You lose weight more if you don't refrain. Revolutionary study: “Forbidden” snacks can be the key to success in diet

What if you were told that your favorite chocolate, chips or cakes are not the enemies of the silhouette, but can they become allies in the fight with the kilograms? A new American research contradicts everything I thought about diets and eating cravings.

The guilty pleasures can be allied in the fight with the pounds, a new IstoK revolutionary study shows

In a discovery that overturns the traditional rules of restrictive and starvation diets, researchers at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, have shown that people who do not completely avoid fat or sugary foods can, paradoxically, lose weight more-and more sustainably, regardless of age.

Clinical study published in the prestigious magazine Physiology and Behaviorshows that there is a better way – moderation and strategic inclusion of “Customized snacks” In a balanced eating plane they can have spectacular results in the weight loss process.

Empower: The program that promises weight loss without demonizing the “guilty” snacks

At the base of the research lies the Empower program – an online variant of a previous nutritional plan tested in physical format, called the individualized diet improvement program. The goal? To turn weight loss into a realistic and sustainable approach without demonizing your favorite foods.

“Lives are one of the greatest enemies of those who want to lose weight“explains the nutritional teacher Manabu T. Nakamura, the study coordinator. Along with the Graduate Student Nouf W. Alfouzan and in collaboration with the doctors at the Carle Clinic in Illinois, the team recruited obese people, between the ages of 18 and 75, many of them having associated conditions, such as diabetes or hypertension.

Participants were encouraged not to completely remove food “problem”but integrate them intelligently into the daily diet, through a so-called “Inclusion strategy”.

The amazing conclusion of the study: When you give up prohibitions, lust disappear by themselves

The program was based on active nutrition education: Volunteers have learned to manage their diet with visual tools that clearly indicated the content of protein, fiber and calories in each food. Thus, they learned not only what to eat, but also how to build a healthy relationship with food – one that did not require impossible sacrifices, but balance and awareness.

The results were remarkable. After the first year, of the 30 participants, 24 remained in the program and lost an average of 7.9% of the initial body weight. Of these, 20 continued in the maintenance stage, and in the end the average weight loss stabilized at 6.7%. Important to mention: those who have managed to lose more than 5% have significantly reduced their eating lusts-both in intensity and frequency.

Periodically completed questionnaires by participants showed a clear decline in desire for sweets, fast food and high fat foods. In other words, when you no longer completely forbid these foods, cravings tend to disappear by themselves.

The cravings do not come from “hungry cells”, but from imbalance

The new clinical study conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois shakes one of the most persistent theories about weight loss: the hypothesis “Hungry fat cells”.

According to the published results, the reduction of appetite is not directly linked to a severe caloric deficit, but rather to the diminution of the body fat mass. In other words, the key to a controlled appetite is not a drastic diet, but maintaining a healthy weight.

“Our discoveries denies the idea that private fat cells would trigger intense cravings. In fact, cravings decrease when our body reaches a healthy balance. It is not about starvation, but about stability.”explains Professor Manabu T. Nakamura, research coordinator.

The study that dismantles the myths about weight loss: “Not the will of iron overcomes lust, but routine”

During the 12 months of study, 24 participants were monitored, and more than half of them applied a revolutionary strategy: the controlled inclusion of “Forbidden snacks” -from sweets to fatty foods-in a balanced food plane. Whether they did this daily or weekly, these participants managed to lose significantly more weight than those who completely avoided culinary temptations. Moreover, cravings for sweet or high fat foods have reduced considerably.

But the secret of success is not only in strategy, but also in consistency, warns Professor Nakamura: “Contrary to the popular myth, it is not the will of iron that overcomes lust, but routine. When mass hours and portions vary chaotically, the brain perceives uncertainty and responds with food impulses. True discipline does not mean saying 'No', but to say 'yes' at the same hours and under the same conditions.”

In a world dominated by extreme diets and absurd dietary restrictions, this study brings liberating news: balance, not prohibition, is the key ingredient to keep your weight and keep your lusts.

This research could radically change how we approach weight loss belts. Instead of an exhausting war with their favorite foods, specialists propose a more human and efficient strategy: education, moderation and a sincere relationship with the pleasures of the plate.