Choosing a weight loss method and avoiding common weight loss misconceptions

Even if you have a weight loss plan with clear goals and specific measures, does that guarantee success? Not necessarily.

After a period of practice, we sometimes find that it is necessary to modify our goals, plans, methods, and approaches for weight loss.

The reason and basis for the modification is the evaluation results of the weight loss effect.

Sometimes, such evaluations confirm that the original plan is feasible. For example, you might find that the adjusted diet has a very good weight loss effect, and it is necessary to continue for a period of time. In this case, the feedback is called positive feedback. However, in most cases, the evaluation reveals that the specific measures are not satisfactory or there are areas for improvement. In this case, the feedback is negative feedback.

(iv) Choosing a weight loss method

Choosing the right weight loss method is key to a successful weight loss plan.

However, in the actual treatment of obesity, there are no absolute guidelines on which method should be the primary approach and which should be the secondary approach; the choice should be made flexibly based on the patient's actual condition.

1. Different treatments are used according to the type of obesity.

(1) Treatment of pathological obesity: Secondary obesity caused by endocrine disorders such as Cushing's syndrome, hypothyroidism, and islet cell tumors should be actively treated.

Iatrogenic obesity, such as obesity caused by the use of steroids, chlorpromazine, isoniazid, etc., should be treated with different measures such as discontinuing the medication or reducing the dosage, depending on the specific circumstances.

While there is currently no effective treatment for obesity caused by diseases of the hypothalamus, in some cases, a diet-reducing approach can lower appetite and thus have a certain therapeutic effect.

(2) Treatment of simple obesity The main approach to treating simple obesity is to address the balance between calorie supply and consumption. This is combined with dietary therapy, exercise therapy, behavioral therapy, drug therapy, surgical therapy, changes in the unhealthy lifestyle habits and environment of patients and their families, and strengthening patient education. These measures can often achieve good results.

The following are the weight loss methods that will be introduced in this book.

① Dietary therapy: A. Fasting therapy; B. Food reduction therapy; C. Balanced diet therapy.

② Exercise therapy.

③ Behavioral therapy.

④ Drug therapy: A. Appetite suppressants; B. Hormonal preparations; C. Others.

⑤ Surgical treatment.

⑥ Traditional Chinese medicine therapies: A. Chinese herbal medicine and medicinal diet; B. Acupuncture; C. Qigong.

2. Selecting different treatments according to the degree of obesity: Selecting different treatment methods according to the degree of obesity is the most commonly used basic method in clinical practice. Table 5-1 is a treatment plan proposed by Japanese scholar Yoshio Ikeda, combined with the actual situation in my country, and can be used as a reference.

(Data in Table 5-1 has been deleted)

3. Choose a treatment plan based on the patient's age and physiological condition: Children are in a period of growth and development, so the fasting, starvation therapy, surgery, and drugs used in adult weight loss are strictly prohibited.

A treatment plan that primarily focuses on exercise therapy, combined with dietary guidance and behavioral correction, is the correct approach and main direction for treating childhood obesity.

Exercise therapy should be tailored to the developmental patterns of children's aerobic capacity, and the type of exercise should be chosen to be acceptable to children so that they can adhere to it in the long term.

Children are in a stage of growth and development, so dietary therapy should ensure that their growth and development needs are met while also controlling their diet.

Parents and teachers play a crucial role in behavior modification and must educate their children simultaneously.

During pregnancy, obesity should be prevented and treated as early as possible, with prevention being the primary focus.

Pregnant women should eat a balanced diet with a variety of components to meet their nutritional needs and energy requirements without causing excess energy intake.

Pregnant women should not be picky eaters. With adequate amounts of animal protein, beans, and fresh vegetables, three meals a day are sufficient. There is no need for extra meals. For pregnant women who have a significant tendency to gain weight before pregnancy or who have gained significant weight during pregnancy, it is advisable to appropriately limit their food intake, especially avoiding excessive carbohydrates and sweets.

At this point, all other weight loss methods are not permitted.

(V) Seize the opportunity to lose weight

The following factors are currently believed to affect the prognosis of obesity: ① The younger the age of onset and the more severe the obesity, the worse the prognosis.

For those whose disease begins in childhood, dietary control is not easy to succeed. If obesity starts at a late age (after adolescence or middle age), the treatment effect is relatively satisfactory. However, the treatment effect is not as good as that of women over 50 years old.

② It is related to psychological factors.

Those with perseverance have a better prognosis, while those without have a poorer prognosis. Even if they lose weight, it is not easy to maintain and they are prone to relapse.

③ Individuals with a family history of obesity often have a less than satisfactory prognosis.

④ Treatment is more difficult for patients without children.

⑤ The effects of dietary therapy are more pronounced in the first 3 months.

If the patient responds well to dietary control in the first 3 months, the treatment will be more effective in the future.

⑥ Related to treatment methods.

Comprehensive treatment is more effective than single treatment methods, and a rigorous and scientific treatment plan is more effective than a loose and unplanned one.

Therefore, the following timing should be seized for obesity treatment: ① The earlier obesity treatment begins, the better.

Some people think that being a little overweight is nothing, and feel that they are in good health, so they let obesity develop unchecked. Little do they know that the higher the degree of obesity, the more difficult it is to treat.

②Every treatment and every weight loss measure should be taken seriously.

First and foremost, it is essential to ensure that the treatment plan is scientific and rigorous. Consult relevant experts and avoid blindly forcing your way in.

Secondly, one must be determined to reduce costs; if one does reduce costs, then so be it, and if one does, it should be effective.

③ Seize opportunities such as marriage and childbirth. Some people tend to gain weight after marriage and childbirth, but if they control it well, obese women can lose weight during this period. Otherwise, if they miss the opportunity, it will be difficult to control the weight gain.

II. Avoiding common weight loss misconceptions

Losing weight is a good thing for overweight people, but if unscientific methods are used and problems that arise during the process are not handled properly, then trouble will follow.

For example, some people are impatient to lose weight and start dieting on a whim, using whatever method works fastest, such as diuretics, dehydration, diarrhea, or medication. In just a few days, their weight drops, but they also change their appearance. Some people start dieting with great confidence, but after a few days of hard work, enduring hunger (dieting), suffering from fatigue, and sweating (exercise), their weight just won't go down. So they give up, feel sorry for themselves, and say goodbye to weight loss. Some friends are lucky and lose weight quickly, so they think they have succeeded and return to their old habits of overeating and drinking.

All of the above situations are extremely unfavorable for dieters. Repeated failures can severely damage the self-esteem and confidence of obese individuals.

Moreover, repeated weight gain and loss can be more harmful to the body than not losing weight at all.

"The mistakes of those who came before should serve as a warning to those who follow." We have summarized some common problems that have occurred in our previous weight loss work and are sharing them with you as a reminder.

(a) Weight loss should not be rushed.

Losing two or three kilograms in a week is easy; any starvation diet, as well as methods that induce diarrhea, urination, or sweating, can achieve the aforementioned weight loss effect.

From the moment you start following the weight loss diet until your body adapts to this new energy and intake pattern, the goal of losing several kilograms can be achieved quickly.

However, not only is it difficult to lose a few more pounds, but it is also not easy to maintain the weight loss.

If you're not careful, the weight you lose can be regained in a shorter time than you actually lose weight.

Rapid weight loss is not a good thing. Excessive dieting or dehydration can damage the balance of various systems in the body, such as digestion, circulation, nervous system, and endocrine system. This kind of forced treatment of the body will eventually have consequences.

Don't pursue amazing results. The more gradual and slow you lose weight, the more solid and lasting the results will be.

Slow weight loss can also help the heart and circulatory system balance the new internal stress, allow the skin to adapt to the changes, and make the body more resistant to infectious diseases.

(ii) Beware of weight regain

A famous weight loss expert once said, "We can successfully treat obesity, but we cannot guarantee a cure."

Indeed, it's easy to lose weight temporarily, but it's difficult to maintain that weight loss.

When obese people lose body fat, they also lose lean body tissue. As a result, after losing weight, obese people have a lower basal metabolic rate and consume less energy.

Before losing weight, every movement of an overweight person requires overcoming a huge physical burden; after losing weight, the energy consumed when performing the same amount of activity also decreases.

Therefore, overweight people burn less energy after losing weight.

Moreover, during weight loss, the body adapts to low energy intake, just like a family with low income who must be careful with their money and save on expenses in order to make a living.

This is the result of the body's defensive adjustment mechanism for conserving heat, with the aim of creating a new balance between heat intake and consumption.

Therefore, if you suddenly stop your diet after losing weight and resume a normal diet, your body will not be able to use all that energy. The excess calories will be quickly converted into fat and stored in the body, causing your weight to rebound.

After reaching your ideal weight goal, you should be very careful and gradually relax your diet in multiple stages until you return to normal.

Reaching your ideal weight is just the first step in a long journey. You need to gradually relax your diet in stages, and in small stages at that.

Before implementing a normal diet, an adaptation period of 6 months to 1 year or even longer is required.