The flexible diet

One of the obstacles we face when starting a diet is adapting to not eating foods that we used to include in our meals. Depending on the diet and its objectives, will be the limitations that we will have in terms of food, for example:

• Low carbohydrate diet: meals with a high level of this macronutrient are suppressed.

• Gluten-free diet: Foods containing gluten are eliminated.

• Vegan diet: No foods from animal protein are consumed.

• Ketogenic diet: Carbohydrate intake is limited.

However, diets based on calorie counting do not usually exclude foods from their plan, so it is considered permissible to eat any food as long as it does not exceed the daily calorie limit; this is an approximation to what is known as flexible diet.

What is the flexible diet?

The flexible diet rests on two basic precepts: Balancing the consumption of macronutrients and not exceeding the expected weekly calorie intake. This allows that the range of foods to integrate into the diet is wider and in principle we can enjoy any food.

It is necessary to clarify that the flexible diet is not based on saturating the body with unhealthy foods as long as they do not exceed the expected number of calories; on the contrary, it proposes that foods with high nutritional value should predominate, leaving a small space to include foods rarely allowed in other diets such as pizzas and sweets. The purpose of this strategy is to design a sustainable diet over time, since it is quite common for people to abandon diets because they are unable to maintain their dietary rectitude. What foods are allowed?

Knowing what foods we can eat is essential to carry out a flexible diet correctly. Many times the name confuses, and harmful foods are ingested in quantities that are not recommended, and as we explained above, this is not the purpose of the flexible diet.

The priority is that at least 5 days a week the consumption of healthy foods, such as:

• Vegetables

• Complex carbohydrates (tubers, nuts)

• Unsaturated fats

• Proteins

Maintaining this diet for at least 80% of the week, allows limited or exceptional consumption of simple carbohydrates such as sweets. Another detail to take into account is that the flexible diet implies a control on the intake of macronutrients; that is to say, even with the nutritional liberties that it offers, these must respect the proportions of carbohydrates, proteins and fats recommended.

Metabolic flexibility: One of the advantages of following a diet of this type is that it generates a certain flexibility in the metabolic processes, which has a positive impact on weight loss and the development of muscle mass. Metabolic flexibility allows us to eat more food, reducing the chances of gaining weight. Benefits of the Flexible Diet:

• It allows it to be sustainable over time.

• It is easy to implement.

• Its eating plan is varied.

• It promotes healthy meals as the basis of the diet.

• It reduces body fat storage.

• It stimulates metabolic flexibility.

• It includes foods with high nutritional value.

• It allows to feel satiated after eating meals.

• It eliminates the prohibition-anxiety-frustration circle that causes the abandonment of diets due to the large amount of forbidden foods.

• It allows to be autonomous in eating and proposes a food plan easy to adapt to any lifestyle.

The flexible diet and the endomorphic diet: These diets have their points of contact and can be integrated if done correctly.

Both agree on the need to establish proportions for the consumption of macronutrients. Likewise, they propose to promote the consumption of proteins with high nutritional value and healthy fats, being carbohydrates the least recommended macronutrients, especially the simple ones.

However, it is necessary to call attention to the freedoms of the flexible diet and endomorphic bodies. These present sensitivity to carbohydrates, so that the processing of these in the body leads to increased fat storage; this means that a bad application of the flexible diet in endomorphic bodies can be counterproductive for them and reverse any progress in terms of body weight loss.