How this mum of 2 lost more than 15kg and got her confidence back
The Filipino mum-of-two – a former school counsellor and adoption case worker – was an avid runner who had taken part in 54
half-marathons and seven marathons . She was convinced that she could get away with eating as much as she liked of whatever she wanted.
She began to notice that as she ate less healthily, her weight would go up. Her self-confidence began to take a hit.
'I stopped weighing myself when I reached 73kg [161lb], because I'd put on about 15kg by then and knew that I was only getting bigger,' says Banham, who stands 157cm (five feet two inches) tall.
'Being overweight affected my mental and emotional health. I didn't feel good about myself, and my clothes no longer fit. I also had difficulty performing physical activities. Hiking uphill was an issue.'
Eating gelato and other sweet treats had caused Riccinni Banham to gain weight after she moved to Shanghai. Photo: Riccinni Banham
The soon-to-be 55-year-old, who grew up in the United States and lives in Hong Kong, realised that running regularly was not enough, and that she had to do something else to lose the weight.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
4 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
How dried tangerine peel, or chun pei, is used in Chinese cooking, and a recipe idea
Chun pei is one of the few flavourings that gets more expensive as it ages. Advertisement This 'old skin' is made by leaving tangerine peel out to dry in a breezy, sunny place until it is completely desiccated, then putting it in an airtight jar. Rather than losing flavour as it ages, as with many spices, chun pei becomes more complex and potent. When used in restaurants, the description of the dish will often state how old the chun pei is, especially if it is aged peel. Shops that carry a range of chun pei usually have some peel that is aged for 10 years or more, and a small box can sell for hundreds of dollars. Chun pei is a key ingredient in many Chinese sweet soups. Photo: Shutterstock Chun pei is sold at shops specialising in dried ingredients, as well as by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herbalists. In TCM, it is prescribed for a wide variety of complaints, including coughs, stomach ailments and inflammations. Advertisement
HKFP
19 hours ago
- HKFP
Hong Kong taxi union hits back at lawmakers' suggestions of mandatory retirement age for cabbies
A Hong Kong taxi union has hit back at lawmakers' suggestions that elderly cab drivers be forced to retire, after a fatal accident this week put a renewed spotlight on the city's ageing taxi industry. Many cabbies who can still drive want to continue working rather than relying on government welfare subsidies to get by, said To Sun-tong, vice director of the taxi branch of the Motor Transport Workers General Union, on Thursday. 'These [suggestions] make us very angry. If they are all forced to retire, then what will they do?' the 75-year-old told HKFP in Cantonese. 'Meanwhile, lawmakers earn such a high monthly salary. What about us?' At least two pro-establishment lawmakers have called on the government to put in place a mandatory retirement age for taxi drivers after an 80-year-old cabbie lost control of his vehicle outside the Nina Hotel in Tsuen Wan on Tuesday, killing a Filipino tourist. Chan Hok-fung, a lawmaker from the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), suggested on Thursday that those aged 80 and above should be barred from driving taxis and minibuses. Adrian Ho, from the New People's Party, also said the government should set a mandatory retirement age, although he did not specify the age. Speaking to HKFP on Thursday, To – who has been driving a taxi for over 40 years – said such a requirement would have a major impact on the livelihoods of elderly taxi drivers. 'A lot of us want to work while we still can instead of relying on the CSSA,' he said, referring to the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme, the government's welfare programme. Health checks To, however, said he agreed with the lawmakers' suggestions of more stringent health checks for taxi drivers. Currently, all drivers – including taxi drivers – aged over 70 must provide the Transport Department with a medical examination certificate completed by a registered medical practitioner at least once every three years. The Transport Department currently does not require medical examiners to conduct a set list of tests, To said, resulting in differences in the comprehensiveness of examinations depending on who conducts the assessment. He suggested that the government could standardise the medical tests and require drivers to go to public hospitals to have them done. To echoed lawmakers' views that the examinations could include reaction tests for drivers. The government could also require drivers to do the tests every two years instead of every three years, To said. According to lawmaker Michael Tien, the government had proposed tightening the requirement to yearly in 2023, but until now, no progress has been made. Regarding mandatory retirement, Tien said on Facebook: 'Commercial vehicle drivers in nearby regions already have mandatory retirement ages – for example, 60 in mainland China, 65 in Taiwan, and 75 in Japan and Singapore.' According to Transport Department data from 2022, about 60 per cent of all Hong Kong taxi drivers were aged 60 or older. Accidents involving elderly taxi drivers have often renewed the conversation about their suitability to drive. In January, a 65-year-old taxi driver was arrested after his vehicle collided with another car in the early hours of New Year's Day, leaving three dead and four others injured.
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- South China Morning Post
China aims for its brain-computer interface firms to rival Elon Musk's Neuralink
Chinese brain-computer interface (BCI) companies, such as Nanjing Panda Electronics and MicroPort NeuroScientific, are benefiting from supportive policies, as the country vows to develop 'two or three' global players in the sector by 2030 to compete with US entrepreneur Elon Musk's Neuralink. In a document released on July 30 by seven ministries, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, China outlined its goal to achieve breakthroughs in key BCI technologies by 2027. The plan includes establishing an advanced technology system and an industrial framework. While the government did not specify which companies it would support, its target of creating 'two to three leading players' has generated excitement among investors. In addition, policymakers aimed to nurture numerous 'little giants' and 'unicorns', underscoring its commitment to developing BCI technology into a robust industry. In Hong Kong, shares of Nanjing Panda Electronics jumped over 19 per cent on Thursday, while MicroPort NeuroScientific rose 8 per cent. In Shanghai, Xiangyu Medical gained more than 11 per cent, and Jiangsu Apon Medical Technology increased nearly 8.5 per cent. Elon Musk stands next to the surgical robot during a Neuralink presentation in 2020. Photo: AFP China's initiative represents a significant government endorsement of BCI technology. Cities and universities across the nation are conducting BCI-related clinical trials, while hospitals in Beijing and Shenzhen opened BCI wards in the first half of this year.
