Kimchi for weight loss, along with homemade bone broth, are the foundation of my first two weeks of dieting and changing my eating habits.
“Out of my adversity comes abundance”
Today’s affirmation
Week 2 – Why I am using kimchi soup to lose weight
I lost 8.4 pounds this week, eating only bone broth and kimchi (or kimchee, depending on how you wish to spell it).
Once a day I measure out two cups of broth, just under boiling, then add about 1 cup of kimchi. Optionally I can add small amounts of meat or other vegetables, including dried seaweed.
Last week I wanted to just have the most basic version of the dish for the beginning of my diet program. So no extra ingredients were added.
It is very flavorful, and spicy, of course. Aside from the normal ache for my good friend sugar, I have not felt any particular pangs of privation. My mind does try to default to old habits and inflict me with impulse eating. I had a hard time in the grocery store today, for example. But I have been successfully suppressing them.
Why am I using bone broth?
Bone broth and kimchi both have a reputation for healing and restorative properties. While not all the conclusions are in agreement, the fact is that both are gluten-free, low fat, dairy-free, and nearly sugar-free.
Bone broth is rich in dissolved collagen. People profess that bone broth is beneficial because the minerals extracted from the bones, along with the collagen, help restore collagen if you are suffering from arthritis or other ailments.
I’m in the camp that is more skeptical that you can “absorb” the collagen from broth, but I do think that there are benefits to bone broth that don’t rely on life-altering claims.
- Bone broth, especially gelatin rich broth, helps to abate hunger and make you feel full without a lot of calories.
- It improves mucus flow.
- The collagen provides a richer “mouth feel” than a plain broth, so it is more satisfying.
- There is some science to support that broth as some anti-inflammation properties.
So, for me, bone bone broth is a transport system for foods with more nutritional impact. Which is why I paired it with kimchi.
Why am I using kimchi for weight loss?
Kimchi contains fermented cabbage and other vegetables, fish sauce and ground pepper. Kimchi for weight loss is a practical, yet rarely talked about strategy. The factors that produce the fermentation process aid in building up good gut bacteria, lowering blood glucose levels, improving digestion, and losing weight.
It’s vegetarian (and can be made vegan), and cabbage is a great food to consume while dieting because of its high fiber and low calories. Loaded with lactobacilli, kimchi is good for gut health. It is full of probiotics that help fight off infection.
Rich in Vitamin A and antioxidant properties, kimchi has other components that have been shown to detoxify heavy metals in the liver and other organs (studies claim that bone broths can contain heavy metals).
The other ingredients: garlic, onions, radishes, chili peppers, and lactobacillic acid, have a host of benefits that include lowering cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, and improving the immune system.
How intermittent fasting works with bone broth and kimchi for weight loss
This bone broth and kimchi meal will be the only meal I have all day. I’m practicing a type of intermittent fasting most commonly called the “Eat-Stop-Eat” method of fasting. That means I eat once every 24 hours.
The idea is to kick-start my metabolism. I want to burn stored fat and not refill the tank with an overabundance of sugar and carbs. It is also to reduce my caloric intake overall and help reduce my blood glucose levels. It is one step in my diet plan that will reform my food preferences and eating habits.
I still get to have water and flavored drinks like tea, coffee or my turmeric tea. But other foods are off the table – literally.
I will dive more into my experiences with 24 hour fasting and how it is working or not working for me as my diet progresses. Pretty much over the next 16 weeks my diet is going to be on a 24 hour fast plan.
What I did right during Week 1:
- Drank my turmeric tea every morning
- Ate one meal a day according to program
- Weighed in at 246.4 pounds after one week of dieting
- Consumed an average of 96 ounces of water daily
- Meditated 40 minutes a day for 7 out of 7 days
- Got myself an exercise plan that I’m starting this week
