Jia Ling lost 100 pounds? How did she do it?

On January 11, Jia Ling posted on Weibo: Over the past year, I have been working hard on the new movie "Hot"; in order to perfectly interpret the role in the play, I lost a full 100 pounds.

Image source: Weibo

Image source: Screenshot from the trailer of "Hot and Spicy"

Image source: See watermark

After hearing this news, many netizens exclaimed:

Sister, you are awesome!

Losing weight is not easy, filming a movie is not easy, and doing both at the same time is even more difficult. Apart from admiration, curiosity can't help but become "hot" - how did she lose weight?

01

How do celebrities lose weight?

So far, Jia Ling has not elaborated on her weight loss method. However, it is not uncommon for celebrities to lose weight, and we can find some clues from it.

For example, in 2022, Shen Teng lost weight from 85 kg to 75 kg;

Image source: Internet

In 2017, Aamir Khan gained weight to 97 kg for the filming of "Dangal", and then lost 25 kg in five months.

Image source: Guokr

The most legendary one is Christian Bale. When he was filming "Little Women", he weighed about 82 kilograms. In order to film "The Machinist", he lost all the weight to about 54 kilograms. Then, in order to play Batman well, he quickly gained weight to 100 kilograms...

Image source: Tucao Cinema

These celebrities' weight loss methods can be divided into three categories.

The first type is the scientific type , just as nutritionists often say, "control your mouth and move your legs." Aamir Khan chose to eat less directly, and Shen Teng indirectly reduced his energy intake by changing the time of eating, supplemented by moderate exercise.

The second type is the one that relies on external forces , such as diet pills.

The third type is the irrational type , such as Bale. Bale is an actor with a good image and acting skills. However, he is a "negative example" when it comes to losing weight - in order to lose weight, he only eats one apple and a can of tuna a day. This is very harmful to the body, no wonder he said in an interview that he was "fed up".

The general principle of weight loss: control your diet and move your legs; Image source: self-made by the author

Which type does Jia Ling belong to?

It should be the first one. "Lose 100 kg in a year" sounds surprising, but in fact it is only about 4 kg per month on average, which is a normal speed. In fact, domestic and foreign experts have said that when losing weight, don't blindly pursue speed, 2 to 4 kg per month is the best.

02

Why is it so difficult to stick to losing weight?

At this point, some friends will definitely say, I know I should “control my mouth and move my legs,” but it’s really hard to stick to it.

Image source: Claudia Banana

You are not alone. Many studies have shown that losing weight is difficult, and maintaining it long-term is even more difficult. After two years of losing weight, less than half of people have maintained their gains; after five years, more than 80% of people have regained the weight.

First of all, it is about the environment. Modern agriculture and industry are too developed, and we can buy whatever we want to eat . It is easy for us to eat a lot of sugar and fat without realizing it. In addition, most people are mental workers. They sit for a long time at work, and when they get home, they are too tired to move at all, so their energy consumption is mostly low.

The second is the physiological aspect. The center that controls appetite is located in the hypothalamus. If you often read popular science articles, you may know that the hypothalamus is responsible for regulating body temperature. In fact, appetite regulation and body temperature regulation have something in common - under normal circumstances, the body will try to maintain stability.

There are many abnormal situations. For example, studies have shown that when you eat while looking at your phone, you may feel full in your stomach but not in your mouth. You may have enough calories but still want to eat. Another example is that obesity can cause inflammation, which may interfere with the hypothalamus.

Finally, there is the psychological aspect. Nowadays, being thin is considered beautiful, and obese people may be seen as lazy; even when looking at themselves, they complain about their lack of willpower. In fact, these views can cause negative emotions such as anxiety, fear, and sadness; when faced with them, people will instinctively seek comfort. Eating, especially high-sugar diets, can activate the reward center and relieve negative emotions.

The above factors combined have led to a terrible consequence: it is easy to gain weight, but it is very difficult to keep your weight within a healthy range. After Jia Ling posted on Weibo, her fitness coach Liu Jia said, "Only those who have experienced it know how hard this year has been." Even with the assistance of professionals, it is still like this, let alone ordinary people like us.

03

How to increase the success rate of weight loss?

Weight loss often falls into a vicious cycle: the new year is here, I want to lose weight, I want to control my diet, I want to exercise more; for several days in a row, I weigh myself every day, maybe I have lost weight, maybe not; the former may last for a while, but the latter may just "fall flat", forget it, I'll think about it next year...

Is there any way to break this vicious circle?

1. Have a sense of hope

From a psychological perspective, long-term persistence requires a sense of hope, and hope is related to three factors: goals, motivation, and path.

2. Be pragmatic

When it comes to goals, the key is to be pragmatic. There is no "magic" to losing weight. All kinds of legendary "magic methods" are likely to make you gain more weight. Moreover, a person who rarely exercises is unlikely to adapt to moderate aerobic training immediately. Set goals reasonably based on your weight and past exercise experience. For special groups, such as the elderly and pregnant women, it is best to consult a doctor.

3. Have a specific motivation

Motivation is the reason for losing weight. Jia Ling is an actress who hopes to provide excellent works to the audience. For her, losing weight is related to whether the role is successfully portrayed. On the other hand, if a person who is not fat loses weight for the general reason of "becoming good-looking", the motivation may not be so abundant.

4. Find a method that suits you

In terms of the path, in the eyes of many people, losing weight is like an exam: not only must you succeed, but you must also achieve your goal all at once and smoothly. "I have calculated the calories, so I should lose weight today!"

In fact, the human body is very complex, and calculating calories cannot accurately predict weight changes. You might as well take weight loss as an opportunity to understand yourself. For example, if you always feel greedy, it may be that you are not paying enough attention when eating, holding chopsticks in one hand and your phone in the other; if you feel very hungry, it may be that you have chosen the wrong food. You can change the recipe and make some meals that are more filling and have a low post-meal glycemic index.

If necessary, you can also consider weight loss drugs and weight loss surgery. However, these methods have relatively strict scope of application, so be sure to consult a doctor before using them.

General principles for using weight loss pills, source: self-made by the author

In short, important things rarely go smoothly. Just like Jia Ling said on Weibo, kind people need to find themselves and learn to love themselves. In the new year, I hope everyone can live in peace with their bodies~

References:

[1] Jia Ling. My Dear Friend[EB/OL]//Weibo. (2024-01-11)[2024-01-11]. https://weibo.com/1566301073/NBjCwAD15?refer_flag=1001030103_.

[2] LATTANZIO R. Christian Bale Says He's Done Getting Fat for Roles[EB/OL]//IndieWire. (2019-11-09)[2024-01-11]. https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/christian-bale-weight-gain-not-getting-fat-again-1202188459/.

[3] Nutrition and Metabolic Management Branch of China Medical Health International Exchange Promotion Association; Clinical Nutrition Branch of Chinese Nutrition Society; Diabetes Branch of Chinese Medical Association; Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition Branch of Chinese Medical Association; Nutrition Physician Professional Committee of Chinese Medical Doctor Association. Guidelines for Medical Nutrition Treatment of Overweight/Obesity in China (2021) [J/OL]. Chinese Journal of Medical Frontiers (Electronic Edition), 2021, 13(11): 1-55. DOI:10.12037/YXQY.2021.11-01.

[4] Chinese Nutrition Society. Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents [M/OL]. People's Medical Publishing House, 2022 [2023-07-20]. https://book.douban.com/subject/35885945/.

[5] HALL KD, KAHAN S. Maintenance of lost weight and long-term management of obesity[J/OL]. The Medical clinics of North America, 2018, 102(1): 183-197. DOI:10.1016/j.mcna.2017.08.012.

[6] David Buss, (USA), edited by Xiong Zhehong. Evolutionary Psychology: The New Science of Psychology[M/OL]. Translated by Zhang Yong and Jiang Ke. Commercial Press, 2015[2023-06-15]. http://book.ucdrs.superlib.net/views/specific/2929/bookDetail.jsp?dxNumber=000015766335&d=F700BCC2FA3C8A25848BE48F1ED57316&fenlei=0214.

[7] NHS. Eating processed foods[EB/OL]//nhs.uk. (2023-06-12)[2024-01-12]. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-to-eat-a-balanced-diet/what-are-processed-foods/.

[8] GREENWAY F L. Physiological adaptations to weight loss and factors favoring weight regain[J/OL]. International Journal of Obesity (2005), 2015, 39(8): 1188-1196. DOI:10.1038/ijo.2015.59.

[9] HARVARD HEALTH PUBLISHING. Stop counting calories[EB/OL]//Harvard Health. (2020-10-01)[2024-01-11]. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/stop-counting-calories.

[10] DUAN WENJIE F Y. Weight stigma: discrimination and prejudice against obesity[J/OL]. Advances in Psychological Science, 2018, 26(6): 1074. DOI:10.3724/SP.J.1042.2018.01074.

[11] WANG Shaorui, CHEN Hong, WANG SHAORUI C H. Why do people get fatter the more they lose weight? Psychological mechanisms and influencing factors of overeating in people with restrictive diets[J/OL]. Advances in Psychological Science, 2019, 27(2): 322. DOI:10.3724/SP.J.1042.2019.00322.

[12] Liu Xiangping. Positive Psychology [M/OL]. 2nd edition. China Renmin University Press [2023-08-02]. https://book.douban.com/subject/30371095/.

Author: Zhao Yanchang, science writer