Keeping Fit in Asia "The Health Thread!"

[mguy]

After eating too much rice and noticing myself blow up a bit, I realized there is a curve into keeping fit/healthy in Asia

So here are some tips for how to stay heathy in Asia. Please share info or your experience here to share to others.

Starting with rice. Most food is with rice/noodles and it is a complex carb that will get stored by your body (i know its more complex than that but..)
Salty food. That shrimp paste stuff makes you retain water.

[zboy1]

After eating too much rice and noticing myself blow up a bit, I realized there is a curve into keeping fit/healthy in Asia

So here are some tips for how to stay heathy in Asia. Please share info or your experience here to share to others.

Starting with rice. Most food is with rice/noodles and it is a complex carb that will get stored by your body (i know its more complex than that but..)
Salty food. That shrimp paste stuff makes you retain water.

How can anyone get fat in Asia? LOL. I think it's almost impossible...well, actually, now that I think of it--you're in the Philippines (which is the only country in Asia with really fatty and unhealthy diets).

I just eat what the locals eat, and after a while, I notice myself losing weight. Also, since everyone is always walking around in Asia, that's another good way to lose some weight, too.

[mguy]

How can anyone get fat in Asia? LOL. I think it's almost impossible...well, actually, now that I think of it--you're in the Philippines (which is the only country in Asia with really fatty and unhealthy diets).

I just eat what the locals eat, and after a while, I notice myself losing weight. Also, since everyone is always walking around in Asia, that's another good way to lose some weight, too.

I'll give you 5 reasons:

1. ) Because food is so cheap.
2.) Beer is cheap.
3.) Gyms are expensive/inconvenient.
4.) Food is fried.
5.) Protein powders are scarce.

[mguy]

Unless you want to go for the anorexic slim Asian look instead of western muscle mode.

Speaking of Chinese Food. Be wary of MSG.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency ... 001126.htm

Vietnamese food is actually the healthiest I find (but you can't really bulk up that).

Another great one is the soy bean curd.

[mguy]

Tilapia is a good protein source that is plentiful in Asia.

http://www.burnthefatinnercircle.com/me ... ilapia.cfm

The history of Tilapia goes back almost 5,000 years, as the food of Egyptian kings and Pharoahs. Native to the Nile river, Tilapia is now farmed all over the world. A light, lean fish, it has become extremely popular with athletes in the bodybuilding and fitness world who want high protein and low calories. When you prepare it with these savory spices and flavorings, it's not only a delicacy fit for a king, it's a delicacy fit for physique champions...

Nutritional

Per Serving (fish only)
Calories: 225
Protein: 34.2 g
Carbs: 5.7 g
Fat: 9.8 g

Price

Whole Foods carry it $5 per lbs
Here you can get it for $2 per lbs
That's standard grocery and filleted.

You can get it cheaper at public markets and it looks like this (sometimes they will cook for you):



You can then fillet it and it looks like this

[tre]

I lost weight while in Hong Kong, Thailand and Singapore. I definitely GAINED weight while in the Philippines.

In Singapore, for instance, the portions are very small and you walk a lot everyday. There are quite a few gyms and nearly always one within a few miles (within walking distance). Gyms and all supplements are extremely pricey though. The average gym membership is around $100/month. I did not have a membership when I was there as I didn't have time or $$. However, I still maintained physical conditioning.

In the Philippines, portions are not as small, there are very few "diet" options anywhere. Depending on what part of the Philippines, you want likely walk as much. When I was there, I always took Tricycles (incredibly cheap). Gyms are not as common and I'm not even sure what they cost?

Thailand is probably the easiest place to stay in shape in ALL of Asia. Gyms are plentiful, supplements are more available (still pricey), there are pharmacies that will give you testosterone if you want/need it, etc.. Gyms aren't cheap there either, but they are less expensive than Singapore. I paid for 4 days membership which is an expensive way to go, but I'm sure it's much less if I did a year or two. The gyms were more than sufficient.

[T Rex]

I got kinda fat in China, but it was partially on purpose, because I was so cold in the winter time.

Too much rice and beer did it for me.

As far as working out, the best gym I found item and price wise, was inside a 4 or 5 star hotel.

[sushiman]

The most common thing I hear from expats over here is; stay clear of the rice.

[ClearView]

Yeah avoid the rice and go semi-paleo. You can't always avoid the sugar in the food but cutting out the rice helps. Get into body weight training or dinosaur training.

[xiongmao]

Tilapia is awesome food. My friend showed me that Tesco Lotus here will BBQ a Tilapia of your choice for around 150 baht.

I scoffed the whole thing and had so much brain food I worked a 14 hour day the next day.

I've actually lost weight in the 9 months I've been in Asia, and I'm around 10lbs lighter than I was at my peak unfitness while working. That may not sound much but I'm not hugely overweight so I don't have too much to shift.

I rarely drink beer at home now, I've been drinking those bottles of Chang mineral water instead.

It is hard to exercise here though. I rarely leave my room in the day as it's just too hot and hard to stay hydrated.