Weight management dietary guidance

The core logic of a weight management diet is never to go on an extreme diet or copy Internet celebrity recipes, but to create a controllable and sustainable caloric gap on the premise of ensuring adequate daily intake of basic nutrients (protein, dietary fiber, trace elements, and essential fats). All diet plans that depart from the premise of "long-term persistence" are essentially scams of short-term weight fluctuations, and there is no universal standard answer.

In the past two years, I have come into contact with no less than 200 users who want to adjust their weight. The one who impressed me most was a boy who worked in Internet operations last year. He was 180cm tall and weighed 190kg. He came up and asked me, "Can I lose 20kg in a month by eating boiled vegetables every day?" I said no to him directly. Sure enough, he secretly ate boiled vegetables for three weeks and lost 12 pounds. However, one day when he worked overtime until early in the morning, he couldn't help but show off two boxes of fried chicken and a cup of Coke. In the next half month, his weight rebounded directly to 185, and he was also diagnosed with mild fatty liver.

The popular eating patterns on the market now actually have their own applicable groups. There is no need to follow the trend and choose the most popular one. You must first find out your own living habits and body tolerance. For example, the low-carb/ketogenic diet, which has become very popular in the past few years, relies on extremely low-carbohydrate intake to switch energy supply modes. The scale falls very quickly in the first two weeks. Many people fall into the trap because of this "instant feedback", but less than 10% of the people I have met can persist for more than half a year. Either they can't help but crave carbohydrates, or they have problems such as hair loss, aunt disorder, or elevated uric acid. People with abnormal kidney function or gout should not touch this mode.

Relatively speaking, the Mediterranean diet recommended by the WHO for many years is much milder. It is mainly composed of whole grains, high-quality unsaturated fats, deep-sea protein, and high-fiber fruits and vegetables. It can not only stabilize body weight, but also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, it is indeed a bit "acclimated" to most ordinary Chinese. Not to mention the high cost of olive oil and salmon for a meal, many people are used to eating white rice and white noodles, and suddenly switch to quinoa and chia seeds. They can't even swallow it and give up after two weeks. There is no long-term effect at all.

In fact, the "Plate Rules" given by our dietary guidelines for Chinese residents are the most adaptable. When the portion of a meal is broken down, half is dark green or high-fiber vegetables, one-quarter is high-quality protein such as fish, poultry, eggs, and milk, and the remaining quarter is staple food such as cereals and potatoes. Occasionally, it is okay to have hot pot or milk tea, as long as it conforms to this structure most of the time. The only drawback is that the weight loss is slow in the early stage. You may only lose 3 or 4 pounds in the first month, but as long as you persist, you will basically not rebound.

When I usually give instructions to users, I never ask them to count calories to grams. It’s too anti-human. I just give them a few tips and follow them. For example, first replace the 28cm large plate at home with a 22cm one. When serving the dish, it still looks full, but the actual portion is reduced by one-third.； Change the order of eating. Drink half a bowl of light soup first, then eat vegetables, then eat meat, and finally eat two bites of staple food. Blood sugar will rise more slowly and it will not be easy to overeat. ； If you are really craving for snacks, put the potato chips and chocolates in the cabinet in the living room, not on the desk or bedside table. If you are too lazy to get up to get them, you will most likely not eat them.

When it comes to this, someone will definitely ask about those hotly debated issues, such as "can we eat staple food?" Some people say that to lose weight, you need to completely quit staple food, and some people say that you can't think of it without eating staple food. In fact, it all depends on the individual's metabolic situation. If you usually exercise for more than half an hour every day, eating a fist of rice will not make you fat at all, but will help you maintain your exercise status.； If you sit for a long time every day, then replace half of the white rice and flour with corn, sweet potatoes and other grains, which will make you feel fuller and lower your blood sugar levels. There is also the issue of fruit. Some people say that people with obesity should avoid eating fructose. Others say that they should eat 200g of fruit every day. In fact, it is not so absolute. If you have already eaten a lot of desserts that day, then switch to low-sugar vegetables such as tomatoes and cucumbers. If you consume a lot of exercise that day, it is perfectly fine to eat a watermelon or mango to satisfy your craving. Don't just eat half a watermelon at a time.

I usually encounter times when I can't bear it anymore. I went to a barbecue with my friends last week. I also ate grilled tendons, grilled eggplant, and drank half a glass of ice beer. The next day, I weighed myself and gained 1.8 pounds. I didn't panic. I ate as normal on the plate and drank plenty of water that day. The weight was back on the third day. I really don't need to feel guilty because I ate too much in one meal. It's easy to cause problems if you break the jar. There are also many people asking what to do if you get hungry after working overtime until midnight. Don’t bear it. I usually put a few boxes of sugar-free yogurt and a few boiled eggs in the office. I just eat one when I’m hungry. It’s much better than if you can’t help but order a 20 yuan spicy hotpot.

In fact, after having been a weight management coach for so long, my biggest feeling is that weight management is not a chore that requires "gritting your teeth and persevering", but that you slowly find a comfortable way to get along with food. Some people just like to eat carbohydrates, so you should exercise more to lose weight. Some people just don’t like to exercise, so you should eat less refined sugar. You don’t have to force yourself to follow other people’s recipes, and you don’t have to pursue the myth of losing ten pounds in a month. If you can slowly lose eight pounds in three months and keep it off, you will have beaten 90% of people.