9 strategies to avoid the accordion effect –

Now you get on balance without suffering, she wears tight clothes to show off her new shapes… The first part of her slimming process has already been accomplished. The second starts right now: maintaining that conquered look. There’s no other way but to always keep an eye on the menu, despite being thinner. Otherwise, accordion effect in sight.

The data about obesity are discouraged and warn about the importance of the post-diet phase: 95% of the followers end up recovering all the lost kilos. The reason? In most cases, people make the mistake of believing that they can go back to eat as before, without restrictions.

So that the accordion effect doesn’t happen to you, heard stories of women who managed to keep the desired body after reaching their goals and consulted several specialists in the area to answer the main questions.

Believe: maintaining weight requires special care

Don’t get carried away by thoughts like “now it’s worth eating everything, without restriction; I’ve already made a lot of sacrifice, enough!” Rest assured that those who revert to wild eating habits are doomed to failure. “Food, even for thin ones, requires monitoring and never allows a menu with total freedom”, says Marcelo Kessler, director of the Center for Recovery and Study of Obesity (Creo).

1. Assemble your plate and avoid repeating the dose

If you still need to lose weight, as per medical recommendations, try not to repeat the dish. According to nutritionist Cynthia Antonaccio, from São Paulo, you can even opt for a more filling portion (which does not justify an exaggerated amount), but try not to repeat it. According to the specialist, in the second round, we can end up exaggerating the measures and eating even without hunger.

2. Identify and ward off explosive combinations

try not to match alcohol with candy. Stick with one or the other. If you choose a more caloric main course, give up both. When you arrive at the restaurant, calmly assess what you are most craving and make your choice. Take a deep breath and don’t even think about giving the green light to every type of food that appears in front of you. Remember: you choose the food, not the other way around.

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3. Release one treat at a time, but control the amount

Sweets and fried foods can even be on the menu, as long as they are sporadically. The ideal is to try to limit the consumption of candy three times a week and fried foods and heavier dishes (such as feijoada, pizza, pasta with cheese sauce) once. And always medium portions.

4. Keep your body moving

Forget that “since I lost weight, I can relax and leave the academy over there”. If you are looking to maintain the weight gained, physical activities are highly recommended. Those who spend a lot of energy even have a freer menu to abuse a little on a special occasion. “That doesn’t mean that if you don’t work out you’ll put on weight again, but the risks are greater”, says Cleide Guimarães, from Weight Watchers in São Paulo (SP).

5. Stick to healthy foods

Always prefer foods in their natural form over industrialized ones, which usually contain sugar and other substances that do not help your health or your balance.

6. Disarm that “Since…

…I opened the box of bonbons, so I’m going to eat until I’m done, but tomorrow I’ll close my mouth”. Or “since I came to the party, I’m going to relax and eat like a queen; tomorrow I work out twice as much and only drink liquids…”. This kind of attitude drives the metabolism. If one day you eat too much and the next you reduce the amount abruptly (and so on), the body has a tendency to spend less energy and store more fat to prevent itself in case you force it to spend a period of time in the morning again. dwindle. The lesson? O body needs regularity to work well.

7. Avoid turning food into a source of happiness

If you notice that you are resorting to food a lot (and in exaggerated amounts) to feel happy or if you only find pleasure when you put a treat in your mouth, stop and evaluate your emotions – Dealing with them can be essential to not take it out on food.

8. Don’t stock up on tempting treats at home

Avoid keeping fatty and high-calorie foods in the pantry. When you hit the urge to take one ice cream, the tip is to go out and buy just one popsicle. Thus, you also educate the mind to get used to smaller portions.

9. Remember: it’s not in the fridge that you resolve sorrows

Although it’s not ideal, don’t blame yourself if you discount the anxiety and sadness in food every now and then. To end the boycott, keep in mind that food is not going to solve your life. “It may even be a pleasure, but it ends soon. And then the problem will remain there, looking at you”, says psychologist Marilene Naccache, from São Paulo (SP). When you’re on the verge of a nervous breakdown, you have a few ways out: grab a bonbon and try to calm down, snack on foods that are less harmful to your diet (dried fruits, olives, Minas cheese) or distract yourself by calling a friendwatching your favorite series or enjoying any other activity that brings satisfaction.