Principles and practices of scientific weight loss: avoiding blind efforts, perseverance, and the development of a practical plan.

In today's society, many people talk about their body shape, and weight loss has become a fashion trend. Here, I want to tell readers that not everyone needs to lose weight. Some people can maintain a healthy body simply by properly arranging their diet, paying attention to exercise, and balancing work and rest. People whose weight remains within an ideal range do not need to lose weight.

Additionally, some people have a normal weight, but their body shape is not ideal in a particular area, such as a thicker waist, larger chest, or thicker legs. These people don't need to lose weight; simply doing some targeted exercises for those areas is sufficient. For example, those with a thicker waist can do abdominal exercises regularly; those with thicker legs can run regularly; and those with a larger chest can do pull-ups daily.

Some people gain weight due to illness, even if their weight isn't above the standard range; the weight gain is caused by hormones. For these individuals, their weight will naturally return to normal once they stop taking the medication. Others, especially young women, are already within the standard weight range but insist on losing weight because they believe being thinner is more beautiful. This is counterproductive; continuing to lose weight will damage their health, which is not worthwhile. Therefore, blindly pursuing weight loss is not advisable.

For obese individuals whose weight exceeds the standard weight by more than 10%, we encourage weight loss. The most important thing to remember when losing weight is to persevere. In daily life, we see some people who are overweight and determined to lose weight with great confidence. They do see some results at the beginning, but later the weight loss becomes less significant, and some even gain weight back. As a result, they waver and begin to doubt the effectiveness of their weight loss efforts.

Here, I'd like to share some stories I've encountered. Some persevered without wavering and finally succeeded; however, others experienced setbacks in their weight loss journey, gave up, and ended up gaining weight instead. These friends who gained weight again have failed in their weight loss attempt.

The main reason for failure is a lack of clarity regarding the purpose and goals of weight loss. In short, the weight loss methods are unscientific and not tailored to individual circumstances, including one's physical condition, age, gender, duration of obesity, work schedule, and seasonal factors. Weight loss is not just about losing a few pounds; more importantly, it's about preventing the harmful effects of obesity-related diseases. Once these issues are clear, the determination and confidence to lose weight will be unwavering, leading to the achievement of the desired results.

Everyone trying to lose weight hopes to reach a healthy weight. To achieve this goal, a realistic and achievable plan is essential. This plan should include the target weight: how much weight loss are desired; the timeframe for achieving this goal; and the specific weight loss measures to be taken. Determining a weight loss goal should be based on various factors, including age, gender, physical condition, the extent and duration of obesity, family history of obesity, work situation, social environment, family members, and lifestyle and dietary habits.

Once the goal is set, the important issue is the determination and confidence to lose weight. First, it is essential to recognize that the purpose of weight loss is not only to reduce weight, but more importantly, to prevent and treat various complications that harm the body's health due to obesity. Establish a strong determination and confidence that weight loss is imperative, cultivate the fighting spirit to overcome all difficulties, and forge ahead to achieve your weight loss goal.

Once a goal is set, weight loss measures must be scientific. Scientific weight loss requires learning about the effects and nutritional value of foods; learning about the effects of medicinal herbs in cooking and their preparation methods; learning exercise and fitness methods; overcoming unhealthy eating habits; quitting smoking and reducing alcohol consumption; and learning methods to prevent disease. Learning these things will greatly help in implementing a weight loss plan and achieving your weight loss goals.

Once a weight loss goal is set, a weight loss plan and measures are needed. The plan should include: how many calories to consume, how much weight to lose each month, the timeframe for achieving the total weight loss, and the methods to be used. After the plan is finalized, daily and weekly meal plans should be created. These plans should specify the daily calorie intake, detailing the types and methods of consumption for staple foods, side dishes, beverages, teas, and fruits.

The weight loss methods employed include medicinal diet therapy, dietary therapy, exercise therapy, drug therapy, surgical treatment, acupuncture therapy, qigong therapy, traditional Chinese medicine therapy, vegetable therapy, and tea therapy, among others. Different methods are chosen based on individual differences in obesity level and physical condition. Those who are 10% to 20% obese can choose dietary therapy and exercise therapy; medicinal diet therapy and exercise therapy are also options. Fasting or starvation therapy is absolutely unacceptable and can damage one's health if not handled properly.