The Ultimate Guide to Maintaining Your Figure: Five Keys to Successful Weight Loss and Dietary Rules for Office Workers

The Battle to Maintain Your Figure

In this chapter, we will tell you...

Five key elements to successful weight loss

Dietary Guidelines for Office Workers

Dining Rules for Group Meals

Housewife's Slimming Rules

Do not presumptuously extend your weight loss methods.

The principles of the menstrual cycle weight loss method are only two: adjust your staple food on the day when you are most likely to lose weight, and do stretching exercises (or flexibility exercises, yoga, aerobic exercise, etc.) on an empty stomach the next morning. The method of adjusting the staple food is very similar to the popular "starch fasting method". Therefore, some dieters are so eager to lose weight that they fast from starch and carbohydrate staple foods for several weeks in a row.

This method may indeed produce excellent results in the short term, but it is not the essence of the "menstrual cycle diet". Moreover, as soon as you come into contact with carbohydrate foods afterward, your weight will start to increase.

Therefore, when you are trying to lose weight during your menstrual cycle, in addition to adjusting your staple food on specific days when you are more likely to lose weight, you must consume a balanced diet of fats, proteins, and fiber on the other days. This will not only prevent you from experiencing weight regain and make it easier for you to achieve new weight loss results every week.

Important Notes on Days When Adjusting Staple Foods

Many people who follow the menstrual cycle diet often encounter situations on their "easiest weight loss day" when they are particularly hungry (because their metabolism is at its best), crave sweets, or feel compelled to eat staple foods (habits or cravings that cannot be changed), or when they have special gatherings or social engagements on that day.

At this point, several key points must be noted:

◎Try to avoid staple foods such as rice and noodles. If you must eat sweets, treat them as a meal and do not eat rice.

Potatoes are rich in vitamin C and can be eaten on a diet that is not a staple food. However, attention should be paid to the amount and cooking method. Potatoes should be baked or boiled whole rather than fried (French fries), which are high in fat.

During the weight loss process, learn about calorie counting and healthy weight loss concepts.

No matter how healthy or successful a weight loss method is, once you stop controlling and following it, you will face the problem of gradually regaining weight (it's just a matter of degree).

While the menstrual cycle diet can effectively control weight rebound and provide emergency relief when weight regain occurs (by adjusting staple foods for one or two meals), it's better to have a thorough understanding of healthy weight loss methods on a regular basis.

Taking advantage of the weight loss process, you can also learn about food nutrition, establish basic health concepts, and learn calorie calculation, which will help all dieters stay slim and fit for life! (For calorie advice, please refer to the attached instructions.)

Develop the habit of keeping a "food diary".

Regardless of the weight loss method used, it is almost always recommended that dieters keep a "food diary".

This is mainly to allow dieters to discover the root cause of weight gain or loss through daily food records, and also to understand the problems and methods of their diet.

To save money, time, and effort in losing weight, and to successfully control your weight in the future, no matter how lazy or impatient you are, we want to tell you that in the menstrual cycle weight loss method, you must cultivate the habit of writing a food diary. This is not a troublesome habit to cultivate, but rather to create your own weight loss menu system.

When most dieters experience a sudden plateau in their weight loss or a very satisfying decline, they often find themselves wondering what to eat to further reduce (or even lower) their weight. This is where a patiently kept food diary comes in handy. Simply flip to a day with a similar situation, see what you ate that day, and follow the diary or make minor changes. This will become your dietary guideline for the day, making it arguably the best way to help yourself lose weight.

Harm caused by choosing the wrong weight loss method

In traditional Chinese medicine, weight loss, like treating illness, needs to be tailored to individual constitution. For those with weak spleen and stomach, weight loss should be achieved by tonifying qi, strengthening the spleen, and promoting diuresis. For irregular menstruation caused by liver qi stagnation, where menstruation not only fails to occur when it is due but also leads to weight gain, medications that soothe the liver and regulate qi should be used to regulate menstruation and naturally reduce weight.

Doctors point out that if the right weight loss method is not found according to one's constitution, improper weight loss methods or excessive dieting may cause hormonal imbalances and uterine coldness, resulting in amenorrhea, infertility, dizziness, fatigue, back pain, cold hands and feet, pale complexion, dehydration, shock and other phenomena.

Therefore, it is important to assess the healthiness of the method before deciding to lose weight: a method that does not seek immediate results, does not involve excessive dieting, and does not cause side effects is better.

Dietary Guidelines for Office Workers

You often:

Unable to refuse opportunities to eat out, and find it difficult to control calorie intake.

Many nutritionists recommend that people who want to lose weight should try to keep their calorie intake at least 500 calories per meal when eating out.

However, the business lunches offered to customers who are in a hurry or looking for cheap meals often have fixed set menus, making it difficult to match them with their calorie control plans.

If you add the fact that some people aren't used to eating cold food for lunch, then there aren't actually many options for how they eat.

Even bento boxes that are labeled with calories, touted as healthy, and inexpensive still contain at least 500 to 900 calories. This doesn't even include the calories from a drink you have after you're full.

Furthermore, many weight loss methods that rely on a single dietary approach (such as the apple diet or fruit diet) are difficult for working professionals to follow. This is mainly because it's harder to stick to a set menu when eating out with colleagues. Imagine seeing someone else enjoying a delicious plate of smoked chicken and rice-would you still be able to eat your apple?

As for unexpected lunch meetings with clients or long, drawn-out conferences, and having to eat company-purchased lunches while on a diet, do you, currently on a weight loss plan, know what to eat? Don't worry, we've got you covered with the best advice for maintaining a fit figure.

The menstrual cycle diet only requires you to reduce your intake of starchy staples and desserts one day a week. Other foods such as meat, fish, milk, eggs, and fresh fruits and vegetables are still allowed. Therefore, no one will notice that you are on a diet.

You often:

There was no time for breakfast, lunch was casual, but dinner and late-night snack were quite substantial.

Not having time for breakfast is a common obstacle to weight loss for office workers.

Working overtime, being tired from work, or socializing too late the previous day can cause a lack of appetite or time to eat the next day.

It is recommended that office workers bring celery, cucumber, fruit, cheese slices, etc., before leaving home in the morning. It would also be best to buy a bottle of milk to drink. This way, they can at least replenish their energy and get fiber and calcium in the morning, which is very helpful for health and weight loss.

You often:

Too busy to eat, often forgetting to eat, eating in a hurry, or having irregular meals.

When work is not going well, the work atmosphere is bad, there is a habit of working overtime, or there is too much business pressure, people will often feel depressed and have no time to eat.

It is recommended that office workers in this situation consciously reduce their caffeine intake and drink more water, milk, and fiber-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables. This can not only stabilize mood and reduce caffeine intake, but also prevent stress-related stomach pain in the future. Moreover, eating fruit while working actually gives you a rather healthy image as an office worker!

You often:

The company has a tradition of having an afternoon tea snack time for employees.

If you work in a company like this, I believe you can imagine the source of your weight-related stress.

Companies that habitually have afternoon tea are often characterized by high pressure, numerous miscellaneous tasks, frequent overtime, and an irregular balance between stress and workload.

I suggest you:

1. Offer to help buy snacks to burn calories (preferably by choosing different stalls and locations based on personal preference).

Before buying snacks for my colleagues, I first went to the supermarket to buy sugar-free, low-calorie foods to fill myself up and avoid eating too much later.

Before eating, offer to help peel fruit and clean the area; after the meal, offer to help clean up, so you can burn more calories.

2. If you're not too hungry, choose a healthy afternoon tea treat for yourself, and then stroll back slowly.

3. If nearby fruit stalls are also set up, buy some fruit for yourself and your colleagues.

4. If it's a deep-fried snack (including fried foods, foods with unclear calorie counts, and small portions), just eat a little.

You often:

Working overtime every day, sitting in the office for long periods of time, or having no time to exercise at all.

Obese people who sit in the office for long periods of time often suffer from habitual lower back pain and lower body obesity.

It is recommended that office workers who sit for long periods of time drink more water (tea is also a good choice), and take every opportunity to go to the toilet or get up and move around.

Then you can go to the night market to buy an electric massager or some massage tools, and use them to massage yourself during work breaks.

For those who frequently type on a computer, consider buying a ball bearing pad that you can place on the floor. Also, remember to massage your forearms frequently; there are many acupoints that can help relieve fatigue, reduce swelling in the lower body, and even aid in weight loss!

You often:

Staying at home on holidays can lead to weight gain, especially during long weekends or holidays like Chinese New Year.

I often hear older people say, "Young people these days don't know how to manage their lives." Modern people face a lot of work pressure, and with the situation of working overtime, the first choice for office workers on their days off is either to catch up on sleep, have dinner with friends, go on dates, go shopping, watch movies, or stay at home to do laundry, take out the trash, etc.

Although I would like to go hiking and enjoy nature, the thought of crowds makes it hard to accept.

Actually, staying at home isn't so bad, but besides eating and sleeping, there are other things you can do:

1. Take advantage of your vacation and eat plenty of vegetables, milk, or fruit throughout the day.

2. First, go shopping, then find a beauty or body treatment shop for a massage to relax your mind and body.

3. After a meal with friends, it would be nice to think of an activity to do, or to go to an amusement park!

4. Doing spring cleaning, housework, and ironing next week's clothes also burns a lot of calories!

5. Since you're going on a date, just go all out and have a good time!

Dining out guidelines

A balanced diet is very important for office workers. In addition, before returning to the company after a meal, take a break to the bookstore to look at magazines, take a walk, or go shopping for more than five minutes.

Try to avoid eating fast food (hamburgers, fried chicken, pizza, etc.).

Try to avoid sugary drinks (they will make you more tired and sleepy).

Try to avoid touching the broth and don't eat rice dipped in or drizzled with sauce (a bowl of wonton noodles is worse than a bowl of braised pork rice).

Don't eat according to the order in which the dishes are served. Instead, change the order of eating to first drink the soup and eat the vegetables, and then eat the main course and meat.

For a Western-style business lunch, it's best to just order the main course. The accompanying soup, bread, and drinks are all higher in calories than the main course. Alternatively, you can ask the restaurant to replace the side dishes with a larger salad (or order an extra salad).

If possible, instruct the restaurant not to add MSG, and to use less salt and oil.