What kind of ingredients? Sugar?

Since I came to Japan half a year ago I started to gain weight which also can be noticed if you know me from before.
I also realized I have a far greater appetite since I came here.
My mom is of the opinion that's because of the sugar which is inside of most of the food here.

And besides this I read somewhere that rice has a lot more calories than normal cooked potatoes.
So, is this true? More sugar (than in Euroupe) and the rice thing?

I'm kind of nervous since I gained noticeably weight, want to lose it again! ;D

There are not that many hidden calories in Japanese foods that you would gain a lot of weight for that reason. Rice and potatoes I believe have similar calories relative to the weight, but there are lots of internet sites you can use to confirm this.

Look for other reasons why you might be gaining weight, things that have changed since you came to Japan. Are you eating larger amounts/more often? More carbs/meat and less vegetables? More soda or other sweet drinks? Exercising less? Eating later in the day than you used to? Getting less sleep? All these things can contribute to weight gain, and it may be due to a mixture of these things.

I'm interested to know which foods you think have so much sugar in them here. Niimono etc does have some sugar added, but it's not enough to make you gain weight unless you are eating huge amounts of it daily. The sweets contain plenty of sugar, but so do sweets everywhere. If the amount of sugar in food here was a problem, you would expect a lot more Japanese people to be fat, wouldn't you?

Shunima wrote;
I also realized I have a far greater appetite since I came here.

Well, to me, that best explains your gaining weight.

If you are eating western style food here (sliced white bread, melon pan, bacon, processed meats etc) then you will definetly gain weight. Ive had to cut out all of these and breakfast cereals as the calories in these are almost double to the equivalent back home (UK) and LOTS more sugar is added (I dont know why its so horrible!!). People say japanese food is healthy..yes it is, but they mean traditional food such as plain grilled fish, boiled and pickled vegetabes and [plain rice. If you go out to eat now you can easily find calorie laden meals wherever you turn, tonkatsu
(smothered in that insanely sweet sauce thats on SO many things here), MANY deep fried dishes, ramen, they all are huge portions and many many calories. White rice is as unhealthy as any white carbs although japanese people will tell you otherwise again i dont know why. But perhaps having rice for one meal instead of 2 or 3 will help, and also substitute for brown rice and other healthy wholegrain carbs. It does take a bit of getting used to but try to eat as people would have done 50 years ago and you will see the weigh dropping off. Good luck.

I agree with Uco. Probably it is not something hidden but out in the open. How about keeping the record of everything you cusumed? That' will give you a good clue.

probably it is the things i eat... since i never ate much vegetables this is not that much the problem. but eating meat in japan usually comes with soce which is calory lasty. and i stopped the sweet dirnks, too. i dont like this tea here so much (i prefer plain fruits tea without sugar instead of tea tasting like a tree), so its water now. roughly counted this will safe me around 800 calories a day which is probably a good start.

but the problem of the appetite is, i just tried recently. i ate spaghetti japanese style and was still hungry. i ate the same amount with european soce and stuff (i still had some from my home country) and i was not hungry anymore. whatever, i dont understand this...

thanks for the answers, some of them proved my suggestions...

Watch for too much salt(heavy in Japanese foods), or you will retain water & it makes you thirsty.
Exercising regularly?
Are you happy?

shunima,

I'm not sure if I understand what you're saying. Are you saying that you want to limit your meals to only 800 calories a day? If so, that is extremely unhealthy. If you are an average grown women, you should at least try to eat 1800 kcal a day, or you'll get sick.

Secondly, 2 dishes of spagetti is usually about 1600 kcal right there. And if you eat 2 of these dishes in one meal, your stomach will expand eventually making your appetite even bigger.

You've got to control yourself. For example, if you had 1 dish of spagetti and still want more, leave the dining room and do something else. In a few minutes, your stomach will "realize" that it's full, and you will be able to wait until your next meal.

You should also try to see if you're not suffering any kind of stress in your daily life, because stress can make you want to eat more. Living alone in a new environment itself can already be stressful. Try to talk to friends or take a walk. Walking is good both for your physical health as well as for knowing your new neighborhood.

Have fun and eat right!

Uco,

I'm not sure if I understand what you're saying. Are you saying that you want to limit your meals to only 800 calories a day? If so, that is extremely unhealthy. If you are an average grown women, you should at least try to eat 1800 kcal a day, or you'll get sick.

I had to read it twice but it seems that she's saying that she's been eating 800 calories less per day since she's cut out sugary drinks.

Thanks, yllwsmrf. Well, that was my next guess. But then comes the question; if she has saved 800kcal just by cutting down on sauce and drinks, I wonder how many calories she used to be eating before she saved the 800. I think an average Japanese person can only eat about up to 500kcal worth of sauce and drinks a day!

No, not just 800 in a whole, i would always be hungry, also it would not be a happy life.

and yes, i mean it, saving roughly 800 calories with cutting beaverages. i like sweet things so i drank a lot CC lemon and some sweet peach tea. after calculation of 3 litres per day that makes pretty much 800.

i definitely have to try this with just leaving my room for a walk after the dish. definitely is better.

stress, well, just for studying.

thanks for the advice!