Mayday...Mayday!

I apologize for my three-week hiatus.  I usually write my blog entries on Saturdays, but the last three Saturdays have been very busy.  The first one, I was busy preparing for the American-style house party I threw for my Korean friends (read more about that at www.betsyinkorea.blogspot.com).  The next two Saturdays I had a good friend visiting from the United States…it was great having her here for two weeks.  I’m back now and will hopefully stay on schedule because…I NEED YOU!

All of the wonderful Korean food and the eating together values of the culture have caught up to me.  I weighed myself last Monday, and I was up 7 pounds from when I got here.  YIKES!!!!  That hasn’t happened in five years and, to be honest, I’m freaking out a little bit.  Add to the fact…it’s not easy for someone my size to find clothes in South Korea…and the clothes I have are starting to get tight.  I need to make some serious changes, and I need you for accountability.  Here are the changes I made this week:

·         Packed lunch – I brought my own lunch this week, which turned out to be a bigger deal than I thought.  Eating together is such an important part of this culture, so all my co-teachers noticed I wasn’t eating in the cafeteria.  I had to explain why many times, and they just didn’t seem to grasp what I was talking about.  I needed to pack my lunch to get my head back in the game, but clearly, it’s important for me to eat with the other teachers in the lunchroom.  So, I’ll just have to cut back on portions.

·         Gym Membership – There is a Curves that is a 5-minute walk from my apartment, so I joined that this week.  I was the only foreigner there, but luckily you don’t need many words for the workout.  Body language works well!   The trainers are really nice and speak a little English.  I even inspired one of my Korean co-teachers to join the gym, so I have a workout buddy.

·         Active Link Challenge – My Active Link wasn’t working when I first arrived for some reason.  But, I was able to get it working again.  I’m doing my assessment this week and will start a challenge next week.  Making sure I get to at least 4 solid lights each day should get me motivated to up my activity.

I do still have some challenges:

·         I don’t know the calories of the food I’m eating, and there’s no way for me to find out.  The language barrier makes it too difficult to find the exact ingredients, and there is no book to look it up in.  Add to the fact that half the time I don’t even know the name of what I’m eating.  I just enjoy.  Most of it is vegetables and meat…and lots of rice and noodles.  I need to cut back on those starches.

·         Another problem is the social aspect of the food.  I really don’t understand how Koreans eat so much but stay so tiny!!!!!!!!  Yesterday I was working at an education festival and lunch was provided…McDonalds’s (my first time having McDonald’s in years).  We had a DOUBLE cheeseburger, LARGE fries, and Coke.  Unfortunately, it could be perceived as a little rude not to eat food that is provided…ugh!  The unexpected social meals keep popping up.  Koreans don’t understand eating less to maintain weight…it’s just not a part of their culture.  This is going to be a continuous challenge for me.

My Commitment

I need to lose these 7 pounds quickly!  I’m going to do a better job of monitoring my food and increase my activity.  I’m also going to check in once a week to let you know my progress…good or bad (you know how that goes).  Any words of wisdom or encouragement from my readers would be GREATLY appreciated!

Mayday!

Mayday…mayday

What can I say

I’ve gained a few pounds

Much to my dismay

S.O.S

What a mess!

The extra pounds

Are causing me stress.

Here comes the red flare

My distress I must share

By telling good people

Who I know surely care.

It’s time for the rescue.

This is your cue.

Hold me accountable

I’ll do the same for you!