Text: Kenneth Dickson – Photos: Author and web
(First published in Centered on Taipei Magazine, but no longer available at their website.)
Obesity creeps up on you, caused by a sedentary lifestyle, poor food choices, or aging body. Slowly the pounds accumulate around your waist from the extra portions of stirfried rice, late night trips to the fried chicken stalls, and indulgent mango iced treats in the hot summer. You can beat the weight gain. Measure these five statistics to empower you to make better choices every day.
1. Know and Keep a Record of Your Weight
It seems unnecessary to measure your weight every day. After all, how much can you lose in one day? But the act of measuring your weight focuses your mind on what you are doing and why you are doing it.
Buy an accurate set of bathroom scales and check your weight at the same time every day. Record it in a journal or spreadsheet.
2. Know Your Body Mass Index
The Body Mass Index is a measure of weight and its relationship to your height. To calculate your current BMI ratio, you can find a reliable BMI calculator through Google or https://www.calculator.net/bmi-calculator.html. Enter your height and weight into the correct fields and hit submit. A generally healthy range falls between 18 and 25.
Between 25 and 30 brings you into the overweight range, while over 30 means that you are considered obese. For those in the obese territory (30+), the risk levels for type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease escalate. Quality of life may start to suffer from poorer health outcomes, as well.
3. Know Your Food Portions
Portion size has increased by over 100% since the 1970s, according to research published by the Obesity Action Coalition in 2016. One report in the Washington Post highlights how eating out has become a stamina challenge with restaurant main courses hitting 1500 calories or half a day’s calories.
So know your meal portions if you want to lose weight successfully. These tools and tricks facilitate effective portion size, use:
- Use a kitchen scale to weigh portions of food,
- Get a smaller dinner plate or bowl to trick the eye,
- Drink a glass of water with food to train stomachs and brains to feel fuller, and
- Eat simple foods or less-processed foods.
If you’re eating out, eat some fruit or salad before you go or drink water while you eat. Avoid the dessert counter, too! But don’t beat yourself up!
4. Know Your Calorie and Carbohydrates Counts
But dieters need to monitor both the quantity and kind of calories they are consuming since many foods in Taiwan are calorie-dense, such as beef noodle soup (???), braised pork rice (???), soup dumplings (???), fried chicken (???), any desserts, and even drinks like bubble milk tea (????). For example, a typical cup of bubble tea contains at least 400 calories, most of which are sugar, any fried chicken at the night market easily exceeds 500 calories, and many other night market staples are loaded with calories, too.
Your trusty kitchen scale can help you determine calories, so keep referring to the portion size on the food information panel. Record the amounts in a journal or spreadsheet daily so you don’t forget. Then review your diary every week to see your total calorie intake and the sources of those calories.
Diets are calorie restrictive, but some also limit the intake of carbohydrates. If you are on a carbohydrate-restricted diet, like the Atkins Diet or Paleo Diet, you need to monitor your intake as well. These diets claim a reduction in carbohydrates triggers weight loss by burning the body’s own fat. You can find nutritional data on food packaging or via Google.
5. Know Your Step Count
Many people aim to walk 10,000 steps each day. There is no scientific evidence that this number is relevant. However, having a goal motivates dieters. Boosting the amount of walking is the easiest way to increase your metabolism, burn calories, and make you feel more positive about your weight loss goals. Monitor your steps via an app on your phone or a smartwatch.
If you are obese or have issues with mobility or health conditions, a consultation with your doctor on the kind of diet or exercise you can safely do is essential.
To empower yourself to make changes in your diet and exercise regimen, take control of your baseline information so you can understand the choices you are making. Record your successes and observations to motivate you through the rough patches!
Biography
Kenneth Dickson has been in Taiwan long enough to appreciate the delights of the cuisine. Unfortunately, his waist has also expanded along with his enjoyment of Taiwanese delicacies. Recently, he set off on a journey to lose weight, improve his health, and exercise more.
This article first appeared in Centered on Taipei in 2021. PDF is available in their archives, though.