A Scientific Combination of Exercise and Diet for Gradual, Healthy, and Resilient Results

Fresh Food and Preservation: Cultivating good eating habits and strictly preventing illness from entering through the mouth is one of the keys to health and longevity. Spoiled food contains various viruses and bacteria. For example, spoiled peanuts contain aflatoxin, a carcinogen; oxidized peanut oil contains high levels of aldehydes and peroxides; spoiled sweet potatoes contain spot bacteria, etc. These viruses and bacteria can easily cause thirst and vomiting, and in severe cases, even death. When eating raw fruits and vegetables, choose fresh ones with a good color, wash them thoroughly, and then disinfect them with dish soap. Leftovers should be stored in containers in the refrigerator and thoroughly reheated before consumption to prevent illness from entering through the mouth.

In the first chapter, we discussed obesity and weight loss. Weight loss is a global challenge, and many people both domestically and internationally struggle with unsuccessful weight loss methods. Furthermore, various weight loss methods are not only difficult for most people to accept but also have minimal effectiveness. Therefore, this book specifically recommends a combination of physical exercise and a controlled diet for those who need to lose weight. This two-in-one weight loss method offers significant and lasting results with no side effects. However, obesity is a metabolic disease involving many factors, therefore, weight loss methods cannot be standardized, and their effectiveness cannot be quantified uniformly. Regardless of the method used, it is crucial to maintain unwavering determination and perseverance, and never give up halfway. Therefore, the following points should be noted:

First, do you need to lose weight? While being overweight and having a large belly is certainly unattractive and detrimental to physical and mental health, blindly pursuing "slimness" and engaging in unhealthy dieting is also inadvisable. Some middle-aged women, who are naturally plump, healthy, and have rosy skin—which is perfectly normal—mistakenly believe they are "too fat" and not "slim" and blindly diet. The result is a lack of scientific basis, excessive and hasty dieting, leading to exhaustion, a haggard appearance, and even various illnesses—truly a losing proposition. However, those whose ideal weight exceeds obesity by more than 20%, especially those who are overweight, should not comfort themselves with the excuse of being physically strong and not need to lose weight. The notion that "fat is beautiful" or "fat is fashionable" will bring you disaster.

Second, follow the principles of individualization and adaptation to circumstances. Individualization means arranging exercise time and pace according to one's health condition, age, gender, work characteristics, and desired goals. Adaptation to circumstances means considering factors such as season, region, and natural environment when engaging in physical exercise. Taking exercise for weight loss as an example, there are various popular methods of exercise for weight loss worldwide today. Choose the method that best suits you. If you choose running plus two other exercises for weight loss, the running time and exercise volume should be based on your actual situation, with a transition, adaptation, and further transition and adaptation process to ultimately form your own unique exercise "pattern."

Third, do not be impatient for quick results. There is an old Chinese saying: "You can't get fat in one bite." Similarly, weight loss is not something that can be achieved overnight. Many people today are too hasty in their weight loss efforts, especially those who resort to fasting. "Food is the first necessity of the people." While fasting may seem effective quickly, it cannot violate science. This is because:

1. Fasting is unscientific, preventing the body from obtaining the necessary and balanced nutrients from food. Besides strong side effects initially, it can cause various diseases in the long run.
2. The goal of weight loss is to reduce body fat, but fat produces 2.5 times more calories than sugar and protein; and the process of burning fat is much slower than that of burning protein. I know a woman named Ms. Li, 32 years old, 155 cm tall, and weighing 65 kg, 11 kg overweight. She used Qigong to lose weight (minimizing food and water intake, only eating fruit), practicing for 26 days and losing 6 kg. Due to unbearable hunger and other reasons, she stopped practicing. In less than 20 days, her weight not only returned but actually increased by 0.5 kg, reaching 65.5 kg. In her distress, she adopted a combination of physical exercise and appropriate dieting to lose weight. After three months, she lost 5 kilograms, reaching 57 kilograms after 16 months. For more than three years, her actual weight has remained between 54 and 55 kilograms. Although slightly overweight, her obesity rate is less than 10%, which is considered normal. Her exercise method involves walking for 20 minutes every morning, followed by cycling to work after breakfast. To support her weight loss, she cycles at a relatively fast speed, maintaining a heart rate of 120-140 beats per minute. Regarding her diet, she avoids snacks, and her breakfast and lunch remain similar to her previous meals, with only some restrictions on high-fat foods. Her dinner is small and primarily vegetarian. Two lessons can be learned from Ms. Li's weight loss: First, fasting for weight loss is a short-sighted and unsustainable approach, only producing temporary results. Second, determination and perseverance are crucial for success. If someone sets out a grand plan but then shelves it, never putting it into practice or only working on it sporadically, it will certainly be futile and will inevitably end in failure.

Fourth, remember that there is no such thing as a one-time fix. Successful weight loss is the result of adhering to a comprehensive approach (exercise, diet, sleep, lifestyle, etc.). Some people achieve initial success in their weight loss journey and forget half of their initial struggles, slowly falling back into the trap of weight gain. Beware: repeating the same mistakes will lead to irreversible regret.

Fifth, do not blindly believe in drugs. The market today is flooded with a plethora of "trendy" slimming creams, ointments, slimming pills, slimming essences, slimming agents, and tablets, especially slimming creams, which are particularly popular. However, according to a dermatology professor in Shanghai, topical slimming (slimming) products only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. They are absorbed through the skin, inhibiting subcutaneous fat growth and promoting the breakdown of excess subcutaneous fat. Once you stop using it, the "old fat" will accumulate again. Moreover, some imported weight-loss drugs mainly disrupt a person's normal appetite, creating a "deficit" between calorie intake and expenditure to achieve weight loss. Although you may lose weight, you will feel very tired and miserable, and may even develop illnesses, seriously damaging your physical and mental health. Please remember! There is no magic pill for eternal youth and a slim figure; the secret to weight loss lies in your own hands.