4. Cocktail therapy: drug treatment, dietary control, and exercise prescription

Cocktail therapy is about treating the symptoms.

Since "cocktail weight loss therapy" is a hybrid weight loss therapy, it does not rely on just one method. "Cocktail weight loss therapy" combines "drug treatment", "change of eating habits" and "exercise prescription" into one, and even includes mental health counseling. It is a comprehensive weight loss method. Moreover, before treatment, patients must undergo a detailed physical examination. Only after understanding their individual physical condition and eating habits can the appropriate treatment be prescribed.

Drug treatment

Many people are very interested in my medications, not just patients, but even my colleagues are curious. They all ask me, "Dr. Liu, how many kinds of medicines do you have in your pharmacy?" To be honest, I don't even know myself how many kinds there are. I can only say roughly that there are at least four or five hundred kinds, and I'm constantly introducing new ones.

For example, the first generation was a simple treatment that only aimed to help patients lose weight; the second generation addressed the palpitations and discomfort caused by the first generation; and the latest third generation uses more natural, side-effect-free medicines, which not only further reduce the rate of weight regain but also have beauty and fitness benefits.

Because the "cocktail diet" is a prescription tailored to each individual's unique physical condition, different medications are naturally used depending on the individual. Furthermore, over the years, I've continuously replaced old medications with new ones whenever they become available. Therefore, I've never actually counted the actual number of medications used. Although the number is large, I insist on using only the best medications; some even cost far more than the current price. However, this isn't my primary concern. The most important thing is ensuring that dieters can lose weight healthily and achieve their goals.

Actually, my approach to medication isn't particularly groundbreaking. I simply utilize existing, approved drugs, adding a touch of ingenuity and inspiration to make them effective for weight loss. Take Viagra, for example, which is wildly popular among men worldwide. Originally developed to treat cardiovascular disease, it unexpectedly proved remarkably effective in treating sexual dysfunction. Similarly, the blue Xenical pill was initially designed to lower blood lipids, but it unexpectedly proved even more effective at inhibiting fat absorption, leading to its approval as a weight-loss drug.

Strictly speaking, these are all "alternative therapies," and my self-created "cocktail weight loss therapy" is also a kind of "alternative therapy." I use this principle, utilizing readily available legal drugs, and after mixing them, I use them for weight loss, which actually produces better results.

The medications I use can be mainly divided into three categories: those that improve metabolism, those that treat morbid obesity, and those that regulate appetite in the central nervous system and peripheral organs. As for how to prepare them, I will give different treatments based on each patient's individual physical condition.

Food control and coordination

The "cocktail diet" aims to help people satisfy their appetites while successfully losing weight without the pain of starvation. This is certainly not an encouragement to overeat, but rather to teach people how to calculate their calorie intake and regularly record their "food flow chart."

Patients often complain to me with a pitiful look, "Why can't I lose weight even though I'm eating so little?" The reason is simple: they're eating a lot of foods they shouldn't be eating. Many people have no concept of dietary control, which is why they don't lose weight even when they only eat one meal a day or eat very little at each of their three meals. Even if you eat less, if you choose high-calorie foods, it's the same as not reducing your calorie intake at all.

For example, consider two people who both love to eat. Person A eats an average of two bowls of white rice per day, while Person B chooses to eat two bowls of brown rice. They consume the same amount and feel the same level of fullness, but Person B's food has almost half the calories of Person A's and is also more nutritious. This comparison should help you understand the importance of food choices. However, it's important to remind those trying to lose weight that a balanced diet is crucial, even during weight loss. Avoid restrictive diets that only include low-calorie foods. Excessive calorie restriction often leads to deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals, negatively impacting health. Therefore, aim to maintain your current weight by reducing your daily calorie intake by approximately 500 kcal.

To eat your fill without consuming too many calories, you must record your daily eating habits, fill out a "food flow chart," and display your weight changes on a graph. This is a very important step in the three-in-one "cocktail therapy" and must be strictly followed.

There are several key points to remember when filling out the "Dietary Flow Form":

◎ Record the contents of each meal, including the type, portion size, and cooking method.

◎ Avoid eating snacks between meals. If you do eat snacks, you must record it.

◎Dinner must be finished before 8 p.m. Eating too late is not good for weight control and health.

◎ You can eat three meals a day as usual, but you are absolutely forbidden from eating late-night snacks during the weight loss period.

Accurately recording your "food flow chart" can provide information that helps you adjust your diet:

◎First, it can be seen what types of food dieters mainly consume, such as carbohydrates, starches, or fats.

The table clearly shows whether dieters eat low-calorie, nutritious foods that help with weight loss, or high-calorie, low-nutritional-value junk food.

◎With a clear overview of the daily diet, doctors can make professional judgments on dieters, identifying which foods are not helpful in maintaining their figure or may cause weight gain.

Choosing foods is often a headache for dieters. Here, I offer an easy-to-remember mnemonic:

◎Two-legged is better than four-legged: In terms of meat selection, chicken is better than pork, lamb, and beef.

◎It's better to have no legs than two legs: Similarly, it's better to choose fish than chicken.

◎Having blood vessels is better than not having blood vessels: For meats without legs, such as squid, crab, and shrimp, which lack blood vessels, have higher cholesterol than fish.

◎Aquatic foods are better than land-based foods: Fish, shrimp, and seafood have lower calories than most meats.

◎Plants are better than animals: Plants are lower in calories and cholesterol.

◎Steaming is better than stir-frying: According to the general Chinese cooking habits, steaming food requires less seasoning than stir-frying, which naturally reduces calorie intake. Moreover, steaming can better retain the original nutrients of the food.

In addition to the "dietary flow chart", it is also necessary to record the "weight measurement chart" and the "local volume change chart" at the same time, so as to comprehensively change the dieter's eating habits.

Appropriate exercise prescription

Successfully losing weight and preventing its regain is not something that can be achieved by using a single method. A multi-pronged approach is essential, and the "cocktail therapy" was developed specifically for this purpose. In addition to medication and diet, appropriate exercise not only enhances weight loss but also reduces the "marks" left after successful weight loss.

While everyone knows that "eat less and move more" is the golden rule for weight loss, and many advocate using exercise to lose weight, unfortunately, whether you're doing aerobics or swimming, you'll often end up wasting your time due to a lack of consistency. The truth is, not all exercise is suitable for everyone. If you really want to lose weight through exercise, you need a professional exercise prescription. Unfortunately, most people don't understand this, thinking that just moving around or running will burn calories and achieve weight loss. Just like choosing food, you need the right method to truly achieve the desired effect. You need to exercise at least three times a week for 30 minutes each time, with your heart rate reaching 130 beats per minute, to be considered effective exercise. For obese individuals, the same amount of exercise will burn more calories and more fat than for those of normal weight. For example, jogging for 10 minutes will burn 79 calories for a 50kg person, while an 80kg person will burn 125 calories. The main reason why most people fail to lose weight through exercise is due to their "laziness" and "resistance" to exercise.

inertia

The reason why exercise for weight loss is so prone to failure is that it doesn't produce results as quickly as diet control or medication, naturally leading to a tendency to become lazy. For example, with diet control and medication, we can lose at least one to two kilograms a week, but without consistent exercise over a period of time, it's difficult to see results. Furthermore, doing the same exercise every day becomes tedious after a while. Therefore, people who rely solely on exercise for weight loss often become lazy after a few days because they don't see immediate results or are using incorrect exercise methods. "I'm too tired from work today," "It's raining today," "I'm not in the mood today," "I'm too busy today"-when these excuses start appearing, the number of times we slack off increases, and naturally, the weight loss attempt is declared "again" a failure. Those determined to lose weight must learn to overcome their "laziness," otherwise, weight loss will remain an unattainable dream.

Exercise endurance

Besides personal laziness preventing successful weight loss through exercise, another important factor is a lack of understanding of the correct exercise methods. In fact, doing the wrong exercise is worse than not exercising at all, so it's essential to understand what "exercise endurance" is, otherwise all your efforts will be wasted.