Lose weight and don’t gain it back! Nutritionist: Don’t fall into the trap of rapid weight loss

Obesity is the public enemy, but when it comes to losing weight, many obese people love it but are afraid of getting hurt. Nutritionists point out that in addition to exercising more, recording daily eating habits is the first step to losing weight, but remember: weight loss is a long-term battle. Do not "pursue speed" or "care too much about calories" to avoid falling into the trap of gaining weight again.

The Department of Health and Nutrition at Taipei Medical University launches: Online nutritionist to calculate daily food intake. (Photo courtesy of Taipei Medical University)

When the food is served, take photos before you start eating

The Department of Health and Nutrition at Taipei Medical University held the "Nutrition and Health Promotion Week" and launched the "Photo Calculation Nutrition" app. Users take photos of their "three meals" with their mobile phones and upload them. The online nutritionist will not only help you calculate calories, but also calculate data such as the six major food categories and nutrient intake ratios.

After you take a photo and upload it, the nutritionist will issue an analysis report. In addition to the amount of calories consumed, the nutritionist will also calculate the six major food categories needed for a day: "fruits", "vegetables", "oils and fats", "beans, fish, meat, eggs", "dairy products", and "whole grains and roots", to see whether the amount is exceeded or insufficient.

In addition, it will also provide the proportion of fat, protein and sugar in the total calories and provide improvement suggestions for users. After downloading the APP during the Nutrition and Health Promotion Week, Peking University Health Science Center employees can also invite 4 relatives and friends to experience the function of taking a photo to calculate nutrition. It will be implemented in schools first, and it is not ruled out that it will be extended to medical institutions in the future.

Although incorrect eating habits can help you lose weight quickly, they will harm your health.

Taipei Medical University alumnus and professional nutritionist Liu Yili emphasized in his speech during the "Nutrition and Health Promotion Week" that many people use methods such as fasting and dieting to lose weight, which not only leads to nutritional imbalance, but also results in fat that "never leaves". In fact, "eating wrong" is the reason why most people fail to lose weight. If you can control calories, change your diet, and keep a food diary every day, you can lose weight healthily without starving yourself.

Don’t rush to get rid of the calorie curse

In particular, the quick weight loss methods circulating on the Internet, as long as you can count the calories on the food packaging, do not exercise, and have no restrictions on diet, you can indeed lose more than 4 kilograms in a month, but this is all an illusion. It can only reduce water and muscle, but body fat will increase sharply. This weight loss method is like poison wrapped in honey, which is a great harm to your health.

The result of "being too eager to get things done quickly" may cause electrolyte imbalance, bone loss, increased uric acid leading to gout, liver inflammation, gallstones, gallbladder inflammation, vitamin deficiency and other problems, and even endanger life. Those who want to be slim and healthy should not be too impatient.

Healthy and slim, chew slowly and eat more vegetables

In terms of diet, nutritionist Liu Yili recommends eating more natural ingredients such as a variety of vegetables, fruits, unrefined whole grains and roots; drinking more boiled water, avoiding sugary drinks, limiting the intake of high-energy-density foods (especially high-sugar, low-fiber, high-fat processed foods); avoiding the intake of processed meat products, and reducing the consumption of high-salt and salted foods.

Eating more natural ingredients such as a variety of vegetables, fruits, and unrefined whole grains and root vegetables is essential for weight loss.

At the same time, you should chew slowly. It is recommended that you take 20 to 30 minutes to eat a meal, and eat mainly vegetables. If you have a big appetite, you can drink clear soup and 300cc of water first. If you want to eat small and frequent meals, it is recommended to plan the contents of three meals and snacks a day. The best snacks are tea eggs, sugar-free soy milk, skim milk or fruits.

Do not gain weight again. Body fat must reach the standard first.

The prerequisite for losing weight and not gaining weight back is that body fat (BMI) must be reduced to a standard value. If you lose water or muscle, the chances of gaining weight back are higher. In terms of body fat standards, women under 30 years old should have body fat less than 24%; women over 30 years old should have body fat less than 27%; men under 30 years old should have body fat less than 20%; men over 30 years old should have body fat less than 23%.

Basically, in the first 2 to 3 months of weight loss, diet control is the main method, supplemented by exercise. In the later stages of weight loss, exercise is used to maintain weight in order to achieve the principle of reducing weight regain. The most important thing is to maintain a balanced diet and a regular lifestyle. After successfully losing weight, you should still eat a balanced diet for three meals and keep exercising, so you won’t gain weight again easily.