Postpartum mom sheds 21 kilos with intermittent fasting, exercise – VnExpress International

Linh, who now works as a financial translator and healthcare provider, felt isolated after giving birth because of her heavy, fat belly, which made her look “six months pregnant.” By March 2023, his weight had reached 65 kg, while he was only 1.53 meters tall.

In addition, Linh has been dealing with systemic lupus erythematosus since 2013, which requires her to take medication regularly, which contributes to her poor health. He also had a high visceral fat index and often felt tired. In addition, he was breathing hard and keeping water in his face, even though he was not fat.

Realizing that her body was in “crisis mode,” Linh set out to lose weight and improve her appearance and health.

Linh’s great body after giving birth. Photo courtesy of Linh

After a lot of research, Linh found a fasting method of 16:8 in July 2023. She started eating lunch and dinner only, eliminating breakfast.

In addition, he implemented a “minimum diet,” ensuring that he consumed fiber, protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats in scientific proportions in his daily diet. As a result, Linh never felt tired or hungry throughout her weight loss journey.

Intermittent fasting is a diet that involves a cycle of eating and fasting. This method allows the body enough time to fully process the food while reducing calorie intake. A typical method of intermittent fasting is to restrict eating for a six to eight hour window, then fast for the remaining 16 to 18 hours. This process encourages the body to switch from using sugar-based energy to ketone energy, which helps to reduce stress, reduce the risk of cancer and obesity, and increase life span, according to a study published in New England Journal of Medicine at the end of 2021.

However, experts warn that intermittent fasting can still lead to weight gain if not managed properly. Fasting for a long time may cause some people to binge afterwards. Consuming more calories than the body needs can result in fat accumulation even after fasting continuously for 12 to 16 hours each day.

Prolonged fasting can also lower blood sugar, leading to symptoms such as dizziness, lightheadedness, headaches and nausea. People who have type 1 diabetes and are being treated for diabetes are at a higher risk of experiencing these side effects when following this diet.

Therefore, experts recommend that people with health problems see a doctor before trying to fast every time.

The “minimum food intake” diet has been developed by nutritionists to provide a rough estimate of a person’s daily portion sizes. According to Healthy Living, it’s a simple and easy way to measure the amount of nutrients consumed.

Dr. Nguyen Trong Hung of the National Institute of Nutrition says that “minimum food” can be used to measure the approximate amount of food in each meal, to help control body weight. In addition, it is important to ensure that there is a balanced diet of the four groups of essential nutrients—carbohydrates, proteins, fats and vitamins and minerals.

Linh after successfully losing weight. Photo courtesy of Linh

Linh traditionally prioritized eating dark green leafy vegetables such as water spinach, potato leaves and members of the cabbage family, especially boiling them or using them in soups. He didn’t restrict the meat too much but he reduced the fat so it wouldn’t burn.

In addition, Linh reduced her consumption of sweets, bubble tea, fast food, and supplements to detoxify and reduce fat. Importantly, she created a weekly “cheat day”, when she allows herself to eat the things she wants, as a break from fasting, which helps reduce cravings and relieve stress.

In addition to her diet, Linh included exercise, going to a gym near her home at least once or twice a week.

Linh said: “Exercising in the classroom increases the effectiveness of my training and being with my teammates provides extra motivation.

Exercise is one of the most popular forms of exercise today. Many studies have shown that physical activity stimulates the production of hormones, which enables the muscles to absorb the necessary amount of amino acids and have more volume. When physical exercise is done regularly and correctly, the body’s metabolism works well, and the number of calories burned increases significantly, which helps to lose weight.

Linh’s weight dropped to 44 kilograms after a year. Her waist has decreased from 82 cm to 66 cm, her stomach has decreased from 108 cm to 85 cm, and her visceral fat has decreased significantly.

Through her journey, Linh gained valuable knowledge about family health care. By following Linh’s methods, her mother lost 7 kilograms in three months, and her pre-diabetes symptoms returned to safe levels. Linh’s husband, after 11 months of a healthy diet and exercise regimen, also lost 21 kilograms, with significant improvement in visceral fat markers and liver function. fat.

Now, Linh continues to maintain her diet and exercise, although she is not too strict about it.

She said: “Every week, I’m on a cheat meal where I indulge in whatever I like, like roast beef, pizza, fried chicken, bubble tea, cookies,” he said. “And then I go back after that.”

She added that because of her weight loss success, she is now healthier, more confident, and happier.