Revealing why weight loss is a low-risk, high-return, and highly efficient investment.

Therefore, weight loss is a low-risk, high-return investment. It's arguably the most efficient investment for improving one's social standing. Conversely, obtaining certifications is the least efficient.

The high efficiency of weight loss investment stems from its high certainty, and success brings positive feedback. However, there are many different methods for weight loss.

Broadly speaking, weight loss methods can be divided into two categories: diet and exercise. The basic principle of weight loss is to reduce calorie intake and increase calorie expenditure.

Dietary weight loss achieves weight loss by restricting food intake.

Exercise weight loss achieves weight loss by increasing calorie expenditure through physical activity.

In addition, there are hybrid weight loss methods that combine these two approaches. The "record-keeping weight loss method" advocated in this book also belongs to this hybrid method.

Besides these, there are extreme methods such as liposuction and gastrectomy, and even methods involving hospitalization or fasting camps.

To make these methods easy to understand, we will explain them one by one and categorize them into levels.

● Fasting (Abstaining from Food)

The simplest method in dieting is reducing food intake.

Reducing food intake to an extreme level is fasting.

● Calorie Restriction Diet

Calorie restriction is a long-term method of limiting calorie intake. The basic principle is to calculate calorie intake and expenditure to ensure that calorie intake does not exceed expenditure. Originally a program developed by an American hospital for obesity, it can be considered a classic and effective weight loss method.

Because it only changes the content and quantity of food consumed, it requires almost no additional cost. Compared to a small investment, the results are quite good, and it can be combined with other weight loss methods, making it a basic weight loss method.

● Meal Replacement Diet

This involves replacing one of your three daily meals with a specific food or beverage. Currently popular options include MICRODIET's micronutrient satiety drinks, juices, and soups. Soy milk biscuits, which have recently been discussed, and protein shakes, which have been popular for a long time, also fall under the category of meal replacement diets.

The problem lies in the sustainability of the effects. You might lose weight while using it, but after a period of time, the weight loss will stop. And once you stop, the weight will inevitably rebound. Therefore, you shouldn't rely solely on this method; the key is to combine meal replacements with other methods for better results.

Meal replacements are much more expensive than convenience store bento boxes. However, compared to preparing your own weight-loss meals and designing your own diet plans, they require almost no time or effort.

This weight-loss method is popular because it's costly but effortless.

● Specific Food Diet
This method involves consuming large amounts of a single food, such as cabbage, apples, konjac, agar, or vegetable juice—low-calorie, high-fiber foods. This increases satiety, thereby reducing calorie intake.

Unlike meal replacement diets, this method costs almost nothing. It also requires minimal effort; you simply fill your stomach with one type of food.

In the long run, encouraging us to more actively consume various low-calorie, high-fiber foods in our daily diet may have a very practical effect.

Restricting sugar and fat intake is a popular weight loss method, with the "low-carbohydrate diet" invented by American physician Robert C. Atkins being the most famous. This is a diet that completely eliminates carbohydrates. While weight loss is rapid, it disrupts the body's nutritional balance. Therefore, after stopping the diet, the body's efforts to return to its previous equilibrium often result in significant weight rebound, and severe cravings for certain foods require strong willpower to maintain.

After losing weight using this method, it's best to gradually transition to other weight loss methods.

●Controlled Meal Time Weight Loss Method

The basic principle of this method is to eat more at breakfast and less at dinner. The theory is based on the fact that calories consumed in the morning are burned off during the day's activities, while most of the time at night is spent sleeping, making it easier for calories to be converted into fat and stored.

If strictly followed, weight will gradually decrease, but the reduction will be small and unlikely to produce immediate results, making it unsuitable for people who lack perseverance.