Why Are Vietnamese People So Thin? (5 Tips For Weight Loss)

If you have traveled to Vietnam or other Asian countries, you’ve probably noticed how thin Asians are in comparison to many Americans.

So, how do they stay so thin and fit?

It’s not necessarily a secret but more so their culture and their cuisine. We’ll go over some tips and tricks in this article about what Vietnamese people do differently to stay in shape.

Vietnamese people are very aware of how much they consume in a day and practice portion control very well which translates to staying slim. Also, Vietnamese cuisine focuses on many different fibrous vegetables and fresh ingredients, so you can expect the foods to be lower in calories.

However, surprisingly Vietnamese people live more of an inactive lifestyle and feel indifferent about fitness or exercise in general. Their average steps per day are about 3,600 steps, which is 1,400 fewer steps than the global average of 5,000 steps. And although the Vietnamese lifestyle is more inactive, their obesity rate is the lowest globally.

So what’s their secret?

In this article, we’re going to discuss what Vietnamese people do to stay in shape and how you can implement those same healthy habits into your lifestyle as well.

Here are the five major tips that can help you stay thin like many people in Vietnam.

1. Vietnamese People practice Portion Control
2. Vietnamese People incorporate Less Dairy and Oil Into Their Meals
3. Vietnamese People eat Fresh Ingredients
4. Vietnamese People eat Whole, Unprocessed foods.
5. Vietnamese People eat Fewer Carbs

Let’s get into more detail about what Vietnamese people do differently and how you can implement these same habits into your life to stay in shape.

How To Lose Weight In General

The most important aspect of losing weight is to figure out how many calories you can consume in a day.

Weight loss or, more importantly, fat loss is the concept of eating fewer calories in order to put your body in a caloric deficit.

There are a few factors that determine your daily calorie intake. Such as weight management, weight loss, or weight gain. Other factors that play a big role, are your gender and your height.

So, how do you know how many calories you should be eating in a day?

The answer is through trial and error and finding a calorie range that allows you to lose 1-2 pounds of fat per week.

However, a good place to start is to multiply your body weight by 12 or to use an online TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) calculator.

Your TDEE relies heavily on how active you are and how much movement you see in your day.

Within your TDEE lies a subsection, which is called TEPA (Thermic Effect of Physical Activity) which accounts for 15-30% of your entire day’s worth of calories.

This means, you are in control of 15-30% of how much you can eat, which is a huge portion of calories.

The key here is to find foods that keep you full longer and still deliver a balanced amount of macronutrients.

The common mistake that many people make, is to think they ate the right amount of calories for the day but when they track back the list of food they ate for the day, they likely ate more calories than they were permitted to.

Keep in mind that there is definitely a difference between losing weight and losing fat.

If you’re looking to lose fat then you must be exercising and lifting weights on a daily basis.

So, to sum it up, lose fat by eating at a caloric deficit and lift weights 2-3 times a week to see some substantial results.

A good place to start is to multiply your body weight by 12 and adjust the calories if your weight does not change.

So, let’s say that you weigh 140 pounds. You need to eat around 1,680 calories in a day to lose some fat this week.

If your weight goes up or stays the same, then you need to drop your calories by a small amount until it does.

Eating less, however, is not enough and is actually not recommended unless you know your macronutrient ratio.

Along with eating in a caloric deficit, make sure you are eating a well-balanced ratio of protein, carbs, and fat while building some muscle.

After every 10 pounds you lose, you should take a small break from dieting and then dive into a new calorie range that comes from multiplying your new weight by 12.

So what are some tips that will help us eat less and get into a caloric deficit?

Let’s see what Vietnamese people do and try to implement those habits into your daily lives.

Tip 1: Vietnamese People practice Portion Control

Portion control plays a big part in Vietnamese lifestyles. Since the portions are smaller, the ingredients fresher, and the meals simpler, it helps with digestion. It is also important to drink a lot of water throughout the day and with your meals, as it helps to feel full and therefore helps prevent to overeat.

So the question is, “Should I implement smaller portions in my life?”

Well, it depends on your calorie range that we figured out in the intro section of this article.

Something to keep in mind when eating smaller portions, however, is to add high protein items such as fish, tofu, or lean meat, as these foods expedite lean muscle building and keeps you satiated as you put your body through fewer calories.

The key aspect is to understand how many calories you need to eat in a day and to make sure not to overeat on your total accounted calories for the day.

Tip 2: Vietnamese People incorporate Less Dairy and Oil Into Their Meals

Another reason why Vietnamese people are slim is because they incorporate less dairy and oil in their dishes.

However, southern Vietnamese cuisine is different than northern Vietnamese dishes and often tends to be oilier, sweeter, and spicier with the use of MSG, as well as more exotic vegetables and fruits. Northern Vietnamese cuisine is more influenced by Chinese and French cuisine.

Keep in mind that oil doesn’t mean it’s bad for you, it’s important to incorporate healthy fats into your diet to actually lose weight. It also helps the body absorb vitamins and minerals. Healthy fats include avocado oil, extra virgin olive oil, or coconut oil.

However, in comparison, Americans don’t eat many healthy fats but more so fats high in trans- and saturated fats, such as butter, margarine, and vegetable oil, as well as animal fats such as bacon or sausages.

Therefore try to stick to healthy fats (30% for the daily ratio) and cut out fat hidden in processed foods.

Tip 3: Vietnamese People eat Fresh Ingredients

The reason why Vietnamese cuisine is so highly praised is because of the use of fresh fish, herbs, vegetables, and fruits.

Vegetables are really the key to dieting as they are very fibrous and expedite the fat loss process by allowing us to feel more satiated without consuming too many calories.

Vietnamese cuisine contains many fresh fruits and vegetables, such as herbs, homemade bean sauce, fish sauce, and shrimp paste, as well as fresh fish and seafood, fresh herbs such as lemongrass, Vietnamese mint, coriander, Saigon cinnamon, Thai basil leaves. In addition, Vietnamese people also eat a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits.

Common vegetables and fruits found in Vietnamese cuisine are; cabbage, carrot, bitter melon, celery, cauliflower, cucumber, chili peppers, water spinach, radish, coconut, mango, mangosteen, papaya, persimmon, watermelon, and star fruit among others.

In Vietnamese culture, most vegetables used have medicinal properties.

One of many popular Vietnamese dishes is Pho. Which is a soup made with either pork, chicken, or beef stock, rice noodles, scallions, coriander, meat or fish balls, and served with limes, chilies, and herbs such as mint, basil, and cilantro. It is also the national dish of Vietnam and is often eaten for breakfast or lunch.

Tip 4: Vietnamese People eat Whole, Unprocessed foods.

Here in the states, many Americans don’t have the time to cook after a long day of work so they tend to order in or grab processed frozen foods, which are high in calories, carbs, fat, and sodium but low in proteins.

Vietnamese people always cook fresh food, as the majority of the food you consume should come from whole foods. Whole, unprocessed foods are healthier, contain more fiber and nutrients are healthier overall as they will help get you full faster and keep you full, preventing you to overeat.

Aside from Vietnamese food being fresh and nutritious, it is also affordable, simple, and delicious.

Vietnamese people are also not wasteful - due to economic reasons many live in poverty - therefore Vietnamese people use any part of a farm animal - from muscle meat to the intestines - to save money. The top-quality cuts from cows and pigs are used for stir-frys, and other dishes, while the left-over cuts are used for soups and blood sausages.

In comparison to other Asian cuisines - such as Thai - Vietnamese focuses on raw, fresh veggies to be consumed. Vietnamese people also use every part of vegetables. Scallions, for example, are used for flavor in food but also to be replanted.

However, Vietnamese cuisine also contains delicious street food which is often fried and higher in calories, fat, sodium, and sugar. Such as Cha Gio which is deep-fried spring rolls, filled with pork, crab meat, vermicelli, and bean sprouts, served with nuoc cham dipping sauce, tapioca flour cakes stuffed with bean paste or sugar cubes, greasy Chinese breadsticks, and Vietnamese fried dough among other tasty street foods.

Tip 5: Vietnamese People watch Their Carbs Intake

There are quite a few carbs available in Vietnamese dishes, such as rice noodles, rice, and bread. However, Vietnamese people actually don’t overeat on carbs and eat them in small amounts throughout the day.

You can easily overeat on unhealthy, processed foods that are high in fats and carbs, especially when something is as delicious as Pho or Banh Mi. Overeating is usually the quickest way to get out of shape.

Make sure not to cut out carbs completely and add some healthy fats into your diet as well. However, you don’t want most of your calories to come from carbs either, you want there to be a balance.

For us Americans, chances are you are eating too many carbs for a more sedentary lifestyle. That’s why it’s more important to actively seek out exercise and fitness,

However, keep in mind that carbs aren’t bad though. Carbs can be your friends as they are a source of direct energy throughout your day, as long as you work out.

A good rule of thumb for dieting is keeping a nice balance of macronutrients. A great ratio is sticking to 30% carbs, 40% protein, and 30% fats.

ANOTHER TIP:

Vietnamese people never rush their food and always sit down to enjoy their meals throughout the day.

If you can, always sit down for a meal and eat without any distraction to enjoy every bite.

Include a Workout Routine that Works Best with Your Lifestyle

Although Vietnamese people might not be as active, due to different reasons, a change of diet alone doesn’t help to lose weight and build muscle.

Therefore we do recommend incorporating a workout plan that suits your lifestyle best.

So, how do you add activity level into your life here in Los Angeles?

Here in the states you definitely have to seek out exercise and make sure that you’re not just sitting in the office or living sedentary lifestyles.

This means you need to take some time in your days to get the same amount of steps that people in fast-paced cities do as well.

Getting a reliable treadmill (check it out bluefin fitness) is definitely the way to go here.

You should aim for 8,000-10,000 steps in a day and making a habit to walk on the treadmill throughout the week will get you there.

More than just movement, however, is building muscle.

We recommend to start lifting some weights, as lifting weights is the fastest way to slim down and build muscle.

So, “what is the importance of building muscle?”

Building muscle is great because it allows us to burn more calories at rest. This means that we can eat more and still stay lean.

The key here is to burn fat, by being in a caloric deficit and build muscle by training with resistance.

All you need to work out at home, are a couple of dumbbells and a couple of hours in your day.

Here is our pick for some adjustable dumbbells (check it out on Amazon) you can purchase to get started with training in the safety of your own home.

For women, we recommend a 3-day workout split that incorporates a full upper day, a pull-day, and a leg & butt day.

You still want to work out the same muscles as guys do. The more muscle the better.

Muscle increases metabolism which allows you to eat more and still stay skinny. So, here is an example workout split for women:

Day One (Full Upper):

Seated Shoulder Press: 4x20
Lateral Raises: 4x15
Lat Pulldowns: 4x12
Dumbbell Row: 3x10
Dumbbell Fly: 3x10
Knee Push-Ups: 4x20
Weighted Crunches: 3x35

Day Two (Back/Hamstrings/Biceps):

Assisted Pull-Ups: 3x10
Lat Pulldowns: 4x12
Cable Row: 4x15
Stiff Leg Deadlift: 4x15
Hamstring Curl: 4x15
Bicep Curls: 3x10
Hammer Curls: 3x10

Day Three (Legs/Butt/Abs):

Squats: 5x5
Goblet Squats: 4x20
Glute Bridge: 4x20
Glute Kickbacks: 4x20 each leg
Jump Squats: 4x20
Weighted Crunches: 3x35
Leg Lifts: 3x35

For men, we recommend a push, pull, legs workout split. Which is a split that incorporates all muscle groups.

Push days require you to work out; chest, shoulders, triceps (anything that involves you to push).
Pull days require you to work out; back, (lats, traps), and biceps.
Leg days require you to work out your legs and some abs usually.

Here is an example workout plan that you can implement:

Day One (Push Day):

- Incline Bench: 5x5

- Incline Dumbbell Press: 4x12

- Incline Dumbbell Fly: 3x10
- Seated Shoulder Press: 4x12
- Lateral Raises: 4x15
- Rear Delt Fly: 4x15
- Tricep Pushdowns:3x10
- 50 close grip pushups

Day Two (Pull Day):

Assisted Pull-Ups: 4x10
Lat Pulldowns: 4x12
Dumbbell Row: 3x10 (on each arm)
Cable Rows: 4x15
Bicep Curls: 3x10
Hammer Curls: 3x10

Day Three (Leg Day):

Squats 5x5
Goblet Squats: 4x20
Walking Lunges: 4x20
Weighted Crunches 3x35
Leg Lifts: 3x35

For beginners these workouts might be a little intimidating, just look up how to do these on YouTube and you’ll definitely get the hang of it.

THERE IT IS!

In this article, we learned that Vietnamese people practice portion control, use less dairy and oil in their diet, incorporate fresh ingredients, as well as eat fewer unprocessed foods and watch their carbs.

Make sure to implement these same habits into your life and you’ll see a huge difference in how you will look and feel.