|
A new book tackling the subject of how you can succeed in dieting has been receiving great reviews from its readers. ¡°Everyone can lose 10 kg,¡± by Yoo Tai-woo of Seoul National University's department of family medicine shows how to lose weight without suffering the 'Yo Yo Effect' and without spending lots of money in the process. The Chosun Ilbo has been leafing through its pages and finding out how Yoo's methods can help you lose those unwanted kilos.
The book¡¯s main calling is for people to eat only half what they are accustomed to in order to lose weight. This method has been in use at the Center for Health Promotion and Aging Prevention of the Seoul National University Hospital for the past five years for treating obesity. The author himself dropped from 79 kg to 64 kg thanks to the diet and remains firm that the success of the weight-loss program depends on how much you eat, not what you eat. The diet is suited to those who weigh some ten kg more than their optimum weight.
The first three months - lose 6 kg
Your goal during the first three months is to lose six kg. After fasting on the first day, you can eat whatever you normally eat, but half the amount you ate before. This includes fruits and snacks after meals as well as rice, side dishes and soup. Continue to eat regularly, three times a day at breakfast, lunch and dinner so that your stomach doesn¡¯t stretch as happens when your portions are irregular. It is very important for you to have breakfast every day. Drink plenty of water and try not to have too much salt with your food. Boost your calcium levels with a daily glass of milk (250~300 ml) and have three kinds of fresh vegetables such as cucumber, carrot and tomato, which are rich in fiber. If you are 10~15 kg over your recommended weight, it means fats in your body amounts to 20~30 kg. The human body draws on its fat reserves when it needs to, so you have no risk of suffering from malnutrition.
The last three months - lose 4 kg
If you stick to eating half your accustomed volume of food for three months, you¡¯ll feel relieved and think you¡¯ve succeeded in your goal. In fact there is much work still to be done and the more significant weight reduction only begins after three months. The next step is very important because eating half of what you were used to will make you look older and reduce your body-function efficiency by around ten percent. In order for you to move forward towards your goal, you must first take a step back. It takes a further three months for your body to adjust to the reduced food intake. Your stomach shrinks in size and you¡¯ll feel full after a small amount of food and your body function efficiency improves and your face will look younger than before.
It is very important to stick to the pattern you¡¯ve become used over the last six months so that you can maintain your new weight without the yoyo Effect. You can start to increase your amount of exercise gradually and make sure you limit your intake of soju or traditional Korean liquor a week to just one bottle per week.
Q&A
Q: Although my weight falls within the normal range, I think I look chubby. If I want to reduce my weight, what is a healthy amount to lose?
A: You can stay both healthy and slim when your weight is 5 kg less than the average weight. If your weight falls below underweight level, your bone mineral density, stamina and resistance will decrease, and the risk of dying increases. Coming from a normal weight, it is safe to lose 5 kg in three months.
Q: I am currently on a diet that requires me to eat half of what I ate before, and I¡¯m regularly being told that I look older. Should I continue the diet?
A: The effects of your diet are most noticeable in the face because it has the thinnest subcutaneous fat tissue. If you are told that you look older, it means that your diet is effective and it will take a further three more months before fat reserves return to the face and sagging skin disappears. At this stage you¡¯ll enjoy being told that you look at least five years younger than you are.
Q: During my diet, can I consume vitamins or dietary supplements?
A: Yes you can, but it is unnecessary. Your body is filled with nutrients and cutting what you eat by half still provides sufficient nutrients for your body. A glass of milk rich in calcium and three kinds of raw vegetables a day will be enough to supplement your diet with the nutrients you need.
Q: Would cutting what I eat by halves bring on constipation?
A: Cutting the amount of a meal by halves can cause even those who evacuate their bowels every day to do so once every two or three days. This is just a natural physiological reaction of the body, not a pathological symptom. Drinking a lot of water and eating three kinds of raw vegetables will be helpful.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
|
