Every culture has its own tips and tricks for weight loss. These Korean tips to lose weight will help you get slim and enjoy a healthy lifestyle.
Obesity rates in Korea are among the lowest in the world, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development( OECD). Only 4% of the adult population is obese in Korea, and about 30% are overweight (including obese). In contrast, 39% of adults worldwide were overweight in 2016, and 13% were obese according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
So, you may wonder how Koreans manage their weight and stay skinny. The answer to that question lies in their diet and habits. As Korean culture’s popularity is increasing, many people have become interested in Korean weight loss.
The Korean weight loss diet, also called the K-pop Diet, is a whole-food-based diet inspired by traditional Korean cuisine and popular East and Western food. It’s perceived as an efficient way to lose weight and look like the stars of K-pop, a famous music genre coming from South Korea.
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Table of Contents
What Is The Korean Weight Loss Diet?
The Korean weight loss diet focuses not only on nutrition but also puts equally vital importance on exercise and even gives specific K-pop workouts.
The diet principle is to minimize your intake of processed, fat-rich, or sugary foods and maximize your whole food intake. It also aims to help you lose weight and keep it off by adjusting your diet and workout habits without giving up your favorite foods. Additionally, it promises to help clear up your skin and optimize your long-term health (1)
9 Efficient Korean Weight Loss Tips
To increase your chance of success with the Korean diet, I would recommend you follow these 9 Korean weight loss tips.
1- Eat More Vegetables
Traditional Korean cuisine contains lots of vegetables. Kimchi, a popular side dish, is made of fermented vegetables.
According to the CDC, using more fruits and vegetables is a safe and healthy way to lose or maintain weight.
Some of the more popular vegetables used in Korean cuisine include cucumbers, zucchini, and mushrooms, all of which help to burn body fat. By adding more vegetables to your diet, you can lose weight and boost your immune and digestive systems.
Check these 18 veggies that destroy stomach fat – backed by science.
2- Reduce your Caloric Consumption
An authentic Korean diet suggests smaller amounts and fewer calories than a typical “Western” eating pattern. It doesn’t have strict rules about the number of calories consumed or a strict daily calorie limit.
Instead, it recommends consuming authentic Korean recipes, soups, and plenty of vegetables to cut calories without feeling hungry.
3- Reduce Added Sugars Intake
One of the Korean weight loss tips is replacing soda and soft drinks with water and other sweets such as cookies, candies, and ice cream with fresh fruit and vegetables.
Drinking water is one of the healthiest and most affordable Korean tips to lose weight. Water flushes out the toxins and contaminants in the body. Some people like to add mint, cucumber, and lemon to their water.
A study found that consuming 500 ml of water before each main meal leads to more significant weight loss than a hypocaloric diet (reducing daily calories or foods with high caloric density) alone in middle-aged and older adults.
4- Consume Less Fat
Following these Korean tips to lose weight is a great start in your weight loss journey. Korean weight loss diet recommends homemade meals.
Also, avoid oily foods, sauces, oils, and seasonings whenever possible.
5- Stay Active and Workout Regularly
Another Korean tip to lose weight is to follow K-pop workouts.
One of the best ways to stay active and exercise regularly is to find activities that you enjoy, such as at-home workout, and if you like the outdoors, you can also run.
Check these articles to get started:
- 40 Fat Burning Exercises That Are Proven To Work – Backed by Science
- 12 Best Tips On How To Love Running
6- Try to Avoid Unhealthy Snacks
Avoid eating snacks, as they are considered unnecessary and only increase caloric consumption.
7- Substitute Red Meats with Fish
Korean diet encourages substituting meat with fish. According to the American Heart Association, red meats (beef, pork, and lamb) generally have more saturated (bad) fat than fish. Saturated and trans fats can raise blood cholesterol and cause heart disease.
Fish, on the other hand, is a healthy alternative to meat. It contains nutritional vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin B, D, Zinc, Iodine, and Potassium, vital to living a happy, long, and healthy life.
According to Harvard, consuming fish once or twice a week may reduce the risk of stroke, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and other chronic conditions.
8- Walk, Walk, and Walk More
One of the Korean tips to lose weight is to walk as much as possible. Walking will help you to shed body fat and build muscle.
In a study, 11 moderate-weight females lost an average of 17 pounds (7.7 kg), or 10% of their initial body weight, after six months of brisk daily walking.
Another study observed that females with obesity who walked 3 days per week for 50–70 minutes lost around 6 pounds (2.7 kg) over 12 weeks, compared with females who didn’t walk.
Most smartphones have a step count to help you track the number of steps. Fitness trackers are also a great way to keep you motivated in your weight loss journey. In Korea, fitness trackers are extremely popular.
Koreans walk to stay fit and healthy, and walking is probably one of the easiest Korean tips to lose weight. You can decide to walk now.
9- Practice Portion Control
Koreans have this neat and easy trick to help with portion control and ensure they do not overeat. They use plastic cups as a measuring guide to help manage their food portions, allowing them to eat the proper amount. Overeating and lack of portion control may lead to weight gain.
This is one easiest ways Korean weight loss tips to help you lower your consumption and avoid overeating.
A 2013 study from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey observed that the traditional Korean table setting, which comprises side dishes, including seasoned vegetables, grilled dishes, and fermented products with cooked rice (bap), soup (guk), and kimchi, contains traits help prevent metabolic syndrome.
Typical Korean Daily Diet
According to a 2016 study published in the Journal of Ethnic Foods, a typical Korean diet includes foods.
- Bap (cooked rice)
- Kuk (dishes with broth),
- kimchi (a fermented vegetable dish), served at each meal
- Banchan (side dishes), seasoned with different Jang (fermented soy products), medicinal herbs, and sesame or perilla oil
According to a 2014 Journal of Medicinal Food study, Kimchi offers numerous health benefits and protects against cancer, obesity, constipation, and aging signs. It promotes brain, colorectal, and skin health while boosting immunity and reducing cholesterol.
Even though Koreans enjoy their barbecue meats, they consume these foods sparingly. When cooking stir fry, they may use sesame oil. Besides, the Korean diet consists of many vegetables, legumes, and fish, with a low amount of red meat intake.
Koreans cook using minimal fats, typically fermenting, boiling, blanching, roasting, seasoning and pickling. The fermentation process is the most usual way, helping to enrich food flavors and preserve foods.
Skinny Korean Diet Plan
Here’s a perfect skinny Korean diet plan for those interested in adopting a Korean weight loss diet.
Maangchi’s Real Korean Cooking: Authentic Dishes for the Home Cook and Maangchi’s Big Book of Korean Cooking: From Everyday Meals to Celebration Cuisine are the best cooking book to learn how to make a skinny Korean diet plans and learn a ton of Korean tips to lose weight. These two books will teach you how to prepare authentic Korean cuisine.
These books are a fantastic source for authentic Korean recipes easily and thoroughly explained for professional and amateur cooks. Maangchi‘s love and passion for Korean food and her pursuit of culinary excellence will inspire you to follow these Korean tips to lose weight and keep it off.
Best Korean Diet Recipes
Try this delicious recipe from her books. It is easy to make and perfect for a summertime BBQ.
Spicy Cucumber Side Dish (Oi-muchim: 오이무침)
Ingredients (Serves 4)
- One washed English cucumber (or 2 to 3 Kirby cucumbers)
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced onion
- One green onion, chopped
- Two garlic cloves, minced
- Two tablespoons soy sauce
- Two teaspoons hot pepper flakes
- Two teaspoons sesame oil
- Two teaspoons sesame seeds
- One teaspoon sugar (optional)
Pro tips: Remember that some of the recipes in these books may include foods or ingredients discouraged on a typical Korean daily diet, such as fried foods, wheat, or dairy. Whenever possible, try to substitute ingredients with something healthy for you.
Final Thoughts
By following these 9 simple and easy-to-follow Korean weight loss tips, you can shed unwanted fat and live a healthy lifestyle. With these Korean tips to lose weight, you will not only lose weight but also feel the difference in your health.
The best part about these Korean weight loss tips is that they are simple and easy to adopt. So, why spend hundreds of dollars on gym memberships and weight loss plans when you can follow these Korean tips to lose weight?