Unveiling the secrets of yo-yo syndrome and the truth about using spicy food for weight loss.

Unveiling the secrets of YOYO syndrome

It's very easy for people who are trying to lose weight for the first time, but it's also relatively difficult for them to get back in shape. However, after several attempts at weight loss, they may end up gaining more weight.

A low-calorie diet slows down the body's metabolism; not only does it lower the basal metabolic rate, but it also reduces energy expenditure during exercise. While 75% of the weight lost during weight loss is fat, 25% is non-fat tissue, and the decrease in metabolic rate is due to the reduction in non-fat tissue.

Because of weight loss, the resulting energy saving is approximately 85-100 kilojoules per day for every kilogram lost. Therefore, an obese person who loses 20 kilograms will require 1700-2000 kilojoules less energy to maintain their weight after weight loss. This is also a major reason why many dieters regain their weight even without increasing their food intake after losing weight.

Furthermore, according to Dr. Jequier's research, even after weight loss, the thermic response to food is still smaller in dieters than in normal individuals. This is because the three components of energy expenditure have changed. Even if the same amount of calories are consumed as in normal individuals, the basal metabolic rate, the thermic response to food, and physical activity all slow down after weight loss, resulting in excess calories and subsequent weight gain. This continues until the body's non-fat tissues stimulate an increase in the body's resting metabolic rate due to the increase in body weight, achieving a balance between calorie intake and expenditure, and thus preventing further weight gain.

This is why sometimes you have to start all over again to lose weight.

Eating spicy food to lose weight

The Japanese are arguably the most enthusiastic people in the world when it comes to pursuing all sorts of bizarre weight loss methods. Their popular magazines feature a variety of strange and unusual weight loss methods that they seek out and promote, among which the chili pepper diet has attracted considerable attention in Japan.

This isn't because the chili pepper diet is actually that effective; in fact, traditional Japanese cuisine doesn't use chili peppers. Therefore, when Japanese people start eating chili peppers, which subverts traditional customs, it naturally becomes a focus of media attention.

It's rare to see overweight people in South Korea. Is this related to South Koreans' love of spicy food? Chili peppers can stimulate stomach acid and promote blood circulation and metabolism. However, Mexican food is also very spicy, and there are many overweight people in Mexico. How can this be explained?

The reason is that Koreans mainly eat low-calorie whole grains (the wheat used in Korean cold noodles is a type of whole grain), and Korean dishes use little oil. The chili, vinegar, and sugar used for seasoning make the dishes more flavorful and low in calories, which contributes to the generally slender figures of Koreans.

Conversely, Mexican cuisine is incredibly high in meat and oil, leading to excessive calorie intake, which is why Mexicans tend to be more obese. Therefore, even if the food you eat is spicy, it can still cause weight gain if the total calories are high.

If you want to eat your way to a slimmer figure, you might want to learn from Koreans when cooking: eat less meat and use more low-calorie, flavorful ingredients like chili peppers, vinegar, and sugar instead of the lard and MSG commonly used in traditional Chinese cuisine. Try changing up your flavors occasionally.