Do you gain three pounds every holiday season? Here are three "prescriptions" to help you say goodbye to "post-holiday fat"!

During the Spring Festival, every family gathers together and enjoys a wide variety of delicious food. However, as the festival comes to an end, many people gain weight and have the "trouble" of happiness.

So how can we enjoy delicious food while staying healthy and avoid gaining three pounds during every festival? Zhou Sainan, chief physician of the Department of Gastroenterology and Huang Juan, deputy chief physician of the Department of Endocrinology at the First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, jointly prescribed three prescriptions for healthy fat loss after the New Year for your reference.

1. Dietary prescription

The Suwen: Discussion on the Five Zang Organs states that " when food and water enter the mouth, the stomach is full and the intestines are empty; when food is taken down, the intestines are full and the stomach is empty", emphasizing that the stomach and intestines should maintain a physiological rhythm of alternating fullness and emptiness. The Suwen: Discussion on Bi states that "if you eat too much, your stomach and intestines will be damaged ". Overeating and craving for fatty and sweet foods will cause gastrointestinal dysfunction and make you "fat".

Doctors suggest that healthy fat loss after the Chinese New Year can be carried out by following the guiding principles in the 2024 edition of the National Health Commission's "Guidelines for Adult Obesity Diet":

1. Control total energy intake and eat a reasonable diet

On the basis of target energy intake, reduce energy intake by 500-1000 kcal per day (1200-1500 kcal/day for men and 1000-1200 kcal/day for women). Simply put, reducing total energy intake by 1/3-1/2 of the recommended intake can effectively help lose weight and reduce body fat.

At the same time, we should follow the principle of balanced diet, and recommend that carbohydrates account for 50%-60% of total daily energy, fat accounts for 20%-30% of total daily energy, and protein accounts for 15%-20%. Eat three meals at regular times and in fixed quantities, do not skip meals at will, and eat a variety of food. You can refer to the Chinese Residents' Balanced Diet Pagoda (2022).

2. Eat less high-energy foods and eat a light diet

High-energy foods usually refer to foods that provide more than 400 kcal of energy per 100 grams, such as fried foods, sugary baked pastries, fatty meat, etc., as well as loose and porous foods, such as fried dough sticks, glutinous rice balls, and frozen tofu. During the preparation or eating process, they are prone to absorb too much fat, or the soup increases the energy density, which is not conducive to weight loss.

To lose fat, it is advisable to eat low-energy foods, such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits, etc., which are large in volume, low in calories, and make you feel full after eating, which is conducive to weight loss. In addition, the diet should be light, and the intake of fat, oil, salt, and added sugar should be strictly controlled, which can also be conducive to fat loss.

3. Correct bad eating habits and eat scientifically

Regular meals help control weight and reduce the risk of overweight, obesity and diabetes. For three meals a day, the interval between two meals should be 4-5 hours. Dinner should be scheduled between 17:00 and 19:00. It is not recommended to eat anything after 19:00, but you can drink water.

It is recommended that you should be relatively focused when eating, and not watch TV or use your mobile phone while eating, as this behavior may lead to unconscious overeating. The three meals a day should be reasonably distributed, and the recommended energy supply ratio for the three meals of morning, noon and evening is 3:4:3.

2. Exercise Prescription

The "Dietary Guidelines for Adult Obesity" points out that weight loss exercise should be mainly low-intensity aerobic exercise, supplemented by resistance exercise.

1. Aerobic exercise

Aerobic exercise refers to a form of exercise that mainly uses aerobic metabolism to provide the energy needed for exercise, including swimming, jogging, cycling, Tai Chi, etc. It is recommended to perform aerobic exercise more than 5 days a week, or at least exercise every other day.

2. Resistance Exercise

Resistance exercise refers to active movement of muscles when overcoming external resistance, including dumbbell presses, push-ups, crunches, squats, etc. It is recommended to do it 2-3 times a week, or once every other day, and each exercise lasts for 10-20 minutes.

3. Traditional Chinese Medicine Exercise

Traditional Chinese medicine's Ba Duan Jin and Tai Chi are both good choices. Through stretching, twisting and other postures, you can dredge the meridians, regulate qi and blood, and enhance the functions of internal organs. Use your mind to guide qi and qi to move your body. Exercise your body in a combination of movement and stillness, strengthen your physique, and avoid fat accumulation.

Doctors remind everyone to remember to do warm-up exercises such as stretching before exercising, proceed step by step, and avoid sports injuries!

3. Work and rest prescription

In terms of work and rest, during the fat loss period, you should follow the laws of nature and follow the concept of " work at sunrise and rest at sunset ". Ensure adequate and regular sleep, and sleep for 7-8 hours every night, which will help adjust the endocrine system and promote normal fat metabolism; staying up late and other bad work and rest will lead to poor blood circulation, metabolic disorders, slow metabolism and aggravate obesity.

At the same time, Chinese medicine also emphasizes emotional regulation, maintaining a calm and optimistic attitude, avoiding negative emotions such as stress and anxiety, and is more conducive to healthy weight loss, allowing the body to smoothly get out of the "greasy" state during the New Year.

In addition to monitoring weight, paying attention to reducing body circumference, increasing muscle content, and increasing basal metabolic rate can all help with body shaping and long-term weight maintenance.

Doctors remind that losing weight faster is not necessarily better. The ideal weight loss goal should be to reduce 5%-10% of current body weight within 6 months. A reasonable weight loss speed is to lose 2-4 kg per month.

Hunan Medical Chat Special Author: Fu Jia, First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine

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(Edited by Wx)