100-day diet program show promising results

Losing weight, as everyone knows, isn’t easy. Most weight-loss programs are run by professionals, but professional help and a strong program won’t do a thing unless the dieter is determined to succeed.
On May 6, the JoongAng Daily ran a story about the beginning of the “100 day project,” in which two overweight participants underwent a regimen of dieting and exercise. The project was organized by the JoongAng Ilbo and the Sports Medical Center at Inje University Paik Hospital. Seo Seung-hwan, 24, and Yang Min-gyeong, 22, were the two volunteers selected by the Sports Medical Center.
Now that the 100 days are over, the guidelines seem to have worked for Mr. Seo and Ms. Yang, who are healthier. (Mr. Seo, however, did not have enough time for exercise, and his diet was therefore less effective.) Professor Kang Jae-heon at Inje University advised the two volunteers and analyzed the process week by week, explaining what kind of hurdles there will be and how best to overcome them.
The first two weeks had one major goal: overcoming the desire for food.
Most overweight people are that way because they overeat. Their weak point is withstanding hunger. Thus, the first step in a successful diet is switching to foods that quickly fill one’s stomach. At the top of the list are salads with low-calorie dressing, devil’s-tongue jelly, seaweed soup, kimchi and rice wrapped with lettuce. Drinking a lot of low-calorie soup gives the sense of fullness for a while, but it is important to eat fiber-rich foods to sustain that sense.
In the third and fourth weeks, their growth had stabilized.
If they worked out and adjusted their diet for two weeks, they might have expected to lose 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) or over 3 kilograms. Half of weight loss is attributed to reduced fat consumption and the other half is due to water. However, water is replenished in one’s body after two weeks, keeping one’s weight the same. There’ss no need to worry: The amount of body fat continues to decrease, and weight loss will become more evident over the next few weeks.
In the fifth and sixth weeks, however, doubts about the program began to set in.
Exercise seems difficult in the beginning, but after time passes it gets easier, as the person breathes more, sweats less and is less thirsty after a workout. When it happens, people are concerned that the exercise isn’t doing anything. Again, there’s no need to worry. It’s merely a sign that their endurance has increased and they need to exercise more.
In the seventh and eighth weeks, the participants were constipated. The reduced diet translated into less fiber, and this caused constipation. However, constipation is not an obstacle to weight loss. The solution is easy: Eat more fiber-rich foods and drink a lot of water. Regular exercise also helps.
In the ninth and tenth weeks, their faces were thinner, but their bellies were not. There’s a reason for this ― body fat is reduced in one’s face first, followed by the chest and then the belly. This process is more conspicuous in women.
Additionally, even when body fat is reduced all around, the belly appears to be unchanged. However, measuring the girth of one’s waist will show a decrease. The rest of the fat in the belly will disappear in the long run.
Eleventh and 12th weeks: a craving for chocolate. It was easier for the participants to endure hunger. They become used to smaller plate, but it was difficult to resist favorite foods such as chocolate or cake with whipped cream. It was crucial, however, that they not buy these kinds of foods, and eat fruit instead.
In the 13th and 14th weeks, exercise become boring. In the beginning, most people work out very hard, but routine exercise eventually starts to feel unexciting. Routine exercises need to be switched, including such things as aerobics, swimming and jogging. Even changing one’s jogging path helps. The sense of boredom is a deadly enemy to exercise and can torpedo a diet. Small changes can keep exercise fun.
In the end, Mr. Seo lost 2.7 kilograms (6 pounds), while Ms. Yang lost 8.7 kilograms.

by Ko Jong-kwan