Losing fat doesn’t always require strict dieting or intense workouts. According to metabolic and endocrinology specialist Dr. Tsai Ming-Chieh, long-term weight management comes from small lifestyle adjustments — such as adding vegetables to breakfast or changing how you season your food — which can gradually build healthier eating habits.
Dr. Tsai shared the story of a National Taiwan University finance alumna who struggled with weight despite having a regular jogging routine. After years working in asset management in Hong Kong and Singapore, constant stress and eating out caused her weight to increase. Even with consistent running, she couldn’t slim down and eventually believed she was “destined to stay overweight forever.” But after adjusting her eating habits — without any medication or supplements — she successfully lost 7kg.
“My biggest change was stopping bread for breakfast,” she told Dr. Tsai. She began replacing bread with tofu, soy-based products, yogurt, sweet potatoes, or unsweetened cereal, paired with a large tomato for vegetables. The meals were nutritious, satisfying, and easier to sustain. She later encouraged her mother to adopt the same breakfast routine, and both of them slimmed down successfully.
Dr. Tsai emphasized that balanced eating starts with “getting enough vegetables.” Many people skip vegetables at breakfast, so he suggests using ingredients that require no cooking and can be prepared quickly — such as cucumbers, tomatoes, or baby corn. He personally buys frozen baby corn from big-box stores, blanching a small batch and storing it in the fridge so it can be eaten instantly in the morning.
The alumna also had another tip: seasoning vegetables with balsamic vinegar. Dr. Tsai adopted this method as well. Research shows that acetic acid in vinegar can slow starch breakdown and delay gastric emptying, making post-meal blood sugar rise more gradually. It may also enhance muscle glucose uptake and reduce liver glucose production. Multiple studies indicate that consuming 10–30 ml of vinegar before or during meals may help stabilize blood sugar. However, Dr. Tsai stressed that vinegar is only a helpful addition — it cannot replace medication or counteract unhealthy eating habits. “It must be paired with balanced nutrition to truly work,” he said.
Dr. Tsai noted that many people think lifestyle change requires major, dramatic action. But sustainable health often comes from small adjustments — such as replacing breakfast bread with tofu or yogurt, adding tomatoes or baby corn to your plate, or swapping dressings for a spoonful of balsamic vinegar. Health, he said, isn’t built by sheer willpower but by slowly forming new habits. “A little each day goes a long way over a year.”
