Dong NaiPracticing yoga, giving up sweets, limiting fried foods, and reducing starch helps Bui Thi Mai maintain a slim and toned body even at the age of 45.
Mai is currently an online fitness trainer with a height of 1.68 m and a weight of 57 kg.
In 2010, after giving birth twice, her health was no longer as stable as in her free time. The woman’s body seriously deteriorated, with symptoms of low blood pressure, fainting, insomnia, stomach pain, gallstones… The mother of two children’s skin also had many acne and darkened a lot.
“At that time, everywhere I went, everyone criticized me for being old and ugly, which made me gradually afraid to go out, leading to a nervous breakdown,” Mai said.
However, thinking of her two children, the mother stood up and wished to improve her health. Through examination, the doctor advised Mai to change the way she eats and exercises to improve. Up to now, she maintains a slim figure and healthy body.
Mai has maintained a slim figure and healthy body for many years. Image: Character provided
Below is the secret to help the mother of two children maintain a slim, toned body for many years:
Quit eating sweets
Mai does not follow a specific diet but gives up (artificial) sweets. However, this is a big challenge in her weight loss journey.
At first, the woman craved sweets so much that she bought a lot of sweet fruits to compensate. At the same time, drink water many times to reduce your body’s appetite. However, thanks to perseverance and determination, Mai overcame and formed this habit until now.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that each person should eat less than 25g of sugar a day (including drinking), half of what the average Vietnamese person eats today. Adults and children should reduce free sugar intake to less than 10% of total daily energy intake. If this ratio is less than 5%, equivalent to 25 g or 5 teaspoons, it will be more beneficial for health. Children under two years old should not have any foods or drinks with added sugar.
Limit fried foods
To keep her body from being hungry, Mai added boiled, steamed, braised dishes to her menu instead of fried, greasy foods.
According to doctor Huynh Tan Vu, Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital – Facility 3, when frying, food must come into contact with grease, which can be the cause of weight gain. In particular, dishes of animal origin when grilled at high temperatures will cause chemical changes, even the risk of forming carcinogenic substances, and will also be more difficult to digest when eaten. In general, steaming is the best way to prepare it, retaining maximum nutrients, so you should eat it regularly.
Reduce starch
The woman reduced the amount of rice in each meal, but did not cut it out completely because she believed that eating rice helps the brain function effectively.
Dr. Nguyen Trong Hung, Head of the Department of Adult Nutrition Examination and Consulting, National Institute of Nutrition, said the mistake many people make in the process of losing weight is cutting down or not eating starch.
Carbohydrates, the main components of starchy foods, play an important role in the body. In ancient times, when food was scarce, rice was the main source of energy. An adult can eat 3-4 bowls of rice per meal but is less likely to be overweight, obese or suffer from metabolic disorders. Nowadays, even though people try to reduce their starch intake, metabolic disorders still increase.
“The problem is that people are sedentary and eat a lot of protein and fat, causing excess fat, causing overweight and obesity,” Dr. Hung said.
Many people have the habit of eating rice during the day but cut down or even don’t eat starch in the evening for fear of gaining weight. This is inaccurate, Mr. Hung said. Starch, protein and fat are substances that produce energy, so not getting enough starch can cause weakness, affecting memory and work productivity. In fact, evening meals not only provide energy but also help improve sleep quality. In addition, loading starch in the evening is also very beneficial for cases at risk of hypoglycemia.
Besides, the mother of two children always prioritizes eating lots of fruit and drinking lots of water so that her body always gets enough necessary nutrients.
Mai fell in love with the job of an online yoga instructor after changing herself. Image: Character provided
Yoga
Initially, Mai chose to practice both aerobics, gym and yoga, but she felt yoga was suitable for her so she decided to stick with it. After changing her body shape and health thanks to yoga, Mai also became interested in working as an online trainer for this subject.
Mai currently practices and teaches yoga 2 hours a day, morning and afternoon. When she feels she is gaining weight, she practices some abdominal exercises to burn fat effectively.
Yoga helps reduce excess body fat, prevents fat accumulation in the liver, helps increase blood circulation, and improves overall health. Yoga exercises such as Kapaalbhati (breath of fire), Matsyasana (fish pose), Dhanurasana (bow pose)… stimulate and support liver function. In addition, practicing yoga regularly also helps women improve their health, balance hormones and sleep better.
From her own experience, Mai has guided and helped many people lose weight and stay in shape successfully. She advises people to persevere in practicing sports, try to overcome it, and not get discouraged.
“If you get through the first 6 months, everything won’t be too difficult anymore because after the body’s biological rhythm gets used to it, it won’t depend on food, and exercise will naturally be disciplined,” Mai said.