Article 16: Using constipation-clearing methods for weight loss is a waste of money; you don't need to diet for life after losing weight.
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Cleanse constipation and lose weight
Clearing out accumulated waste does not directly help reduce body fat.
Lies always parade around wearing the mask of truth.
Most lies that manage to circulate have some truth to them, but they are often one-sided and deceptive.
For example, clearing out accumulated waste can help with weight loss.
The effect of relieving constipation on weight loss seems to be quite immediate, after all, many people have actually lost weight after taking products that supposedly "cleanse the intestines" and have a bowel movement.
For people with constipation, clearing out the "old stock" in their intestines will definitely lead to weight loss.
Regular bowel movements not only promote the growth of beneficial bacteria, but also regulate the Qi of the spleen and stomach. When the spleen and stomach are in harmony, metabolism naturally becomes more efficient.
However, besides reducing stool in the intestines, laxatives do not directly help reduce body fat.
I first heard the term "impacted feces" in a television commercial many years ago.
At that time, various detoxifying and slimming teas were selling very well.
It is said that people with constipation and those trying to lose weight can "cleanse their bowels and detoxify their intestines" after drinking it.
Many people buy it and drink it consistently for a period of time. When they see the weight loss they expect, they are overjoyed and genuinely believe that they are healthily detoxing and losing weight.
Little did they know, these products had many problems.
For example, the most common ingredients in many bowel cleansing and weight loss products are bisacodyl, phenolphthalein, castor oil, etc., which can easily cause dependent constipation.
These ingredients can provide temporary relief, but long-term use can easily lead to dependency-related constipation, as well as colorectal melanosis, gut microbiota imbalance, and severe intestinal dysfunction.
Therefore, everyone should not easily believe in these products that claim to clear constipation and lose weight. Spending money on these products is just paying an "intelligence tax".
So, how can we deal with constipation scientifically?
For those suffering from constipation, it is recommended to use relatively healthy medications, such as osmotic laxatives.
Lactulose is a good choice. It is a dietary fiber laxative, a complex of fructose and galactose. It works by changing the osmotic pressure in the intestines, causing water to accumulate in the intestines, increasing the volume of intestinal contents, and helping with bowel movements.
There is also a type of lubricating laxative. The most familiar one is glycerin suppositories, which involve squeezing a glycerin or mannitol preparation into the anus to lubricate and facilitate bowel movements.
Some people also get colonic hydrotherapy, which is actually an enema, and it also has the effect of expanding and relieving constipation.
The methods mentioned above are relatively safe and healthy.
It is often said that "to treat the symptoms, you must first treat the root cause." Whether it's eliminating accumulated waste, losing weight, or some chronic diseases similar to constipation, the basic solution is always to adjust one's lifestyle.
If you stay up late every day, drink little water, never exercise and lie in bed all your life, don't eat whole grains and vegetables, and eat spicy and fried foods every day, then who else will be constipated if not you?
Only by changing one's lifestyle can one truly resolve constipation.
Because there is no such thing as impacted feces in this world; the real impacted feces are your bad lifestyle habits.
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Do you have to diet for the rest of your life after losing weight?
Losing weight does not require long-term dieting.
Losing weight is actually a very difficult thing.
Many people are very happy after losing weight, and then gradually return to "normal eating".
The results showed that the weight rebounded quickly.
This made them feel extremely desperate: Did they have to diet for the rest of their lives after successfully losing weight?
Actually, this is a misunderstanding about weight loss.
First, losing weight is not about dieting; second, many people gain weight after resuming a "normal diet," and the problem may lie in this "normal diet."
If your "normal diet" is the same diet you had when you gained weight, then you will regain the weight you gained back then.
Therefore, proper refeeding after successful weight loss is crucial.
There is no need to continue strict control, nor can we "go back to the past".
What we should do is arrange healthier and tastier meals for ourselves.
How exactly do we do it? Let me give you an example.
A beautiful woman came to me to design a weight loss plan. In about six months, she lost 25 kilograms. The banner she presented to me is still hanging in my clinic.
After losing weight, she asked me, "Dr. Qiu, can I now let myself go, or should I continue following your diet plan?"
I told her that letting go certainly doesn't mean letting go completely, but it can be done appropriately based on my recipe.
The specific method is as follows: continue to follow my diet plan for three meals a day, so as to ensure that the framework of healthy eating is not disrupted.
In addition to three meals a day, you can eat a little bit of your favorite "food" every day, whether it's barbecue or milk tea.
However, it is important to note that it must be done in small amounts, and one must learn to rationally control one's desires.
In this life, we shouldn't be puppets of "delicious food." We should learn to manage our diet, which is to say, manage ourselves.
Therefore, truly controlling your diet doesn't mean not eating anything or suppressing your desires, but rather managing your food intake reasonably.
Understand which foods you should eat and which you shouldn't eat.
The essence of weight loss is not about losing weight, or even losing fat, but about changing unhealthy lifestyles and becoming a better version of yourself.
When your lifestyle becomes healthier and your control over diet and nutrition becomes more scientific, successful weight loss will naturally follow.
Moreover, only when you truly learn to manage your diet and understand the calories and nutrients in food can you better take control of your life and future, and avoid spending your entire life immersed in the misery of dieting.
You have more important things to do, more important people to care about, and more important dreams to realize. Don't let the extra weight on your body become a stumbling block; you must overcome it.
Therefore, in my other book, "Living a Fat-Loss Life: The Basal Metabolic Rate Weight Loss Method," I often suggest that people who want to lose weight should calculate the calories in their food, understand how the food is prepared, and understand the nutrients in each food and seasoning.
This seemingly troublesome matter actually doesn't take you too much time; you can usually figure it out in 1 to 3 months.
Compared to a lifetime of fighting against fat, two or three months is actually not a long time at all.
The basal metabolic rate (BMR) diet is a truly healthy and scientific way to lose weight. It teaches you how to manage your diet instead of being manipulated by food. It may seem troublesome, but it is a method that will benefit you for life.
Using the basal metabolic rate (BMR) diet, combined with a healthy eating plan, can not only help you lose weight successfully, but also improve your physical condition, boost your immunity, regulate your gut microbiota, and truly transform you.
After using unhealthy weight loss methods for a period of time, you'll crave everything you see; after using healthy weight loss methods for a while, you'll not crave anything you see.
The reason is that unhealthy weight loss methods excessively suppress the body's needs, causing appetite to surge at a certain point and become uncontrollable; while healthy weight loss methods help you lose weight while replenishing your body with nutrients and regulating your gut microbiota. As a result, you will no longer "love" some of the high-calorie, unhealthy foods that you used to enjoy.