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.

[iammac2002]

[iammac2002]

[fromtheuk]

coral - I'm male. I have inherited my Dad's physique. He is about 5ft 10 inches and he used to have a large protruding stomach. I am only 5ft 6inches and when I was at 64 kgs, I always looked slightly pregnant. For males, I am 20.7 on the BMI, comfortably in the healthy range, which starts at 18.5. I want to be on the lean side of healthy but not underweight. I am still comfortably within the BMI's healthy range.

Now my stomach looks in tune with the rest of my body. I don't look scrawny, stick-like at all. I just look fitter and healthier. All the fruit, veg, and water I drink means my skin looks clearer now too.

I watch so-called nutritionists on tv, they in my view look scrawny and slightly-starved. However, I am looking quite nice.

When I return home soon for a short while, I'm sure I'll be eating more meat and other wholesome food, I expect I will put on a little bit of weight/bulk, but I hope with daily exercise it will stay under control.

I don't want to go back to 64kgs.

Drinking a lot of milk, I find my weight doesn't seem to increase. I cannot drink skimmed milk, it tastes too watery. Semi-skimmed tastes good to me though.

[sqrlnutz123]

It is tuna that has mercury, sardines since they are lower on the food chain and have a shorter lifespan, don't accumulate as much.

[gakduki]

Tuna, (partially) Skimmed Milk, and Toast. Thats living it up. I respect the no eating sweets part and some healthy excercies. Keeping down the weekday drinking, and ont overdoing it with the condiments. But honestly, Why not eat more vegetables and enjoy some red meat from time to time. Its all about portion control and not adding too much butter, oil or egg based sauces. Cut down on the rice late at night and no more kebabs at 3am. The overweight people here probably love the snacking, the candy at school and pizza school.
This thread has some quality advice, but the diet does seem very limited and I couldn't go on another 60-70 years eating like that everyday.

[bassexpander]

Nice job, UK. Now see if you can keep with it back in merry ol' England!

I have been on a diet, and am losing weight too. I'm 6'2" tall (used to be 6'3"). After returning from the USA a month ago, I weighed in at 103.3 kilograms -- the most I can remember ever weighing. Most of my suits were rather tight. One no longer fit.

I cut out sugar snacks (although I have some cereal in the mornings that has some) throughout the day, and eat smaller meals, but more frequently. I count calories, roughly. If you do the math, and stick to it, you have to lose weight. I also exercise.

I'm pushing 40 now, and my body just doesn't bounce back from exercise like it used to. I began walking at night. I started at 20 minute walks, and have worked up to about 40 to 60 minutes four times a week or more. Twice this week, I power-walked for about 50 minutes each time. That absolutely drained me so much I slept much of the next day. I think it's best not to over-do it yet, as it's better to have two solid days than one day where I kill myself so much that I have to take two off.

I've also started lifting weights at home -- not a lot -- just enough to tone up and maybe create a small amount of muscle mass (and keep from losing it).

I've lost nearly 3 kgs this month. Much of that started coming off in the past 2 weeks. My goal is to get back down to 90kgs. 89 would really be great, but in the past, I've always hit a wall at 89kgs.

One of the last straws was a former student I saw on the staircase telling me, "Derek, you used to be so handsome -- now you look like an uncle!"

Koreans can be very blunt.