Nowadays, more and more people have embarked on the journey of weight management, either sweating profusely in the gym or enduring hunger in a sea of boiled vegetables. Friends, we are here to lose weight, not to undergo a trial by ordeal! Incorrect weight-loss methods are often painful, while scientifically healthy weight-loss methods can bring joy to both body and mind, with long-lasting effects. If you can’t control your mouth or get yourself to exercise, it’s okay, because the first step in scientific weight loss is to eat to satisfaction, based on the scientific premise that obesity is actually a form of malnutrition.
For many overweight individuals, the conversion of fat in the body follows a fixed pattern, tending to convert more of the consumed sugar into fat and storing it. On the other hand, the consumed fat is relatively more difficult to break down. Simply put, it’s a difference in metabolism. When all nutrition is converted into fat and the body doesn’t receive enough nutrition, the body will start craving more nutrition, which is why many overweight individuals have good appetites and eat a lot. This vicious cycle will only lead to further weight gain!
Therefore, energy surplus does not equal nutrient surplus; the dietary structure of many overweight individuals is often not well-balanced, with high energy intake but inadequate nutrients. Energy surplus leads to the accumulation of excess fat while the nutrient “storeroom” remains depleted.
To truly achieve healthy weight loss, excess fat must be shed, and comprehensive nutrition must be incorporated. Starting with nutritional intake, the weight loss journey is long, and the focus should not be on weight but on battling fat.
Many people may have this question: during weight loss, I adopt a dieting approach, controlling meal portion sizes by eating less at each meal or even skipping meals. As time goes on, my weight decreases, my appetite decreases, and I do not feel hungry even when eating less. Has my stomach shrunk?
In fact, this statement is incorrect. Eating less is not an indication of the stomach shrinking but rather a result of various psychological and physiological factors at play.
Before any surgery, patients are required to fast for 8 hours. During surgery, the stomach sizes of obese and lean individuals in a fasting state are found to be similar. Therefore, the stomach does not shrink due to eating less; dieting is merely a self-imposed control over one’s diet and does not affect the size of the stomach.
So, in the process of weight management, how can one scientifically eat and drink? The answer lies in following the Chinese Food Pagoda!
The Food Pagoda recommends consuming at least 12 types of food daily and at least 25 types of food weekly to ensure a balanced and nutritious diet. Why do some people not gain weight despite eating, while others become overweight? As the saying goes, a single tree does not make a forest—no matter how nutritious a food is, overindulging in a single type will lead to another extreme. Therefore, achieving balance in the variety and quantity of food intake is the scientifically effective way. Scientific eating is crucial for effective weight management—no extreme dieting, no binge eating, eat for the body’s needs, not for emotional needs. For instance, proteins, fiber, magnesium, vitamins C and B, among others, not only assist in weight loss but also provide nourishment for the brain and muscles.
