ST interviewed a Soongsilian who succeeded in losing weight: Hwang Jae-won (Dept. of Statistics and Actual Mathematics, 09).
ST: What made you decide to go on a diet?
Hwang: There is no special reason. I think I just realized the seriousness of my figure problem. The number of my clothes that still fitted me was decreasing, and I felt that people were constantly looking at me. It just occurred to me that I should do something to prevent my weight from increasing more and more, so I went on a diet.
ST: How did you lose weight?
Hwang: I used to do jump rope a few thousand times a day. I reduced my food intake and eliminated snacks. As I really wanted to eat in the morning, I did, but I no longer ate at night. In short, I lost weight through portion control and exercising.
ST: How much weight did you lose?
Hwang: I lost 15 kilograms in two months.
ST: What do you think is the key to successful weight loss?
Hwang: What's most important is will power. It seems to me that losing weight little by little over a long time is more difficult to do than losing weight over a short time. I think that it's easier to reduce much weight in a short term, and then to keep fit.
These days, as appearance is considered part of one's competitive edge, you are likely to see many diet memoirs, such as the one just cited. Most people start a diet but usually end up swinging from one extreme to the other, like a yoyo. It is not easy to stick to one's diet and to exercise regularly. As such, people who have their own diet and who succeed in losing weight by sticking to it have often received attention. Can we also lose weight in this way? This section introduces several unusual diet methods.
Lemon Detox Diet
The lemon detox diet involves drinking lemon water, which helps remove the toxins in the body, speed up one's metabolism, and break down body fat.
Ingredients:
Neera Syrup 140 ml + fresh lemon juice 140 ml (juice of two lemons) + water 1750 ml + cayenne pepper or red pepper powder (suitable amount = lemon water 2L; syrup:lemon juice:water = 1:1:12.5)
Methods:
1. Drink only lemon water, and don't eat anything, for five to ten days. This is for people who want instant effects.
2. Drink only lemon water for two to three days a week, for several months.
3. Drink only lemon water for one day a week. This is good for maintaining one's weight after successful weight loss by dieting.
4. Replace a meal with lemon water once a day. This is a little easier than the other methods. Also, strive to control the sizes of your other meals.
As this is a one-food diet, you must consider your health condition before going on this diet.
Paper Cup Diet
The paper cup diet involves eating three meals a day with a balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and vegetables, whose amounts are measured using a paper cup, which limits the amount of food taken in and prevents the dieter from overeating.
Method:
Have two and a half cups of food for breakfast and lunch, and two cups for dinner. 'Two and a half cups' means a cup of carbohydrate-rich food, a half cup of protein-rich food, and a cup of vegetables.
Carbohydrate-rich foods: Sweet potatoes (potato or brown rice is better than polished white rice or flour), which, along with brown rice, is a typical diet food because it makes you feel full but contains a small amount of sugar.
Protein-rich foods: Chicken breast, white fish, tofu, and beans are good for losing weight. Keep a balance between vegetables and animal proteins.
Vegetables: Eat larger amounts of green vegetables than yellow vegetables.
It is better to put the food that you will eat on a blue plate, which can spoil your appetite.
NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) Diet
The NEAT diet involves changing one's living habits. A dieter can lose weight by consuming limited calories every day.
Method:
Move more every day! There are various ways of doing this, such as:
standing in the subway or bus on purpose;
using a basket in the supermarket instead of a cart;
refraining from using the remote control;
not using elevators or escalators;
walking around when talking to someone on the cell phone;
etc...
It is also good to make time for exercise.
For successful weight loss by going on a diet, what is primarily needed is one's own will, regardless of the weight loss method to be used. Even before going on a diet, already imagine your slimmer figure! You can become a diet hero. It will increase your confidence.
Choi Hae-won (Planning Manager)
choihw522@ssu.ac.kr
