Examining past misconceptions about weight loss: dieting, spot reduction, and diet pills.

**Examining Past Misconceptions about Weight Loss**

In today's world, weight loss is no longer a novel topic. In fact, the idea of ​​weight loss is correct, but many practices are flawed; weight loss is not simply about losing weight. People are led astray by various so-called weight loss methods. These include dieting, fruit diets, induced vomiting, steaming, single-diet diets, and the "eat less, sleep more, don't exercise" approach, to name a few. Many weight loss teas and pills aim to reduce weight through excretion. Some people measure the success of weight loss by whether their weight has decreased and whether their figure has changed from fat to thin. It's common to see people cheering when they lose weight, quickly posting photos on social media and receiving countless likes. But soon after, they complain that they've gained weight again after just a few days of resuming a normal diet, looking like they've ballooned in size. Thus, they continue this cycle of dieting and stopping, leaving them pale, with weakened bodily functions and compromised immune systems. Despite all their efforts, they're still overweight and even heavier than before. What went wrong? The problem lies in their acceptance of one-sided weight loss theories, relying solely on weight and Body Mass Index (BMI) to lose weight, thus falling into a weight loss trap.

Let's look at some common misconceptions. First, some believe that weight loss is solely based on increased exercise. While exercise is the primary way to metabolize energy, and an hour of running can burn approximately 400 calories, maintaining this routine for a day or even a week can be challenging for some. I've seen people who exercise regularly but remain overweight, some even suspecting genetics and believing they are naturally obese, neglecting their diet. Diet and exercise are equally important. As discussed earlier, total energy intake must be less than total energy expenditure. In a 24-hour day, the average person exercises for about an hour. An hour of running might result in a weight loss of half a pound, or even a pound, but the actual fat burned during exercise is only 20-30 grams; most of it is water. The key to weight loss is fat reduction. Aerobic exercise only begins to burn body fat after about 30 minutes; the initial energy source is primarily glycogen. Therefore, exercise is only supplementary; a proper diet and regular sleep schedule are crucial for weight loss. Second, some believe that skipping breakfast or dieting is the best approach. After each meal, digestion and intestinal peristalsis stimulate energy metabolism for three hours. Skipping breakfast slows down metabolism, essentially forfeiting these three hours of energy metabolism time, making it harder to burn fat later in the day. If you don't eat for a long time, your body sends out hunger signals, leading to the storage of more fat when you eat a large meal next time. The correct way to lose weight is to eat smaller, more frequent meals, such as three meals and two snacks, keeping your body in a constant state of cyclical energy metabolism. Thirdly, there's the issue of targeted weight loss in the waist area. In fact, focusing on waist weight loss is correct. We've discussed the dangers of visceral fat; the waist and abdomen are rich in capillaries, making them very easy to absorb nutrients and the easiest place for fat to accumulate in the body-hence the "beer belly" in men and the "spare tire" in women. However, visceral fat content and body fat percentage are closely related. High visceral fat content leads to fat being transported to the limbs, resulting in "elephant legs," etc. Therefore, fat loss should target both visceral fat and body fat percentage, not just specific areas. Fourthly, there's the use of diet pills. There are no products that are both safe and can rapidly increase fat-burning efficiency. Abuse of diet pills can not only harm your health but also cause side effects such as dizziness and nausea. We will discuss this issue in more detail later. Fifth, avoid fat intake. Some people believe that eating fat leads to weight gain, which is a misconception. Human fat is composed of triglycerides, which have a different chemical structure than vegetable oils. Some oils, such as omega-3, not only do not increase body fat but can also promote fat burning. It's not fat that makes you fat, but calories. High-fat foods are fattening because each gram of fat contains 9 calories, while protein and carbohydrates only contain 4 calories per gram. From the perspective of energy intake and metabolism, we should limit trans fats and avoid fried and processed foods. Sixth, avoid high-protein foods. Some people, especially some women, believe that a high-protein diet will make them fat, which is a misconception. In fact, a high-carbohydrate diet is more likely to cause weight gain because the body's metabolism increases by 30% when digesting protein, while carbohydrates only increase by 10%. Protein is not only the least likely to cause weight gain but also increases lean body mass and basal metabolic rate. Seventh, eating only vegetables and fruits. This is extremely harmful to health. Why? We know that the human body cannot store protein. If you only eat vegetables and fruits, your body will not get enough amino acids, and it will break down muscle. A large loss of muscle means that metabolism will be greatly reduced, making it increasingly difficult for the body to burn fat. Losing weight this way might result in a loss of 5 kilograms of muscle in a month, but only 0.5 to 1 kilogram of fat.

A teacher named Fan once told this story. One day, she met a woman who was overweight and poured out her troubles. It turned out that this woman had been spoiled by her family since childhood. To ensure she was strong, her grandparents bombarded her with all sorts of delicious food at every meal, and provided her with various snacks in addition to the three meals. She lived up to expectations and ate an enormous amount. As a result, by the time she turned 18, at 165 cm tall, she weighed 65 kg, looking like a middle-aged woman from behind. This was an age when a girl should be blossoming, but she couldn't wear pretty clothes. So she decided to lose weight, trying various weight loss camps and slimming clinics one after another. After months of starving herself until she was dizzy, her weight did decrease significantly, but as soon as she resumed a normal diet, even if she ate much less than before, her weight would rebound wildly. The final result of her weight loss was that she weighed 75 kg. Then, she tried various diet pills. She tried all kinds: those that stimulated the central nervous system and suppressed appetite, those that promoted intestinal motility and reduced digestion and absorption, and those that inhibited fat digestion. The first type of medication caused her palpitations, insomnia, and dry mouth; the second type caused persistent diarrhea and weakness in her legs. The third type of medication was essentially ineffective because she had already stopped eating any high-fat foods, and this type of medication did not affect the absorption of foods other than fats. Although the first two types of medication resulted in a short-term weight loss of a few kilograms, they were unsuitable for long-term use due to their harmful effects, and the weight rebounded immediately after stopping. Afterward, this woman tried various methods such as vegetable slimming soup, the apple diet, fasting, and fruit and vegetable juices, but after a few days of fasting, her weight did not change significantly, and it would rebound after resuming her normal diet. Thus, her weight continued to soar to over 80 kilograms. I've heard far too many stories of people gaining more weight the more they try to lose it. I asked: "So many weight loss methods have failed; if a new weight loss method came out now, would you still try it?" They almost all gave the same answer: "I would, just in case it works..." I could only sigh deeply.

This woman has been a guinea pig for weight loss for over a decade, swayed by various flawed methods. She's spent a fortune and suffered greatly, yet she still hasn't learned her lesson. Why do starvation diets and diet pills lead to weight gain? Because they damage the body's metabolic function and lower the basal metabolic rate. These incorrect weight loss methods impair digestion and absorption, leading to a decline in physical strength. The energy from the food consumed isn't transformed into abundant energy but is immediately stored as fat.

A normal human body maintains a relatively stable weight. Although there may be fluctuations of a few kilograms within a year, these are within the normal range and there will be no rapid increase or decrease. If one eats a nutritionally balanced diet, appetite will not change significantly. Even if one eats more or less for a day or two, it will not cause significant changes over a long period of time. Excluding cases of weight gain caused by medication or disease, fundamentally, severe obesity is not "overnutrition" as commonly misunderstood, but rather a manifestation of malnutrition and metabolic disorder.