We’ve all tried countless methods to stay fit. But honestly, sometimes it feels like those last few stubborn kilos just won’t budge, no matter how much effort we put in.
Your favourite Korean celebrities face the same problem and many of them have created their own slimming methods that they have used to maintain their slim physiques.
Please note that many of the diets featured are not recommended for long-term use due to their extreme nature and unhealthily low-calorie intake.
It’s always advisable to consult with a healthcare professional before embarking on any significant dietary changes.
This article is intended for you to take a glimpse into what celebrities do to achieve their ideal weight.
IU’s “5kg Sweet Potato Weight Loss Method”
Source: @dlwlrma/Instagram
If you remember “National sister” IU in the early days of her career, she sported adorable baby fats as she captured hearts with her musical prowess.
She revealed that she made significant efforts to achieve her slim and svelte appearance that you see now.
At one point, she followed the extreme “sweet potato diet,” which is often considered quite intense – she consumed only about 300 calories a day!
While this method has helped IU shed 5kg in just one week, she has advised against using it for an extended period, as it could have adverse effects on your health.
Here’s what her daily meals looked like:
- Breakfast: One apple
- Lunch: Two sweet potatoes
- Dinner: A cup of protein beverage
IU’s “One-week Diet Plan”
Source: @dlwlrma/Instagram
IU has another one-week weight loss plan that’s less extreme.
It’s important to note that, while it may have worked well for IU, individual transformation results can vary.
We recommend consulting with a healthcare professional before beginning any diet.
Day 1
- Breakfast: One apple and a cup of black coffee or milk
- Lunch: Milk and corn with sweet potatoes or purple potatoes
- Dinner: Milk or yoghurt and a boiled egg
Day 2
- Breakfast: One apple with black coffee and an egg
- Lunch: Steamed vegetables with purple potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, or pumpkin
- Dinner: One apple with milk or yoghurt
Day 3
- Breakfast: One apple and one egg
- Lunch: Purple or sweet potatoes with chicken breast
- Dinner: One apple with milk or yoghurt
Day 4
- Breakfast: One apple with coffee
- Lunch: Oatmeal porridge with sweet potato, purple potato, corn, or pumpkin
- Dinner: Yoghurt with vegetable salad or boiled vegetables
Day 5
- Breakfast: One cup of soy milk or milk with one apple
- Lunch: Corn and yoghurt
- Dinner: Milk and chicken breast
Day 6
- Breakfast: Two apples with one cup of yoghurt
- Lunch: Porridge with purple potato or sweet potato
- Dinner: Milk and fruit salad
Day 7
- Breakfast: Two apples and one cup of yoghurt
- Lunch: Purple potato or sweet potato with millet porridge
- Dinner: Yoghurt and chicken breast
If you’re tired of having the same apple for a whole week, you can also consider substituting apples for low-sugar fruits such as strawberries, dragon fruit, blueberries, or kiwi.
Park Shin-Hye’s “One-month Cucumber Diet”
Source: @ssinz7/Instagram
Park Shin-Hye, a cherished Korean celebrity, is celebrated for her natural beauty and exceptional acting skills.
She has left an indelible mark with her roles in popular K-dramas like The Heirs, Pinocchio, and Sisyphus: The Myth.
However, her journey to stardom wasn’t without its challenges. During her early days in the film industry, she was said to be on the curvier side, which led her to receive negative comments from critical netizens.
Park Shin-Hye then embarked on a weight loss journey that has successfully helped her shed 10 kg in just one month through her “cucumber diet” plan.
However, it’s worth noting that this diet can lead to nutritional imbalances, so it’s not recommended for long-term adoption for your health and well-being.
- Breakfast: One cucumber and a cup of low-fat milk
- Lunch: Half a bowl of brown rice and a small amount of cabbage
- Dinner: One cucumber and a small amount of cabbage
Additionally, she consumed red bean water or pumpkin water to help reduce water retention.
As with any extreme diet, it’s essential to approach it with caution. Maintaining a balanced and healthy diet is generally a better long-term approach to weight management.
Red Velvet Joy’s “Diet plan during comeback period”
Source: @_imyour_joy/Instagram
Park Soo-young, better known as Joy, is a versatile South Korean talent. She made her debut as a member of the popular South Korean girl group Red Velvet in 2014.
In the early days of her career, Joy was navigating through her teenage years, and like many of us during that time, she had those adorable chubby cheeks.
Standing at 167cm tall, she sometimes appeared larger than her fellow Red Velvet members, and her round cheeks didn’t always do her beautiful face justice on camera.
Eventually, she started dieting to revealed a sizzling physique. This transformation earned her the title of Red Velvet’s sexy icon. Her impressively sleek and toned legs have left many of us in sheer admiration.
Joy has openly shared that she follows a stricter diet regimen during her weight loss journey, and here’s a glimpse of her daily meal plan:
- Breakfast: Cauliflower and apple
- Lunch: Chicken breast salad
- Dinner: Protein beverage
#5 Red Velvet Wendy’s “Intense Weight Loss Diet”
Source: @todayis_wendy/Instagram
Wendy’s journey in the entertainment world hit a roadblock due to her weight, and she endured criticism from netizens for her size after joining Red Velvet.
Nevertheless, she managed to prove that anything’s possible when she shed those extra pounds through a rigorous diet regimen.
In recent years, Wendy has transformed her physique, even showcasing a set of well-defined abs. Achieving her current look was no walk in the park.
- Breakfast: A smoothie with black beans, milk, apples, and cabbage.
- Lunch: Dig into a hearty chicken salad.
- Dinner: Wrap it up with a high-protein smoothie or some comforting plain pumpkin soup.
- Exercise: She goes the extra mile with 10,000 jump rope repetitions.
Kim Se-Jeong’s “23-Day, 5kg Diet”
Source: @clean_0828/Instagram
After Busted 2 hit Netflix, Kim Se-Jeong turned heads with her noticeably slimmer figure compared to her appearance in the first season three years prior.
She’s got a reputation for being pretty strict when it comes to keeping her body in shape. During the filming of The Office Blind Date, she managed to shed 5kg in just 23 days to better fit her character. And let’s not forget that her toned look in Busted was hard to miss.
This girl’s got the whole transformation game on point with these diet plan:
- Breakfast: A simple combo of fruit and yoghurt.
- Lunch: Keep it light with a tuna salad.
- Dinner: Enjoy a satisfying chicken breast salad or dive into some tuna with tofu sushi.
- Snacks: For those midday cravings, she opts for sweet potatoes or a handful of nuts.
MAMAMOO’s Moonbyul’s “sweet potato diet”
Source: @mo_onbyul/Instagram
It’s no secret that many female celebrities love their sweet potato diet, including Moonbyul.
Just like many of our favourite K-celebs, Moonbyul had her fair share of challenges during her trainee days when her debut group removed her due to her weight, which must have been heartbreaking for her!
But that setback didn’t stop her. In fact, she bounced back in style, shedding a remarkable 14kg to secure her debut. To achieve rapid weight loss, she turned to the “sweet potato diet,” which offers low-calorie meals (that are also low in nutrition!) to keep hunger at bay.
Here’s a peek at her daily meals:
- Breakfast: Kickstart the day with two sweet potatoes and a cup of milk
- Lunch: Midday cravings? Sweet potatoes it is, along with some low-calorie cereal and a boiled egg
- Dinner: Wrap up the day with another helping of two sweet potatoes
Featured image credit: @dlwlrma, @_imyour_joy, & @clean_0828
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