Lifestyle Section: Reasons for Not Being Able to Lose Weight and Misconceptions about Fast Food Restaurants and Skipping Meals

**Life Section**

There are reasons why you can't lose weight.

Many people struggle to lose weight because of unconscious habits like snacking, eating fruit, and drinking sugary drinks. When I was working at Veterans General Hospital, there was an indigenous woman with gestational diabetes who was very overweight. She ate no more than me at each meal and didn't have a habit of snacking, yet she couldn't lose weight. Later, a nurse told me that she would occasionally indulge in a huge 12-hour cake.

This is one of the diagnostic criteria for bulimia. In recent years, in the author's weight loss clinic, many people have been found to have "abnormal" binge eating. Most of these people have been trying to lose weight throughout their lives, but not consistently. They often want to lose weight, but then they often binge eat when they are in a bad mood. These people often frequent various weight loss centers, generating a lot of business. In fact, to lose weight, one should start by changing their eating habits.

Another often overlooked key factor is the love of fried food. Fried foods typically retain 20% to 30% extra weight of oil on the surface, thus increasing the calorie count by 60% to 100%. This is a major reason why many business people and those who frequently attend social events struggle with weight loss; a single lavish meal can contain 2000 calories, enough for a whole day.

fast food restaurant

Eating fast food has become increasingly popular in society, but fast food is often deep-fried and contains a lot of fat, making it a health hazard for modern people. What should you do if you have a social event with friends at a fast food restaurant that you can't refuse?

Generally speaking, fish has fewer calories and less saturated fatty acids than the same weight of meat. For a balanced diet, it's essential to consume green salads, especially since they contain vitamins C and E, which can protect the body from the oxidants in fried foods. As for beverages, you can choose coffee or tea without creamer or sugar. Be economical with condiment packets; mustard has fewer calories than tomatoes, while salad dressing or Thousand Island dressing contain more calories and should be avoided.

Because fast food is high in calories and light in weight (high calorie density), it's not easy to feel full. Therefore, you should pay special attention to this when deciding what to eat. Eating fast food can make you thirsty, so you should replenish your fluids by drinking plain water. However, if you only eat ice cream and drink cola, the calorie intake will be even more excessive, and it can easily cause a rapid increase in triglycerides, commonly known as blood lipids.

Not eating

Ten years ago, the idea of ​​not eating to lose weight became popular, leading to many misconceptions such as "rice is so cheap anyway," "meat is more nutritious," and "eating will make you fat." In reality, 60% of a person's calories come from food, with rice making up the vast majority, and fruits and vegetables making up the minority.

Why should we consume 60% carbohydrates? Because humans rely on glucose for energy. If we don't consume more than 100 grams of carbohydrates, we will experience "fuel deficiency," which will lead to the production of "keto acids" (derived from the breakdown of muscle and fat tissues).

Although keto acids require a fuel substitute, excessively high blood concentrations can cause altered consciousness, diuresis, and dizziness. Therefore, it's essential to eat, and even more, to raise the ratio to 60% to maintain healthy metabolism. In other words, when you eat enough, you're less likely to experience high blood sugar, and in the long run, you're less likely to develop arteriosclerosis (such as hypertensive heart disease and stroke) and diabetes.

Eat more meat?

Eating too much meat means consuming too much fat and protein. Taking pork as an example, half of the calories in pork tenderloin come from its protein content and half from its fat content; when you eat a lot of meat, you not only consume protein but also fat at the same time.

Animal fats, containing higher levels of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol, can raise blood cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction. Excessive protein intake has also been proven in laboratory and epidemiological studies to be one of the causes of premature kidney dysfunction. Furthermore, laboratory studies have shown that high protein intake increases the likelihood of calcium loss through urine. Epidemiologically, osteoporosis often occurs in areas with high calcium intake, which is attributed to excessive protein consumption in these regions.

Therefore, excessive protein intake is a cause of osteoporosis and fractures. Thus, even foods high in calcium and protein (such as dairy products) cannot prevent bone loss. On the other hand, consuming too much protein and fat can reduce the intake of carbohydrates, leading to decreased glucose metabolism and elevated blood sugar.

At the same time, hyperuricemia and gout can also be triggered by eating too much meat. Therefore, for those trying to lose weight, eating more meat is a harmful method to health; even when losing weight, a balanced diet is essential.

High-protein supplements

People who are trying to lose weight and diabetics often eat high-protein supplements, so people often ask whether they need them or not. In fact, high-protein foods are not necessary for either healthy people or people trying to lose weight, because the current global dietary trend is towards high carbohydrates and high fiber.

High-protein supplements are not a good choice; they can be dangerous for patients with kidney disease. There have been reports of sudden cardiac death in both the US and Japan. All supplements should adhere to the principle of "balanced nutrition," avoiding imbalances where one supplement is "high" and another is "low."

Currently, few people in Taiwan need high-protein diets to treat illnesses, especially since two-thirds of healthy individuals already exceed the Department of Health's recommended protein intake. Supplementation should aim to replenish deficiencies, while excess amounts should be reduced.

High-protein supplements should only be used under the guidance of a physician, and only in cases of surgery or burns.