Korean Job Discussion Forums

[fromtheuk]

I am 5ft 6inches and I was 64kg last year.

Since June of this year, I've changed things in my lifestyle and I now weigh 58.3 kgs.

On the Body Mass Index scale, which is a guide for what is a healthy height/weight range, I am now 20.7, which is healthy. The range is from 18.5-25, so I am on the lean end of the healthy range.

That's where I want to be, but the main aim for losing weight was to get a lean stomach. It's not totally lean, but much leaner than before.

When I was 64kgs I was 22.7 in the healthy range.

In just over 2 months I have lost at least 5kgs!

Before June, I used to eat cookies after lunch and dinner. I'd eat frosties with semi-skimmed milk 3 times a week. I used to eat chocolate, sugary foods. I used to also eat a lot of bread with margarine and drink plenty of mocha coffee. I also went for a 30 minute walk 4 times a week.

So how do you lose weight? It's quite simple, 'they say' you need to burn more calories than you take in. In my experience, it is the kind of calories you take in, not simply numbers.

If you eat a slice of cake which is 200 calories or have 2 bananas which are 200 calories, the fat from those cakes in my view are more likely to stay on your body as fat. You'd need to eat lots of bananas for it to be turned into flab on your stomach.

I have been quite radical. I have totally eliminated margarine, frosties, cakes, chocolate, biscuits from my diet. I exercise now 7 days a week. I have gradually increased that. I now spend 30 minutes on the treadmill every day.

I've worked my way up over time, to walk briskly for about 18 minutes and jog for about 12 minutes on the treadmill. I do it so it is a bit of a challenge, but one I can achieve.

I also have introduced jogging so I sweat and get the heart rate up, which apparently burns more calories.

Since June, I do just 10 sit-up like abdominal exercises a day as well. This has helped to gradually tone that area. There are lots of basic exercises online which show you how to do these exercises, which are fairly easy to do.

So, I've cut out sugary foods. I now have 3 meals a day and one snack.

What does my menu look like now?

Breakfast - 4 hard boiled eggs, 2 slices of toast (nothing on them), a big glass of semi-skimmed milk and a banana.

Lunch - A can of tuna fish, half a tin of baked beans, 3 slices of toast (n.o.t.), a large glass of semi-skimmed milk, 1 banana, and as many fresh dates as I want to eat. They taste kind of chocolatey.

Dinner - A can of tuna fish, half a tin of baked beans, 2 slices of toast, a large glass of water, and an apple.

Snack - An hour before bed or when I get hungry - A large glass of semi-skimmed milk, a banana and as many dates/grapes as I want.

I find that increasing foods with protein in them i.e. fish, eggs, chicken, meat gives you strength. I still eat bread, but less than before and without margarine etc.

It feels good when you eat a lot, but you know it's all healthy.

At the weekend, for lunch I'll eat some roasted chicken, with a salad, and 2 pieces of bread/roti/chapatti/naan bread, some fruit and a glass of water.

I love tuna and baked beans. But you can change that, have sardines instead, or chicken as mentioned above.

Fish and Chicken are less fattening than other meats. I find that because I eat a lot of fibre in fruit, my bowels are very efficient.

Dates and Milk are both high in calcium, excellent for the bones.

Baked beans are good for the inner lining of the stomach and they are also high in calcium too. Tuna and all forms of fish are good for the brain and memory. Fruit have natural vitamins and natural sugars which are good for you. And vegetable also have good minerals and vitamins.

My desire for sugary foods decreases by the day. I have always like to eat quite a lot, so it feels nice to eat as many dates as I want, with some cool refreshing milk. I know even if I put on some weight because of eating/drinking a lot, it is far less than if I ate lots of sugary junk food instead.

Apparently, if you have less excess fat on you, you reduce the likelihood of developing serious illnesses i.e. high blood pressure, cancer, stroke etc.

It takes patience and motivaton, but if you eat healthily, and introduce some regular exercise in your life, you will lose weight.

[nfld_chingu]

Thanks for the tips ... sounds like you are working hard!
Do you really eat tuna twice a day every day though? I've heard that that much mercury is bad for you ...
Also, do you live in Korea at the moment? Sounds like you don't eat much of the Korean foods ... I can't wait to get back there and have bibbimbap, juk, samgaetang, etc. (probably none of these are spelled right).
I always thought that Korean food is pretty healthy ... any thoughts?

[fromtheuk]

I have tuna mixed with baked beans because it tastes so nice. I've always liked that since I was a teenager.

It depends on what you like to eat, not everybody likes tuna. I think it's sardines that have too much potassium or mercury, but tuna is okay to have regularly.

Many Koreans are slim, but I don't like their food, some of them go fishing and eat the fish without cooking it. I know that is the nature of their cuisine, but I couldn't stomach that.

On another thread I've mine, I have commented almost every time I use the toilet at school, there is some unflushed diarrhea there. I don't think their food is as healthy as it is claimed to be.

[mld]

Wow, that's really detailed.

Though I have a few questions/comments/suggestions:

1) Though it all depends on how your body is handling it, I would not suggest running 7 days a week, and probably not on a treadmill. Most runners I know (who run competitively) do not run 7 days a week, but rather just 6. Also, running outside is probably less boring and monotonous (which becomes a problem as time goes by) - though you gotta worry about pollution in bigger cities.

2) Agree with you about the type of calories. Some you burn easily, others you pack on.

3) Agree with you about the chicken/fish, though really, cutting back on meat is also helpful. Eating it only 3-4 times a week might be better than every day if you're serious about being healthy. Lots of alternatives, though a bit less in Korea.

4) Faster running means more calories burnt. There is a specific range that burns fat, but I'm not sure what it is, though it's likely different for everyone. Also, I've read that after 40mins of cardio, your body starts to dip into the fat reserves to use the energy (the source of the "second wind" many people tell you about).

5) Another way to burn more fat is to get stronger muscles, which means more energy is required. Talk to a personal trainer about this one though.

6) You seem to have a lot of protein in your diet. Please tell me this isn't Atkins like. Not a safe or wise diet to use. It may work in the short term (by putting your body into starvation mode), but really, it's not that good in the long run. Don't forget your carbs (brown rice is good, even if Koreans don't think so)

7) Milk isn't as good as you think it is. There are many other sources of calcium (broccoli for one) that aren't dairy. I won't go into a rant on Milk, but really, do we need to be drinking the liquid that a female cow makes in order for it's babies to properly develop? Don't underestimate the power of the dairy lobby.

Good to hear that this is working for you. It sounds like you've found something that works for you. I just wrote above what I think, and that isn't necessarily right or wrong (though if anyone wants to prove me wrong, it'd help clear things up for me and i"d be greatful).

Keep up the good work, it sounds like you're happier than you were before (which should also be a major consideration)

[fromtheuk]

Thanks. I've heard the information you've talked about. Many experts share the same advice, but they also tend to disagree on various things too.

I personally can say I feel weak and abnormal when I don't drink milk, I can feel the difference. The milk lobby argument I'm certainly aware of though.

My hgh protein intake may well be similar to the atkins diet, but I eat fruit, vegetables and I have bread servings with every meal. I have reduced the bread intake because I do feel too full when I eat too much of it.

My view on exercise is if I am alive and active everyday, 30 mins isn't too much to ask. I jog at about speed 7 and walk at a speed of 5 (I think it's kms, not miles per hour). I walk/jog a total distance of a minimum of 3kms each workout. That totals 12/13 miles a week.

I feel this is necessary, because my body is the kind to start putting on weight unless I make it move each day.

In conclusion, everybody is different, but if you reduce sugary foods/drinks, eat/drink healthy things, and increase the amount of exercise you do, you should lose weight. Thanks for your comments.

[PeteJB]

For some reason I cannot eat a whole can of tuna unless I mix it up with other stuff. It gives me dumping syndome...

[coralreefer_1]

I am just curious...are you male or female? 58kg for a male seems VERY scrawny.

I am not trying to knock you. I respect that you have goals and change your lifestyle to follow them. But for a man, (even at 5'6'') that weight seems a little TOO lean.

[djsmnc]

Man, the OP sounds like my avatar!

[Ilsanman]

I was topping 80 kg a while back but now I am around 73-74. How? Simply by hashing (jogging with a group) on the weekends. That's it.