❼ My 2 Cents on Chinese Weight Loss Secrets

Like most people, I’ve been curious about Chinese weight loss secrets for a while. So when I recently discovered a Chinese magazine discussing weight loss, I was so intrigued that I had to take pictures…

Just for the record, 18.9kg is roughly 42 pounds. You’re probably wondering how this girl lost that much weight without disappearing. I don’t know; but just in case you missed it, here’s another one:

After seeing these ads, I knew what needed to be done. I immediately went on a mission to count the number of genuinely overweight women I could find in Beijing. I marched bravely into the Xiushui market, Hongqiao market, and Panjiayuan market; walked countless miles on Huawei Road, rode the bus, stared people down in the hotel lobby, unleashed my inner Sherlock Holmes…only to find a grand total of 1 woman. You could actually argue that I’m claiming that she was overweight just so I wouldn’t feel like my mission failed (and you’d be right…but I digress).

Here in the U.S., we are bombarded by all sorts of commercials that claim to have unlocked ancient Chinese weight loss secrets:

Listen. There is no weight loss secret because Chinese women rarely become overweight to begin with (unfortunately, this is changing rapidly). Nevertheless, the key is to remember that the things you do to lose weight are completely different from the things you do to maintain a healthy weight.

Little Tips for Big Weight Loss

Don’t eat breakfast

Don’t eat breakfast if it’s the standard American breakfast (muffins, cheese, sweets, pastries, etc). Only eat breakfast if it’s something like yoghurt (Trader Joes European anyone?), good cereal (can’t say I’m a fan), soup (Kale is my absolute favorite), nuts (hello Cashew!), and so on

Try Kola’s Accidental Appetite Buster

I accidentally stumbled on this mix when I caught a cold and didn’t want to take medicine: bananas, organic strawberries, 100% pure carrot juice, a dollop of yoghurt, and prune juice (optional). My cold was gone in two days and unfortunately, so was my appetite. This sucker smothers cravings like nobody’s business and also does wonders for the skin! Please, do not drink this mix unless you are trying to lose weight.

Drink Green Tea

Replace all beverages (except water) with green tea. I know. I know. After knocking Chinese weight loss secrets, I come back and recommend green tea. I’m not sure green tea in and of itself is useful for weight loss; but if you’re committed to drinking just green tea and water, there shouldn’t be room in your life for sugary drinks that don’t belong in your belly.

Speaking of Things that Don’t Belong

If it looks plastic or overly perfect, don’t eat it. Treat your body like an expensive purse…nobody puts garbage in a $2,500 Louis Vuitton number and you’re worth far more than that.

How Often to go to the Gym

Every day! You don’t actually have to do anything when you get there. Just get into the habit of going to the gym everyday and the motivation to work out will naturally follow.

By the way, I am not a licensed doctor or dietician. Everything in this post is based purely on my experience/opinion so remember to check with your doctor before making any changes to your diet. Got any weight loss secrets of your own to share? Let’s talk. I’m on Facebook and Twitter