Eat smart and move healthy! Balanced eating and exercise for three meals a day helps lose weight

Diet control and continuous exercise are the only way to successfully lose weight. Appropriate and clever combination can help improve the weight loss effect, but how should you eat three meals a day and how should you exercise to make further weight loss? Nutritionists and physical therapists work together to plan three meals a day and periodic exercise principles based on the daily routines of ordinary people, to promote a balance between eating and exercise, prolong the endurance of weight control, and lose weight healthily.

Diet and exercise are the only way to control weight, and a moderate and clever combination can help improve weight loss results.

Morning: Diversified breakfast + muscle strengthening training

Zeng Huijun, a nutritionist at Daqian General Hospital, said that starving and dieting is not a good way to lose weight. Three meals a day are indispensable, especially breakfast. Because after a whole night of sleep, the blood sugar level of the human body is generally lower when waking up. The first meal in the morning must be supplemented with proper nutrition to start the metabolism for the whole day. Studies have found that eating a good breakfast has a better weight loss effect.

It is generally recommended that the more food types you consume for breakfast, the better, and try to include whole grains, root vegetables, beans, fish, meat, eggs, vegetables, etc. Whole grains and root vegetables can provide the glucose energy needed by the brain. It is recommended to choose less refined staple foods such as whole wheat toast or multi-grain steamed bread to help stabilize blood sugar after meals, reduce hunger, help control weight, and avoid grogginess when going to work early in the morning.

Beans, fish, meat, and eggs can provide protein to help the body repair tissues, synthesize muscles, and metabolize into hormones. Among them, sugar-free soy milk, low-fat fresh milk, fish, boiled eggs, etc. are all good choices of high-quality protein. In addition, it is recommended to add a portion of nuts to breakfast, because nuts contain unsaturated fatty acids, as well as protein, minerals, vitamins, fiber, etc., which can increase the feeling of fullness after a meal.

Demonstration of muscle strengthening exercises. (Photo provided by Daqian General Hospital)

【3 muscle strength exercises in the morning】

Regarding exercise, Liu Fangyu, a physical therapist at the Rehabilitation Department of Daqian General Hospital, recommends doing muscle strengthening training 30 minutes after a meal to strengthen muscles, tighten lines, and improve metabolism.

1. Abdominal muscle exercise: bend your knees, use your abdominal muscles to lift your head and shoulders. Contract for 10 seconds, rest for 5 seconds, repeat 15 times.

2. Hip lifting exercise: Lie down with your knees bent and feet flat, place your hands on both sides of your body, lift your hips off the bed and squeeze your hip muscles. Contract for 10 seconds, rest for 5 seconds, repeat 15 times.

3. Spinal stabilization exercise: First kneel on all fours, then lift one hand or foot, then further lift the opposite hand and foot. The body cannot move or shake. Contract for 10 seconds, rest for 5 seconds, repeat 15 times.

Demonstration of light waist and abdomen exercises. (Photo provided by Daqian General Hospital)

Noon: Lunch with less oil and sugar + light waist and abdomen exercise

Many people rely on eating out for lunch. Those who are trying to lose weight should avoid high-calorie lunch combinations such as pot stickers with corn soup, pork rib bento with pearl milk tea, fried rice with meatball soup, etc. If eating out is unavoidable, pay attention to increasing the intake of vegetables and fruits, choose whole grains as the staple food, and avoid thickened and fried foods. Most importantly, do not choose sugary drinks to go with meals.

Weight loss exercises during the afternoon should not be too intense and should be based on the principle of promoting digestion. Therefore, physical therapist Liu Fangyu recommends doing light exercises for the waist and abdomen, which can help avoid the notoriety of having a "small belly". When doing the exercise, sit on a chair with your upper back against it, hold the chair surface with both hands to keep you seated firmly, stretch your legs straight, then cross your legs and slowly lift your legs to your chest and hold for 7 seconds. Do this 10 times.

Demonstration of beautiful leg exercises. (Photo provided by Daqian General Hospital)

Evening: Dinner with more vegetables and less starch + stretching and sculpting exercises

Nutritionist Zeng Huijun said that dinner should account for the smallest proportion of the three meals. It is recommended to reduce the amount of starchy foods and try to make up for the amount of vegetables at dinner, but remember not to replace rice with fruit, because the sugar calories in fruit are not low. Eating too much fruit will make you fatter. It is recommended to choose fruits with lower GI such as guava, cherry tomatoes, kiwi, etc. during weight loss.

Evening is the time to rest and prepare for bed. Physical therapists recommend doing muscle stretching exercises to relieve the day's tense body, mind and muscles, and to sculpt your body. For example, you can do leg exercises 30 minutes after dinner before going to bed.

1. Inhale and lift your legs: Before exercising, stabilize your pelvis. After your lumbar spine is stabilized and flat on the ground, inhale and slowly lift your right leg.

2. Exhale upwards: Exhale and lift your calves, straighten your knees, and extend your legs toward the ceiling. Maintain the movement for 7 seconds, 1 time for both feet, for a total of 5 times.

3. Exhale and lower your legs: Keep exhaling, then slowly lower your legs to return to the original position.