The famous doctor lost 18 kilograms in one and a half years! Key tips: "Half-sugar diet" plus "these two types" of exercise

If fatty liver disease is left untreated, it may develop into the so-called trilogy of liver disease: hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. Fatty liver is also one of the main causes of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a warning sign for good health and a pre-disease condition. Effective weight control is necessary to not only keep away from fatty liver, but also get rid of the threat of metabolic syndrome!

According to the standards of the World Health Organization, almost all obese people with a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 have fatty liver. The Liver Disease Prevention and Treatment Academic Foundation has also made statistics that the incidence of fatty liver in Chinese people over 40 years old is 40%, and over 50 years old it is 50%, which means that one in every two middle-aged people in Chinese people has fatty liver. Even among the young group aged 20 to 29, nearly 30% of them are patients! But did you know? Losing 5% of your weight can improve fatty liver, losing 7% of your weight can reduce the liver inflammation index, and losing 10% of your weight can improve fatty liver hepatitis.

Fatty liver can cause "metabolic syndrome"

When fat accumulates in the liver for a long time, it may cause inflammation and damage to the liver tissue. If there is no improvement, scar tissue will form during the repeated inflammation and healing process of the liver, and it will gradually develop into fibrosis. If it continues to develop, it will develop into cirrhosis, making it difficult for the liver to continue to function normally. Severe cases may even lead to the so-called liver disease trilogy of "hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer." Dr. Liang Chengchao found in his clinic that fatty liver disease has a tendency to occur in younger people. Careful questioning of these young patients often reveals that the common point they all have is that they drink sugary drinks. Due to changes in eating habits, fatty liver, which used to be almost only caused by alcoholism, has now become the main cause of chronic liver disease worldwide.

The first physical crisis that fatty liver may cause is insulin resistance, which will disrupt physical health and form "metabolic syndrome". Metabolic syndrome is a warning sign for physical health. According to the top ten causes of death in 2023 announced by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, five of them (heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, hypertensive diseases, and kidney disease) are related to metabolic syndrome, with a combined mortality rate of 30.2%. If we consider insulin resistance, the cause behind metabolic syndrome, then some malignant tumors are also related to it.

Weight loss myths that doctors also make

Dr. Liang Chengchao of the hepatobiliary and gastroenterology department has had a good appetite since childhood. He gained 30 kilograms in weight during the three years of junior high school. He is over 160 cm tall, but weighs 77 kilograms. Before the age of 45, he particularly loved to eat rice, meat and fruit. Pearl milk tea, latte and caramel macchiato coffee were must-haves for medical consultations. Biscuits and bread were foods to satisfy his cravings and fill his stomach when he was busy. Sitting for long periods of time, staring at the computer screen and lack of exercise were part of his daily life. When I was 45 years old, a health check at the hospital showed that my weight was as high as 84 kg and my BMI was 28, which was already obese. An ultrasound examination showed that I had moderate fatty liver and three highs (high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high uric acid).

After starting to lose weight, Dr. Liang discovered that his previous lifestyle of "small and frequent meals" (eating a few soda crackers in the middle of the consultation and having a cup of bubble milk tea with the nurse for afternoon tea to relieve stress) was one of the reasons for his continuous weight gain. This was Dr. Liang's first misconception. The second myth is: "Eating less reduces calories." I thought I would lose weight as long as I consumed less calories than I burned each day to create a calorie gap, but my body went into energy-saving mode instead. After repeating this several times, my weight increased instead of decreased. The third myth is that “eating a lot of fruit is healthy.” But the sugar in fruits is fructose and glucose, both of which are monosaccharides and are very easily absorbed by the human body. The unused glucose will enter the liver and be stored as glycogen or fat. Fructose is metabolized in the liver and turned into triglycerides. Stored in the liver, it becomes fatty liver, which further reduces insulin sensitivity and eventually forms insulin resistance.

In addition, excessive triglycerides in the liver will be transported out, causing very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) to rise, forming hypercholesterolemia. The fourth myth is "eating fat will make you fat." When we talk about losing weight, we think of losing fat. People avoid fat as much as possible and regard fat as the culprit of diseases such as heart disease and high blood pressure. The obesity rates in countries around the world are rising, and the number of patients with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases is increasing. In fact, the culprit is high carbohydrates rather than fat. The fifth myth is "believing the numbers on the scale." You may think that a decrease in the number on the scale means you have lost weight, but you may actually be losing water or muscle. To lose weight, you can't just lose weight, but you must actually get rid of the excess "fat" in your body, that is, "body fat."

A low-sugar diet that is easy to prepare, cook and execute

Dr. Liang Chengchao lost 18 kilograms in a year and a half by adopting a half-sugar diet, ultra-slow jogging and 7-minute exercise. His fatty liver was eliminated, his blood pressure returned to normal, and his insulin resistance index dropped from a severe level of 3.13 to a mild level of 1.74. His physical age is 11 years younger than his actual age.

Dr. Liang's "half-sugar diet" method is to reduce the normal carbohydrate intake by half and increase the amount of protein and vegetables. The daily ratio of vegetables, fruits, protein, and carbohydrates is about 2:2:1. All three meals must be eaten within 12 hours, and the other 12 hours must be completely fasted. Only eat one serving of several kinds of fruits for breakfast a day, and there must be three cups of breakfast: a cup of 300~500cc warm boiled water, a cup of unsweetened soy milk, and a cup of hand-brewed black coffee. Whether you eat toast, steamed buns or sourdough bread, you should eat them after eating proteins such as eggs and unsweetened soy milk. Therefore, Dr. Liang Chengchao’s order of eating is: water, meat, vegetables, rice, and fruit: eat foods with a low glycemic index first to reduce blood sugar fluctuations, and eat protein foods first to activate glucagon to help burn fat. Dinner should mainly consist of meat, seafood and other proteins, as well as vegetables. Don’t eat too much rice. If you feel full after eating meat and vegetables, you will skip the meal.

Regarding weight loss through eating out, Dr. Liang particularly emphasizes the need to master two tricks: one is to reduce sugar in the diet, with the ratio of protein, vegetables, and starch being 2:2:1; the other is to master the order of eating water, meat, vegetables, rice, and fruit.

Dr. Liang Chengchao shared his experience in the book "The Most Powerful Half-Sugar Diet to Eliminate Fatty Liver and Fight Four Highs". In the book, he also explained in an easy-to-understand manner the medical knowledge related to obesity and metabolic syndrome, such as insulin, cholesterol, fatty liver, hormones, etc. (Photo provided by Xingjian Dazhi Health Management Clinic)

Exercise is more effective than diet alone in reducing body fat and visceral fat

Many studies have pointed out that the effect of weight loss through exercise alone is far less than that of diet control. However, exercise may be better than diet alone in reducing body fat and visceral fat. In recent years, it has become popular to divide exercise into different levels, which are divided into five zones based on the percentage of maximum heart rate, from the easiest Zone 1 to the very intense Zone 5. Among them, Zone 2 is known as the best exercise to increase the number and function of mitochondria. The purpose of exercise is to burn fat, and the intensity of exercise will determine whether the energy source is carbohydrates or fat. During low to moderate intensity exercise, you won't be out of breath and the amount of oxygen required is not that much, so the oxygen intake is lower. At this time, the main source of energy is fat, supplemented by carbohydrates.

Dr. Liang Chengchao’s exercise prescription for fat loss and fitness is ultra-slow jogging and 7-minute interval exercise. Super slow jogging originated in Japan and is a way of exercise promoted by Hiroaki Tanaka, a professor of the Department of Exercise Physiology at Fukuoka University. The key is to have small steps, fast step frequency, and no soreness, pain, stiffness, or panting. For those who want to lose weight, ultra-slow running should last more than an hour each time, or be divided into several sessions within a day, with each session lasting at least 10 minutes. The accumulated hours should reach 150 hours a week. Ultra-slow running is a Zone 2 sport.

As for the "7-minute interval exercise", it belongs to High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). As long as you set aside 7 minutes a day, you can do a full-body exercise, build muscle and reduce fat without going out. This exercise includes 12 movements, combining aerobic and strength training. Each movement is performed for 30 seconds, with a 10-second rest in between. The full cycle takes 7 minutes to complete. This "move, stop, move, stop" pattern is an exercise that belongs to Zone 4-5 (80-95% of maximum heart rate).

Lose 11 kg in 56 days and regain health

Mr. Hong, a 31-year-old engineer, participated in Dr. Liang Chengchao's metabolic fat reduction course. From September 30 to November 24, 2024, his weight dropped from 93.4 kg to 82.4 kg, a total loss of 11 kg. His waist circumference dropped from 107.2 cm to 100.2 cm, and his BMI also dropped from 30.8 to 27.2. Moreover, more than a month after the course ended, when Mr. Hong went back for a follow-up visit a few days before the launch of his new book "The Most Powerful Half-Sugar Diet to Eliminate Fatty Liver and Fight Four Highs", his weight continued to drop to 80.9 kg. Not only did he not gain weight again, but his weight continued to decrease. More importantly, Mr. Hong had mild fatty liver two years ago, but after this follow-up examination, he found that the fatty liver had disappeared.

Losing weight and exercising are the only way to regain health, but the right method will be more effective. Dr. Liang Chengchao shared his experience in the book "The Most Powerful Half-Sugar Diet to Eliminate Fatty Liver and Fight Four Highs". In the book, he also explained in an easy-to-understand manner the medical knowledge related to obesity and metabolic syndrome, such as insulin, cholesterol, fatty liver, hormones, etc. I hope to help readers manage their hormones, say goodbye to obesity and stay away from metabolic syndrome.