A few years ago, I was this kind of woman. Because I often stayed up late writing, I was always snacking, drinking coffee, and drinking milk. In addition, I was very tired from work during the day and had no time to exercise. So most of the time, I was sitting in front of the computer typing with a hunched back. When my weight went from 98, 108, 118, 128 to more than 140 pounds, I, who was 1.65 meters tall, was dumbfounded.
Image completely ruined
Online, I occasionally encounter netizens who admire me, some even with a hint of infatuation, who ask for photos. I can only send them pictures of myself as a slender young woman from five years ago, which earns me genuine praise and a sigh from the bottom of my heart. When people imagine a woman who can write beautifully, especially romantic love stories, they naturally picture a delicate, refined, and graceful woman. Unfortunately, the reality is far from that. Weighing over 140 pounds, my image is completely ruined. I get breathless climbing stairs, snore softly in my sleep, and spend my weekends sleeping until I look like a pig's head – utterly devoid of any beauty.
My experience with weight loss
What truly motivated me to lose weight was the publication of my new book. I finally realized that I couldn't always hide behind my computer and never come out to meet people—book promotion inevitably involves showing my face in public.
I started controlling my diet, cutting out all meat and dairy products, and eating mostly steamed or boiled food, using less sugar, salt, and other seasonings, especially less oil. In just ten days, I lost a full 7 pounds! However, as I mentioned at the beginning, fat accumulation is a gradual process, so apart from the initial 7 pounds, I only lost 1 pound in the entire following month. No matter how picky I was about what I ate, how little I ate, or how little I ate, the pointer on the health scale at home remained completely still.
Controlling diet to lose weight
I later lost another 6 pounds in a month using a self-created mnemonic. I think reducing food intake or consuming less fattening foods is a good method, but increasing exercise to burn calories is another effective way. Of course, I don't mean going to the gym to stay fit, because that would cause loose skin to tighten and turn into muscle, making weight loss more difficult. Also, most office workers don't have enough time to exercise to achieve their weight loss goals. Keep in mind that the calories burned in an hour of exercise at the gym are equivalent to the sugar content of a single piece of candy. So, the exercise I'm referring to is just a set of effective mnemonic rhymes, just four sentences: Stand if you can, sit if you can, walk if you can, and take the stairs if you can! After sticking to it for a month, besides losing those 6 pounds, I no longer get out of breath walking up stairs, my complexion is rosy, and my confidence in life has increased.
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