How Did IU Lose Weight? Lost 5kg Every 5 Days

Her weight loss methods, especially her diet, are among the most searched.

Weight loss is not frowned upon in the Kpop industry, with idols often losing more than 10 pounds every three months. In reality, the majority of them must maintain a certain body weight in order for their group’s choreography to appear more attractive on stage.

Photo of the Remarkables mountain range in Queenstown, New Zealand.

Keeping their bodies in shape is a primary concern for K-pop singers since their appearance and physique have become an essential aspect of their appeal. A celebrity’s physical appearance influences public perception. In the K-Pop industry, where looks matter, idols must appear lovely not just in front of the camera but also off-camera.

Since the K-pop explosion, many fans have been encouraged to lose weight by their idols. This infographic examines the characteristics of celebrities who have become famous for losing weight and shows how followers might follow in their footsteps.

The Korean music business has long been chastised for pushing unhealthy and thin-looking celebrities, as well as for imposing unrealistic beauty standards on today’s young ladies, one of whom is their “Nation’s Little Sister,” Lee Ji-Eun, better known as IU.

IU's Weight Loss Tricks

The main keys to IU’s successful weight loss:

Many believed she followed the Myproana diet, now called “IU Diet”
She often eats apple in the morning, two sweet potatoes for lunch, and protein drink for dinner
Her fitness routine includes aerobics
She also does yoga every day

Who is Lee Ji-Eun or IU?

Take a peek at the Korean music charts from the last 10 to 11 years. IU is a name that matches, if not outperforms, other well-known artists or groups in most categories.

IU is a singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress from South Korea. She began her career as a trainee with LOEN Entertainment, now known as Kakao Entertainment, in 2007. The name IU is a combination of “I” and “You,” meaning “You and I become one through music.”

She made her singing debut at the age of fifteen with her first mini album, Lost and Found, in 2008. The artist has now signed a deal with EDAM Entertainment, which was announced in 2020.

She is one of the rare Kpop performers that is well-liked and respected by all of her colleagues, as well as appreciated by people of all ages. Koreans regard the singer as the ideal female all-around celebrity. Her work is consistently excellent, and she is, without a doubt, one of the finest in the industry.

When did IU's weight loss journey begin?

Despite IU’s overall success in the industry, she is not an exception when it comes to meeting Korean beauty standards, especially in terms of weight.

IU told her experience on her first stage on SBS’ “Strong Heart,” whereas she was dubbed a “pig” during her first stage appearance shortly after her debut. Someone started shouting at her for her appearance, and others joined in.

It’s also very uncommon for Koreans to make fun of idols when they acquire weight or appear to be overweight in front of the camera. They’ve had these standards for a long time since being slim is one of the qualifications for everyone who aspires to be an idol or actress in the entertainment industry.

How did IU manage to lose weight?

After the sad incident during her first stage, instead of going on a diet after her debut, IU confessed on MBC TV’s “Quiz to Change the World“ that she had shed 10 kg as a result of her hectic schedule and other everyday activities.

However, there’s a rumor going around the internet that the phenomenal star used to follow the Myproana diet, which has now been called the “IU Diet.”

She eats an apple in the morning, one or two sweet potatoes for lunch, and a protein drink for dinner as part of her diet while also doing her other daily activities.

Similarly, the actress shared her unique diet plan on SBS’s “Night of TV Entertainment“ in 2013, claiming it helped her drop 5kg in five days. She obviously didn’t start this restrictive diet completely because she wanted to; it just so happens that what happened during her first stage performance triggered her to start.

Because of how rigorous the diet is and how much weight you lose in a short amount of time, her diet is the most popular diet program. It also became the go-to resource for individuals looking to reduce weight quickly.

However, like with any other extreme diet, our bodies will experience either positive or negative side effects. Positive benefits include visible results and reaching our weight goals. On the other hand, adverse effects might harm your health and can possibly lead to eating disorders.

IU struggles with an eating disorder.

In 2014, IU discussed her eating disorder, bulimia, on the talk show “Healing Camp, Aren’t You Happy.” It occurred when she began to feel uneasy, doubting and loathing herself; fearful that her career would be a failure.

Furthermore, she admitted to binge eating when she felt empty within, adding that she would only eat and sleep in between vomiting up for a while.

The good thing is that she didn’t let her disorder consume her and decided to fight it by seeking professional help. She immediately began to take care of her emotional and physical being by maintaining a diary, among other things.

On the same program, the record producer said that she’s still working on it by sticking to a more nutritious eating standard she’d set for herself, such as eating high-quality meals every day after working out. She would still eat whenever she felt anxious, but this time, in moderation.

The physical activities that helped IU lose weight.

IU has always had a fantastic figure, and it’s all thanks to her aerobics and fitness routines. She leads an active lifestyle and does yoga nearly every day, which keeps her going.

In 2017, the composer appeared on “Hyori’s Homestay“ as a support staff member with Lee Hyori and demonstrated her more thoughtful eating habits, such as chewing her meal slowly and thoroughly.

Hyori is renowned for her passion for yoga, and we see her teaching yoga positions to the Nation’s Little Sister in some of the episodes. Although it appeared like IU was experiencing trouble learning some of the more challenging yoga postures, she subsequently demonstrated her yoga skills on “Knowing Bros” with an amazing salamba headstand pose.

The video went viral, and people were shocked that she could do it because she doesn’t appear to be the kind to make such intense moves, and viewers were scared she might injure herself. All thanks to Hyori, who helped her learn some yoga postures.

Her acting career and concerts also aided her weight loss. Due to her hectic schedule, it seems that her body moves around more than usual, especially whenever she has a comeback; IU takes dance practices, which is a factor to add.

Ask your doctor first if you're planning to follow IU's diet.

If you don’t seek medical advice, IU’s diet plan is plainly risky based on the meal mentioned above that you’ll eat every day. Her diet is relatively strict, and it may not be suitable for everyone. It is still preferable to speak with your nutritionist or doctor first before proceeding.

It was also disclosed that the idol suffered from an eating disorder as a result of her improper diet, which is something you should think about, knowing that there are still alternative options for you to lose weight.