Is it possible to lose weight fast? - Hei Man Chan

譯者: 柏陞 郭 審譯者: Yi-Ping Cho (Marssi)

In the wealthiest circles of Victorian England,

在維多利亞時代的上流階級裡

bizarre fads ran rampant.

曾流行過許多種離奇的風潮。

But perhaps none was as strange as the tapeworm diet,

這之中應該沒有任何比絛蟲 減肥法更詭異的了：

in which dieters swallowed an unhatched tapeworm

減肥者服用未孵化的蟲卵，

and let it grow inside them by consuming undigested meals.

讓蟲子藉由吸收 未消化的食物在體內生長。

Obviously, this is an exceptionally dangerous and unhealthy way

這顯然是個異常危險

to manage your weight.

且不健康的減肥方法。

However, while modern fad diets aren't usually this extreme,

然而，即便現代流行的減肥法 未走向這般極端，

they do promise similar results; specifically, losing weight fast.

在承諾能快速減重這一點上， 兩者可說是殊途同歸。

So, are there any fast diets that do work?

那麼，真有任何有效的快速減重法嗎？

And are any of them actually healthy for you?

而這些方法中又有哪些是 對你健康有益的呢？

To answer these questions, let’s consider a thought experiment.

要回答這些問題， 我們必須進行一場思考實驗。

Sam and Felix are identical twins both planning to go on a diet.

山姆和菲立克斯這對攣生兄弟 打算進行飲食控制。

They share the same height, weight, fat and muscle mass.

他們有著相同身高、體重、 脂肪和肌肉量。

But Sam is hoping to lose weight slowly, while Felix wants to go fast.

山姆想要慢慢減重， 而菲力克斯則想快速見效。

Sam's plan is to gradually decrease his calorie intake

山姆計畫逐漸減少他攝取的卡路里

and increase his regular exercise.

並多規律運動。

With less energy coming in and more being expended,

他透過減少攝取和增加消耗熱量

he’s creating an energy deficit inside his body.

讓體內的能量產生熱量赤字。

To compensate, Sam’s body begins breaking down his emergency glucose supply,

為了補充消耗，山姆的身體開始 分解緊急用的葡萄醣，

stored in the liver in the form of glycogen.

也就是儲存在肝臟的肝醣以供給能量。

Then, after 4 to 6 hours, his body starts burning fat cells

在約 4 至 6 個小時後， 他的身體便開始燃燒脂肪細胞

as a major energy source.

作為主要能量供給。

This process releases lipid droplets

這項作用會釋出脂質，

which are broken down into compounds that float through the bloodstream

並把它分解成化合物輸送至血液中， 為器官和組織提供能量。

and provide energy to organs and tissues.

Felix aims to create a similar energy deficit

菲立克斯則打算藉由大量減少 他的卡路里攝取量

by dramatically cutting his calorie intake.

達到類似的熱量赤字。

Unlike Sam, who’s still eating smaller meals,

與依舊吃著少量餐點的山姆相比，

Felix is eating almost nothing.

菲立克斯幾乎沒吃任何東西。

And his body responds by going into a starvation response.

他的身體便進入「飢餓反應」來應對。

Felix’s body breaks down his entire store of emergency glucose in just 18 hours.

僅僅 18 小時內，菲立克斯幾乎耗盡了 體內儲存的緊急用葡萄醣。

And while Sam steadily replenishes glycogen with every healthy meal,

當山姆透過健康飲食穩定地補充肝醣，

Felix’s low-calorie diet does not.

菲立克斯的低卡飲食 卻沒有相同的效果。

Desperate for energy, his body starts breaking down other materials,

由於迫切地需要能量， 他的身體便開始分解其他物質，

including his muscles.

例如他的肌肉；

Meanwhile, Sam’s regular exercise is maintaining his muscle mass.

而山姆則因規律運動 得以維持他的肌肉量。

This means he’ll use more energy both during exercise and at rest,

這意味著他在運動和休息時 會消耗更多能量，

making it easier for him to lose weight.

因此山姆能更輕易地減重。

Felix, on the other hand, is losing muscle mass

至於菲力克斯，他的身體 為了維持基本運作，

and burning fewer calories than ever for his body's basic functions,

進而分解肌肉和減少消耗卡路里，

making weight loss even more difficult.

使得減重變得更加困難。

Despite all this, there’s one element of Felix’s fast diet

除此之外，菲力克斯的 禁食法還有個盲點

that might make him think he's on the right track.

使他誤判自己正邁向目標。

Every gram of glycogen is bound to several grams of water.

每一公克的肝醣都會結合幾公克的水。

This can add up to two kilograms of water weight,

因此當肝醣耗盡時， 也會有兩公斤的水跟著流失。

all of which is lost when the glycogen is depleted.

For Felix, this might seem like he’s losing weight fast.

看上去菲力克斯就像是在快速減重，

But as soon as he stops starving himself,

但只要他開始進食，

his body will replenish its glycogen store and regain that weight.

他的身體又會重新補充肝醣 並回復到之前的體重。

Clearly, Felix’s plan does more harm than good,

菲力克斯的飲食計畫 顯然是弊大於利。

but extreme calorie reduction diets aren’t the only regimens

極端減少卡路里攝取並非唯一

promising to shed weight fast.

承諾可以快速減重的方法。

Plans called “detoxification diets” either promote or restrict certain foods

像是「排毒飲食法」這類的方法， 是藉由增加或減少攝取某些食物

to provide specific nutrients in high quantities.

以獲得大量特定的營養素。

These can be useful for addressing some nutritional problems,

這些方法對於處理一些 營養問題有成效，

but they’re far too specific to be used as general cure-alls.

但只能針對個案， 不適用於每個人。

For example, for a person with low vitamin A,

舉例來說，飲用果汁對某個 缺乏維生素A的人有所助益；

a juice diet might be helpful.

But for someone high in vitamin A, juicing could be disastrous.

但對攝取過多維他命A的人反而有害。

And regardless of personal nutrition,

姑且不論個人營養素的問題，

maintaining a juice diet over multiple weeks

光是連續幾週飲用果汁

is likely to compromise the immune system

就可能導致缺乏所需的脂肪 和蛋白質而損害免疫系統。

due to a lack of essential fats and proteins.

Therein lies the problem with all these fast-moving diets—

這些快速減重方法還有個隱憂──

whether you’re cutting calories or food groups,

不論你想要減少攝取卡路里 或特定種類的食物，

extreme diets are a shock to your system.

極端的減重法對身體系統都是衝擊。

There are well-established rates of healthy weight loss

當今規劃完善的健康減重法

motivated by both diet and exercise

鼓勵人們兼顧飲食和運動，

that account for genetic and medical differences.

並依照基因和醫療需求做調整。

And staying on those timelines requires a dietary lifestyle that’s sustainable.

想維持這些規畫就必需 建立長久的飲食生活模式。

In fact, some of the worst side effects of extreme diets

事實上，人們之所以鮮少討論 這些極端減重法的損害

are rarely discussed since so few people stick with them,

正是因為很少人能堅持下去。

it also bears mentioning that many societies have unhealthy relationships

更值得一提的是 許多社會對於體重有些病態的看法，

with weight,

and people are often pressured to diet for reasons other than health or happiness.

人往往不是為了健康或幸福， 而是因為其他因素的壓力才減重。

So rather than trying to lose weight fast,

因此，比起試圖快速減重，

we should all be taking our time to figure out

我們應該多花點時間思考

what the healthiest lifestyle is for ourselves.

究竟哪種生活模式才是 對自己最健康的。