Expert advises against drastic measures to shed off weight gained during Chuseok

An expert advised against extreme weight-loss measures after Chuseok, saying people should return to normal eating and activity instead of fasting before and after the holiday in Seoul ahead of Chuseok. Kwon Young-geun of Korea University Anam Hospital said the scale increase often reflects water retention and food still in the digestive system, not just fat gain. He recommended portion control, vegetables and protein, regular walking, and avoiding fasting the day after overeating.

During Chuseok, people often eat more carbohydrates and salty foods than usual, which can increase water retention.

Kwon Young-geun is a professor at the Obesity and Metabolism Center at Korea University Anam Hospital.

He said rapidly losing weight before the holiday, overeating during it, and then fasting afterward is not an effective long-term strategy.

He advised preserving muscle mass by eating enough protein and combining walking with strength training.

Published Sep 27, 2026 12:05 am KST

Guide to managing your weight after feasting on holiday treats

Images created by ChatGPT

While many people look forward to the Chuseok holiday, some worry about what they will see on the scale, with generous servings of "jeon," or pan-fried battered dishes, braised short ribs, "japchae," or stir-fried glass noodles, and "songpyeon," or half-moon-shaped rice cakes, at every meal having long been a usual sight during family gatherings.

But an expert advised against extreme approaches to weight management.

“There is no need to repeatedly adjust your weight by fasting before and after the holiday, either to avoid Chuseok food staples altogether or out of guilt over eating too much,” Kwon Young-geun, a professor at the Obesity and Metabolism Center at Korea University Anam Hospital, said in an interview on Wednesday, ahead of the Chuseok holiday.

“The priority is to naturally return to your usual eating and activity patterns after the holiday.”

During the holiday, people tend to eat more carbohydrates and salty food than usual. When carbohydrate intake is high, excess glucose is stored in the liver and muscles in the form of glycogen, a process that also causes the body to retain water. Eating too much salty food can also cause the body to retain more water than usual. The weight of food that has not yet been digested adds to the total.

This means that a post-Chuseok increase in body weight reflects not only actual fat gain but also water retention and the weight of food in the digestive system.

Instead of resorting to drastic measures, it is therefore better to return to your usual eating habits and daily routine after the holiday and manage your weight over the following few days.

Avoiding Chuseok food altogether is not necessarily a realistic approach. Rather than denying yourself the foods you enjoy, it is important to manage how much and how often you eat them.

Instead of piling large portions of jeon, fried foods or braised short ribs onto your plate at once, serve yourself only what you intend to eat and take your time. It is also a good idea to include vegetables and protein-rich foods in your meals. Rather than banning songpyeon and desserts altogether, try reducing the amount you eat at a time.

Snacking after meals is another easy habit to overlook. Continuing to eat fruit, traditional Korean sweets, cookies and drink sugary beverages while chatting with family, even when you are already full, can significantly increase your overall intake. Once the meal is over, consider stepping away from the table and going for a walk with your family.

Maintaining your usual level of physical activity during the holiday is also important. There is no need for strenuous exercise. Simply taking a walk around the neighborhood with family after a meal or walking to nearby destinations can help.

Avoid fasting the day after eating too much

Above all, avoid extreme approaches to weight control. Rapidly losing weight before the holiday, overeating during the festivities and then fasting again is not an effective long-term weight management strategy. Maintaining healthy eating habits and exercising consistently is more important than quickly lowering the number on the scale.

Muscle mass can also decline during weight loss. Consuming enough protein and combining walking with strength training can help preserve muscle mass and physical function while managing weight.

This article from Kormedi.com, Korea’s top health care and medical portal, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.

一位专家建议，中秋​​节后不要采取极端的减肥措施，而是应该恢复正常的饮食和活动，而不是在首尔中秋节前后禁食。高丽大学安岩医院的权永根（音译）表示，体重增加通常反映的是水分滞留和消化系统中残留的食物，而不仅仅是脂肪增加。他建议控制食量，多吃蔬菜和蛋白质，定期散步，并避免在暴饮暴食后的第二天禁食。

中秋节期间，人们通常会比平时摄入更多的碳水化合物和咸味食物，这会导致体内水分滞留。

权永根是韩国高丽大学安岩医院肥胖与代谢中心的教授。

他表示，节前快速减肥，节期间暴饮暴食，节后又节食，这不是有效的长期策略。

他建议通过摄入足够的蛋白质并将步行与力量训练相结合来保持肌肉质量。

发布于2026年9月27日凌晨12:05（韩国标准时间）

节日大吃大喝后如何控制体重

图片由 ChatGPT 创建

虽然许多人都期待着中秋节的到来，但也有人担心餐桌上的分量，因为每餐都摆放着大量的煎饼（jeon）、炖牛肋骨、杂菜（japchae）和松饼（songpyeon），这些食物在家庭聚会中早已司空见惯。

但专家建议不要采取极端的减肥方法。

“没有必要在节前后通过节前节食来反复调整体重，无论是为了完全避免食用中秋节主食，还是因为吃得太多而感到内疚，”韩国大学安岩医院肥胖与代谢中心教授权永根在周三中秋节假期前接受采访时表示。

“假期结束后，最重要的是自然地恢复到正常的饮食和活动习惯。”

节假日期间，人们往往会比平时摄入更多碳水化合物和咸味食物。碳水化合物摄入过多时，过量的葡萄糖会以糖原的形式储存在肝脏和肌肉中，这一过程也会导致身体潴留水分。摄入过多咸味食物也会导致身体潴留更多水分。此外，未消化食物的重量也会增加体内水分的总量。

这意味着中秋节后体重的增加不仅反映了实际的脂肪增加，还反映了水分潴留和消化系统中食物的重量。

因此，与其采取极端措施，不如在假期结束后恢复正常的饮食习惯和日常生活，并在接下来的几天里控制体重。

完全避免食用中秋节美食并非现实之举。与其完全拒绝自​​己喜爱的食物，不如控制食用量和食用频率。

不要一次性把大量的煎饼、油炸食品或红烧牛肋骨堆在盘子里，而是只盛你想吃的量，慢慢享用。同时，在膳食中加入蔬菜和富含蛋白质的食物也是个好主意。与其完全禁止松饼和甜点，不如尝试减少每次的食用量。

饭后吃零食是另一个容易被忽视的习惯。即使已经吃饱了，一边和家人聊天一边继续吃水果、韩式甜点、饼干和喝含糖饮料，都会显著增加你的总摄入量。饭后，不妨离开餐桌，和家人一起散散步。

假期期间保持日常的运动量也很重要。无需进行剧烈运动，饭后与家人在附近散散步，或者步行前往附近的地方即可。

避免在暴饮暴食后的第二天禁食。

最重要的是，避免采取极端的体重控制方法。节前快速减肥，节后暴饮暴食，然后再节食，这不是有效的长期体重管理策略。保持健康的饮食习惯和坚持锻炼比快速降低体重秤上的数字更重要。

减肥过程中肌肉量也会减少。摄入足够的蛋白质，并将步行与力量训练相结合，有助于在控制体重的同时保持肌肉量和身体机能。

本文来自韩国顶级医疗保健门户网站 Kormedi.com，由人工智能生成系统翻译，并由《韩国时报》编辑。