Japanese Diets for Slimming?

Hello/konnichiwa,
Can you please give me some examples of diets that real Japanese women follow? What do Japanese teenagers or young women eat when they want to lose weight?

Are there any popular diets (healthy and crash diets as well) that you can tell me about?

Women who do not have time to cook but need a slimming diet--what do they eat?

Thank you for any insight you can give.

I hear "recoding diet" (correct in English, I wonder?) rised in popularity.
It's said that only to record measurement of their body weight twice every day but have great effect.
http://www.nhk.or.jp/gatten/dietclub/ (Japanese)

Fad diets are very popular in Japan. Every few months there's a new one that causes some rush to buy whatever product is said to be slimming. Some recent ones I remember were the natto diet and the banana diet, and each caused a temporary shortage of said food. But as with all fad diets, they may cause initial weight loss but its hard to maintain in the long term. Most of my Japanese friends, at least the ones that actively manage their weight, seem to do so with a healthy diet and exercise.

According to the latest North American research the type of diet doesn't really matter--as long as it is nutritionally sound i.e. has foodstuff from all the food groups.

To loose weight one needs to decrease the amount of food one currently eat. Not drastically..only a bit.
And one should also exercise..walking instead of using the bus or subway for example.

Fad diets don't work and can be dangerous.

If one eat normal food in moderate amounts and one leads a life that is moderately active the weight will stay practically the same for years and years (it is normal for one's weight to fluctuate during the day and during the week by .a couple of pounds up and down from the average weight).

I make a point to ask a few Japanese women that I know this question. So far the answers have been:

1. Eat a lot of fish, tofu, and vegetable dishes.

2. Don't eat after 6PM.

3. Eat 1,200 calories a day. (You can eat ANYTHING if you do.)

The 1,200 calories a day thing seems to be very popular in England too.

Thank you, I appreciate the responses. Any additional comments would be appreciated, especially comments regarding the specific items/methods/portions, etc. that real Japanese women eat.

I understand the comments about needing to eat healthy, but I am interested in what Japanese women (in general) do. It can be hard to find information on what REAL women eat in Japan :-)

I think you are missing a point.
All you have to do to lose weight is to visit Japan for a couple of weeks.
You will be exercising without knowing all the walking you have to go anywhere on the streets, visiting temples, up & down the stairs at rail stations, departments, etc. Even you take escalators, elevators sometimes, you are still exercising more than what you take in calories in food no matter how much you eat typical low calorie Japanese diet, i.e. udon, soba, etc.
Not having a car does wonder for your body.
I always lose weight visiting Japan even eating more(as you get hungry more often & a lot of tasty foods & snacks in Japan) and feel much better, have stronger legs & sleep better at night.
Isn't this a better & healthy way than counting calories?

All you have to do to lose weight is to visit Japan for a couple of weeks.

Definitely sounds more fun than dieting, but the OP sounds like she's asking more about living advice than for an upcoming trip.

She (like many many others) is probably interested in Japanese women's diets because they have the perception of Japanese women all being thin. Perpetual travel isn't really a practical method for keeping ones weight in check.

It can be hard to find information on what REAL women eat in Japan :-)

As mentioned several time now in this thread, there really isn't a secret Japanese diet. Just like everywhere else, REAL Japanese women who actively maintain their weight eat low calorie, healthy food. And the fad diets are just as their name suggests. They are fads because they simply don't work in the long run.

Hi, yeah, I am NOT going to Japan anytime soon. Wish I was, but no.

I am really asking out of interest. I enjoy Japanese food and prepare bento meals but sometimes wonder what Japanese women are actually eating.

And considering some of the crazy diets American women do, I'm curious how Japanese fads compare. I'm interested in both healthy, authentic Japanese diets and portions, as well as the crazier stuff.

I'm sorry if there is confusion.

My friend said a lady in his office fainted because she was only eating a tiny bit of rice for lunch, trying to stay slim.

I guess sometimes they don't eat much at all.

But then, I've seen Japanese women eat a lot and I wonder where they put it all!

The women in my school seem to eat small home-made bentos for lunch most of the time.

The average Japanese woman is naturally slimmer and smaller than the average US woman. Even without watching her diet. But there are also many Japanese women that are husky or plump...

Many Japanese women eat a variety of small dishes at each meal...not too many calories altogether but it is a balance diet and it tricks the body to believe one is full.
Many Europeans do a similar thing: a lunch will be 3-4 small dishes that complement one another...and are NOT greasy or fattening..

Then there are the Japanese--often young women--that eat terribly unhealthy foods and end up looking terrible.

Visit the seven eleven or other convenience shops , rush to corner of ODEN and have KON-NYAKU MUSUBI-SHIRATAKI DAIKON.

I'd like to point out (again, as I've done in other threads) that it's too dangerous to limit yourself to 1,200 calories a day. You will get sick, and especially women shouldn't be able to afford the risk as it would even stop their menstruation. 2000 a day is recommended. At least I once got sick from 3 months of 1600/day.

Actually, looking at it the other way around, a lot of Japanese people point out that you get fat by home-staying in some of the other countries in the world.

For example, a lot of American families obtain too much sugar, butter and cream. The amount is way too much compared to what average Japanese parents let you consume, and as pointed out, you have less chance to walk.

On the other hand, even the Japanese get the wrong idea that omitting all sugar and fat is the key, but that's not really true. You do need some of the good ones. And a lot of people have noticed that the reason a lot of Chinese people stay slim compared to the amount they are eating is because they take in a lot of good quality oil with a variety of vegetables and fiber.

Also people believe that metabolizing is the key. Enjoying a long bath so that you can sweat, eating plain yogurt every day along with everything else are among the typical ways of shaping up easily.

By the way, not eating after 6pm is not an easy thing to do in Japan, because the Japanese tend to socialize mainly in the evening. Being hungry when you go to bed is the key for me. Housework is great exercise, too.

Actually, I ended up GAINING weight (about 15 lbs) when I moved to Tokyo from the US...probably because of stress, loss of motivation, etc...but it is true that most Japanese women here are thinner than American women.

One thing I've noticed is that they drink a lot of green tea (0 calories). Also, people are used to smaller serving sizes. For example, they have teeny tiny coffee cans that one can buy from vending machines. Well, good luck!

Thank you for all of the interesting comments! I love Japanese food but am frequently curious what foods in Japan is really like since I only get to eat Japanese food in America :-)

I don't believe in diet but exercise. Dieting is a lazy way and physical & mental torturing of yourself.
In Japan if you are a typical tourist, you are forced to walk until your feet hurt daily.
I eat a lot everyday but I still maintain my healthy weight. When I travel to Japan, I eat as much as I like but still lose weight and gain stronger legs. Our body is not meant to sit still at home or in a car. Try & you will feel better, healthy and have more energy instead of worrying sick (& becoming sicker & taking all kind of drugs, pills, etc. enriching the drug companies, an American way) and wasting your life.