Surviving the 4th...and the Rest of Summer

Fried chicken and kimbap...
my 4th of July picnic.

So how’d you survive the 4^th of July barbecues?  I did okay, mainly because portions were controlled…and because I created my own 4^th of July celebration with other foreigners.  My celebration of America’s Independence Day consisted of a picnic-style dinner by the Taewha River with two Americans and a Canadian, who we made an honorary American for the evening. Our menu consisted of fried chicken and beer, as well as kimbap.  Kimbap is traditional Korean picnic food: vegetables, rice, and protein wrapped in seaweed…yum!

 

Celebrating with two Americans
and a Canadian.

I veered a little off course for my holiday, but that’s easy to do during the summer.  Good news you can always use a few tips, tools, and strategies to re-set:

• Pick yourself up when you stumble…don’t throw yourself down the stairs just because you went overboard for a day.
• Think positively about the changes you’re going to make and take small steps to get back on track…slow and steady wins the race.
• Focus on a photograph of a thinner you.  You know what they say…a picture’s worth a thousand words.
• Remember that success isn’t always about the numbers on the scale.  It’s what you learn from the numbers that counts…change your perspective and you’ll change your world.
• Find a partner to be active with.  Get out together and make the most of a sunny day…two is more fun than one!
• Set small goals, so you’re not frustrated by the big pictures…just take it one day at a time.

As you can see…all kinds of sayings and idioms were coming to mind as I wrote this.  So, I’m going to do something a little different for this post’s poem:  inspirational weight loss sayings:

• When you feel like quitting, think about why you started.
• Take care of your body.  It’s the only place you have to live.
• Do not reward yourself with food.  You are not a dog.
• If you are going to doubt something, doubt your limits.
• No matter how slow you go, you are still lapping everyone on the couch.
• Changing your diet is something we choose to do, not something we are forced to do.  Instead of dreading it, try saying, “Here’s another thing I get to do to help myself. Great!”

And my favorite one...

• Even if you can’t physically see the results in front of you, every single effort is changing your body from the inside.  Never get discouraged!

Party Smarty

I feel better having written those down…writing things down sure does make us more committed.  And I definitely need to commit to some behavior changes.  I’ve been just giving in to the whim of eating what I want.  These will help me slow down and get back on track!  : )

Summer is here!  Luckily, the weather in Ulsan, South Korea is quite pleasant compared to what’s happening back in Atlanta. J 

Summer used to mean lots of parties and more tempting foods, but that’s not going to be the case here (doesn’t seem like part of the foreigners culture over here).  But, going out to drink with Koreans is like a party…so much food!  In many Korean bars, you have to order food with drinks, which can be a bit problematic if you’ve already had dinner or visited another bar beforehand.  I need some strategies to help face the tempting foods.  Here are some old stand-by’s with a slight tweak:

• Make some healthier choices. My Korean friend Ryan ordered tomato slices with cheese last night because he knows I like salads.  That was a much better option than some of the fried choices on the menu.  And, it was delicious!
• Do a mental rehearsal.  This is more powerful than it seems.  If I mentally prep myself before going out, I find I am better at resisting the urge to over indulge.  I need to decide what I want and actually picture myself doing it.  (This is a particularly great strategy when facing a night of drinking.)
• Utilize the plate.  This used to mean choosing a smaller plate or filling the plate with fresh fruits and veggies.  The problem with this strategy in Korea is that plates aren’t always used.  The Korean culture is all about sharing food, so people just dig in and take from the main dishes and don’t necessarily serve themselves on a plate (they even do this with soup, which was a little unsettling at first).  If I could find a way to get a small plate and then put servings on my plate, it might help me control my portions.  When you’re eating from the main dish, mindless eating can lead to lots of calories.  The trick is to use a small plate without offending the Koreans I’m with.

Party Smarty

A good ol' American summer party!

Summer picnics

What a blast!

All the good parties

How long they do last!

So many goodies

All kinds of choices

They’re calling my name

I can hear their voices!

But I have to be strong.

I have to be smart

I know some good tips

Time to take them to heart!

My tempting choices at a Korean bar!

I deserve lots of fun

I will got to the party

I will take on the food

Because I’m a real smarty!

Maintaining Despite the BLTs

Please forgive me for my three-week hiatus!  My dad and sister were visiting the last two weekends, and I was busy preparing for the visit the weekend before.  But I am back!  And…I’m happy to report that I did my monthly “weigh-in,” and I am back to within two pounds of my goal weight…yeah!!!

Typical spread at a Korean dinner.

One thing that makes weight maintenance challenging here in Korea is the amount of food served combined with the lingering over dinner that often leads to BLTs even when I’m no longer hungry.  I mentioned in a previous blog that Koreans are all about side dishes.  They are also all about sharing meals and lingering over dinner to enjoy the good company.  As a result, the table is filled with food that’s free for the taking.  Oh…did I mention you can get any side dish refilled for free?  Yes, there have been many a meal when I kept stealing a bite of something here, a lick of something there, and just a taste of this…the dreaded BLTs.  As we all know, those can add up quickly.

To be perfectly honest and truthful…I’m not sure I’ll ever have the willpower to deal with this dilemma.  It’s all so good…it’s all right there…and it’s bottomless.  Since we share the food, the old tricks don’t work: can’t put my napkin over it, can’t pour water on it to ruin it, can’t ask for  a doggie bag to get half of it out of view.  The only strategies I’ve used so far have been to have light meals when eating by myself and make sure I get exercise in.

If you have any other tips for me, I’d love to hear them!  : )

Now for the poem…I don’t know why, but Shel Silverstein came to mind this week.  So here is a weightloss version of one of my favorite poems of his, “If You Have to Dry the Dishes.”

“If You Need that BLT”

If you need that BLT,

Such a hard thing to ignore.

If you need that BLT,

Instead of points of which you’re sure.

If you need that BLT,

And make a trip to the store…

Maybe healthy snacks will take its place

And you won’t be hungry anymore!

If You Have to Dry the Dishes

Shel Silverstein

If you have to dry the dishes,

Such an awful boring chore.

If you have to dry the dishes,

Instead of going to the store.

If you have to dry the dishes,

And you drop one on the floor…

Maybe they won’t let you

dry the dishes anymore!

Spring is in the Air!

Spring is in the air!  Okay…spring is probably almost gone in Atlanta as the hot summer approaches, but temperatures are still nice here in Korea.  One thing I really appreciate is the nice breeze which seems almost constant combined with cool nights and mornings.  Unlike Atlanta, it’s not hot and balmy the whole day.  We have been getting temps in the upper 70s and 80s.  It’s still pleasant!    It’s the perfect time of year to open all the windows and let in the fresh air.  Also a good time for spring cleaning!

My dad and sister will be joining me for a visit in about a week and a half.  I’m so excited!  My first visitors, which means it is time for some THOROUGH spring cleaning to prepare for my first guests.  I started going through my pantry, which contains some items from the teacher before me.  I don’t even know what some of it is or how to use it.  Also, the expiration dates on a few items has come and gone.  Time to clear it out!

Spring cleaning my kitchen also means taking stock of some new trigger foods that need to be removed.  This includes a new party mix I found.  The name of the product translates to “Mix Party.”  A more appropriate name would be “Party Mix Crack.”  This stuff needs to come with a warning label…talk about addictive.  Once I finish this container, I need to be careful about ever purchasing it again…I just can’t help myself from grabbing a handful here and there.  And, as we all know, that adds up quickly.  Yikes!

What about you?  What are you doing to spring clean your fridge?  What needs to go and what needs to get added?

My dangerous new party mix!
This stuff is like crack for me...ugh!!

Ode to Mix Party

Oh, you tasty mix!

My craving for you

I cannot seem to fix.

Hmm…salty or sweet.

When I can’t decide

You are the perfect treat.

You are not good for me.

I must stay away,

That is clear to see.

‘Tis sad that we must part.

Alas, I simply cannot

Put you in my cart!

Snacking Habits

When I look at how my eating habits have changed since I’ve been in South Korea, one thing really stands out – I snack less often.  Over the years, I got in the habit of eating small amounts throughout the day, but I don’t do that over here.  Part of the reason for that is a fear of overeating (I haven’t figured out the calories of the foods and not sure I ever will).  Another reason is the availability of healthy snacks.

It seems like snacks for Koreans are more like “treats.”  They’re not necessarily healthy, nutritious and satisfying.  They get away with that, though, because their meals are insanely healthy…scientifically healthy (just read one of my earlier blogs about the science behind Korean food).  One of the problems with having healthy snacks on hand is the expense.  Produce is quite expensive over here, and it doesn’t seem to last long.  Some of my vegetables turn bad pretty quickly, so I need to be careful.

And I suppose another reason Koreans tend to have treats instead of snacks in between meals is that they just have some AMAZING tasting desserts and treats.  Desserts are big because, like much of the 

Korean food, they are meant to be shared.  My new favorite treat is bingsu.  Bingsu is essentially frozen milk that is shaved like a snow cone, but has a delightful velvety texture.  Traditional bingsu is topped with a Korean traditional rice cake that has a nutty flavor (kind of reminds me of powdered peanut butter…thank you PB2).  It also comes with other toppings like strawberry or coffee.  And…don’t forget red beans.  I know…it doesn’t sound very appetizing, but trust me when I say Koreans know how to do red bean paste.  This yummy dessert is going to be very dangerous for me as the summer gets hotter…I may have found a new trigger food!

 

Snack vs. Treat

Satisfiying

Nutritious

Appetizing

Carefully chosen

Kick of energy

Tempting

Rarely healthy

Empty calories

And at times...

Totally worth it (in small portions)

Time to Reflect

All long-term changes require us to pause and take stock of our progress.  Weight loss is no different, especially if you plan on making a healthy lifestyle change.  It’s so easy to just keep plowing forward without taking the time to really think about what’s working and what isn’t working.  Yet, building in time to do that is so important and having a system makes it easier.

During my work as a corporate trainer, I often debriefed activities by asking 3 questions.  The purpose of the questions was to get people thinking about what they learned from the activity and what changes they want to make based on what they learned.  Asking these questions about your weight loss efforts on a weekly basis will help you stay on track.  Here they are:

• 
• What’s still challenging?
• What changes do you need to make going forward?
• What went well?

I took some time this week to reflect on my weight maintenance since I’ve been in South Korea.  I’m starting to slip a little, so I need to check in with myself.  Here are my responses to those questions:

• What’s going well? Taking smaller portions of all the delicious Korean food.  I want to try it all, and smaller portions allow me to do that without overeating.  I’ve also been paying more attention to my hunger signals.

• What’s still challenging?  I have no idea what the calorie intake is for what I’m eating.  Luckily, Koreans tend to have a healthy diet, so it hasn’t seemed too high calorie.  On the other hand, Koreans tend to eat large amounts of food, which can be challenging to navigate.  Also, I was sick for about two weeks, so I got out of an exercise routine.  Once my routine gets interrupted, I find it difficult to get back in the swing of things.

• What changes do I need to make going forward?  Find my groove with exercise now that I’m feeling human again.  Reduce the amount of snacking I’ve been doing over the past week.  For whatever reason, I’ve increased my snacking (and not necessarily on healthy things).  Continue to be diligent about portion control and tuning into hunger signals.

So, now it’s your turn.  Take time to reflect, and then try to make it a weekly habit.  Find a good time and place that works for you.  I find that my blog posts provide a good opportunity for me to reflect.

Replay the Day

Take a look back.

How did you do?

Did you eat the meals

You had planned to?

Did you think ahead

And make a good plan?

And then think to yourself, “

I think I can…I think I can?

Did you think about food?

Did you plan how to move?

Are you proud of yourself

For finding your groove?

As you replay your day

And maybe even your week

Make some adjustments

To get the changes you seek!

One of my favorite places to reflect - the great outdoors!
Here I am at Seoraksan National Park in South Korea.

Getting Back Into the Swing of Things!

I’m back!  I apologize for the missing posts…I’ve been fighting the crud.  What started off as a nasty cold on April 13 turned into something else that required 2 rounds of antibiotics.  I’m finally feeling human again.  I didn’t realize just how tired I was feeling until I started getting better…go figure!

So, now that I’m better, it’s time to start thinking about my overall health.  I have essentially not done any exercise in the past 2 ½ weeks.  I was a little fearful of the scale this week, but I was past due for a weigh-in.  Yikes! I’m about 3 pounds over my goal weight.  That means it’s time to get serious.  I’m not sure if a “maintenance plateau” is a possibility, but that’s what I feel like I’m facing.

Now, I know what you’re thinking…and you’re probably right:  “Don’t beat yourself up!  You’ve been sick, so you were off your game.  You’ll get back in the swing of things.”  While I know I have the tools I need to lose those 3 pounds, the motivation can be a little hard to find after taking a so-called “break” from the whole weight maintenance thing.  I’m sure many of you can relate. 

We can tend to get in a rut or get too comfortable with our routines.  Next thing you know, we start to slack a little on everything: portions, exercise, food choices.  The result – a scale that won’t budge.  That dreaded plateau!  Research has found that the cause of most plateaus is behavioral.  Our exercise regime becomes a little shorter or a little less intense.  We start eyeballing portions rather than weighing and measuring.  When that happens, it’s time to get back to the basics.  That’s my goal for the week now that I’m feeling better. 

It’s time for me to exercise again and be intentional about my food choices.  Luckily, I have a fun weekend trip to help me get started.  I’m going to Seoraksan National Park for the weekend with some other foreigners.  Two days of hiking and a day on the beach and soaking in hot springs.  Not too shabby for my reset! 

The Dreaded Plateau 

Seoraksan National Park -- Let the "re-set" begin!

Oh, you scale…you fool!

Why are you so cruel.

Just go down a pound or two.

Heck!  An ounce will even do.

But alas, you do not budge.

Might as well grab some fudge.

But, wait just a minute.

Plateau --  that’s how I got in it.

I’ll get back to weighin’--

Now that’s what I’m sayin’.

My portions I’ll be watching.

As my feet do some walking.

Would you look at that!

Scale says I’m not fat.

Oh…you scale, you saint!

No…my enemy you ain’t.