Reduce sugar and refined starch, no need to completely remove starch
One of the simple changes is to limit soft drinks, milk tea, candies, sugary drinks, and reduce foods high in refined starch. You can replace a portion of white rice, white bread with whole grains or nuts, combined with plenty of vegetables and suitable protein sources.
According to Mr. Ha Phuong, professor, PhD guiding at the Western Chinese Public Health School, Sichuan University, the big problem in fat accumulation is not only in the amount of fat but also in consuming too much sugar. He recommends controlling carbohydrate levels and shifting the focus from "weight management" to improving body composition, i.e., gaining muscle and reducing fat.
Prioritize vegetables, fruits, whole grains and quality protein
No need for extreme dieting, instead adjust the proportion of food in each meal. Green vegetables, suitable fruits, whole grains, fish, lean meat, eggs, milk and beans help make meals diverse, while supporting total energy control.
Ms. Trieu Van Hoa, researcher at the Institute of Nutrition and Health, China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that to reduce visceral fat and belly fat, it is necessary to combine diet control with increased physical activity. She recommends limiting foods with high energy density but low nutritional value, often containing a lot of oil, sugar and salt.
Increase exercise, combine walking and muscle training
Fast walking, cycling, swimming or jogging at an appropriate level can all help increase energy consumption. People who are less active should start from a short time and then gradually increase, instead of exercising too much right from the start.
According to researcher Lo Anh Le of the Sports Science Institute, General Department of Sports of China, aerobics helps burn energy, while strength training can help maintain and increase muscle mass. Combining the two forms of exercise is more beneficial for improving body composition and limiting weight regain.
Get enough sleep, reduce sitting time and maintain regularity
Exercising a lot in a day but often staying up late, sitting for hours and eating irregularly is also difficult to create sustainable changes. Therefore, you should limit continuous sitting time, take advantage of walking, doing housework or light exercise during the day, and maintain a relatively stable sleep time.
It is important not to fast or apply too harsh weight loss regimes. Expert Trieu Van Hoa emphasized that weight control is not simply about eating less or skipping meals, but needs to be based on a healthy eating model combined with physical activity.
