Hey guys! So I get a lot of messages from people saying that they're really worried
about visiting Japan because of their weight. And I really want to address this issue because
I have a lot of things to say about it.
A. You should never deprive yourself an experience because of how you look. You don't know what
the future holds. You might not ever get another chance.
B. People are going to look at you anyway, because you're a foreigner. This will happen
less in the bigger cities, but it's still going to happen no matter what.
C. I can't say whether someone will say something mean to you, or laugh, but I can say that
making fun of someone in Japan is such a bad thing that other Japanese people will go so
far as to say that person is not acting Japanese. D. With a little bit of planning you can use
Japan to fairly easily lose weight.
Rachel, what on earth do you know about losing weight? Well, the first time I went to Japan
I was there for 5 months. And despite already being at a low weight, I lost 20 pounds, or
9 kilograms, when I was there. I wasn't even trying to lose weight. It just happened. And
despite being skinny, I do have my own struggles with maintaining an active lifestyle and eating
healthy
But Japan can be a fantastic place for these things, and I will tell you why.
1. The number one reason losing weight is difficult is because it requires a somewhat
permanent lifestyle change. And change is hard. Just getting started is hard enough,
but even after you get started there is always that day where you come home from work, and
you're really tired and you just want to relax so you just say, "I really just want to relax
today... Just this one time I'm going to skip going on a run and I'll just throw something
in the microwave." And then it happens again. And again. And suddenly you can't remember
the last time you went running and you find yourself eating 12 bags of flaming hot potato
chips over Christmas break.
But Japan is a completely different environment from America. The city structure is different,
and the food is different. Moving to Japan is FORCING a lifestyle change on you. You
don't HAVE to do anything! It's being changed for you. That is your biggest block to losing
weight out of the way right from the beginning. If you keep that in mind when you move to
Japan, you can set up your new lifestyle as a healthy one.
2. The 2nd biggest factor in losing weight is your diet. Regardless of what your hormone
situation is, if you are taking in less energy than you put out, you will lose weight. Period.
That is physics. And it's much easier to eat a healthy lifestyle in Japan than it is in America.
Japanese meals are heavy on vegetables, fish, rice, soy products, and noodles. And again,
because you're already beginning a lifestyle change, you can start your new life in Japan
by using those healthy ingredients. So, here are some quick tips:
1. You should always use the "Bunme" system. ALWAYS. In fact, you should start using it
right now and you should be using it for the rest of your life. The "Bunme" system is how
full your stomach should feel when you're finished eating, on a scale of 1 to 10. In
a healthy lifestyle, you should aim for 7分目 or 8分目, which is 7 or 8/10ths of the way
full. That means you should feel fairly satisfied, but you should still be able to eat more.
If you have a lot of weight to lose, you can take that down to 6/10ths.
2. Don't drink the soup bases. You can eat your ramen noodles, but don't drink the soup.
They're really high in salt, and especially in restaurants, they're not healthy.
3. Restaurant meals are generally not healthy, just the same as anywhere else in the world.
So go easy on eating out. 4. In Japan one of the big oils they use for
cooking is called perilla. Use perilla oil when you are cooking. It's really high in
Omega-3 fatty acids, just like fish oil. 5. Eat your vegetables and fish. Even if you
don't like vegetables and fish in your home country, try them in Japan. You might be surprised.
I didn't eat them in America, but I love them in Japan. They taste completely differently
to me. Some examples of healthy meals are: Salad dishes, fish dishes, nabe pots with
vegetables and noodles, and fried rice with vegetables (also called chahan).
6. Of course stay away from deep fried food. Japan unfortunately has a lot of deep-fried
food.
3. Okay, and the third and final factor I'll talk about is being active. In America I've
never lived in a city that has had decent public transportation. Stores are miles and
miles from my house. But not in Japan! Most of you will be living in cities where you
can get everywhere you need to go by walking, riding your bike, or taking public transportation,
which you will walk or ride your bike to. It's so easy to be active. I also recommend
taking up jogging right away once you get there, either right out your front door if
you're not in a super busy area, or if you are go to a park or something like that. Jogging
in Japan is SO safe; you really don't have much to worry about.
Okay, so remember that the hardest part about getting healthy is making that lifestyle change.
So keep all of this in mind when you move to Japan, and you can start out your new lifestyle
as a healthy one. I personally am SO much healthier when in I'm Japan. I eat healthy,
I'm active, and I exercise all the time. And it wasn't difficult for me despite being a
lazy person because I wasn't already stuck in an unhealthy routine. I usually gain about
ten pounds when I'm in America, and I always lose it when I'm back in Japan.
So please don't let your weight hold you back from visiting Japan. Your weight does not
define who you are. And while it is certainly less common to see overweight or obese people
in Japan, they are still there. You will not be alone. Moving to Japan could potentially
be one of the greatest decisions you make about your health. It was for me. Thanks for
watching guys!