Where did I go wrong in my weight loss attempts? Misconceptions about confidence, diet, exercise, and medical choices.
Unsuccessful weight loss – where did I go wrong?
Confidence – Everyone has the potential to lose weight. Are you giving up on yourself?
People who have failed to lose weight but can't stop complaining that they "gain weight even from drinking water," and therefore lack confidence in losing weight.
In fact, regardless of weight, the number of fat cells in a person's body is the same-20% for men and 30% for women, and neither has much more than the other.
It should be said that all overweight people have the potential to lose weight.
Your failure may begin with giving up on yourself.
Dieting-you can't lose weight overnight, are you too eager for quick results?
Some people diet to lose weight by eating as little as possible, living the life of an ascetic.
However, from a nutritional perspective, adequate protein intake will not turn into fat, so it is not a target for dieting.
Indiscriminate dieting may result in the cheeks and chest (breasts) that you least want to lose weight from first, while the waist and abdomen that you most want to lose weight from remain unchanged.
Therefore, when dieting to lose weight, it is important to choose the right foods and not to rush the process.
Exercise – focusing on both the whole body and specific areas, are you losing weight simultaneously?
To lose weight through exercise, you need to reach the amount required. Walking for one hour a day can only maintain your weight at most. Only moderate-intensity exercise of more than 30 to 45 minutes each time can "force" fat to participate in consumption.
Secondly, both overall and local movements should be given equal importance.
The body's weight loss process begins with areas with high blood circulation.
Full-body exercises may make the face appear thinner first due to the initial fat loss. However, if combined with exercises for the waist and abdomen, which dilate local blood vessels and accelerate circulation, it will help to "drive out" fat and achieve simultaneous weight loss.
Third, pay attention to details.
For example, the weight loss results from exercising for several hours every day can be wiped out by eating just a few cookies or candies.
Fourth, seize the opportunity.
Exercising on an empty stomach is the quickest way to burn fat.
Treatment – Which door to enter requires caution; have you entered the wrong door?
The fastest way to lose weight is through liposuction or fat cell transplantation.
Unfortunately, many people don't go to well-equipped hospitals to find experienced professional plastic surgeons, but instead go to beauty salons to seek help from beauticians.
Little do people know that obesity is a disease that requires treatment and plastic surgery, not just a matter of "modifying" one's appearance.
In addition, if you want to lose weight with medication, you should consult a specialist doctor at a regular hospital, rather than just buying the medicine based on an advertisement, because the science of using weight loss drugs is really too professional.
Why does the abdomen get bigger the more it's tightened?
Many women try to reduce their waistline by using abdominal binders, but strangely, their abdomens not only don't get smaller, but they feel like they're getting bigger.
What is the reason for this?
In medicine, there is a theory called "disuse atrophy." For example, when a fractured limb is immobilized with a cast, and the cast is removed after two weeks, the affected limb shows significant atrophy compared to the healthy limb.
Similarly, long-term use of abdominal binders increases pressure on the abdominal wall, which leads to a decrease in the muscle tone of the abdominal muscles, causing them to atrophy, thin, and weaken, making the abdominal wall more protruding than before the use of the abdominal binder.
To prevent increased abdominal circumference, thickening of the abdominal wall, and sagging, the following measures can be taken:
1. Long-term, appropriate dietary control, with a low-sugar, low-fat, high-protein diet rich in various vitamins, to regulate the balance between energy intake and consumption.
2. Increase physical exercise, especially training specific muscle groups such as the abdominal and back muscles.
The key is to persevere.
3. If the above two methods fail to eliminate localized fat deposits, localized liposuction can be used.
Eight major concerns about improper weight loss
Low-calorie diets – sudden death
Reducing meal intake and restricting calorie intake is a common weight loss method, and it can indeed produce good results if you stick to it.
However, moderation is key; the total daily calorie intake should not be less than 600 calories.
Dr. Greenway's research at the University of California shows that a daily diet providing less than 600 calories can endanger the heart. Mild cases may result in changes in heart rate, while severe cases can lead to the same heart damage as those who starve to death, posing a risk of sudden death, medically known as sudden cardiac arrest.
Excessive weight loss leads to memory decline.
Dr. Gustav Kranhofer of the Düsseldorf Nutrition Institute in Germany reminds dieters that excess body fat can stimulate the brain, accelerate its ability to process information, and enhance short-term and long-term memory.
People who are 15% overweight score at least 28 points higher on IQ tests than average or underweight people. People who are 20-35% overweight are the smartest. Women who diet to lose weight all experience varying degrees of memory decline, with the women who diet the longest and lose the most weight suffering the greatest memory loss.
Therefore, in order to protect your brain function, you should be very careful when trying to lose weight.
Strict vegetarianism - hair loss
Statistics from Japanese experts show that the number of people experiencing hair loss has increased threefold compared to the past, with 20-30% of them being young women aged 20-30.
The problem lies in the fact that the main component of hair is a protein called keratin, which contains a significant amount of trace elements such as zinc, iron, and copper. However, people who diet by eating only vegetables, fruits, and flour do not get enough protein and trace elements, leading to hair loss due to severe malnutrition.
Rapid weight loss - gallstones
Doctors in Europe and the United States have reported in recent years that about a quarter of people who pursue rapid weight loss develop gallstones within the first 2 to 4 months, with the incidence rate being even higher among those who undergo weight loss surgery, reaching over 30%.
Why does rapid weight loss have such consequences? It may be because when calorie supply decreases drastically, cholesterol is removed as fat deposited in tissues is consumed more quickly, causing a surge in cholesterol levels in bile. This makes the bile thicker, causing it to precipitate, crystallize, and settle.
At the same time, controlling diet reduces bile secretion and weakens gallbladder contraction, making it unable to empty in time, which also contributes to the formation of gallstones.
Slowing down the weight loss process and arranging three meals a day according to the principle of losing no more than 500 grams per week can prevent the development of gallstones.
Weight rebound – heart disease
If weight loss is done improperly and causes weight rebound, it can lead to heart disease.
According to a survey by American researchers, this has become a major threat to men over 40 who are trying to lose weight, and it also provides an opportunity for chronic infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and hepatitis to take hold. The incidence of gastroptosis, depression, and malnutrition is also increasing.
Therefore, dieters should combine dieting with exercise to consolidate their weight loss results, maintain a stable weight, and prevent rebound.
If you don't have this determination, it's better not to lose weight at all, as maintaining a stable weight is more beneficial to your health.
Weight loss during puberty - amenorrhea
For women, there is the issue of choosing the right time to lose weight; it is not advisable to lose weight during puberty.
Because adolescent girls need to accumulate a certain amount of fat (about 17% of their total body weight) in order for their first menstruation to occur on time and to maintain a regular monthly cycle.
If you blindly lose weight and reduce your body fat, it may delay the onset of menstruation. If you have already started menstruating, you may experience menstrual disorders or amenorrhea.
Weight loss during reproductive years - infertility
Women of childbearing age also need to accumulate sufficient fat to fulfill the important task of childbirth.
Dr. Frisch of the Harvard University Population Center suggests that women need to accumulate 22% of their body weight in fat before pregnancy to be able to conceive, and more than 28% to have enough energy reserves to sustain the "ten months of pregnancy" and the three months of breastfeeding after childbirth.
Globally, women in developed countries generally have a body fat reserve of over 30%, while in some economically underdeveloped nomadic communities it is less than 20%. As a result, the average age of menarche is delayed by 2 to 4 years, and their conception rate is also low, with the age of conception being 4 to 5 years later than in developed countries.
Weight loss during breastfeeding – harms baby's health
Weight loss requires limiting fat intake, and fat is an important component of breast milk. When breast milk cannot obtain fresh fat from food, the body will use stored fat to produce milk through its regulatory system. However, stored fat may contain substances that are harmful to the baby's health and development.
Therefore, it is not advisable to lose weight during breastfeeding; weight loss should be postponed until after weaning.