Dieting in China

kathrynej1
kathrynej1 Posts: 1 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hello everyone! I just recently joined my fitness pal , because I have reached a plateau in my diet the past couple months. I have always been in pretty good shape until last year. During a six month period of un-employment last year I let myself go and gained 45 pounds. I started dieting in April of this year and have lost about 25 pounds. Then three months a go, I took a job working non-profit in China. I have not lost much since arriving here (maybe just shifted). This first week with a food diary was a revelation to me! I had no idea that foods I regularly eat have so much sodium, carbs, and sugar! It is very hard to maintain my diet in China. I am in a primitive area of China without access to Walmarts or many other modern conveniences I once took for granted. In fact, I buy most of my food at the street market or eat in the cafeteria. So, I am finding it very frustrating at times to diet here. There is no splenda, equal, or sugar substitute available. It seems like there is no skim milk or low-fat options in the market. Still, this week I saw a few things I can avoid in the future. Maybe, I am not the only one out there who is finding it hard to a diet away from the homeland. Any suggestions are appreciated! In the mean time, I am increasing my work-outs and watching my diet more carefully. Feel free to check out my page or send me a message. It gets lonely 10,000 miles away from home some times. But when I come back next year, I hope to return as a better me ready to face on new adventures and challenges! :smile:

Replies

  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Are there fresh or frozen vegetables? Soups?

    ETA: are you sure you're really eating LESS than 1200 calories and plateauing?
  • D8vidFitness
    D8vidFitness Posts: 104
    which part? I'd never lose weight if I was in china, food is just too good and high in sodium =]
    I mean as long as you can find a local market, you're good to go. Many people buy produce off the street markets rather than in-door markets because of the varieties.

    Good luck
  • GymPoet
    GymPoet Posts: 107 Member
    There is a weight watchers in Shanghai. They have good English resources on food values of chinese dishes. Perhaps you can get there on a vacation, or call them and see if you can work out something by mail.
  • ehimass
    ehimass Posts: 92 Member
    I spend a fair bit of time in China, fortunately for me it is in the major cities (Shanghai, Chongqing, Zhengzhou, Guangzhou, etc) so I tend to eat at American chain restaurants where at least I know the caloric value of the foods I'll be eating. I know I will take criticism for not experiencing the "culture", but I do make time to eat authentic Chinese things from time to time. At least at KFC or McDonalds you have an idea of what you're getting and can limit your consumption based on that knowledge. Good luck.
  • ajs2mf
    ajs2mf Posts: 97 Member
    Hey I have lived in China and other Asian countries. I lost weight in China. I found it hard to log food when I was in Asia, because most of the time people just gave me food and if I asked what it was, they just gave me blank looks. Some things that really helped me:

    - Walk everywhere
    - Be careful not to always eat rice. Try for a half serving when possible, or meals that don't contain it at all. Those calories really add up!
    - Some of my friends gained weight just because the diet is so carb heavy. Be aware of how many carbs you are eating and be careful.
    - Choose the grilled options of food instead of fried when you can.
    - Try to cut out drinks with sugar and opt for tea, which is available everywhere.
    - Not sure where you are, but a lot of fish and sea food options are healthy and you can get them in markets some places.

    Good luck! Feel free to add me.
  • warriorsdontbitch
    warriorsdontbitch Posts: 130 Member
    Hi , I'm an America working in Africa . And I used to work in South Korea. I was able to lose the weight but eating fresh food. So I kept to fruits, veggies , eggs, poultry and leaner meats. I saw it as an opportunity to eat fresh and natural foods. Sometimes, I missed the low cal processed food to help with cravings. But this taught me to enjoy foods at its simple state. Hope this help.

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