Living Abroad and Dieting

detrawa

Hello MFP Community,
I have been living abroad in China for three years. It should be easy for me to lose weight here, but when you add adjusting to a new culture, being lonely and let me not for get the whole language component, things become complicated for this emotional eater. I was wondering if anyone out there is living abroad and trying to lose weight. Please share your stories, encouragement and questions.

Hope to hear from you!

Andi_Mo

Hi there : )

I just returned to the US in May of this year after living in Germany for 7 years and went through the exact same thing. I was already overweight when we got there but put on even more weight that first year trying to adjust. I weighed 278lbs and felt so desperate. Eventually, I got into the culture and started traveling more. It helped me to appreciate my experience and feel less home sick. My hubby is a military man so I was able to meet an American neighbor who was into fitness. I started hitting the gym after work and using exercise videos for the times that I couldn't make it. I also did WW online. I lost 95lbs in about 6 months. I've had 2 boys in 2 years since then but I have never gotten back to my original weight even during pregnancy. Mostly due to exercise. I'm about 200 now so it can be done and kept off! Just try to be thankful for your experience and use exercise to relieve frustration and stress. Later in life, you will be thankful you were able to see something that most people only dream about : ) Hang in there! You can do it!

detrawa

Thank you so much for your response. It definitely does help to know you are not alone. I think the difficult part for me is that I am currently living in a place where everyone is so much smaller than I am and being fat is the worse thing you can be to them. It is such a relief to visit home because I get to see people of all sizes, shapes and colors.

Rice is a huge part of the diet here and although I love rice my metabolism cannot handle the quantities I gorge myself with. Therefore, I must leave it out (well at least white rice) or eat brown rice occasionally.

I am truly appreciative of this opportunity to live abroad. I would enjoy it a lot more if I were happier with myself. I am determined to get there. Step by step!

Are you still abroad?

Want2bHealthE

Hey there. You can still enjoy both white and brown rice in moderation.... I try to stick to only the serving size when I make it and then make lots of extra veggies to fill up on. That was a staple while I lived in Israel for three years after learning how quickly hummus, pita and falafel put on the pounds! We moved back to the US in July and I'm ready to take off the weight I gained living abroad and then some. One tip is to steer clear of the the US fast food chains that have spread everywhere... they seem like a comforting reminder of home when you're abroad, but just say no. At the market it took me a while to get past all of the imported American processed foods and become comfortable with some of the local healthier items, but once I did it made cooking a lot easier. Do you eat fish? Israel had lots of amazing seasonal fruits, which was a big help. Walk as much as possible and do a lot of sightseeing... it keeps you physically active. We traveled a lot while we were living abroad and being the heavy American that sticks out in a crowd got old fast... and when I came across other heavier people, more often than not, they were fellow Americans. I think about this a lot and it is one of my biggest motivators to loose weight and be healthy. Enjoy this amazing opportunity you have to live abroad, see and do as much as possible and don't let your weight stop you, and savor the local cuisines...it is a great opportunity to understand why the locals are thinner than we are

ropicrdo

It has been a while since I lived in Korea, back in the late 1980's. I was in the army then and did not have a problem with my weight but I still had a problem adjusting to the food. I could eat American food on base but I love to sample the local stuff. I don't know how you are set up and wonder if you have a place to cook your own food? Even here in the US I must be careful of where I eat and what I choose to eat. I know the Asians I big on eating fresh veggies, so try to get on that bandwagon. Enjoy your time in China, I know you know it is a great experience, enjoy!