A sedentary lifestyle, sitting for long periods of time without physical activity, is a sure way to put on weight and increase health problems. Add an unhealthy diet to the mix and the effects double.

Living in a small town in rural Korea, where there’s mostly residential homes, greenhouses and acres of agricultural farmland, was the perfect opportunity to get “comfortable.” Or so I thought.

This current lifestyle is a stark difference from what I was used to. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. It’s busy, densely populated, with ample parks and green places to go for a walk or run. The commute to my previous job was about 40 minutes on foot, so I could kill two birds with one stone by just walking home.

Fast forward, here I am in Korea. It takes me three minutes to walk from my apartment to my job – that’s a blessing don’t get me wrong – and about 25 minutes to walk around my town. For the first few months, I went straight home after work. I wasn’t intentional about eating a balanced meal. If I didn’t get tired after eating dinner or took a nap, both of which happened quite often, I’d work on a few personal or work related tasks then go to sleep.

This went on for a while: come home, eat, nap and or work, prep for the next day, and sleep. I had minor knee pains prior to coming to Korea due to an office job where I sat 95% of the time. But now with a 50% teaching/ standing and 50% sitting job, my knee pains got a little worse. Then sitting at home after work, for another few hours, only exacerbated the pain.

Weight Gain Begins

Thank God the previous teacher who lived in my apartment left a scale behind. After checking my weight a few times over the first three months I noticed I was gaining weight. I didn’t mind the extra two to three pounds but I knew deep down I was gaining them for the wrong reasons; I wasn’t eating right or being physically active. My knees hurt all the time. I figured I had to do something quick before my health deteriorates.

The thing about gaining weight is that it starts off slowly. I’d only been living in Korea for four months and I already gained a pound or two. It seems small but added another four months, a year, and it would all start to add up.

I’d told my brother about the situation and he helped me understand that my diet could increase my risk of developing diabetes. My diet consisted mostly of carbs: rice, potatoes, noodles, meat: chicken, sometimes fruit and vegetables, plus loads of Korean snacks. Not in moderation. They’re so good. When he told me that, I started rethinking my health choices.

Here Are 5 Things I Did To Lose Weight and Take Control Of My Health:

1. Take Daily Walks For At Least 30 Minutes – I am so grateful for these walks. They help me to exercise my legs, get fresh air, clear my mind and explore my local neighborhood. There is something very therapeutic about walking.

For me, the inviting blue skies, chirping birds, swaying trees, and broad mountains helps meaningful thoughts to arise. Life decisions and choices can be addressed. I can reflect on my day, organize and assess my thoughts. Being able to just appreciate the surroundings can quiet anxiety, bring calmness, and draw the heart and mind to God.

Hiking can also fit under this category. I recently found a new hiking trail in my town. There’s a few other trails but this is the first one I’ve trekked. On a hike, nature is all around us; the animals and plants command our attention, evoke thoughts of curiosity, memories or ideas. Sometimes the best creative, profound ideas are birthed on a walk or hike.

2. Make Workouts Fun – I’m still striving to make working out a consistent habit. The memories of previous workouts to Justin Bieber’s Changes album is sometimes enough to make me set my timer for a pre- workout jog. Mustering the energy and desire to workout can be daunting at first especially if it’s not a habit. Finding something you like and incorporating it into your workout sessions can make it enjoyable.

Try working out with a friend, listening to a favorite album, or wearing a cute, stylish workout gear. Spice it up by using different equipment such as ankle or wrist weights, jump rope, or a ball. The icing on the cake: give yourself a healthy pre and/or post workout reward: smoothie, protein bar, or a favorite healthy meal. You know yourself best.

3. Feed My Body What It Needs – I’m not a nutritionist or doctor but I’ve heard for ages that fruits and vegetables are good for the body. They contain the vitamins and nutrients that the body needs. It sounds simple. I’ve always known this but it wasn’t a consistent habit for me to eat both food groups everyday.

What really helped shape my diet was finding fun recipes, such as Korean Bibimbap, to cook simple vegetables like zucchini, cucumber and spinach. Knowing that I could prepare vegetables in a tasty way motivated me to eat them more. Also YouTube is filled with countless nutritious recipes.

Living in Korea has influenced my style of eating. Typical Korean cuisine includes a main meat dish, a small portion of rice, and many side dishes called banchan. The side dishes consist mostly of vegetables like cabbage, radish, spinach, cucumber, zucchini, egg plant, chives, broccoli, carrots and scallions. They’re prepared to perfection with sweet, savory or spicy flavors.

I try to have a minimum of one side dish for dinner. Other things I started being intentional about are: eating a balanced meal with smaller portions of rice, drinking 8 cups of water a day, eating 1 – 2 servings of fruit and vegetable a day, limiting sugar intake (eg. choosing sugar free yogurt and cutting out sweetened milk, except soybean drinks).

There are so many changes a person can make. Start by taking one step towards a healthier you. Since living in Korea, I rarely consume soda, juice, candy, fried or frozen foods. I’ve never been keen on eating them. Occasionally I like having Korean fried chicken. It’s the epitome of perfection! Living in a country that values communal eating and being in a rural town definitely limits my chances to order eat out and dine solo.

4. Limit Snacking – Unless a person is snacking on fruits, vegetables and nuts, then the other options are typically processed goodies. Yes, goodies. I love my Choco and Custard Pies. Here are 6 Korean Snacks You Must Try. For some people it’s cookies or candy. Because they taste good, it’s so easy to eat a few at a time. Without realizing it, the calories start to add up. These snacks are usually high in sugar, salt or both. I remind myself to have one, or two maybe once or twice a week.

At my school, it’s common to see people brushing their teeth immediately after eating lunch. Don’t say kimchi! There might be a red pepper flake in your teeth. I started incorporating this habit as a way to curb snacking. What I’ll do is I’ll add a snack or two right after lunch or dinner then I brush my teeth immediately. Now I have fresh breath, clean teeth and no desire to ruin it by eating until the next meal or the following day.

5. Maintain A Positive, Healthy Mindset, Especially about Food – Having a positive mindset helps in all areas of our lives, especially when it comes to food. I try to see healthy food as means to bring greater wellness and balance to my body. If it’s not healthy then it brings sickness and disorder. I want neither of those.

I’ve always hated eating walnuts though I know they’re high in omega-3 fats and antioxidants. I still don’t like the taste very much but I recently started eating them because they’re used in Korean instant tea powders. The instant tea mixes sometimes have pieces of nuts in them. They’re perfect for a breakfast or late evening drink.

I recently read somewhere that the teas can help with weight management. I didn’t know this prior to drinking them, I just knew they taste pretty good. Since my favorite Job’s Tear tea has walnuts in them, from then on I figured they’re not so bad after all. Incorporating the healthy foods we struggle to eat, with the healthy foods we like, can change our mindset about them.

The start to a positive mindset about food begins by understanding behavior surrounding food. Am I eating to indulge or nourish myself? Indulgence can sometimes refer to giving into something unhealthy and consuming it in excess amounts. A person may eat to cope with their problems or use it as a form of abuse. This can lead to weight gain and health problems. Nourishing foods are thoughtfully chosen, with respect to proportion and nutrition; they are meant to promote growth, health and good condition.

*FYI: Sitting on a mat or using a makeshift standing table at home does wonder for knee pains. This isn’t a lifestyle change but it has helped me a lot. Instead of sitting on a chair and having my knees bent, I’d sit on a mat on the floor. This allows my legs to be extended on an even leveled surface. It also helps when I rest my foot on a stool when sitting down. You can make a makeshift standing table with a box shaped item in your house (eg. packaging box). Standing up allows blood to properly circulate the body.

Since I started implementing these five changes my body and mind feels much better. Being able to lose the few pounds and maintain my weight is also very empowering. What really motivated my decision to change was reading about the cause of diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure. Understanding cause and prevention methods allowed me to make conscious, informed choices.

Making lifestyle changes aren’t easy. In all this, I needed to be patient with myself because change takes time. Taking preventative measures puts us in charge of our health. Sometimes we will need strong motivations to start and stay consistent. Find what works for you. For some it may be listening to podcasts, reading articles, research papers, studies, testimonials, joining a community workout groups, getting a personal trainer or nutritionist.

Every day I remind myself that change doesn’t happen in one day. Start small and take bigger steps as you develop new habits. Talk to your doctor about any changes you’re considering. Pace yourself. Be patient, even when you’re not seeing immediate results. Set goals. Hold yourself accountable. Celebrate even the smallest wins. If you fall short or miss the mark, it’s okay. Go back to the drawing board. Keep going. Rest but don’t give up. You can do it. I’m rooting for you!