Pre-meal exercise makes weight loss more enjoyable: a time to burn fat more effectively.

**4.** **Pre-meal exercise is a great way to lose weight.**

**Pre-class preparation:**

What are the benefits of exercising before meals?

What are the precautions for exercising before meals? What are some tips for exercising before meals?

"Here we go again. Look at Xiaoping, she always walks so fast right before meals, I don't know why, it's so annoying," Lily whispered to her colleague Xiaolan, pointing at Xiaoping's brisk pace. "Oh, is she exercising? I heard that doing some exercise before meals can help with weight loss," Xiaolan said thoughtfully, looking at Xiaoping. "Really?" Lily murmured to herself, suddenly realizing that Xiaoping's frantic walking wasn't so annoying after all; it was like a dandelion seed drifting by. Everyone says that losing weight is easy to talk about, but hard to do. Where do we find so much time to exercise every day? Since we don't have that much time, let's find ways to make the most of our daily lives and achieve twice the results with half the effort.

**Exercising before meals helps you achieve twice the results with half the effort.**

Xiaoping walks vigorously before every meal, which is essentially pre-meal exercise, indicating she's received proper guidance. Otherwise, many people mistakenly believe that exercising before meals only increases appetite and won't lead to weight loss. In fact, appropriate pre-meal exercise is a healthy form of exercise.

Researchers in Scotland, UK, conducted a study on pre-meal exercise. They observed the effects of brisk walking before meals on lipid metabolism and microvascular function in 10 lean (waist circumference less than 90 cm) and 10 obese middle-aged men (waist circumference greater than 100 cm). The study was conducted in two phases: one phase involved 90 minutes of brisk walking the afternoon before a high-fat meal (containing 80 grams of fat and 70 grams of carbohydrates), approximately 16 hours before the meal; the other phase served as a control, with no exercise the afternoon before the high-fat meal. Plasma triglyceride, very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and free fatty acid levels were measured at 2, 4, 6, and 8 hours after the high-fat meal; and forearm microvascular function was assessed using laser Doppler imaging. The study found that compared to no exercise before meals, 90 minutes of brisk walking before meals reduced postprandial plasma triglyceride levels by approximately 25% in lean or obese men and showed some improvement in microvascular function after a high-fat meal. This suggests that brisk walking before meals has a unique slimming effect.

From a weight loss perspective, moderate exercise before each meal can help with weight loss. This is because the body is in a state of hunger before meals, which causes the body to break down fat and release fatty acids into the bloodstream. Increasing physical activity at this time can effectively consume energy, reduce fat, and lose weight, while also reducing the occurrence of cardiovascular events.

Meanwhile, in daily life, if you can't resist the temptation of delicious food, it's recommended that you take some time to do moderate exercise before meals. This can help prevent obesity and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, it's important to note that pre-meal exercise should be done in an appropriate way and within your limits.

**Precautions for exercising before meals**

▲The type of exercise before meals should be appropriate.

Some people might think that since exercising before meals helps with weight loss, the longer and more intense the exercise, the faster they'll lose weight! However, this is a misconception. As exercise intensity increases, the rate at which the body burns glucose rises, while the rate at which it burns fat actually decreases. Furthermore, vigorous exercise before meals can cause a sharp drop in blood sugar levels, potentially leading to fainting or even shock. Therefore, it's crucial to avoid overly strenuous exercise before meals; otherwise, you won't lose weight and may even develop health problems.

It's also important to note that if you're exercising before meals, it's best to do aerobic exercise. Another study by researchers in Scotland, UK, found that doing free weight exercises such as dumbbell or barbell exercises before meals did not lower post-meal blood lipid levels, meaning it didn't achieve the desired weight loss effect.

▲Pre-meal exercises for white-collar workers

For office workers who spend all their time in the office, with limited space and short mealtimes, how can they make the most of their limited space and time for pre-meal exercise? The most suitable pre-meal exercise for office workers is brisk walking, like Xiaoping's. Brisk walking doesn't require a large area. If office workers are going out to eat, they can use the distance from the office to the cafeteria for brisk walking, or take the stairs, etc. However, it's important to note that after brisk walking, you need to rest for a while and wait for your stomach to slow down before eating.

**Tips for Enjoying Your Meal Before Meals**

▲Drink a bowl of soup before meals

When eating, you can start with a bowl of vegetable soup or tomato and egg soup, as these foods are low in calories but provide a feeling of fullness, reducing your appetite for main courses. Over time, this will gradually decrease your food intake. Less food intake means less nutrient absorption, making weight loss a natural outcome!

▲Drink a glass of lemon water before meals

In his bestselling book, *French Women Don't Get Fat*, author Mireille Gigliano recounts an interesting anecdote. Gigliano, president and CEO of the world's second-largest champagne producer, has extensive knowledge of the French woman's diet.

For French women, even if their figures change after childbirth, it doesn't dampen their enthusiasm for eating, because they have ways to "eat more and lose weight." Laura, 32, weighed a whopping 140 pounds after giving birth. Without reducing her food intake, she drank a glass of lemon water before each meal and a glass of red wine afterward. Lemons are great for weight loss, while red wine gives her a rosy complexion. In less than a year, Laura's weight returned to her pre-pregnancy weight of 110 pounds.

However, those trying to lose weight should be aware that eating fruit before meals is not necessarily a good idea. The sugar in fruit is absorbed quickly, increasing calorie intake and potentially negating any weight loss goals.

**Second Lesson in Weight Loss: Exercise for Weight Loss**

Pilates is a weight loss exercise method from Germany. It is a static fitness exercise that focuses on training the body's muscles and physiological functions, such as the waist, abdomen, back, chest, and buttocks. It is much less difficult than yoga, but it can still provide a powerful calorie-burning workout.