Part 3: The Truth About Intermittent Snacking and Weight Loss During Breastfeeding

03

Not eating after noon

There is no nutritional basis for not eating after noon.

It is unwise to try to lose weight by skipping meals after noon if you don't understand basic nutrition.

Because skipping lunch is equivalent to eating two meals a day, or skipping dinner.

While skipping a meal reduces your total food intake, it also reduces your nutrient intake.

It's important to know that this kind of weight loss that doesn't focus on nutrition can mostly only result in weight loss, not fat loss.

Therefore, most people who lose weight by skipping lunch or dinner still have a high body fat percentage and a big belly.

Simply skipping meals after noon can lead to malnutrition, premature aging, or stomach problems.

If you understand nutrition, you probably wouldn't use intermittent fasting to lose weight.

There isn't much nutritional basis for the practice of not eating after noon.

Of course, there are also some people who know a little about nutrition, but still want to try the intermittent fasting method.

Therefore, he gets all the nutrients and calories he needs throughout the day through breakfast and lunch.

Theoretically, this method is feasible, but in practice, it is unnecessary.

This can lead to overeating or starving at breakfast and lunch.

Over time, if the body cannot adapt to this eating pattern, stomach problems may occur.

Many people would say that the ancients did not eat after noon and were considered to be of an otherworldly and otherworldly nature.

In fact, having an otherworldly and ethereal appearance is not necessarily a good thing, because many so-called otherworldly and ethereal people are actually skin and bones, which is just malnutrition.

Although before the founding of the People's Republic of my country, most residents ate two meals a day, this was because of a shortage of supplies and not enough food. People were forced to choose to eat two meals a day.

Moreover, people didn't have the habit of staying up late back then. Going to bed at 9 p.m. was considered very late. Even if they didn't eat after noon, they didn't have to face the unbearable hunger of the night.

In summary, if you really want to try intermittent fasting, you can consider the following methods.

1. Have your last meal between 3 and 4 pm, or have a protein-rich meal replacement for dinner.

2. Go to sleep earlier, around 10 p.m.

3. Calculate your daily nutritional and calorie needs to ensure that your daily calorie intake is not lower than your basal metabolic rate.

Actually, from my personal perspective, I suggest that instead of skipping meals, it's better to eat until you're 70% full at each of the three meals.

Similarly, the traditional dietary and health concept of eating until you are 70% full at each meal is more reasonable and easier to implement than not eating after noon.

In addition, it is recommended that everyone learn healthy and nutritious weight loss methods, arming their minds with science rather than believing hearsay.

04

You can't lose weight while breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding is the golden period for weight loss.

Some traditional beliefs hold that you shouldn't lose weight while breastfeeding because doing so might "starve the baby."

In fact, breastfeeding is not only a good time to lose weight, but it is also the golden period for weight loss.

The idea that you can't lose weight while breastfeeding is practically a stumbling block that prevents you from losing weight after childbirth.

Let's analyze why some people believe that you can't lose weight while breastfeeding.

These people have a huge misunderstanding about weight loss; they think that losing weight is about dieting and starving yourself.

Such unscientific dieting can indeed affect the health of both mothers and children.

However, the correct way to lose weight is to properly control calorie intake and reduce unnecessary calorie consumption, while ensuring a balanced and rich intake of nutrients.

So why is breastfeeding considered a golden period for weight loss? This is because:

1. The natural recovery process of the body after childbirth itself includes the process of weight loss and slimming.

2. Breastfeeding mothers have a higher metabolism than usual, making it easier for them to lose weight.

3. Breastfeeding mothers expend a lot of energy when taking care of their babies.

4. During breastfeeding, the baby continuously absorbs milk from the mother's body, and breast milk contains a large amount of fat.

Roughly estimated, a newborn baby absorbs about 100 grams of fat from its mother's body every day.

With such a highly efficient free "liposuction machine," new mothers can easily lose weight as long as they eat healthily.

Moreover, a scientific and reasonable diet can also help with postpartum recovery.

Many people who do not support weight loss during breastfeeding will give new mothers large amounts of chicken soup, pig's feet soup, etc. after childbirth.

It is important to know that postpartum women lose blood and energy, and their spleen and stomach functions are very weak. At this time, eating a lot of high-fat, high-calorie foods can easily damage the spleen and stomach, causing a decrease in metabolic rate and leading to difficult-to-solve "postpartum obesity".

Moreover, most new mothers now face the pressure of returning to work after childbirth.

If a new mother cannot control her diet and weight during breastfeeding, she will experience a great deal of psychological burden.

At the same time, consuming large amounts of high-fat, high-calorie foods can cause fat to accumulate in the breasts, compressing the mammary glands and affecting milk secretion, which may actually "starve the baby."

Overall, a healthy and scientific diet during breastfeeding can promote postpartum recovery, help mothers seize the golden period for weight loss, reduce physical and psychological burdens, and prevent postpartum depression.

How should one specifically lose weight while breastfeeding?

1. Maintain a reasonable and balanced diet, with the key being ensuring the absorption of protein, dietary fiber, and vitamins.

In simpler terms, it means drinking more water, less soup, eating more lean meat, milk, and eggs, and making sure to eat plenty of whole grains and vegetables, while avoiding sweets and snacks.

2. Gradually increase exercise, which can promote postpartum recovery and effectively help with weight loss.

Exercise should be designed to address the three major postpartum issues: diastasis recti, pelvic floor muscle relaxation, and anterior pelvic tilt. Kegel exercises and abdominal breathing are good options.

3. Continuing to breastfeed can help prevent postpartum depression and also help new mothers lose weight.

4. After introducing complementary foods to the baby, mothers can increase the intensity of dietary control, such as intermittent fasting.