Girl ‘turned ugly duckling into a swan’ after losing 24 kg

Bao Ngoc sells clothes online, mostly sitting in one place consulting customers, selling products, no time to exercise. Before losing weight, Ngoc weighed 70 kg, was 1.55 m tall, and considered “eating well is the reason for living”. Having been chubby since childhood, she got used to being teased about her appearance. However, gradually her weight made it difficult for her to move, she often felt dizzy when standing up and sitting down, and her blood was fatty. Sometimes, Ngoc tried to fast, but the more she fasted, the more she craved food, and her weight increased faster.

According to Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Head of the Department of Digestive Surgery, 108 Central Military Hospital, fasting is the first thing that 99% of people who want to lose weight think of. This is the most obvious way to cut calories and also brings certain effects. However, fasting incorrectly will cause unpredictable harm and affect health.

When fasting, the body is significantly deficient in nutrients, metabolism and energy conversion are also slowed down, leading to fatigue, affecting the ability to lose fat. Continuous fasting with high frequency can lead to bulimia or anorexia. In addition, this leads to memory loss, affects fertility, gastric reflux, and weakens the immune system.

Ngoc tried many weight loss methods, but all failed. She did not dare take weight loss pills, so she had to accept “living with a short, fat body for the rest of her life”.

At the end of 2023, Bao Ngoc gained weight quickly, making her body tired, sluggish, and unable to concentrate on work. She researched weight loss methods again, realized that diet affects 80% of the results, and decided to follow the deficit method.

The rule for losing weight is a calorie deficit, meaning the amount of calories you take in must be less than or equal to the amount of calories you burn. Calories you take in (calories in) a day include food and drinks. Calories you burn (calories out) are your metabolism, normal activities (including breathing or sleeping), and exercise.

Theo WebMDThere are two ways to increase your calorie deficit, including changing what you eat and exercising. However, it is possible to combine both for healthier, safer, and more effective weight loss. A calorie deficit is the most important element of weight loss, as opposed to forcing yourself to diet, which leads to an energy deficit.

Ngoc bought a scale, downloaded a calorie counting app, and consumed no more than 1,200 calories per day. Each meal, she consumed 300 to 400 calories. At first, Ngoc cut out all starch, which led to headaches, dizziness, difficulty concentrating, and irritability.

“Cutting carbs is a negative method that should not be used. It does not help you lose weight and also causes your health to deteriorate quickly,” she said.

With this method, Ngoc mainly eats rice at home to control calories, for example, a bowl of rice contains 200 calories, a plate of stir-fried beef provides 300-400 calories, a loaf of bread provides 400-500 calories, a bowl of vermicelli or pho is about 500 calories. She makes a habit of reading food labels to know the calories and ingredients of the food she will take in. “Slow and steady wins the race”, Ngoc gradually memorizes the calories in the food, not depending on the scale.

During the holidays, she still eats with everyone, only abstaining from sticky rice dishes such as sticky rice, banh chung, and sweet soup, and eating lots of vegetables. She does not eat fatty meat or the skin of meat or fish, eats bland foods, and limits sweet fruits such as mango and durian.

Ngoc weighs herself once a week to monitor her weight. In the first month, Ngoc lost 4 kg. After 7 months, she weighed 46 kg and has maintained her weight to this day.

“From size 4XL, I reduced to size XS or S, completely changing my wardrobe. This was like a turning point in my life,” Ngoc said.

Every day, she divides her meals into three to four small meals so as not to overeat. For snacks, Ngoc often eats fruit or yogurt. In addition to eating, she exercises, walks, and plays sports to make her body more toned. “The weight loss journey is not a battle, because I can still eat my favorite foods,” she said.

Having successfully lost weight, Bao Ngoc created a social media account to share her secrets. The photos went viral, becoming a suggestion for everyone to prepare quick, simple meals.

Thanks to losing weight, Ngoc’s work has become more favorable. From a seller of plus-size clothes, Ngoc imported more items in sizes S and XS. Looking at Ngoc with a 66 cm waist and 46 kg weight, many old customers did not recognize her. She said her life changed 360 degrees, like “an ugly duckling turning into a swan” after losing nearly half of her weight.

“There is no secret or standard of beauty, as long as you find it suitable and safe for your body, you are successful,” Ngoc said.