For many tourists to Thailand, one of the things they dislike about their vacation is how much weight they gain while they’re there. Not only is food dirt cheap in Thailand, it’s also everywhere. From top restaurants to small cafes, 7-11s to street stalls, you can find food at any time of the day or night, and many tourists do. To make sure you don’t gain weight while you’re on vacation in Thailand, follow these simple tips from a long-time Bangkok resident who’s ‘been there and done that’ when it comes to gaining tons of weight eating incredible Thai food.
Eat Lots of Fruit – Luckily Thailand is the world’s best country to buy fresh fruit, and it’s cheap. All over Thailand, you’ll see fruit vendors with fruit in small carts that they push all over town. The fruit is kept in a glass case and covered in ice, so it’s perfectly fresh and safe. In most places in Thailand, you’ll only pay 10 baht (30 cents) for a large bag of cut, fresh fruit. Choose from melons, guava, watermelon, pineapple, papaya and more, with each bag enough for a snack for two people. It’ll keep you thin too.
Drink Lots of Water – Bangkok is officially the world’s hottest city and the rest of Thailand isn’t that much cooler. Any tourist to the country should drink lots of iced water all day long to keep cool anyway but, the even better thing about drinking all that water, is how much it stops you from gaining weight. Before every snack or meal, drink a glass of water. It helps fill your stomach and stops you eating too much food.
Don’t Eat All the Rice – One thing many Thai women do, who are making sure they don’t gain weight, is to only eat half a portion of rice. At most restaurants and food stalls in Thailand, if you order a dish with rice you’ll get a full cup of cooked rice deposited on your plate with some type of meat or vegetable topping covering it. Before you start to eat, push half of the rice to one side of your plate and don’t eat it. Rice is high in carbohydrates, which turns to sugar in your body, and in a hot climate like Thailand, you’re already using less calories than you normally would at home. Not eating half the rice helps you not to gain weight on your Thailand vacation.
Spend a Lot of Time in Air Conditioning – If you’re worried about gaining weight on a vacation in Thailand, spend more time in air conditioning than lying on a beach. This includes air conditioned hotels, shopping malls, stores, sky trains, underground trains and taxis. Your body uses more calories trying to stay warm than it does trying to cool down while you lie on a beach, so avoiding the excessive heat in Thailand, and spending it in a freezing cold hotel or mall can help your body burn up more calories.
Walk to Tourist Attractions – If you do want to experience the true fascination of Thailand though, even if it’s hot – walk. You’ll get to see the unique sights of Thailand’s street culture – shops, restaurants, street stalls, markets, beggars, soi dogs, kids, street musicians and more. You’ll also burn up calories as your body sweats to cool down.
Drink Red Bull – Many of my Thai friends swear by Red Bull as a way to not gain weight. Red Bull is an energy drink but, unlike its watered down version in the west, it’s potent stuff in Thailand. I drink one bottle of Red Bull every day just to give me energy but, I have noticed since I started, I haven’t gained any weight. There’s around 175 calories in a small bottle of Red Bull, but it certainly gives you a boost of energy, which you’ll need anyway once you experience Thailand’s incredible heat. Just don’t mix it with alcohol, as that’s when it can get dangerous.
Drink Fitne Tea – Fitne Tea is a green tea sold in Thailand specifically for weight loss. Thai kickboxers use it to maintain or lose weight before a Muay Thai match, as well as Thai girls who are desperate to lose weight. Fitne is basically a natural herbal laxative, but you shouldn’t take too much of it as you’ll find yourself spending more time sitting on the toilet in your hotel room than you will on the beach. Fitne is available at any Thai supermarket or 7-11 and costs around $2 for a pack of 10 tea bags.
Staying thin on a vacation to Thailand is easy. Just don’t over eat and follow these quick tips. You’ll go home just as thin, or thinner, than when you got here.
