The easiest way to maintain your ideal weight
2023-10-26
Weight management is a topic of common concern. Many people abstain from eating in order to achieve their ideal weight, but are always troubled by weight loss failure or weight regain, and more people are dissatisfied with their weight but helpless. What is the ideal weight and how should we achieve and maintain it?
The ideal weight in nutrition is based on the principles of increasing life expectancy and promoting health, and does not cater to secular aesthetics. Body mass index (BMI) is usually used to assess the nutritional status of adults. BMI is equal to weight (kg) divided by height (meters) squared, 18.5-23.9 is the normal range of good nutrition, if BMI is within the normal range, your weight is the ideal weight. After people enter middle age, due to the decline in basal metabolic rate, energy consumption is reduced relatively young, and it is easy to have problems of physical well-being if they do not pay attention to exercise. It should be noted that BMI is a simple measurement formula, without considering age, gender, physique and other influencing factors, more rigorous assessment of obesity or wasting requires measuring the fat content of the human body through professional instruments.
The easiest way to maintain the ideal weight is to make the energy consumption and intake tend to be equal through appropriate exercise and diet, and the weight tends to be stable, if you need to lose weight, you should "control your mouth and open your legs", so that energy consumption is greater than intake; If you need to gain weight, you should eat more high-calorie foods and exercise moderately.
We are surrounded by more people who need to lose weight than people who need to gain weight. Weight loss should eat less high-sugar, high-fat and high-calorie foods, and appropriately eat more low-calorie and fiber-rich vegetables and fruits. Since starch, the staple food, is the main source of calories, the amount of staple food needs to be controlled, but it should not be overly restricted. There is a rapid weight loss method called the ketogenic diet, which is characterized by low carbohydrates, high fat and high protein, which mimics the hunger state of the human body and forces the body to use fat for energy, which produces more ketone bodies and increases the burden on the liver and kidneys. Because the side effects of the ketogenic diet are more obvious, it is generally not recommended as the first choice for weight loss. The once popular "light fasting diet" is also controversial, which keeps people hungry for a period of time (usually 24 hours), which can easily lead to blood sugar fluctuations and cardiovascular disease. Weight loss should be carried out for a long time and slowly, and weight loss should not exceed 1 kg per week, otherwise it is easy to rebound and induce diseases.
Improving eating habits can safely and effectively promote weight loss. People's hunger and satiety come from the hypothalamus' perception of blood sugar concentration, when blood sugar concentration is below the normal range, they feel hungry, and vice versa. Before eating, the body's blood sugar concentration is relatively low, and with the digestion and absorption of food, the blood sugar concentration gradually increases. If you eat too quickly, you will not feel full when you have already eaten enough food, and it is easy to consume excessive food. Slowing down the speed of eating can make the human body feel full at the right time and stop eating, it is generally recommended to eat 15 minutes per meal: you can drink water in moderation half an hour before eating, so as not to strengthen the feeling of thirst, drink a small bowl of soup when eating, and then eat some light vegetables, and then eat staple foods and animal foods.
Peace of mind is also good for weight loss. Many people have a strong appetite when stress increases, and prefer sweets and fatty foods because increased stress increases the release of cortisol by the adrenal glands, which has an appetite-promoting effect. In the process of evolution, primitive people faced most of the pressure of cold weather, lack of food and other risks, the body must reserve energy to cope with the risk, so through hormones and the nervous system to promote eating. The pressures faced by modern people have changed dramatically, but the body has not yet had time to adapt to the new environment, and still operates according to the habits accumulated over millions of years.
Food lovers of French people generally weigh moderately, and women are known for their good figures. People who really like food are not gluttons, and they rarely eat foods such as fried chicken and chips. They value the freshness, originality of food and the elegance of the dining environment. According to countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States, local low-income people have higher obesity rates because they are more eager to comfort themselves with food and choose fast food due to economic constraints. Eating is commonplace, but it reflects all aspects of society and culture, and achieving your ideal weight requires a healthy mindset and an active lifestyle to move towards your desired future.
