Many people list "diet" and "losing weight" as their top New Year's resolutions. In fact, many start dieting from January 1st. However, a battle-like approach to weight loss is likely to fail because it is difficult to sustain. Weight loss is considered a "successful diet" when the weight is maintained for more than six months. Let's explore sustainable diet methods that can be easily practiced in daily life.

 

▷ Slightly changing the cooking method

 

Reducing the frequency of eating foods that easily cause weight gain or changing cooking methods can be helpful. Snack consumption should be limited to three times a week or less, and intake of flour-based foods like ramen should be reduced to once every 2-3 days or less. At the same time, meat contains many essential nutrients such as protein, so it should not be completely avoided. It is better to eat raw meat rather than seasoned meat and to cook it on a grill rather than a frying pan to allow excess oil to drain away, thereby changing the cooking method.

Changing the order of eating food

 

Change the order of eating to foods high in dietary fiber (vegetables and fruits) → protein foods (beans, meat, fish) → carbohydrate foods (grains). Eating dietary fiber, which takes longer to digest, first allows proteins and carbohydrates to be absorbed slowly, preventing a significant spike in blood sugar. When blood sugar rises, it cannot all be used as energy and is stored as fat. It is especially effective to prevent excessive blood sugar spikes by limiting carbohydrate intake that raises blood sugar significantly.

 

▷Do not eat food after dinner

 

Eating a late-night snack three hours before bed is forbidden. Eating more food after dinner causes significant weight gain because insulin, the hormone that breaks down sugar, is actively secreted in the morning but less so at night. If you eat a late-night snack, insulin cannot quickly break down glucose, leading to excess glucose being stored as fat.

 

Avoid extreme dieting

 

Avoid extreme diets that involve choosing specific foods to eat or completely cutting them out. For example, eating only chicken breast at every meal or completely avoiding wheat flour are not good habits. Not only are they difficult to maintain for more than two or three months, but they can also prevent the intake of essential nutrients needed by the body. The stress caused by not being able to eat desired foods can actually lead to weight gain. When under stress, the hormone cortisol is secreted, and cortisol interferes with weight loss and promotes the accumulation of visceral fat. There are also studies indicating that prolonged exposure to cortisol hormone can increase belly fat.

 

Do not lose weight through exercise in the early stages.

 

The time when exercise is absolutely necessary during a diet is after 2 to 3 months of starting a diet when 5-7% of body weight has been lost. From this point, a weight stagnation begins, and you need to increase activity levels through exercise to burn the remaining calories. However, most people tend to drastically increase their exercise when starting a diet, but then neglect exercise when it becomes most necessary. If you are not confident in maintaining consistent exercise, it is better to focus on diet control alone for the first 1 to 2 months, and then start full-scale exercise when the stagnation begins around the 3rd to 4th month.

 

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High Diet for quick results

The probability of failure is high.

Prolonged battle...

 

It seems like a stagnation period is definitely coming.

Keep up your steady exercise today as well, fighting!