As the weather gets colder, people tend to eat more, which brings new worries to some beauty-conscious individuals, making winter another peak season for weight loss. Blindly dieting, eating haphazardly, and having an irregular lifestyle may temporarily result in a few pounds of weight loss, but the problems that follow cannot be ignored. Improper weight loss can, at best, damage the stomach and intestines and cause endocrine disorders, and at worst, harm health or even endanger life.
In fact, weight loss is a gradual process, and blindly dieting is not advisable. So how can you lose weight healthily?
First and foremost, breakfast is essential. The body's greatest energy expenditure occurs in the morning. Since the stomach is empty after a night of digestion, skipping breakfast means the energy used for the entire morning's activities must be provided by the previous day's dinner, which is far from meeting nutritional needs. Over time, this can easily lead to acute gastritis, gastric dilatation, acute pancreatitis, coronary heart disease, and myocardial infarction. Therefore, breakfast is indispensable.
Secondly, control your staple food intake and limit sweets. Staple foods can be reduced gradually, decreasing by 50 grams per meal. Gradually reduce staple food intake to around 250-300 grams per day. Wheat, rice, and some whole grains can be chosen, but the amount must be strictly limited, cultivating the habit of eating until you are only 70-80% full. Minimize consumption of foods high in starch and sweetness, such as sweet potatoes, potatoes, lotus root starch, jam, honey, candy, candied fruit, malted milk powder, and fruit juices. For side dishes, choose lean meat, fish, eggs, soy products, and vegetables and fruits with lower sugar content.
Third, develop a habit of drinking soup. Studies have found that soup is a good appetite suppressant; therefore, obese people can use soup to lose weight. Drinking more soup during meals can reduce the intake of staple foods, thus achieving weight loss.
Furthermore, those who want to lose weight should drink less alcohol. The main component of alcohol is ethanol, which is high in calories and promotes fat deposition in the body. While proteins, carbohydrates, and fats also produce calories, they contain beneficial components, whereas alcohol only contains calories, which directly lead to weight gain. It has been calculated that a large bottle of beer is roughly equivalent to half a bowl of rice. Especially for those who like to drink after meals or before bed, frequent heavy drinking combined with high-calorie foods can lead to excess calories, increased subcutaneous fat accumulation, and weight gain.
