Many books and articles have been written about weight loss; every year for the beach season, a dozen “super-effective” methods flood the media, attracting attention with their simplicity and extraordinary effect. But the problem of excess weight remains relevant and on a national scale, and the world as a whole, is getting worse every year. How to lose weight and stay off it? – this question, no matter what, remains relevant. And the point here is this. Among ordinary people, there are common myths related to excess weight and what method will help to cope with it. When asked: “How to lose weight?”, the first thing that comes to mind is “You need to eat less!” There is a rational grain in this statement, but it is very small. Let's figure this out. First, let me remind you of the function of adipose tissue - it is the accumulation of energy that enters the body along with food. Our body needs energy to maintain vital functions (metabolic processes, maintaining homeostasis, gas exchange, digestion, etc.) and physical activity. The energy that comes in (Eutput) must be expended, i.e. equal to the energy consumed (Econsumption). It is this kind of eating behavior that is called adequate. The disproportion of these energies is the basis for gaining excess weight. And, for example, having realized your mistake, it may be too late, because... 20-30 extra kilos have already accumulated, you want to get rid of them. How to do it? There is only one way out - to introduce inequality into the balance of energies - Evkhod < Yerexpenditure. Only then, according to all physical laws, the desired weight loss will occur. When performing this task, the first thing that comes to mind is diets, such as dietary restrictions in the form of excluding certain foods, and fasting. Everything would be fine, but the psychological component of this process is not taken into account. At first you don’t think about it, because nothing inspires you more than the first two hours of a new diet! But then... Any restrictions are invented in order to break them sooner or later. Don't believe me? Remember why Adam and Eve were expelled from paradise? They violated the ban. Some theologians joke: if a ban had been imposed on not eating a snake, most likely Adam and Eve would have killed the snake and dined on rich snake soup... If you have not yet seen from your own experience that any restrictions always lead to breakdowns, go for it. If you get tired, perhaps you will remember my words. The first condition for weight loss is the refusal of restrictions and split meals every 3-4 hours. And this is a scientifically substantiated fact, recognized by the world scientific community both in our country and abroad. Including in Germany, where I had the opportunity to attend an internship at a psychosomatic clinic. Both there, in Germany, and here with us, nutritionists will first of all give exactly this recommendation. “What should I feed myself now, like a Tamagotchi?” - you may exclaim. The irony of this question is clear to me, but it hides serious and deep problems. There is such a concept in psychology - identity, which means a person’s system of ideas about himself from different sides, including the bodily one. Identity is a certain core of the psyche around which everything else revolves and this system of ideas is perceived by the person himself as a matter of course. I am – that’s it in short. Identity violation is manifested in the fact that many people suffering from excess body weight can easily not feed themselves for a long time. Remember, for example, in the evening that you haven’t eaten anything today. This points to a very common problem of bodily identity - the lack of relationship between consciousness and body. The body doesn’t seem to be on friendly terms with the head, to put it simply. The person doesn’t feel hungry - everyone sat down at the table, and it seems like I need it too; does not feel full - eats until the stomach rests on the table top. Cannot express his feelings and sensations. And this has the scientific name alexethymia and is one of the leading symptoms of any psychosomatic disorder, including obesity. There are some facts.