Will I lose weight in Japan?

Just wondering because the food is so healthy there. I am actually going there two days from now so if anyone can answer within that time that would be great (sorry about the short notice). I've been trying to lose some weight here in the US and I want to continue the same there and I was wondering if it would actually be easier. I'm going on a school trip so there will be lots of physical activities (I hope), and its for five weeks. Thanks!

Ranguvar,

If you consume fewer calories than you burn, then you will lose weight. This applies whichever country you are in.

(ctd...)
One factor on your side, though, is that food portions in Japan are often smaller than in the west (and especially America), so there may be less temptation to overeat. Drinking tea (e.g. green or oolong) instead of sugary fizzy drinks will also work in your favour.

Hi
On my 4 trips to Japan of
3 weeks or longer each time I
lose between 2 and 4 kgs.
Eat Japanese for breakfast and lunch and drink water
or tea and walk.
Like chocolate but the Japanese stuff is low on butterfat I think and almost tasteless to me.
Also eating dinner early around 5 pm if possible then walking again at a slow pace
is a good way of burning dinner off.
Go and enjoy
Kiwi

Entirely depends on your eating habits. Some travelers tend to eat MORE while on vacation then they usually would in daily life.

Thanks for everyone who responded so quickly! Does anyone know the average caloric intake of a Japanese woman? (Google's not being so helpful)

Who know's what will happen.
And it depends more on you then anything else and thats any where you go.

You didn't mention how long you'll be in Japan but if it's a vacation then I'm not sure that'll show any change at all.

But good luck and I hope you reach your goal!

You are lucky, the Japanese food guide was included in my town's news magazine that got delivered to my door today.

For an active japanese female who spends 5 hours a day doing semi-active walking or sports the recomended calorie intake is 2200 calories +/-200 calories per day. For someone who isn't as active, say someone doing deskwork or sitting infront of a TV all day, then the recommended calorie intake is 1800 +/-200 calories. (By comparison, for a Japanese male, the upper limit is 2600 +/-200 calories).

The typical meals that are outlined in this leaflet are as follows for a 2200 +/-200 calorie day:

Breakfast: 1 medium bowl of rice, miso soup with lots of `gu` (tofu, vegitables, etc), natto, and a glass of milk.

Lunch: 1 medium bowl of rice, boiled spinich with a dressing (small plate), mushroom saute (small plate), 2 chinese dumplings (shumai), and half a pear.

Dinner: 2 small bowls of rice, one plate of boiled vegetables (carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, peas), 2 fried prawns, 1 persimmon (type of fruit).

If you are not familiar with Japanese food, then it might be hard to grasp what each meal consists of, but the above meals are traditional and quite easy to come by.

As someone else said, the portions in Japan are much smaller so your calorie intake will be easier to control.

I've lost weight on all my trips to Japan. I stuck pretty much to a Japanese diet and only indulged in sweets when passing through department store basements or pastry shops near train stations. The major reason was because of all the walking I did while sightseeing. Over 3 weeks I would walk off on average about 8lbs. Between that and all the onsen I can truthfully say that vacations to Japan left me feeling renewed and relaxed. And every time wanting to go back.

I must be the only exceptional case in Japan! I put on weight instead of lost weight. Most of my meals contain rice or noodles, so the carb intake was pretty high. And not to mention, the beautiful pastries and street food such as crepes added on to my weight gain. This despite me using the stairs whenever I can, especially in the subway stations.

I was in Japan a couple of months ago and actually gained weight.

The portions are only smaller in comparison to some countries, for me they were pretty big, and they have plenty of not so healthy food (deep fried stuff especially).

I walked allot, went through tons of stairs and ate mostly Japanese food with only one or two exceptions and in the end I gained a little less than 2kg.

It depends on allot of factors but I wouldn't be counting on a trip to Japan to help on the diet. Besides if you are conscious about that you may be missing some delicious moments.

i've lost almost 20kg since i came to japan in march 2008 - only 3 months ago.

i haven't been especially active and haven't really been on a diet either, in fact i eat quite a bit of junk food here when i don't feel like cooking or if it's pooring rain out (i live close to a few fast food places). but mostly i stick to a simple japanese diet, rice, meat or fish, etc.

most people who come here will lose weight.

To lose weight in Japan, do what many Japanese women do: eat shiratiaki noodles! They are made from a kind of fiberous yam, and 98% undigestible fiber! But be careful: don't eat too much the first time, unless you're used to a high fiber diet. You have to get used to eating a lot of fiber. The noodles fill you up, and basically have a close to 0 calorie and carbo count, because they go right through you. The texture is a little rubbery, but not unpleasant. There is some brand, I've heard, with a mix of tofu and shirataki, that's supposed to taste better with only a few calories more, but I haven't found it yet to try. Good luck, and enjoy your trip!

i think i eat well here, but i've lost about 5kg since i move here three months ago. i can't seem to gain the weigh back on as i'm a skinny guy. my friend who also move here 3 months ago and eat the same as me, gained 5 kg. so i think it depends on your metabolism.

I gained weight! hehe. I was in Japan for 2 months and gained 10 lbs over the course. I know I consumed more then an average intake of calories, but I didn't care! There is so much wonderful and interesting food, I wanted to try it all.

Portions are certainly smaller then American standards, but it's not what I would call particularly small. Plus you gotta watch out for things like Mayo and meats which they generally don't trim the fat off.

Why not loose weight before you go to Japan?

Hi!
I'm a Japanese high school student and be on a diet now.

Actually, I love Western food so I gain some weight cuz I ate too much humbergur and stuff like that.
But when I started dieting which is only eating Japanese food,I lose weight easily!
So I guess you can lose weight in Japan if you only eat just healthy Japanese food, I mean..Tofu,Natto or something like that.

I hope you'll lose weight in Japan!!

I don't particularly find the food in Japan healthy. Home cooking, perhaps but eating out? Not so much.... I've never taken so much carbs in my life and when you eat out, you get a meager amount of protein and vegetables. I expected to be healthier in Japan, too, but ironically I used to get healthier food in the US.

I can only speak from experience in Tokyo, but I don't find the food particularly healthy either. When I go out for social functions with my department, the food is kind of crappy, actually.

While they do serve smaller portions here, I don't think there is less of a temptation to overeat. Tons of people go to the zillions of convenience stores between meals and buy snacks, etc.

I cook at home and make my lunch each day, so I feel that I am at least trying to get healthy. I actually gained some weight once I started cooking. I just can't eat rice everyday, let alone for every meal.

I will say, though, that I am in better shape than I have been in quite some time. Regardless of how much you take the train/subway, there's going to be a lot of walking. I walk to work everyday and as long as it isn't raining, I am out and about on the weekends. So even though I've gained weight initially, I'd say I'm pretty even now. My clothes still fit fine, so I'm not worried!

to the person who posted as 'Eat Less':

how does having trim finger nails and toe nails make you eat less? just curious

maybe thats a couple of grams less.

they say you can also loose half a lb from exfoliating... but when people start talking about things like that they sound a bit wierd, and proanna

i expect i personally have put weight on in my 5 weeks here. im not under the illusion i have eaten healthily. i have fried chicken most days :P

i think maybe a lot of people dont loose weight is because they do eat out, and food from a restraunt always seems to taste better than home food. its the reason xxx food you make at home isnt the same, because its less healthy.

im going to ignore the younger generation of japan, as they seem to have a more westernised diet, but its fair to say japanese people weigh less, are a little shorter and do live longer.

i would put any height difference personally down to a lack of meeting the required calories form maximum growth during their childhood. being shorter generally helps live longer, as it is quite a bit less strain on the heart...

i have gone off on a tangent here...it seems that a traditional japanese diet(inparticularly okinawan) is most inducive of a longer life)

but back to the point. depends what you eat. i think if you are travelling somewhere new you should sample the food without worrying about the calories.

and to the person who said 2200 was the reccomended amount.... thats strange because i was sure the reccomended amount for an average woman was 2000 and men 2500.