Shocked by the Scale After Tet
N. (Hanoi, 30 years old) could not hide his shock upon seeing the number on the digital scale after the extended Tet holiday: a 7kg increase, bringing his weight to over 90kg.
The Tet holiday, filled with beer and rich foods, caused his weight to increase uncontrollably.
From the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month until now, N. has been immersed in a series of gatherings with friends and relatives, from year-end parties to class reunions and New Year’s meet-ups.
He shared: “It’s been a long time since I returned to my hometown, and I couldn’t refuse invitations from relatives for parties. Every day, there was at least one drinking session,” N. recounted.
At each session, N. drank 6-7 cans of beer, accompanied by a feast overflowing with high-energy Tet specialties like pork sausage (gio), spring rolls (cha), and sticky rice cake (banh chung)…
Endless drinking parties throughout Tet cause many young people to suffer from weight gain (Photo: Minh Nhat).
These never-ending drinking parties, combined with an inactive lifestyle, caused N.’s weight to skyrocket. “I couldn’t believe the number on the scale,” N. sighed.
Notably, anticipating post-Tet weight gain like in previous years, N. had planned to invite friends for a run to burn calories before the holiday.
He woke up at 5:30 AM to run 5km. However, this discipline only lasted a mere two days. “The biting cold weather and the Tet atmosphere made it impossible for me to overcome my laziness,” he admitted.
Looking at the messages for early spring gatherings from his friend groups and colleagues… N. understood that the “Tet lifestyle” would continue. This also meant that his journey to regain his physique would become even more distant.
A Year of Gym Efforts Vanishes Because of Tet
Chi (25 years old, Hanoi), working in media and events, spared no expense over the past year to hire a personal trainer (PT) to help her maintain her physique through gym sessions.
After much time, effort, and money, Chi achieved an enviable physique. However, after a “no-holds-barred” Tet holiday, all her year-long efforts immediately vanished.
Chi couldn’t resist the allure of the Tet feast, laden with fried and stir-fried dishes.
The overflowing Tet meal is Chi’s “enemy” for her physique (Photo: Provided by character).
“I rarely ate fried dishes before, but seeing them during Tet made me crave them,” she confessed.
The feeling of “eating to your heart’s content” intensified when her nieces and nephews came from the countryside to the capital to visit. Chi continuously took the whole family out to eat.
With the mindset that “Tet is a time to rest and gather with family, if you diet too strictly, there’s no joy left,” the young woman put aside counting the calories she consumed daily.
When the holiday concluded, Chi was startled to see the number on the scale had surpassed the 50kg mark.
After the holiday, Chi was “horrified” when she stepped on the scale (Photo: Provided by character).
Currently, Chi’s refrigerator is still packed with leftover banh chung, gio, and chicken from the Tet days. Knowing this will be the family’s menu for at least a week to “clear out the stock,” she has to temporarily put aside her weight loss plan.
Similar to Chi, My (27 years old, Soc Son), a sports enthusiast, regularly played badminton after work and enjoyed cycling around West Lake on her days off.
However, after returning to her hometown to celebrate Tet with her family, her exercise habits were almost “forgotten.”
My’s family has a tradition of making sweet banh chung during Tet, which is her favorite dish.
“Every year, I can eat 4-5 banh chung,” My shared, admitting she couldn’t resist the allure of this cake, even though she knew it contained a lot of calories.
My’s “overflowing” refrigerator with banh chung after Tet (Photo: Provided by character).
Tet is not only an occasion to enjoy delicious food but also a time to relax. However, for many like Chi and My, this is also when their goal of maintaining a good figure becomes distant.
The Tet Food “Trap”
MSc. Dr. Doan Du Manh, a member of the Vietnam Association of Vascular Diseases, advises that after the Tet holiday, if eating and living habits are not adjusted early, the body can easily encounter problems. Indulgent eating, combined with beer, alcohol, and high-calorie foods, will harm the digestive system, cardiovascular system, and liver.
The principle for safe weight loss is still to adequately supplement all types of nutrients in the diet, such as protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals, but we introduce a lower energy level into the body compared to what is being consumed.
Each day, an adult needs to expend approximately 1,800-2,200 kcal depending on gender and activity level. If too much is consumed without exercise, the body will store excess energy. Therefore, in addition to a reasonable diet, maintaining physical activities such as walking and cycling is very important for effective weight loss.
