Can eating basil candy help you lose weight? Child prodigy lost 23 kg, are these five foods the key?

What should I do if I love snacking but want to lose weight? "Shindong" (real name Shin Dong-hee 신동희), a member of the South Korean boy group Super Junior, recently shared his self-created "Self-Discipline Distribution Weight Loss Method" on a program. He used 5 kinds of food in the refrigerator, including soy milk, basil candy and low-calorie cola, to lose 23 kilograms in just 2 months, which is amazing! However, do these foods really help you lose weight? Can you lose weight by eating sugar?

The secret of Korean stars' rapid weight loss is actually 5 low-calorie foods

"Prodigy" has maintained a chubby figure since his debut in 2005. A while ago, he made up his mind to lose weight. After reading various books and watching 5 documentaries, he developed the "Self-Disciplined Weight Loss Method". He used 5 kinds of "non-fat" foods to overcome the problem of easy hunger. Finally, his weight dropped from 116 kg to 93 kg in 2 months. The result is amazing.

These five foods include: soy milk, which is consumed as a main meal and up to five bottles a day; canned tuna containing a large amount of olive oil; and low-calorie tangerine jelly, basil candy and zero-calorie cola, which serve as snacks to relieve cravings. In the child prodigy’s refrigerator, there is nothing else except these 5 low-calorie foods. However, are the weight loss effects of these 5 foods really that magical?

Losing 23 kg in 2 months, that’s amazing? Debunking digital myths

Nutritionist Su Yanchen estimates that if each 250 ml cup of soy milk contains 60 calories, drinking a maximum of 5 cups a day would mean a total intake of 1,250 calories. One serving (two) of meat contains 75 calories, so eight servings a day would mean a total of about 600 calories. One basil candy contains 16 calories, and after each one, one would force oneself to drink 500c.c. of water. Add to that zero-calorie cola and low-calorie tangerine jelly, and the calories consumed throughout the day from food are actually "intake < expenditure" compared to the calories burned by the artists' activities and huge training, so it's naturally easy to lose weight.

In addition, the child prodigy is 177 cm tall, originally weighed 116 kg and had a BMI of 37, which means he is severely obese. He has more room to lose weight by adopting a low-calorie diet than the average person, and can see the effect of weight loss more quickly. Compared with the safe speed of 5% to 8% weight loss for ordinary people in a month, the child prodigy lost 23 kilograms and nearly 20% of his body weight in just 2 months. Although it was a bit fast, he was only over 30 years old and in good health, so it was reasonable.

However, although adopting a low-calorie or single-diet weight loss model can show obvious weight loss effects in the short term, it is easy to increase the burden on the body in the long term and lead to the yo-yo effect and weight gain. Nutritionist Su Yanchen reminds us that, generally speaking, when weight loss reaches "BMI value ≤ 27", there will be a stagnation phenomenon of "not losing weight quickly". Unless you increase the amount of exercise and adjust your diet pattern, it will be difficult to continue to lose weight, and it is even easy to become fatter than before the weight loss.

Can low-calorie cola help you lose weight? Beware of the brain's counterattack after being deceived

It is worth mentioning that basil candy and low-calorie cola can also help lose weight? Nutritionist Su Yanchen said that low-calorie cola has lower calories than regular cola because it uses sugar substitutes, which seems to help with weight loss. But in fact, sugar substitutes use their own sweet taste to "cheat" the brain and temporarily satisfy the brain's desire for sweets. Once the deception is over, you will be hungrier at the next meal, which will make you want to eat more sweets and sugar. In this way, even if it is low-calorie cola, you will still get fat if you eat too much! Moreover, studies have found that long-term intake of sugar substitutes will change the ecology of intestinal probiotics and affect hormone secretion, which is not good for weight control.

Can you lose weight by eating sugar? Basil sugar increases satiety, isn’t it?

As for basil candy, it is just a candy made with ordinary cane sugar, but it became famous because it is mixed with basil seeds. Basil seeds are rich in water-soluble fiber, just like chia seeds and tapioca pearls, which can increase satiety and reduce the risk of obesity due to eating too much when hungry. However, according to the aforementioned method of "1 basil seed with 500cc of boiling water", it is more accurate to say that "drinking water until you are full" is more effective in assisting weight loss.

If you want to supplement fiber, nutritionist Su Yanchen recommends that you cook white fungus juice yourself and drink it, which will provide more fiber and taste more refreshing. If you feel that plain water is too bland and need a little sweetness to comfort your depressed mind during your weight loss struggle, pick some stevia leaves and boil them in water. Stevia leaves have a light sweet taste and can be brewed into herbal tea, which has almost no calories and is suitable as an afternoon tea or snack. However, it should be noted that stevia leaves have a special structure. If you consume too much, you may experience diarrhea symptoms due to the body's inability to absorb it. People with this condition are advised to reduce the amount they consume.

【Weight loss truth】:

Nutritionist Su Yanchen emphasized that there is no shortcut to weight loss. The only way to maintain an ideal weight and figure is to develop the habit of exercising more, eating a balanced diet, eating more fruits and vegetables, and eating less snacks. If you really can't give up the desire to eat snacks, you must also know how to choose food carefully. It is recommended to replace part of the 3 servings of fruit you consume every day with high-fat, high-sugar, and high-calorie snacks, and eat them slowly. This is a great way to lose weight. If you still can't lose weight in this way, it is recommended that you consult a professional nutritionist to clarify the problem and then formulate an appropriate and healthy weight loss plan.