The Asian Diet

Captainfakeeye
Captainfakeeye Posts: 16
in Health and Weight Loss
Being a college student on the east coast with a family on the west coast, I don't often go home except for Christmas or summer vacations. However, when I do, I stay for quite a while (at least one month or more). Lately, I've been noticing something: my weight goes down when I'm at home and goes up when I'm in college!

I really think this has to do with the differences in the way I eat. (No jokes about binge drinking and late night munchies, please. :P )

In college, I tend to eat in a more "American" fashion, which is cooking one thing (steak and potatoes, rice and chicken, etc) and putting it on a plate to eat.

At home however, I resort to a more "Asian" fashion of eating as well as a more Asian diet. We tend to eat with chopsticks, with a small bowl of rice for each person (about 2/3 of cooked rice). We then each have a very small plate (about 5" in diameter) and a few different things set in front of us. It is expected that you don't eat all the food and that there will be some leftovers. For example, for lunch, I would have rice in my bowl, some soup, chicken wings, green beans, bok choy, and shrimp! A lot of variety, but because you can pick food from the communal plate and eat it when you want, you tend not to overeat and only take what you want. There is no need to "clean the plate" so to speak.

I think I just tend to eat less because the Asian diet itself is more healthy, and the way that I am approaching food is also more healthy.

Anyone else that is from an Asian family that has noticed this?

Anyway, just something to think about. Maybe someone out there who is trying to lose weight could try this!

Replies

  • Sherie13
    Sherie13 Posts: 250 Member
    Funny that you would post this. My mother is Asian. Whenever people tell me they don't eat rice, I always say to them "How many fat Asian people do you see? We eat rice all the time!"

    :happy:
  • katheern
    katheern Posts: 213 Member
    Funny that you would post this. My mother is Asian. Whenever people tell me they don't eat rice, I always say to them "How many fat Asian people do you see? We eat rice all the time!"

    :happy:

    amen to that! :)

    But yes, I notice when I eat asian "style" like you mentioned I tend to get more full without feeling like I ate an entire cow and I tend to lose weight this way. Not all asian food is super healthy, but I know my family from Japan tend to have very very long lives and they eat WHITE rice for every meal every day.
  • beccyleigh
    beccyleigh Posts: 846 Member
    my husband is thai & you rarely see an older thai person who is overweight, they exist but usually as a result of diabetes or because they are inactive but the younger generation are getting fatter due to the influx of western style food choices but that's another thread altogether.

    my point is, thai people eat all day, they never seem to stop eating but what they eat is rice or noodles with grilled chicken or poached/fried fish, raw fruit & veg or small amounts of stir fried veg & a little meat. they seem to be able to keep their metabolism going all day as a result of this so weight gain is very rare if eating a traditional diet & especially if in rural areas as manual labour is still an everyday occurrence.

    The issue I have with alot of asian foods is the way it is cooked (fried in oil) & the use of sugar, salt & MSG. A lot of thais have high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes & clogged arteries. I would say you are right about the diet being healthier in general but there are still ways to make those choices healthier too. :happy:
  • MrsPhan11
    MrsPhan11 Posts: 2,502 Member
    Funny that you would post this. My mother is Asian. Whenever people tell me they don't eat rice, I always say to them "How many fat Asian people do you see? We eat rice all the time!"

    :happy:

    Exactly! That is why I am not convinced of all those claims that grains will make you fat or give you diabetes. All if my parents ate white rice as the main staple of their diets and all lived to their 80's and 90's. On average, Asian women have the longest lifespan of any ethnic group in America and their diet plays a huge role I
    n that. Sure some people have diseases where they can only have limited carbs but I think if you 're healthy, carbs are ok in moderation. Just like everything else!
  • CocoNuttie
    CocoNuttie Posts: 40
    Yeb I completely agree! i'm Thai and have never gained weight from eating Thai food (Ofcourse you can if you eat ridiculous amount). I've always struggle with weight since living in the UK with English diet. Healthier food seem to be much more boring here so it feels hard to go on diet. Whereas I have just spent 2 weeks on an eating spree in Thailand (while maintaining my exercise) and didnt gain a pound....in fact i lost some. As a nation we eat ALL the time (as my bf has noticed from his trip to Thailand)....just in smaller amount, more like snacking.

    I really believe that the trick is when it's a meal time you share, always with friends or family. Making conversation I often sort of get distracted from the food. Food seems to be a key to every social occasion for Asian but never was something you get obsessed about. I tend to get really absorbed and obsessed about what's on my plate when im in UK, either thinking its too little, too much, too boring, too fatty blah blah blah...prob because of isolation and boredom.

    and of course when its cold...you just want chocolate :D
  • bellinachuchina
    bellinachuchina Posts: 498 Member
    We tend to eat with chopsticks, with a small bowl of rice for each person (about 2/3 of cooked rice). We then each have a very small plate (about 5" in diameter) and a few different things set in front of us. It is expected that you don't eat all the food and that there will be some leftovers. For example, for lunch, I would have rice in my bowl, some soup, chicken wings, green beans, bok choy, and shrimp!

    I like the idea of using chopsticks and small dishes :wink: Also, the foods you're eating are generally low-cal (shrimp, soup, bok choy). If you fill up on those things, that would def help with weight management.
  • withchaco
    withchaco Posts: 1,026 Member
    My family is Asian; heck, I grew up in Korea myself until 8th grade. After I came to the U. S. though, I pretty much lived off McDonalds and Pizza Hut while DECREASING my activity level. Naturally, rapid weight gain followed.

    For years, my parents tried to get me to eat homemade Asian food to lose weight. I just couldn't. Most of the Asian foods I like is the stuff you don't see on the table every day... You know, foods that take hours to prepare, stuff you only see on holidays. I loved Western food too much. I didn't think I could live off Asian food without being miserable. Thankfully, as I came to find out, there are plenty of healthy options in Western cuisine. :happy:

    If you enjoy Asian food, I think it's a good way to eat healthy. Just be careful with protein... My parents eat Asian all the time, and they get maybe 20-30g protein on a typical day, which isn't enough! Also, rice cakes are calorie bombs.
  • futurefitgirl88
    futurefitgirl88 Posts: 284
    LoL...I am half Asian and I don't think Asian diet is all that healthy.... if you alone eat the national food of singapore for 3 meals a day everyday you are likely to go from normal BMI to being obese! That's all I'm sayin'
    Obviously there are SOME asians who are heathier...like the korean and the japaneese ......but there are unhealthy alternatives in every cuisine... fried dumplings are so good.
  • Captainfakeeye
    Captainfakeeye Posts: 16
    If you enjoy Asian food, I think it's a good way to eat healthy. Just be careful with protein... My parents eat Asian all the time, and they get maybe 20-30g protein on a typical day, which isn't enough! Also, rice cakes are calorie bombs.

    I've noticed that too. My family eats a lot of vegetables and fish, so protein is kind of an issue. I try to get my mom to cook more tofu if she doesn't want to cook meat, which is more time consuming. Also, remember, Asian ladies, to take your calcium, because the Asian diet hardly has any!
  • CaliSweden
    CaliSweden Posts: 62
    I agree with the Asian eating style, that's why I don't think carbs are evil. Even my mom (Japanese) said to me, "how many fat or obese Asian people do you see?" Also usually when Asian's get overweight it's because we eat western foods more. I notice whenever I go home, I tend to lose weight, but eat way more food. Maybe because real Asian food (not Panda express type), tends to have a lot of fresh veggies, soy products, and variety. Also they usually have a lot of small dishes.

    I'm a good example, I moved to Europe and gained weight. I also had some health issues that didn't help as I was stuck in bed a lot, and the weight just piled up quickly. But all the potatoes, meat and creamy sauces just stuck to my rear.
  • kitinboots
    kitinboots Posts: 589 Member
    When I went backpacking around India last year I expected to lose weight without trying (I thought I'd get travellers stomach for a start...) but it turns out the pseudo-Indian food I prepare at home is much healthier than the real stuff and I returned home a couple of pounds heavier.

    I would love to visit a different part of Asia and eat how the locals eat, but there are so many countries to choose from!!
  • vickstar8707
    vickstar8707 Posts: 31
    Yes this totally happens to me! Back when i was still in college i would go home to my parents over the summer and lose so much weight! My dad is big on his chinese veges and i love them but now i'm living with some boys its so hard to get them to eat anything close to what i would eat if i was at home. Now days its lots of potatoes and pasta which is why i've gained so much :(
  • ChristineDiet
    ChristineDiet Posts: 719 Member
    bump
  • BoxingCoachMo
    BoxingCoachMo Posts: 420
    Lets see the asian diet ....

    Well My family is of Indian origin and my parents are from a poor part of india, so they used to make a lot of vegetable curries, like spinach curry, ladyfinger curry, so all this has ensured that me and my siblings are rather lean, god at aged 18 i was 8 stones. We also ate a lot of pilau rice and rice dishes as they were cheaper to makeand you can add peas to it etc. Its funny how Asian countries eat rice yet are stick thin haha.

    Now I have left home I actually eat as you referred to above, just putting different components onto one plate and munching away.

    Some asians use Ghee in their foods however hence giving that portly look that we all desire hahaha. This from my observation tends to be in the Pakistani community.
  • ali_louise
    ali_louise Posts: 14
    I live with my partner and in laws and they are Filipino and we eat a lot of white rice pretty much every meal and I've always asked this question but the fili cuisine is more based on soup style with plenty of fresh vegetables. I cook the food too and I never use oils etc so even though I eat all this rice I'm not eating fatty foods well most of the time anyway, love fili food rather eat this than English :)
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,908 Member
    I'm Filipino and do almost all the cooking in the house. I eat rice, but usually only about 1/2 to 3/4 cup. Eat lots of vegetables and usually grill most of the meat, although I will make adobo, kari kari and kaldereta occasionally.
    But like any culture there are HIGH CALORIE foods that if eaten in large portions, will pack on the pounds. If I ate nothing but lumpia, I'd be pretty fat.


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  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    When I went backpacking around India last year I expected to lose weight without trying (I thought I'd get travellers stomach for a start...) but it turns out the pseudo-Indian food I prepare at home is much healthier than the real stuff and I returned home a couple of pounds heavier.

    I would love to visit a different part of Asia and eat how the locals eat, but there are so many countries to choose from!!

    I had to laugh...There are many countries in Asia true. But you chose one that is totally different from the most stereotyped asian countries. India is very different in every aspect to the eastern asia, say, China, Japan, Korea, Vietam...the latter countries share more in common than with India. :)
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    Of course there are fat asians, especially now that they have McDonalds everywhere. :)

    I think race factor plays a very important role here. Asians tend to have smaller bones and body shapes. If they carry some extra pounds, most of them carry them well. I have friends who tried to eat rice with veggies like asians do but they still cannot lose weight. We all grew up eating different type of diets and our bodies learned to adapt to it. The other think I guess (please don't beat me if I am wrong), sharing food on the same table could be a great help to lower the calorie intake per person. A bowl of rice might count about 200-300 calories? then a few bites here and there couldn't make it more than 200 calories. So say we eat 3 meals a day, that's around 1500 calories.

    However, eating in restaurants in asian countries is a different story. They are just like here in US, packed with high fat, and loaded with sodium. That's why the food is so tasty. LOL

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