence of the main five food groups in the diet, a certain ratio between proteins, fats and carbohydrates is necessary. Even if you get a minimal amount of calories, but most of them come from fats and in addition there is a deficiency of essential substances, then such a diet, of course, can lead to weight loss, but, unfortunately, it will result in loss of health.
In order to determine not only the quality, but also the quantity of food, I suggest you “build” your own food pyramid. In other words, you need to determine in what quantities foods from each group should be present in your diet. For convenience, we will measure the amount of food in dietary portions.
Step #1: Calculate your daily calorie intake
Find the formula in the table below that corresponds to your age and gender, make the necessary calculations, then multiply the resulting number by the physical activity coefficient. This will be the number of calories you need every day.
Recommended calorie intake
Physical activity rate:
Sedentary lifestyle - X x 1.1.
Moderate physical activity - X x 1.3.
Heavy physical work - X x 1.5.
For example, let’s calculate the normal calorie intake for a 35-year-old woman who leads a sedentary lifestyle and weighs 70 kg:
(0.0342×70 +3.5377) x 240 = 5.9317×240 = 1423.6
1423.6 × 1.1 = 1566 kcal.
Step #2: Do the calculations only if you want to lose weight. If you are of normal weight, feel free to skip this step!
So, the calorie intake required for weight loss is calculated as follows: subtract 20% from the result obtained in the first step. But in order not to lose your health along with the extra pounds, remember: a woman should consume at least 1000-1200 kcal per day, and a man - at least 1200-1500.
Let's continue the calculations for a 35-year-old woman weighing 70 kg, for whom the normal caloric intake is 1566 kcal per day:
20% of 1566 is 313 kcal.
Thus, the caloric content of the diet for weight loss:
1566 - 313 = 1253 kcal.
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Step No. 3. How to “build” a food pyramid?
Determine the required number of servings by food group for your daily diet and build your food pyramid.
Food pyramid for weight loss
That is, for our “exemplary” lady with a calorie diet for weight loss of 1253 kcal, it makes sense to stick to the number of servings for 1200 kcal - in the middle column. If your caloric intake for weight loss is, for example, 1100 kcal, take an average number of servings between 1000 and 1200 kcal.
Food pyramid for weight maintenance
You can combine products from all groups and eat them at any time. The only group where there are restrictions, and then only if you are losing weight, are starchy foods. During weight loss, I recommend eating them before dinner, that is, for breakfast and lunch. And if you maintain the results and maintain a normal weight, you can eat them at any meal.
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Diet principles of Dr. Ionova
1. Rational nutrition system
You don't have to eat things you don't like or foods you can't afford. From the “food pyramid” you can choose foods that suit your taste. The only rule is that the diet must contain products from all groups.
2. Healthy lifestyle in a complex
Dr. Ionova’s system does not oblige you to play sports or regularly visit the gym. But nevertheless, an active lifestyle is necessary in combination with proper nutrition. This could be jogging, hiking, cycling or home exercise.
3. Healthy eating habits Dr. Ionova insists that meals should not only be varied, but also fractional. It is better to eat one chicken in small portions 5-6 times than in two large portions. Quite quickly, your body will adapt to the fact that food comes in small portions and you will not feel hungry.
