[K-Diet] Day 3: Starting at 51.8 kg (114.2 lbs / 8 stone 2 lbs) — Body Fat?!

Hello, and welcome back to Doughly Noted!

This is Day 3 of looking back at my 30-day diet challenge from July 2025.

As I'm writing this in 2026, I'm maintaining around 52–53 kg (114.6–116.8 lbs / 8 stone 3 lbs–8 stone 5 lbs) after experiencing some weight regain. Looking back at these old records, one thing has become obvious—I simply wasn't eating enough.

At the time, I thought strict discipline was the secret to getting lean. Now I'm asking myself a different question:

Was eating too little one of the reasons I eventually regained the weight?

After unexpectedly losing weight despite my late-night food party on Day 2, I couldn't wait to see what Day 3 had in store.

Spoiler alert: the number on the scale made me smile... but the InBody report definitely didn't.

The InBody Mystery: How Did My Body Fat Increase While My Weight Decreased?

Here were my measurements from the fitness center's InBody scanner.

• Weight: 51.8 kg (114.2 lbs / 8 stone 2 lbs) — down 0.9 kg (2.0 lbs / 0.14 stone) from Day 2.
• Skeletal Muscle Mass: 19.9 kg (43.9 lbs / 3 stone 2 lbs) — down 0.5 kg (1.1 lbs / 0.08 stone).
• Body Fat Mass: 14.8 kg (32.6 lbs / 2 stone 5 lbs) — up 0.1 kg (0.2 lbs / 0.02 stone).
• Body Fat Percentage: 28.5% — up 0.5%.

My weight dropped, but I lost muscle while gaining body fat.

How was I supposed to celebrate losing weight when the report said I had lost muscle instead?

That morning left me more confused than excited.

It reminded me that every number on the scale has a story behind it.

Chasing the K-Pop Silhouette😊: Why I Started SNPE Posture Training

Losing weight wasn't my only goal.

I also wanted the clean posture and naturally slim body line that so many K-pop idols seem to have.

That's why I joined an SNPE (Self Natural Posture Exercise) class that morning.

For years, I'd developed an odd habit.

Although I'm 163 cm (5'4") tall, I have a relatively long seated height. Whenever I talked to people, I worried that standing perfectly upright might somehow make conversations feel awkward or intimidating.

So I unconsciously slouched.

It felt polite.

Unfortunately, it wasn't doing my posture any favors.

During my Pilates class, I kept asking the instructor one simple question,

"Where should I actually engage my body when standing correctly?"

Trying to find the balance between anterior pelvic tilt and posterior pelvic tilt turned out to be much harder than I expected.

That morning, I realized something important.

Good posture isn't about forcing your shoulders back. It's about building enough core strength that your spine naturally stays aligned.

After the posture session, I took one more Pilates class to further activate my deep core muscles before finishing the workout with 34 minutes of high-intensity interval running to maximize fat burning.

34-minute interval running workout

Day 3 K-Diet Food Journal: Eating Less Than I Realized

As I mentioned, looking back from 2026, this day's meals feel surprisingly restrictive.

The variety makes the plate look balanced...

But the total calories were incredibly low.

Breakfast 

A simple green smoothie to start the day before my workout.

Fueling my body with protein before starting my workout.

• One green smoothie for a light, light breakfast.
• 15 g (0.5 oz / 0.03 lbs) of whey protein powder mixed into a protein shake to reduce muscle loss.

Late Lunch & Dinner (Main Meal)

A green juice blend 

My Day 3 meal: a whole-grain sandwich with a little sweetness on the side.

Building my fiber-rich sandwich with protein-packed ingredients for Day 3.

 I cut my whole-grain bread in half to reduce carbohydrates while increasing fiber.😢

The meal included:

• One green juice blend.
• Half of a whole-grain sandwich topped with beef, arugula, cauliflower, and tuna dip.
• Beet smoothie.
• Soy Greek yogurt.
• Peanut butter.
• Raspberry jam.
• A small handful of mixed nuts.
• Orange slices.

Reading my original food diary today made me smile.

I actually wrote about how disappointed I was that I "had to stop after only half a slice of rye bread."

Back then, I thought I was showing incredible self-control.

Doughly's Insight 

One lesson has become much clearer a year later.

Eating less doesn't automatically mean you're losing fat.

Your body can lose water.

It can lose muscle.

Sometimes, body composition changes in ways that don't match the number on the scale at all.

Looking back, I probably created a calorie deficit that was much larger than my body actually needed.

That's not a sustainable strategy if the goal is maintaining 48 kg (105.8 lbs / 7 stone 8 lbs) without rebound.

Today, I'm trying to build habits that future me can actually continue—not just survive for 30 days.

Final Thoughts

Day 3 looked successful on paper.

The scale dropped to 51.8 kg (114.2 lbs / 8 stone 2 lbs).

But underneath that number, my muscle mass had decreased while my body fat percentage had increased.

The meals seemed colorful and nutritious, yet the carbohydrate intake—and overall calorie intake—were both far lower than they should have been for someone doing intense interval cardio.

Back then, I proudly believed I had found the perfect formula because I was "eating and still losing weight."

Now, I see the bigger picture.

The weight loss wasn't magic.

It was the result of eating far too little.

And perhaps that's exactly why maintaining the results became so difficult later on.

Some lessons only make sense when you look back.

To be continued in my next [Day 4] journal!