Asians trying to lose weight

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  • jooleeyah
    jooleeyah Posts: 70
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    lol there was a thread on this just the other night.

    Yeah it sucks being the biggest asian...idk where this stereotype of "Asians are genetically thin" came from...but yeah I feel ya!
    Actually it's not a stereotype..................it's actually true. Asians usually have smaller frames on average. The Western diet is what has made Asians (and actually any ethnic group) fatter.

    I think it depends on where you're from too. I traveled around in China and when I was in Xi'an more of the girls seemed to be built like me. More stocky, wide, curvy rather than slender and dainty. I'm from Beijing. Japanese girls generally look daintier to me as well...not trying to stereotype just making observations.

    But I do agree that Western diet/portions/processed foods are making Asians fatter. When I was young and chubby growing up, it was rare to see another girl my size. Now I see many more girls about my weight.
  • jooleeyah
    jooleeyah Posts: 70
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    My wife is Asian, Filipino and she trying to gain weight with not much luck.. She 85.0 wants to gain 20.0.....

    I so wish I had her problem. I'd more than happy to transfer my fat to her if it was possible :)

    I will happily transfer some fat to your wife :)
  • jooleeyah
    jooleeyah Posts: 70
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    When I started MFP I was 63kgs (138 lbs) and now I'm at 57.5 (126.7 lbs). My current goal weight is somewhere around 51kgs or so (112 - 114lbs).

    I'm half Philippino and half Sri Lankan and boy have I heard comments about my weight through the years. Once when I was about 110 lbs my aunt from my father's side goes "ooh you've got a huge *kitten*", at around the same weight my grandfather on my mother's side went "look at how fat you've got". The best comment was of course my uncles, "your face doesn't look too bad but your calves are huge and ugly". It does hurt and it also infuriates me because I'd love to hit right back and point out the fact that they shouldn't be pointing fingers since they're all 50-100lbs overweight themselves. But I can't since that would be rude.

    You have a beautiful face! I know it's hard...but over the years I've learned to no longer take it personally when other Asians comment on my weight or physical appearance. I don't know how it is exactly in other Asian cultures, but for the Chinese, compliments are rare and super toned down.

    "That's not wrong" means "You're right"
    "That's not bad" means "Pretty good"

    If you can get someone to say something is actually "Good" that means "FANTASTIC!!!"

    I think my relatives were trying to keep me "thin and beautiful" (not that I think these qualities are mutually exclusive at all) so that I could get a husband. Once I got one (An Caucasian/American btw since I don't think Asian men are attracted to me) , their attitude totally changed...."Don't get TOO skinny!! Not good for bearing sons!!" They do have good intentions...no matter how badly it comes out...
  • kassandra81
    kassandra81 Posts: 176
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    One of my good friends is from Taiwan, she's about 5 feet tall, and usually weighs 125lbs and whenever she goes home to visit her parents and family they always remark on how fat she is. I couldn't believe it! I think she's skinny! So usually after a month or two of visiting her family, she comes back to Canada 105-110lbs or so. Ughhh... Poor girl! Her sister recently was in Canada for 7 months and gained weight while she was here. Maybe 10lbs, but she knew that when she got home she would hear all about it.
  • withchaco
    withchaco Posts: 1,026 Member
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    I'm an Asian. I grew up in Korea, the land of plastic surgeries and starvation diet camps. We're not talking about "below 1200 net" starvation... we're talking zero calorie starvation.

    I've always been overweight. I've also always been extremely independent -- even as a child, I didn't really seek out others' approval. So growing up, I didn't have much of a problem dealing with the emotional aspect of being overweight. There were comments, but I don't remember ever feeling hurt/upset because of them. I was pretty happy and confident. Which was a good thing... until my weight became a serious health issue. I'd become complacent and had little to no motivation to change my life.

    Thankfully, earlier this year, I began to realize that I had to take this seriously. Thus began my journey in April. :smile: I'm losing the fat, but keeping my "who cares what others think, I'm doin' my own thing" attitude!
  • CaliSweden
    CaliSweden Posts: 62
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    That's great Withchaco. I think it's the best to say "who cares!" We all have to do our own thing. Not all Asians are bone thin skinny. Some of us are curvy or have some junk in the trunk, and that's ok.

    I think as long as you're healthy and have some muscle tone it's 100x better than being skinny-fat, you know when the person is super skinny, but they have flabby arms and a pooch belly and cottage cheese thighs.
  • Ocarina
    Ocarina Posts: 1,550 Member
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    I'm not Asian or even close... nobody in my extended family is even of another race except Irish/English/German mix but I still found this topic highly interesting! I'm personally from a family where everyone is thin and healthy and get pressured all the time about my weight. Out of 80+ people at a family gathering I'm the heaviest and that is being 50lbs over weight! Most American families seem to AVERAGE 50lbs over weight. So getting scrutinized by my family is hard as they aren't see actual reality. It's also hard for me personally because I'm 5'11'' and I have a medium/large frame and wear large sized clothes in Western sizes. So being in my shoes with feet too large to wear high heels comfortably or wear regular sized bracelets because my wrists are too huge is hard to deal with. I'm no Amazon lady nor do I stick out in a crowd of people but those miniscule things add up and it has motivated me to lose weight. I'll never let myself get that big again as I'm completely happy being thin and dealing with being a larger frame. At least then I'll look presentable while having those issues!

    Sorry this is long, I just felt I totally relate and have a family that acts like a bunch of Asians when they aren't even Asian! :laugh: I will never be like this with my kids hopefully. I also thought it was funny I married a man that is 5'6'' and has a smaller frame. He's not stick thin, more on the stocky side, but is still tiny none the less. I am not attracted to larger males for some reason and I have no idea why. Kind of ironic though!
  • CaliSweden
    CaliSweden Posts: 62
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    Sorry this is long, I just felt I totally relate and have a family that acts like a bunch of Asians when they aren't even Asian! :laugh: I will never be like this with my kids hopefully. I also thought it was funny I married a man that is 5'6'' and has a smaller frame. He's not stick thin, more on the stocky side, but is still tiny none the less. I am not attracted to larger males for some reason and I have no idea why. Kind of ironic though!

    Your family does sound like an Asian family >_<
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,692 Member
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    I'm not Asian or even close... nobody in my extended family is even of another race except Irish/English/German mix but I still found this topic highly interesting! I'm personally from a family where everyone is thin and healthy and get pressured all the time about my weight. Out of 80+ people at a family gathering I'm the heaviest and that is being 50lbs over weight! Most American families seem to AVERAGE 50lbs over weight. So getting scrutinized by my family is hard as they aren't see actual reality. It's also hard for me personally because I'm 5'11'' and I have a medium/large frame and wear large sized clothes in Western sizes. So being in my shoes with feet too large to wear high heels comfortably or wear regular sized bracelets because my wrists are too huge is hard to deal with. I'm no Amazon lady nor do I stick out in a crowd of people but those miniscule things add up and it has motivated me to lose weight. I'll never let myself get that big again as I'm completely happy being thin and dealing with being a larger frame. At least then I'll look presentable while having those issues!

    Sorry this is long, I just felt I totally relate and have a family that acts like a bunch of Asians when they aren't even Asian! :laugh: I will never be like this with my kids hopefully. I also thought it was funny I married a man that is 5'6'' and has a smaller frame. He's not stick thin, more on the stocky side, but is still tiny none the less. I am not attracted to larger males for some reason and I have no idea why. Kind of ironic though!
    Lol, what do they say when you get an A- in a class? A- is the Asian F!!!!!!
  • CaliSweden
    CaliSweden Posts: 62
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    Lol, what do they say when you get an A- in a class? A- is the Asian F!!!!!!

    So true!
  • tallp
    tallp Posts: 9
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    Hi Kany,

    I feel your pain. why is it the Asian folks, elders etc, feel its ok to comment on your weight!

    and then on the other hand offer you all kinds of nice things to eat and get offended if you dont!!!!

    argh.

    Don't stop going out though, just because some person decides that they can comment on your weight.

    Hang in there

    cheers

    P
  • CaliSweden
    CaliSweden Posts: 62
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    Yeah I don't get that one either. They love to feed you like they're feeding an army. But just before they did that they are like "omg you're big!" Sometimes I wonder if it's like a test or something :p Hahaha.
  • Luckydrd
    Luckydrd Posts: 56 Member
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    My nickname in Korea was Buddha. Www.flickr.com/photos/madriver
  • Logansmom2011
    Logansmom2011 Posts: 81 Member
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    I'm half korean,does that count?Growing up with a korean mom,my weight was always an issue to her.People tried to always tell me its due to her culture and their idea of perfect and being skinny and blah blah blah.I'm never going to be tiny,I got my body from my dads side of the family who is black and native american,so I have the hips,big thighs,boobs and butt.I think even if I do get down to the weight for someone my height which I think I'm between 5'4 and 5'6 not really sure my exact height,that she will still not think I'm small enough because I'm shaped different.
  • mnishi
    mnishi Posts: 422 Member
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  • mnishi
    mnishi Posts: 422 Member
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    I think my ultimate goal weight is 115 but I'd be happy between 115-120 at 5'2 1/2 :)
    at 125 lbs, I can STILL only fit into size XXXL when I go back to China. "Miss, I'm not sure we carry your size..."




    OMG!!! I'm half Japanese and have always been the fat asian. I went to China about six years ago when I was about 30lbs lighter (130) and shopping around for clothes really depressed me. My size 8 in America is a XXXL in China, Now I understand that us American's are generally fat, but come on 130lbs makes me an XXXL? I can't even imagine who would even fit into a small.

    NOTE: majority of you "fat" asians are not fat by any means. Celebrate your beauty and don't worry about what other people think of you.
  • hello77kitty
    hello77kitty Posts: 260 Member
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    I'm an Asian. I grew up in Korea, the land of plastic surgeries and starvation diet camps. We're not talking about "below 1200 net" starvation... we're talking zero calorie starvation.

    So that's why Koreans are so thin! I live in a highly korean populated city and they are the skinniest of all the asians from what I've notiiced. Even the older ladies!
  • queenpushycat
    queenpushycat Posts: 761 Member
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    Hi All,

    Are there any other Asians out there trying to lose weight? What are your goals for weight and sizes?
    Doesn't it SUCK being the chubby Asian in the group? Growing up, all my friends were consistently 105lbs!! I was at least 30 lbs heavier than that in high school!! I've also got a larger frame that most Asians...I wear 27" waist jeans and will probably never fit into anything smaller thanks to my wide hips...but I suppose curves come with their benefits too :)

    I think my ultimate goal weight is 115 but I'd be happy between 115-120 at 5'2 1/2 :)
    at 125 lbs, I can STILL only fit into size XXXL when I go back to China. "Miss, I'm not sure we carry your size..."

    Mom was constantly on me to lose weight and catch a man...haha !

    Now that I've got one she doesn't want me to get too skinny because it's not good for bearing male grandchildren...

    LMAO, "Larger frame"? "27" jeans"? Your mom constantly trying to ask you to lose weight. Um, basically you haven't met me yet.

    Yes to your first question, I'm the Asian that REALLY NEED to lose weight, because I'm consider Obese, my BMI is way too high.

    Height is 5ft3. Current Weight is 180lbs.

    And does it SUCKS to be Chubby Asian in the ethnic group? How about it SUCKS TO THE CORE being the fattest in the "Asians-who-are-thin-but-still-thinks-they-are-fat" group. I'm not trying to be insulting or attacking you or anything. But you have no idea how I feel. My friends have been always the lighter, maybe to them, they are fat. But what about me? That's the reason losing weight in Asian countries, doesn't help. Because they are like "hey! I'm size number 2, I'm fat. I wanna go to size number -13, then I'll be satisfied" Try being size 18 all your life, then yeah, size 2 is like.... tiny weeny.

    Every time I'm at the bus stop or the train station or even just walking around outside, skinny Asian EVERYWHERE. Women are never satisfied their own body, I know that, but it's so exaggerating that they are so damn small, and yet they still complains that they are fat and ugly. (=_=) And I'm like, "okay... so if you're thin and still call yourself fat and ugly, so I'll be the big giant ogre then?"

    Sorry to just burst out like that, but I just can't help it. Asian girls who are size that small and yet they think they are fat will never understand what I am going through right now. So... yeah.

    But still, I will never give up in losing weight. It's just it's harder than everybody expected. If you're size 2, I'm size 18, I have to SUPER EXTRA harder than you. so.... be easy on yourself.
  • CaliSweden
    CaliSweden Posts: 62
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    I have plenty of Asian friends like that, who are rail thin, and are like "omg I'm so fat I need to lose weight!" I say omg anymore weight and you'll fall through the cracks in the ground. I'm like geez if they're fat I must make a Sumo wrestler look skinny. But then again they're the same girls that do complain that they don't have enough lady lumps.
  • Kany
    Kany Posts: 336
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    Hi Kany,

    I feel your pain. why is it the Asian folks, elders etc, feel its ok to comment on your weight!

    and then on the other hand offer you all kinds of nice things to eat and get offended if you dont!!!!

    argh.

    Don't stop going out though, just because some person decides that they can comment on your weight.

    Hang in there

    cheers

    P

    Thank you. I have started going out again. I told myself that nothing is going to change if I just go to work and stay home. I started having girls night out so the dancing helps burn off the calories. It motivated me enough to lose weight so I can look as good as my friends. I stopped making excuses about exercising. As a matter of fact, I'm looking forward to it now. My husband and I go to the gym almost everyday and I got back into mountain biking with him. It's gotten me back down about 14lbs this year.

    I just don't understand why asian families feel the need to remind you that you gained weight. I know I gained weight, I only look at myself everyday in the mirror. Uh, yeah, I do own a mirror. My husband doesn't seem to mind that I gained so much weight or doesn't even mentions it but others are willingly to give their opinions without being asked.
    SMH...

    Well to all the Asian ladies out there, I know it's tough when people mention your weight. Just know that we are all flawed being and only those who feel the need to remind others of their flaws or "deemed" flaws are the ones who are insecure about themselves the most.

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