Saturday, January 13, 2007
link back to month 1
In Beijing it is very difficult to maintain a diet and lose weight, even with a hefty amount of exercise. Especially while freelancing.
It's not just that there's a wealth of great and easily accessible food in Beijing, but also that there are a lot of generous, friendly people in my life.
I have a strict diet, which I am very good at keeping. My friends, business associates and clients are terrible at keeping my diet. I don't mean to complain about generosity and friendliness, all I mean to say is that I'm not refusing your fifth round of beer out of politeness.
Then there's the business dinners, which, are truly more about dinner than about business. Which is nice, enjoyable, and terrible for my health. Not to mention the fact that every week, some friend or friend of a friend is leaving Beijing forever or visiting Beijing for the first time or celebrating a birthday or whatever the hell else so we have to take them to the best freaking restaurant in town and follow up the huge feast with a big party or loads of cocktails.
Like I said, it's an enjoyable life which, for whatever reason doesn't make other people fat.
Another problem is the complete lack of encouragement. I have quite a few Chinese friends (I say this because a lot of expats in Beijing don't) and most of them engage in the national pasttime of telling me I'm fat.
One month on and, though I realize that others cannot see the fact I've lost weight, pants that once fit snugly now fall down as I walk. Running into a Chinese friend today while working she said, "你又胖了！(you're even fatter!)" It's really hard to keep a positive attitude about it.
In any case, I've been fairly successful in changing my habits, and expect eventual change. I'm still convinced others will see a difference by the end of March, and after another three months I'll be very healthy.
Then again, tonight I am getting together with some friends to go to Din Tai Fung (the one that is always hyped up as 'one of the top ten restaurants in the world' according to the New York Times) and there's not even a special event.
In Beijing it is very difficult to maintain a diet and lose weight, even with a hefty amount of exercise. Especially while freelancing.
It's not just that there's a wealth of great and easily accessible food in Beijing, but also that there are a lot of generous, friendly people in my life.
I have a strict diet, which I am very good at keeping. My friends, business associates and clients are terrible at keeping my diet. I don't mean to complain about generosity and friendliness, all I mean to say is that I'm not refusing your fifth round of beer out of politeness.
Then there's the business dinners, which, are truly more about dinner than about business. Which is nice, enjoyable, and terrible for my health. Not to mention the fact that every week, some friend or friend of a friend is leaving Beijing forever or visiting Beijing for the first time or celebrating a birthday or whatever the hell else so we have to take them to the best freaking restaurant in town and follow up the huge feast with a big party or loads of cocktails.
Like I said, it's an enjoyable life which, for whatever reason doesn't make other people fat.
Another problem is the complete lack of encouragement. I have quite a few Chinese friends (I say this because a lot of expats in Beijing don't) and most of them engage in the national pasttime of telling me I'm fat.
One month on and, though I realize that others cannot see the fact I've lost weight, pants that once fit snugly now fall down as I walk. Running into a Chinese friend today while working she said, "你又胖了！(you're even fatter!)" It's really hard to keep a positive attitude about it.
In any case, I've been fairly successful in changing my habits, and expect eventual change. I'm still convinced others will see a difference by the end of March, and after another three months I'll be very healthy.
Then again, tonight I am getting together with some friends to go to Din Tai Fung (the one that is always hyped up as 'one of the top ten restaurants in the world' according to the New York Times) and there's not even a special event.
Labels: Diet
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