[TALKING TRENDS] "Yujieter"

Seo Jeong-min

Seo Jeong-min
The author is a senior reporter of the JoongAng Ilbo.

There is a phrase that goes “The very beginning of a diet comes as soon as it is over.”

The newly-coined word yujieter derives from that same phrase. Yujieter is a combination of yuji, which is a Korean word meaning “to keep in shape,” and the word diet. It refers to those who keep in shape after they manage to lose weight.

Keeping in shape is easier said than done. We cannot easily ignore so many news articles about celebrities talking about their “diet know-hows” even if we don’t have any expectations. We also regularly see articles titled things like “how to keep in shape after you’re finished with a diet."

After the hard times you go through losing weight, you can fall into a trap called the "yo-yo effect" when letting your guard down. The yo-yo effect means that if you lose weight with a crash diet, you will gain it all back. The effect was named after a yo-yo, as its movement of being dropped and quickly rebounding looks similar to the situation when someone loses and gains it back again.

It's natural too get annoyed rather than feel thankful and happy with those nice dishes in front of you, to worry about how you look or your weight, but if that leads you to be negligent and avoid eating nourishing and balanced meals, you're making a big mistake. Still, maintaining a normal weight is important to be healthy. It is desirable to be a healthy dieter, or yujieter.

Experts say that you need to think positively, believing that “a failure is part of your success story.” You don’t need to be frustrated when the digits on the scale revert. Rather, you should stick to your plans, reminding your self of your first resolution. Bear this in mind, as autumn, or the season of “clear and blue skies and plump horses,” is just around the corner.

BY SEO JEONG-MIN [meantree@joongang.co.kr]