Hello everyone. I'm 28 and for the last year and a half or so I've been living in South Korea. I have a sweet job as a professor at a small university. The pay sucks but I get five months or so vacation every year so it's tough to walk away from. Anyway, over the summer I went home for a month to see friends and family, shop, and eat all the delicious things I can't get here. I gained 8 lbs. In a month. Came back to Korea and almost all of my pants were too small. I worry that my students are looking at me going, "aren't those the same pants she had on last class? And the one before that?" And I can't shop here. They just rip the items out of your hands while yelling, "no big size!" So, I started working out simply because I can't afford to buy all new clothes and have them shipped from America.

Being in another country makes dieting doubly difficult. I can't read nutrition information, or even the ingredients. They don't have much in the way of fat-free, at least I don't think so. And good healthy foods that I love are tough or impossible to get- i.e. cottage cheese, oatmeal, whole wheat anything. Sometimes I think I need to leave my wonderful job just so I can have an unlimited supply of fat-free Cool Whip.

Korean food is delicious, and actually quite healthy, but like everything, gets old after a while. And of course white rice is served with EVERYTHING!

In any case, I'm looking forward to slimming down and hope his forum makes it easier to stay on track.

As you may remember from another thread, I'm in Japan and in much the same boat as you. It is harder to lose weight in countries where there are no fat-free or low fat options. Meat in Asian countries always has plenty of fat for some reason.

I have been making all of my own food where the local alternatives are not desirable. You can make cottage cheese yourself from milk and vinegar, for instance. All you need to do is boil a liter of milk and stir in about 2-3 tbsp. of vinegar, allow it to sit at a low boil for about 5 more minutes, allow it to cool, scoop the curds into a cloth set up in a sieve and allow the whey to drain off. Certain types of milk work better than others. You have to try different types.

I also make my own whole wheat bread with a bread machine. Bread machines aren't so hard to come by here, and I imagine you might be able to get one in Korea as well. You might want to investigate resources and communities for expats on-line to see if any mail order places sell food frequently bought by Western folks. In Japan, there are two mail order places which sell foreign food and organics (including whole grain).

Finally, though I'm not recommending you buy new clothes, Land's End ships all over the world and carries many different sizes. Their prices are pretty reasonable. If it weren't for them, I'd have been out of luck as my sizes are not sold in Japan either (including shoes, which I can't buy here).

Good luck!

P.S. If you can find the Korean manufacturers web sites featuring their foods, you can use Google's translation tools to read nutrition information. Since most places put the company's URL on the product, this should make it easier for you, though it'll help if you can read a little Korean in places where graphics are used and translations are impossible.

Hi amazonian!

Glad to have you join us! There are lots & lots of different groups and forums - I'm sure you'll find some that will keep you motivated, inspired and entertained! There's also info and first hand advice on different plans to help you choose the right one for you and get you through the ups and downs. As you can tell with the great post from screamimgfatgirl, there are many here that can help with things that are particular to your situation.

There are bunches of people here with more to lose and some with less - the bottom line is that we all have to do it a day at a time. The good thing is that we'll have lots of company along the way.

I've only been here a short time myself, having NEVER been part of an online forum. What has been so eye-opening is how much it has helped me. Whenever I feel overwhelmed or defeated, I just log on and read some of the success stories, complete with their before & after photos - or read about others still dealing day to day with their challenges - and before I know it, the time has flown by and so have all the thoughts of cheating or giving up.

So welcome - you 've found the right place - join in by inspiring us and being inspired!

Hi and welcome to 3FC. Good luck with your goals.

Hugs
Michelle