Harmonious Resonance Between Weight Loss and Life: Reshaping Healthy Habits Through Smiling, Chewing, and the Heart of Love

There are no limits to the pursuit of beauty, and hard work never goes to waste. I first met news anchor Zhao Yuzhong when I was in my first year of high school. At the time, Yuzhong was hosting the segment "Friends! I Love You, Thank You" on KBS's "First News Today" in Daegu. I was a high school girl who had participated in that segment, and I mentioned on the show that my dream was to work in television. Yuzhong encouraged me and left a deep impression on me. Later, after Yuzhong transferred from Daegu to KBS in Seoul, I also became a comedian selected through KBS's open auditions. Although we participated in many programs together, he didn't recognize me (it's really not easy to recognize someone who's lost so much weight, haha), which made me a little disappointed. I hesitated whether to greet him first, but unexpectedly, I became shy and timid. Although some people don't believe I'm shy, it's true that I'm naturally shy and reserved. I felt a little awkward meeting Yu Zhong after seven years, so I didn't have the courage to tell him that the Mei Zhen I knew now was the same Mei Zhen from back then. Since we worked at the same TV station, we met again soon after participating in a quiz show together. Before the recording, during a writer interview, I finally had the chance to talk about my connection with Yu Zhong. He was immediately surprised and asked, "You're that girl?" He said that 17-year-old Mei Zhen was chubby, but the current Mei Zhen had lost a lot of weight, so he hadn't realized it was the same person. A few days later, we participated in the recording of the show "Full of Leisure" together. Yu Zhong praised me, saying, "You've become even more beautiful than a few days ago." This was the sentence I heard most often after losing weight. I know that when people say "beautiful" to me, it doesn't mean the same thing as saying "beautiful" to a beautiful woman; I know they mean that I've become "more beautiful than before," indicating that I'm improving little by little every day. I never imagined that Quan Meizhen, who used to strive to eat more, would now strive for "beauty." Before, I couldn't understand the phrase "beauty has no limits," but now I completely understand; the pursuit of beauty truly has no limits. During a high school recording, my forehead was dripping with sweat from the scorching lights, and the thoughtful Yu Zhong wiped it away with his shirt sleeve. I hope he has good luck in the future. A smile is the most beautiful language, and it can even slim your face! A smiling face or a crying face-which is more pleasing? A smiling face, of course! Even if it's not a hearty laugh, a slight upturn of the corners of the mouth can create a favorable impression and leave a good feeling. Just seeing a smiling face can make people feel happy and joyful. Even a pig, a smiling pig is more likable than a gloomy one. However, smiling naturally and charmingly is not easy; smiling requires practice. I used to bite down hard on chopsticks, imagining my lips curving upwards, and hold the position for a minute to train my smiling muscles. When practicing, it's important to only hold the chopsticks with your lips. Whether watching TV or reading, I practice whenever I have a spare moment, which is why I can skillfully use my facial muscles to show a natural smile anytime, anywhere. Thanks to this, I often hear people say, "You have a beautiful smile." Simply raising the corners of your mouth engages facial muscles, preventing sagging cheeks and achieving a lifting effect on the face-killing two birds with one stone, the benefits are endless. But I'm not suggesting you smile broadly when your friend fails an exam (that's absolutely not what I mean). Besides, you might get a dirty look from your friend, so please be careful, hahaha. Always chew slowly and thoroughly; eating large bites easily leads to weight gain. Every time I go to the supermarket, I always see large bags of cookies on sale or on promotion, which makes me buy them to save money. Even though I constantly remind myself to "eat them in portions, not all at once." But usually, once I open a cookie bag, I eat it all up, leaving nothing behind. Even if I can't finish it all at once, I'll keep opening the bag to sneak a bite because my hands are itching. For me, only when I see the bowl and plate empty do I feel "finished," "have a proper meal," and "feel satisfied," not because "I'm full." Perhaps that's why I always finish all the food in front of me at once. It seems my real stomach is in my "brain," not my stomach. To fill the stomach in my brain, after I started losing weight, I switched to children's tableware. I didn't tell my younger brother, but when he saw me putting my usual portion of rice into a children's bowl, he actually said, "That's too much rice!" In other words, if you use smaller children's tableware, even with the same amount of rice, it visually appears to be more, creating a psychological illusion that satisfies the stomach in your brain. Using children's tableware and chopsticks helps reduce food intake. By utilizing this psychological illusion, even at a buffet, you can adjust your food intake. Using smaller dessert plates instead of large ones, and eating with a children's spoon smaller than a regular spoon, can help reduce food intake. Furthermore, eating with a small spoon takes longer than with a regular spoon, reducing food intake and adjusting eating speed, making the brain think it has "eaten a lot," thus creating a feeling of fullness. "Chewing slowly" is very important for dieters. Although eating quickly can temporarily eliminate hunger, the brain must feel "full" to be truly satisfied. It takes at least 20 minutes from eating to feeling full; therefore, people who wolf down their food will still feel unsatisfied even when their stomachs are full and will eat more. During weight loss, I suggest not worrying about etiquette like "don't pick through food with chopsticks." Be selective when eating! (Of course, this means choosing from your own bowl.) This is how you achieve a slim figure. Because I use chopsticks, I can eat only small amounts of food; when drinking soup, I can eat only the ingredients and not drink the broth (high-sodium soup is a no-no for weight loss, so please don't drink it!). Remember! Don't use overeating to fill the emptiness inside. I often hear people say, "You're always so cheerful," "You're always full of energy," "You're always so happy," "You're always full of vitality." Yes, I am a positive person, I worked hard to lose weight, and after that effort, I naturally became who I am today. However, even I, like many others, shed tears many times during my weight loss journey. Because I didn't want anyone to see my vulnerable, weak side, I would secretly hide and cry whenever I wanted to, or cry while washing my face; cry when I sweated from exercising; deliberately get caught in the rain, then run while crying, thinking, "Why did I have to be so fat to suffer like this?" and even blaming myself. Only when I saw my rain-soaked clothes clinging to my body, my bulging belly exposed, did I burst into laughter. However, I did indeed go through many difficult times while trying to lose weight. Thinking back to that time, that day, I feel gratified and inexplicably moved. Losing weight must not be rushed; the more rushed you are, the more likely you are to overeat. One day, I was taking a walk in the park near my home, feeling relaxed and happy. Suddenly, I saw a chubby girl sobbing. It seemed that if I went up to her and spoke to her, her tears would immediately burst forth. Looking back now, I don't know where I got the courage, but I actually walked towards that girl. Perhaps it was compassion! I went up to her and started talking. "Are you feeling bad?" (I wasn't wearing makeup, and my hat was pulled down very low; she couldn't possibly recognize me. Besides, the difference between me with and without makeup is huge, hahaha.) But she just looked at me blankly with a "What's wrong with me?" expression. Perhaps my sincere expression successfully conveyed my concern for her, so we started chatting. One sentence she said really stuck with me: "My stomach is full, but my heart feels so empty." I've experienced the weight loss process, both for the severely obese and for the average person, and the emotional struggle of maintaining a slim figure afterward. Therefore, I understand perfectly what that "empty feeling" means. I think impatience, anger, and the tendency to unconsciously say stressful things are all related to this emptiness. Because no one understood my feelings, only food could fill the void in my heart, which is why I kept eating, then regretting it and hating my own weak will. Although my weight loss journey wasn't successful at the time, I still told this young woman my story. We still keep in touch. During that time, she successfully lost weight once, but then experienced a rebound due to the "yo-yo effect," creating a vicious cycle. Now, she's continuing her weight loss journey and is maintaining a good condition. When trying to lose weight, we often become impatient, eager to escape the dreaded rebound period. This impatience leads to a feeling of emptiness, which we mistakenly interpret as hunger, resulting in overeating and indiscriminate consumption. Remember, no matter how much food you eat, the emptiness inside won't disappear! A desire for romance is also key to weight loss. Among my friends, some are very good at dating and always have boyfriends; others are not good at dating and are always single. But I find the most amazing coincidence to be that those who are good at dating are usually also good at losing weight; those who are not good at dating usually don't know much about losing weight. I think perhaps those who are good at dating and losing weight share a common trait: they are all "shrewd"! That's right!It's the kind of fox that first flashes through your mind! A friend of mine seems to have more fox tails than a nine-tailed fox; I still remember the book she read in high school, "How to Become a Bad Fox." Back then, I looked at her with disappointment as she read that book, sighing deeply several times; now, it's her turn to sigh deeply at me. Oh dear, don't be scared off by the saying "people who can't date aren't good at losing weight either," there are exceptions, and "I" am a perfect example. While I'm not good at dating, I'm an expert when it comes to losing weight! Choose your food carefully; a moment of indulgence is the easiest way to regret it. People I know (will my friend realize I'm talking about her?) always say they feel like they're being led astray by bad men when they date them. Oh no, they've already been led astray, and they break up because they're heartbroken. But a fox? Not only is she not led astray, but she also exudes a powerful charm that makes men obediently surrender. When dieting, you shouldn't eat unhealthy foods like fried chicken, hamburgers, sugary drinks, and cookies. Some people, after blindly avoiding these foods, experience a surge in psychological dissatisfaction, leading to an explosive craving for junk food. This transforms days of suffering into stress-induced binge eating, resulting in a futile endeavor. In contrast, foxes eat their food with salads or order à la carte instead of set meals; when eating greasy food, they replace carbonated drinks with water. Compared to enjoying food directly, they minimize fat intake and eat in moderation. The bittersweet nature of love and weight loss prevents us from doing whatever we want. Foxes possess the ability to balance everything, thus eating healthily and living comfortably. Whether it's love or weight loss, let's become foxes and enjoy it to the fullest! Drink less sugary drinks to avoid feeling hungrier. Eating greasy food with carbonated drinks not only causes nutritional imbalances but also leads to excessive fat intake. Furthermore, the sugar in carbonated drinks causes rapid spikes and drops in blood sugar, quickly inducing hunger and causing us to eat more, ultimately leading to obesity.