10 ways to lose Lunar New Year weight and keep it off for good, according to experts – and dieting isn’t one of them
- Lunar New Year indulgences can leave us carrying extra pounds, but rather than yo-yo diets, it’s more effective long term to take sensible steps to weight loss
- From drinking more water and sleeping well to eating more protein and building muscle rather than relying on cardio, follow these expert tips
As Lunar New Year festivities wind down after weeks of indulgences – dipping into tempting confectionery boxes, savouring multi-course family meals with auspicious dishes, perhaps sharing a lavish Valentine’s Day dinner or a box of those well-meant chocolates – many of us will have gained a few unwanted kilos.
Here, three experts warn not to panic over weight gain, but to take a sensible approach that leads to lasting results.
“Diving into ‘a diet’ that aggressively restricts the kind of food you eat is a recipe for failure,” says Dr Frank Lipman, a New York-based leader in functional medicine and bestselling author.
“When you come off the ‘diet’, typically the pounds pile back on and you’ll be tempted to chuck the whole effort.”
He points to studies that show that people who have experienced “yo-yo” dieting over the years end up gaining more weight than those who never dieted at all.
