The Chinese secret to weightloss!

After yet another evening of not being hungry after a trip to the supermarket, I have determined the Chinese secret to weightloss!

Sniff some durian, then the sacks of dried fish, then the pickled stuff that smells like stomach acid, then the dried sausages and other meats that have been sitting for hours if not days or even weeks (the flies are just a bonus). Still hungry? Doubt it, but if you are, taste one of the above items (except the durian which actually tastes decent despite its nasty sock smell).

Boom! No appetite for 1-3 hours even if you were hungry before you started.

Now, I have eaten A LOT of really great food here. I am not trying to be rude or culturally insensitive, but to a western nose these smells work as stated above.

Replies

  • GypsysBloodRose26
    GypsysBloodRose26 Posts: 341 Member
    Ha! That is probably true!!! :)
  • dawLs
    dawLs Posts: 84
    Yeah, when I first moved to China, I lost a bunch of weight because the smell from many of the foods didn't appeal to me at all. After awhile though, I got used to it and gained weight!!!
  • junodog1
    junodog1 Posts: 4,792 Member
    What did that old commercial say? "Ancient chinese secret!".
  • tealover09
    tealover09 Posts: 15 Member
    haha! The first day I was in Bangkok I ate two bites of ice cream for lunch (just because I was so hot) and a half bag of chips for dinner. After walking around the market seeing/smelling raw fish and chicken left out in 110 degree weather with thousands of flies walking around on them and smelling the durian and cat urine, I lost my appetite for weeks. Chips were pretty much all I could stomach for the first week. I had to eat something to take my malaria medication, so I would eat a few chips and then save the rest of the bag for the next malaria dose the next morning. Plain lays were the only safe thing I could fine in the 7-11s. When I could only find shrimp or crab clay pot flavor lays I wanted to cry. Eventually I got used to the food though...
  • lilawolf
    lilawolf Posts: 1,690 Member
    Yeah, when I first moved to China, I lost a bunch of weight because the smell from many of the foods didn't appeal to me at all. After awhile though, I got used to it and gained weight!!!

    Yeah, gaining weight is pretty easy once you are used to the food. Everything is swimming in oil...
  • tealover09
    tealover09 Posts: 15 Member
    Actually, I was at my lowest weight ever, even after I was used to the food in SE Asia. I ate nothing but friend rice, fried noodles, instant noodles, chips and cookies and lost 5 lbs. After I got back to the states and was so happy to eat vegetables and meat again I gained 10 lbs instantly and have been working so hard to get rid of them. For some reason the oily carby food was my miracle weight loss plan.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,218 Member
    Yeah, when I first moved to China, I lost a bunch of weight because the smell from many of the foods didn't appeal to me at all. After awhile though, I got used to it and gained weight!!!

    Yeah, gaining weight is pretty easy once you are used to the food. Everything is swimming in oil...
    I guess that's why obesity in China is out of control.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    Yeah, when I first moved to China, I lost a bunch of weight because the smell from many of the foods didn't appeal to me at all. After awhile though, I got used to it and gained weight!!!

    Yeah, gaining weight is pretty easy once you are used to the food. Everything is swimming in oil...
    I guess that's why obesity in China is out of control.

    Not to mention heart disease, hyper tension, and diabetes. :smokin:
  • kimosabe1
    kimosabe1 Posts: 2,467 Member
    uh BARF! that is gross!
  • wluck
    wluck Posts: 11 Member
    Traditional Chinese cuisine might not appeal to westerners, and you can make fun of it all you want, but I'm sure others feel the same about American food.
  • drmerc
    drmerc Posts: 2,603 Member
    The Chinese secret to being skinny is communism
  • dtlam76
    dtlam76 Posts: 12 Member
    haha I always thought the ancient chinese secret was shame, fear and revenge. I guess thats what it takes to make an iphone hahaha
  • dawLs
    dawLs Posts: 84
    Yeah, when I first moved to China, I lost a bunch of weight because the smell from many of the foods didn't appeal to me at all. After awhile though, I got used to it and gained weight!!!

    Yeah, gaining weight is pretty easy once you are used to the food. Everything is swimming in oil...
    I guess that's why obesity in China is out of control.

    Not to mention heart disease, hyper tension, and diabetes. :smokin:

    naw, the food was so cheap that for once in my adult life i could afford to eat three meals a day. oh yeah, and i drank A LOT of beer. oops!
  • tomomatic
    tomomatic Posts: 1,794 Member
    My grandmother taught me this Chinese secret. One word: Famine.
  • lilawolf
    lilawolf Posts: 1,690 Member
    Traditional Chinese cuisine might not appeal to westerners, and you can make fun of it all you want, but I'm sure others feel the same about American food.

    Which is why I said, the secret might only work on a western nose. Do finish reading the post before responding...
  • junodog1
    junodog1 Posts: 4,792 Member
    My grandmother taught me this Chinese secret. One word: Famine.

    Ouch!
  • SweetxCatastrophe
    SweetxCatastrophe Posts: 593 Member
    You had me at durian *phew* it is tasty once you can get past the smell
  • dmpizza
    dmpizza Posts: 3,321 Member
    Interesting idea
  • I live in Philippines and I totally hate the smell of durian and dried fish, they make my head spin.
  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
    I disgree. Having tasted natto (Japanese fermented soy beans (read - mouldy)) all I wanted to do was eat anything and everything that would get the taste of decomposition out of my mouth.
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
    My sister spent 4 years living in China (in fact she is en route there at this very moment for xmas) and she hasn't lost significant amounts of weight! She did lose some, but then put it back on. She can still get her hands on bread and chocolate!

    She brought back some durian flavoured sweets once....I have never tasted anything so vile in my life!

    In all seriousness, I think Chinese people are probably slimmer because of a) genetics and b) they don't eat a lot of dairy.
  • The American secret to weightloss!

    So I went to the States and man did I lose weight! Doughnuts, corn dogs, bacon, fries everywhere! The smell of the fat just made me cringe so much that my stomach just couldn't take it!

    No wonder they have all the supermodels!
  • sohmui
    sohmui Posts: 108 Member
    Hong Kong stinky beancurd cooked in stale oil on a street corner.:wink:
  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
    My grandmother taught me this Chinese secret. One word: Famine.

    That is a good secret. Because Mao kept it secret. :)

    This post reminds me, gotta get my Chinese food ready for Xmas!
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
    The American secret to weightloss!

    So I went to the States and man did I lose weight! Doughnuts, corn dogs, bacon, fries everywhere! The smell of the fat just made me cringe so much that my stomach just couldn't take it!

    No wonder they have all the supermodels!

    lol I am glad i'm English :smile:
  • Not like the awesome American delicacies of the US, like pickled pigs feet. I've traveled all throughout Asia and found some odd things available, but always found some good eats to. My wife's mother lives with us and she learned to cook in China and makes somewhere between edible to awesome meals with the occasional 'WTF' was that meals...just like my American mom did when I was growing up.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    durian fruit smells like rotting meat but it tastes delicious. hater
  • The American secret to weightloss!

    So I went to the States and man did I lose weight! Doughnuts, corn dogs, bacon, fries everywhere! The smell of the fat just made me cringe so much that my stomach just couldn't take it!

    No wonder they have all the supermodels!

    HAHAHAHA!!!! Awesome.