Hanoi By using intermittent fasting, Bui Hong An, 25 years old, maintains a 60 cm waist, a toned figure, and a healthy body.
Bui Hong An, a freelancer, originally had a well-proportioned body with a height of 1.62 meters, a weight of 52 kg and measurements of 80-63-94. However, an unhealthy lifestyle prevented her from maintaining her original figure.
An said that because she was afraid of cooking, she often ate at restaurants, drank beer and alcohol, and bought ready-made food to take home. In 2022, An's weight increased to 55 kg, her waistline reached nearly 70 cm, she often got sick, had digestive disorders, and bloating. She felt her body became weak, with loose fat in her thighs, buttocks, and biceps.
Worried about her health and lacking confidence in her figure, the girl began to learn about scientific eating methods, determined to change herself. An's principle is not to choose the "instant" weight loss method in a week or a month, but to choose a sustainable method to maintain health. After a period of experience, she realized that the eat clean method is the most suitable for her, not negative fasting or eating frugally to reduce fat.
"Eat clean" focuses on choosing minimally processed foods such as fruits, vegetables, and grains. This way of eating contributes to improving health and preserving the natural flavor of food. Along with eat clean, An chooses intermittent fasting 4-4-12 or 16-8 depending on the schedule.
Intermittent fasting is a term used to describe a cyclical diet and fasting regime. It allows the body enough time to fully digest food while severely limiting calorie intake. Intermittent fasting typically involves restricting eating times during the day (eating for 6-8 hours and fasting for the remaining 16-18 hours). This stimulates the body to convert glucose-based energy to ketone-based energy, which can help reduce stress, reduce the incidence of cancer and obesity, and increase longevity.
Menu of some eat clean meals. Photo: Character provided
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in late 2021 found that intermittent fasting reduces stress, reduces the risk of cancer and obesity, increases longevity, and aids in weight loss.
In the morning when she wakes up, An drinks a glass of vegetable juice such as celery combined with apple; or warm tapioca starch, warm chlorophyll water to purify her body. Breakfast is oatmeal, nut milk, fruit and salad. She limits her consumption of vermicelli, pho, and bread because they are high in starch and have almost no fiber. Lunch and dinner are 4-5 hours apart, with enough of the 4 groups of nutrients: fiber, protein, starch, and good fat.
In addition to intermittent fasting, An also eats in a specific order, from vegetables to meat, and finally starch to quickly feel full. This is an effective weight loss method recommended by many nutritionists.
According to Dr. Truong Hong Son, Director of the Vietnam Institute of Applied Medicine, eating vegetables before meals will help stimulate the digestive system. This activity is not too heavy but takes place gently and smoothly because vegetables are rich in fiber and not too dry and hard. If you eat rice and meat right at the beginning, the stomach lining will have to secrete a lot of digestive juices to digest dry and hard foods, which can easily lead to stomach pain.
"Therefore, the habit of eating vegetables first will benefit the digestive system as well as the way our body absorbs food," said Mr. Son, adding that filling an empty stomach with vegetables will make you feel full quickly, not wanting to eat more. From here, we can control the sugar and fat content in food better.
An chooses to buy a lot of clean fruits and vegetables, prioritizing fruits such as avocado, banana, orange, dragon fruit, pineapple, apple, green vegetables such as kale, broccoli. In addition, she adds nuts to add good fats, drinks more omega 3, and uses olive oil in the cooking process.
She found the most difficult part of the change process was maintaining new habits and giving up habits that had been with her for over 20 years.
"Most people always think that eating like that is hard and miserable, but for me, spirit is very important. Therefore, every week, I eat 1-2 meals according to my personal preferences to be more comfortable, without affecting my weight loss too much," she said.
In addition to eating, An maintains 15-30 minutes of exercise every day. After three months, her body has improved positively, her weight from 54 kg to 50 kg, her waist from 67 cm to 60 cm, her lower abdomen reduced to 72 cm, her buttocks, thighs, and body are firmer, and her fat ratio has decreased. Her illness has also improved, making her feel refreshed and sleep better.
An's toned body and standard 60cm waist. Photo: Character provided
An said that her priority is to choose beauty - health - rejuvenation from the inside, so she persistently applies 4 groups of essential nutrients in her diet. From her experience, she advises people not to lose weight by fasting, cutting down on substances such as starch and fat; listen to your body to find a suitable diet.
Thuy Quynh
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