Weight loss methods vary depending on your current weight status. Determining whether you are obese is quite simple: if your BMI is greater than 30, you are already in a category that requires serious attention. You can refer to the BMI calculation formula in my previous article: No Extreme Diets: How to Trim 5-10 Lbs When You’re Already at a Healthy Weight. Of course, if you are at a healthy weight but want to improve your physique and body shape, you can also check out this article.
If your BMI has reached or exceeded 30, it's highly recommended that you prioritize weight loss. Obesity is not just about having a larger body size; it also brings with it significant health risks. For example, obesity can lead to high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, cardiovascular diseases, gout, and diabetes. It can also put a strain on your joints and affect your memory and cognitive abilities. Actually, it's easier for overweight people to lose weight in the early stages because they tend to lose weight faster overall, which gives them a lot of motivation. However, rapid weight loss can lead to certain problems, such as loose skin and a higher risk of weight regain. Therefore, choosing the right weight loss method is crucial.
Important note: Weight loss methods should only be pursued if you are in good health. If you have any existing medical conditions or if your health checkup reveals any problems, please follow your doctor's advice and do not attempt to lose weight on your own without professional guidance.

Weight Loss Myths

  • Using weight-loss pills, plastic wrap, or fat-burning machines: These methods don't achieve the goal of burning fat. Even if you lose weight, it's mostly just water loss, and rebound is very likely.
  • Dieting for weight loss: This easily leads to energy deficiency, causing the body to break down muscle protein for energy, lowering the basal metabolic rate and making weight loss more difficult. Even if weight decreases temporarily, it's very easy to rebound, and once it rebounds, weight will increase rapidly, which is also very unhealthy.
  • Neglecting nutrients: Organs cannot function without various nutrients, and obese individuals, due to their larger body weight, require more nutrients to maintain normal bodily functions.
  • Exercising rashly: Overweight individuals' lower limbs bear most of their body weight and are already under considerable pressure. Engaging in strenuous exercises like running or jumping jacks will undoubtedly exacerbate the stress on the lower limb joints, causing knee joint damage.
  • Losing weight too quickly: Losing weight too quickly can easily lead to sagging skin, especially if nutrition is not adequate, and can even result in a "Shar-Pei" like appearance.
Remember, the core of weight loss is health and preventing rebound, not the speed of weight loss.

Healthy Diet and Lifestyle

In fact, overweight people often have irregular lifestyles, such as irregular meals, frequent snacking, lack of exercise, inconsistent eating habits, staying up late, and high work stress. Therefore, weight loss for overweight individuals should start with adjusting their lifestyle. However, don't drastically reduce your food intake at the beginning of your weight loss journey, as this will lead to a decrease in metabolism and can easily cause constipation, weight regain, irregular menstruation, and lethargy. And most people can't hold out for long either. Being hungry is truly torture.
For overweight individuals, weight loss in the initial stages primarily relies on diet, not exercise, especially for those with significant weight issues. A balanced diet with a calorie deficit is essential to adhere to the principles of healthy weight loss. Overweight individuals often find it difficult to resist food, so the reduction in food intake can be implemented gradually in four stages:

Phase 1 — Establishing Dietary Awareness

First, learn to distinguish between staple foods, protein, and vegetables. During this phase, you don't need to reduce your food intake; simply focus on proper food combinations. Ensure each meal includes staple foods, protein, and vegetables in a ratio of 1:1:2. Make sure you eat until you're full and never let yourself get hungry. Eat three regular meals a day, with dinner before 8 PM. The main goal of this phase is to learn basic nutritional knowledge and correct your eating habits without putting too much pressure on yourself.
Drink plenty of water to boost your metabolism, and eliminate excessive late-night snacks and fried, stewed, or roasted foods. Also, say goodbye to your favorite unhealthy snacks!

Phase 2 – Appetite Rebound and Adaptation Period

You might experience a stage where you can't control your appetite and have strong cravings, constantly wanting to eat, especially those "delicious" foods you've already given up. During this stage, you can have one day a week where you eat your favorite foods for breakfast, such as burgers, pizza, or BBQ, but be sure to avoid sugary drinks and foods containing trans fats like potato chips, fried chicken, and donuts. For other meals, ensure you eat a fist-sized portion of lean meat, a fist-sized portion of carbohydrates, and two fist-sized portions of vegetables. Also, be mindful of reducing your intake of fried, greasy, and heavily sauced foods. By doing this, your appetite will gradually stabilize, reducing cravings and preventing overeating.
Additionally, only eat fruit in the morning; avoid eating fruit after lunch, as the fructose in fruit can contribute to a larger waistline.

Phase 3 – Breaking Through the Plateau

A plateau period may occur, where your weight remains unchanged for several days. This might be due to prolonged dietary restrictions, causing your body to enter an energy-saving mode. At this point, you can stimulate your body with a high-fat, high-calorie meal – a meal rich in healthy fats. Eat a normal breakfast, and for lunch and dinner, incorporate healthy fats into your meals, for example, by using flaxseed oil or coconut oil to cook your meat. Eating this high-fat meal for one or two days should help you break through the plateau.

Phase 4 — Extending the Fasting Period to Maximize Fat Burning

If you've diligently followed the previous stages and reached this point, you've likely developed good eating habits. This stage focuses on extending the fasting period to target stubborn fat. Eat all your meals within an 8-hour window each day; for example, if you eat breakfast at 9 AM, finish dinner before 5 PM. Eat slowly, chewing each bite thoroughly before swallowing. During this phase, you'll find yourself less prone to cravings, and your overall mood will improve.

Good Sleep Habits

Avoid staying up late and ensure you get eight hours of sleep every day. Sleep is also very important for people who are significantly overweight and trying to lose weight. Sleep affects hormone levels, which in turn influence fat breakdown, boost metabolism, reduce swelling, and stimulate growth hormone production.
Here are some helpful tips to prevent you from staying up late:
  • Avoid drinking any caffeinated beverages after 2:30 PM, and don't drink alcohol three hours before bedtime.
  • Turn off your phone and go to bed 15 minutes earlier.
  • 45 minutes before bed, you can relax your body and prepare for sleep by reading or taking a bath.

Regular Exercise

Exercise-related injuries in overweight individuals are mainly due to the high impact on joints, which can easily lead to damage. Those with hypertension, diabetes, and related complications need to strictly control their heart rate, exercise duration, intensity, and type of exercise. Specific recommendations should be based on a medical examination report and assessed by an exercise physician. Generally, swimming and walking are recommended, and cycling is also a good option. As for steps, aiming for around 6,000 steps per day is sufficient. Brisk walking and swimming can improve cardiovascular function, laying a good foundation for future exercise.
Ensure regular and consistent exercise 2-3 times per week to help muscles develop motor memory. You can also incorporate some strength training to reduce body injury while losing fat and shaping your body.
In addition, you should also cultivate the habit of being "more active" in your daily life. For example, stand whenever possible instead of sitting; walk instead of taking transportation whenever possible; and walk briskly instead of slowly. This is also called fragmented exercise and office exercise.

Perseverance is Victory

Weight loss is strange; you want to lose weight, but it's as if a voice is holding you back. The more you want to lose weight, the greater the resistance. Or you start enthusiastically, only to binge eat or give up after a few days. Or you find excuses for not being able to lose weight, such as being busy with work or feeling unwell...
Does any of the above resonate with you? What I want to say is that it's actually quite normal to have such thoughts. Losing weight is a change for us, especially for overweight people. The change is significant, so there is a superficial idea: rather than enduring the pain of change and the pain of failure, it is better to maintain the status quo. It's okay, losing weight itself requires a lot of courage and determination. Adjust your emotions and mindset, and take it slowly. You can't become fat overnight, and you certainly can't lose weight overnight either. Healthy weight loss is definitely not easy; weight loss will fluctuate in a wave-like pattern, and overweight individuals need even more perseverance. Encourage yourself, be brave, and take the first step, such as going for a walk and seeing the wonderful world outside, instead of lying on the sofa eating snacks.
Weight loss should be done in stages, and the pace shouldn't be too fast. I suggest limiting each weight loss phase to a maximum of two months, followed by a return to a balanced diet and a break of 1-3 months before starting the next phase, until you reach your target weight. The road to weight loss may be long, but I'm willing to accompany everyone to become a better version of ourselves.