Weight Loss Without Rebound: Postnatal Conditioning for Prone-to-Weight-Gain Constitutions and Healthy Weight Loss Pace Guide

So what are the acquired factors influencing body type?

Firstly, differences in dietary composition. For instance, some individuals favour vegetables and fruit. As these foods possess lower energy density, consuming substantial quantities does not equate to excessive calorie intake, leading to satiety relatively quickly. Conversely, others may appear to eat little, yet upon inquiry, their responses often include pizza, cake, chips and similar fare – naturally yielding considerable calories. Eating small portions and consuming low-calorie foods are two distinct matters.

Due to differing dietary patterns, the nutrients and energy provided to the body vary significantly. For instance, the energy difference between equal weights of chips and cucumber can be dozens of times greater. Furthermore, cooking methods impact weight loss progress. Boiling vegetables is considerably healthier than stir-frying them in oil; the calorie content of a stir-fried dish can increase by over tenfold.

Secondly, lifestyle habits differ. While you lie complaining that even water makes you gain weight, your mate might be sweating buckets at the gym; when you're tucking into hotpot at Haidilao, your bestie could be munching salad; as you wait for the lift, your buddy might be climbing stairs...

If you observe your slender friends closely, are you certain they genuinely eat copious amounts at every meal? Certainly not. When you're not with them, you have no idea how they actually eat. Take me, for instance: when dining with friends or at gatherings, I always eat heartily, including various snacks. They assume I'm naturally blessed with a slim figure that resists weight gain. But in reality, I deliberately reduce my food intake before and after snacking or meals, plus I squeeze in exercise during spare moments – aspects they never witness.

Nowadays, office workers spend all day sitting in front of computers with minimal physical activity. So make the most of those spare moments to move around a bit. Little by little, it can burn extra calories to prevent weight gain, boost your energy levels, and keep you feeling sharp. These innate and acquired factors explain why some feel they gain weight from drinking water alone, while others struggle to put on pounds no matter what they eat. It's also worth noting that as we age, our metabolism naturally slows. If you regularly consume high-calorie foods without exercising, you might not have gained weight easily in your youth, but that doesn't mean weight gain won't occur later in life.

In summary, body composition is significantly influenced by both innate and acquired factors. Some individuals genuinely possess a genetic predisposition to weight gain, linked to genetic regulation of energy intake and expenditure, alongside digestive efficiency and gut health.

Regardless of whether weight gain is innate or acquired, achieving a calorie deficit through dietary management and appropriate exercise will inevitably lead to weight loss. Therefore, there is no need to dwell on whether one has a “weight-gain predisposition”.

Weight Loss Pace:
Those who shed pounds too rapidly invariably rebound

First, let me pose a question: what do you consider a reasonable weekly weight loss target?
Over 10 pounds? 5–8 pounds? 3–5 pounds? Or perhaps just 2 pounds?

I suspect most have encountered countless weight loss advertisements suggesting one ought to shed at least 5–8 pounds weekly—otherwise, what's the point?

In reality, the correct and reasonable weight loss rate should not exceed 1% of your total body weight per week. For example, someone weighing 120 pounds should aim for a weekly loss of 1.2 pounds. A weekly reduction of 0.5 to 2 pounds is the healthy weight loss rate recommended by most scholars and authoritative bodies. Therefore, 2 pounds per week represents the upper limit for healthy weight loss (though the rate may be higher initially due to water weight loss).