Ideal, losing weight and Japanese mums

Japanese diet specialists keep telling us that it's better to decrease calories as you move towards the night. That is to eat the biggest meal in the morning, then have a big lunch, and then eat light in the evening. This makes sense, because you use less calories after dinner.

Needless to say, each of these meals need to be balanced in nutrition, and I recently heard on TV (Tetsuko No Heya) that taking beans, such as soy beans, as part of your breakfast makes a great difference in building your brains. On the other hand, the worst thing you can do to make yourself weight-wise and digestion-wise is to eat right before you go to bed. Japanese superstitions say that you'll even turn into a cow if you lay down right after your meal :)

Speaking of Chinese, the Japanese generally have the impression that the average Chinese has a better figure than the average Japanese dispite the fact that Chinese food uses a lot more oil than Japanese food, and the Japanese believe that they owe it to Chinese tea.

Chinese tea such as Oolong or Puraru is supposed to ''wash away'' oil or fat. It's good to have a cup of tea during/after your meal. See?
http://eow.alc.co.jp/%e3%83%97%e3%83%bc%e3%82%a2%e3%83%bc%e3%83%ab/UTF...

The Japanese focus on the quality of oil as well. It is believed that rather than say animal fat, good vegetable oil helps you digest the right nutrition from other foods while avoiding your body to get too chubby. In this sense, good olive oil that is used abundantly in Italian cuisine is believed to be good too. A lot of diet articles may say that you should avoid oil as much as you can, but oil is important for your body. Take good oil in the right amount.

I heard most Chinese people don't eat that greasy foods we normally associate with Chinese cuisine, and if they eat those foods daily they would surely be fat.

I am sure if you stick to the USDA Food Guide Pyramid, your weight will fall to the right place. The bonus will be that your mom can't argue with it. Also, as Uco said, talk to your mom about eating big breakfast and lunch and a small meal for dinner. It is very possible she heard about this.

Don't let other people decide how you should look like for you.

No problem Yoshimi!!! Glad to be of assistance!

And, actually I am Asian ^o^ Full Korean, right here! I was adopted into a Caucasian family when I was 5 months old, so I don't remember South Korea at all... the agency says I'm Korean, so I'm pretty sure I am. But lots of people say I look more Korean and Europe/American mix or Japanese and something.

I guess I won't know though... but oh well :) I like who I am.

The calorie intake of an individual really depends on each person's body type and genetics. I am 5'2" and have lived in Japan in the past. I am in my mid-twenties. I used to be a gymnast, among doing many other sports, and I worked out so hard I looked perfectly fine no matter what I ate. At the end of high school and for college, though, I didn't do much exercise and gained a lot of weight (30lbs). 1600 calories is still a considerable amount for a smaller woman. I eat between 1,000 and 1,2000 calories a day and work out and lost weight. It takes a little getting used to, but you do get used to it. And I certainly am not starving myself. I still have a very curvy hourglass figure at 120-125 lbs. I gain weight very easily, however. I can eat a bean and I gain like 5 pounds. Not everyone is like that and can surely eat more calories with no problem. Your best bet is to either try some different calorie counts for what you eat and drink or see a dietician. Also, a few tips that might help for at least getting more beneficial calories: cutting sugar and gluten/wheat products. It can be harder than you might think because wheat and/or gluten finds its way into everything. But even cutting out your breakfast toast and your daily cookie can make a big difference in a few months.

Uco said Japanese diet specialists keep telling us that it's better to decrease calories as you move towards the night. That is to eat the biggest meal in the morning, then have a big lunch, and then eat light in the evening. This makes sense, because you use less calories after dinner.

I believe dinner should be my heaviest meal. I eat breakfast before 9am, lunch around 1:30pm, dinner around 8pm. My sleeping hours are 3am-8am and a 2hr nap in the afternoon, which means I need to consume more calories during dinner as I am awake for 7 hours after dinner while I am only awake for 4-5 hours between lunch and dinner.

Speaking of Chinese, the Japanese generally have the impression that the average Chinese has a better figure than the average Japanese dispite the fact that Chinese food uses a lot more oil than Japanese food, and the Japanese believe that they owe it to Chinese tea.


The only aspect I can think of is that the average Chinese generally have slightly longer legs relative to Japanese. But I have found Japanese to age better and more able to maintain their figure as they age.

The Japanese focus on the quality of oil as well. It is believed that rather than say animal fat, good vegetable oil helps you digest the right nutrition from other foods while avoiding your body to get too chubby.

I know! My mum uses vegetable oil and changes oil too often. Most ppl I know only change when it turns muddy brown.

Ikuyo said I am sure if you stick to the USDA Food Guide Pyramid, your weight will fall to the right place. The bonus will be that your mom can't argue with it.

I am still really confused on their system of counting "servings".

One more thing about my mum: She likes to control what I eat. My mum is particular with me not eating certain things. I am non-picky eater who will eat almost anything served to me. Back when we lived in China, a Chinese friend's family invited me to dinner. When my mum found out they served me dog meat, she was really bothered and told me not to eat dog meat anymore. Would most Japanese mums have reacted the same way? I am under the impression that Japanese mums control their kids' diet more than mums of other races.

IMO 53kg is a little heavy for someone who is not yet a woman. You are likely to gain weight between 17-21 without growing any taller.

Remember freshman 15?

That will make you 60kg by the end of your freshman year. And you will only be 18 at the end of your freshman year. If you are not careful, there is more to gain between 18-21.

Yoshimi,

I don't know about mums in other countries, but in Japan, mothers are educated by her obstetrician, the public health center, and her children's schools to properly look after her children's nutrition. They are quite precise on the amount and type of food we mothers should feed our children. Of course, there are mothers who are more sloppy, but "good" mothers are expected to make sure their children eat properly while outside their homes as well.

I'm sure that is the same to a certain extent in any culture. But having lived in the U.S. as a schoolgirl, I know that most Japanese families can't imagine that most Americans only bring sandwiches for school lunches, often with little variety in between the bread. In Japan, either mothers or schools are expected to provide lunch that not only is nutritious but also have more variety.

This is expected more on mothers than fathers. In Japan, the mum is generally the one who cooks and looks after the family diet and she needs to be responsible for that. Of course, mothers are expected to stop arguing with their children once they leave home for college or reach the adult age of 20, but still, it's quite common for mothers to worry about their unmarried children living far away, and would typically send food packages once in a while. I think these type of motherhood is expected more in Latin and Asian culture than Anglo culture.

That said, the reason your mum reacted to dog meat is probably due to her ethics more than her sense of duty of being a mum. It's probaby more like an American mother denying their children eating whale meat or a vegetarian mother denying their children eating beef or pork. I personally am quite open-minded when it comes to the uniqueness of food. I wouldn't mind hearing about any type of weird thing that anyone might have eaten (and boy, have I heard of werid things to eat), but some people are simply uncomfortable with hearing about someone close eating something they had thought were "man's best friend."

Btw, I'm just curious. How do you manage to take a 2 hr nap when you seem to be a high school student in the U.S.? Do you get to go home after lunch?

Talking about changing oil, how often do you eat fries at home? As a lazy mom, I gave them up long time ago and do oven-fries instead. It might be something you can suggest and get help from your mom.

Once you get the hand of it, portionn sizes are easy.
http://www.dlife.com/dLife/do/ShowContent/food_and_nutrition/weight_ma...

Remember freshman 15?

Yes, I am aware of it. I will take of myself such that I will not gain any weight.

Uco, I can¡¦t thank you enough! ƒº
You seem to know everything about Japanese mums.

I didn¡¦t know this until you pointed it out I don't know about mums in other countries, but in Japan, mothers are educated by her obstetrician, the public health center, and her children's schools to properly look after her children's nutrition.

That¡¦s what my mum answered when I questioned her earlier today. After knowing this, I suddenly realized I scared her by saying I want to go ¡§on diet¡¨ a few months ago. This time I reworded myself by telling her I would like eat more vegetables and less rice for dinner. My mum happily agreed! We typically eat 2 types of green-leafed vegetables (one dark, one light) for dinner. After I mentioned wanting to eat more vegetables, she will be serving 3 types of green vegetables every dinner. I wasn¡¦t expecting her to cook a third type (would be happy eating more of each of the 2 types she serves), but she insisted as according to her it¡¦s better to eat 3 types rather than 2 as the benefits diminish if one consumes more than needed for each type of vegetable. I can¡¦t believe my mum would go through the trouble of serving an additional type of vegetable to replace my reduced rice intake. I am surprised she cares a lot about me.

That said, the reason your mum reacted to dog meat is probably due to her ethics more than her sense of duty of being a mum. It's probably more like an American mother denying their children eating whale meat

Probably, my mum had a dog when she lived in usa during her childhood.

I didn¡¦t know Americans do not eat whales! You seem to have lived in usa much longer than I have. I have only been in usa for the past 2 years. People are always surprised to hear my mum speaking accent-free English, and look at me like I am retarded speaking tainted English. Btw Uco: As you share some similarities with my mum (living in usa at a young age), out of curiosity, I am assuming you speak accent-free English? How about your son?

Btw, I'm just curious. How do you manage to take a 2 hr nap when you seem to be a high school student in the U.S.? Do you get to go home after lunch?
I am no longer a high student (graduated 3 months ago). When I used to attend h/s, I took a nap around 4-6pm. No, I didn¡¦t get to go home after lunch.

University starts end of Sept for me (here in California). I turn 18 about 2 months after starting uni. I know my mum will not consider me an adult yet at 18! In her mind it is 20.

Talking about changing oil, how often do you eat fries at home? As a lazy mom, I gave them up long time ago and do oven-fries instead. It might be something you can suggest and get help from your mom.

Never have since I came to usa 2 years ago. We almost exclusively eat Japanese and Chinese food at home. We are a very FOBulous family. I would only eat them as snacks occasionally at McD¡¦s. Do you eat them as snacks or part of a main meal Ikuyo?
Thanks for the link Ikuyo. Excellent info. Some of those things are almost nonexistent (such as pasta) in my diet and there are some things I often eat that are not included, such as offal (intestines, heart, kidneys). Do they count as ¡§meat¡¨?

Yoshimi,

Of course I know everything about Japanese mums. I'm in the midst of Japanese mother-land!

This time I reworded myself by telling her I would like eat more vegetables and less rice for dinner. My mum happily agreed!

This is the nicest feedback I've read in a while! You don't know how rewordings from their children makes mums happy! You're such an adult! I'm sure your mum had been thinking about your mentioning about going on a diet, too.

I didn¡¦t know Americans do not eat whales!

Excuse me young lady, but Japan and Norway are nearly banned from the whole wide world for our habit of eating whales! Maybe you don't get much of that news when you're not in Japan or Norway :)

I am assuming you speak accent-free English? How about your son?

I lived in L.A. in my childhood and do speak accent-free English, but my son has been living in Japan all his life and is having big problems keeping up his English class grades. But when you don't have an accent, people expect you to know everything the locals know, so if you've only been in the U.S. for 2 years, maybe it's good that you still have an accent. Let them spoil you :)

Thank you for clarifying about the nap, btw. Now I see.

I have lost 2kg since the last time I wrote, and I am a happier person than I was before! Thanks for all the support!

Most fobbish girls in L.A. (which is what and where I am) are much slimmer than the avg American.

Just so you know, offal, being part of the body of an animal, is definitely meat. You won't find any vegetarians who eat offal.

as a chinese living in a western country although i am a man 64kg at 171cm, i find that the reason we asians are some of the lightest people generally across the world is because simply we eat less. I just can't eat that much, whether it be unhealthy or healthy food. I in fact eat more unhealthy food living in Australia and i still can't eat as much as most caucasians here. For them, their "diet" is the same as my regular meals.

Thanks for the update, Yoshimi. Losing 2kg in 40 days sounds pretty healthy.

I think I can give you some advice about weight control..

I'm a 21 year old male.. I was very skinny after I had glandular fever and found it very difficult to gain weight for many years. In the end changes to my diet and exercise regime have been taking me closer to the body type I want to have.

Weight control becomes quite easy when you learn more about how diet affects your body. All the little bits of information you can gather from various sources can really help.

I haven't checked any of this in scientific journals so a few ideas I have might not be correct... but I'll list a few things that might help.

Metabolism is an important point. You might not burn a lot of calories while exercising, but staying active will boost your metabolism. You neet to eat properly after exercise to refuel and repair muscle, and avoid fatigue. So eating a lot after exercise shouldnt be a big problem.

Type of exercise.. Going for a gentle jog is great for you, but what's best for burning calories is higher intensity exercise. Running a bit faster and then slow to recover, for example. Or try using some light weights and doing around 20 repetitions.. you won't gain unfeminine amounts of muscle, because of your testosterone levels.

The foods you eat, and when you eat, effect your metabolism too. If you don't eat for a long time, then people say your body goes into 'starvation mode' and tries to store more fat! so eating small portions often is a good plan.

You can find lots of strange information about certain foods.. Milk is a good one (unless dairy intolerance is a problem). Calcium can help you absorb less fat. Another thing is it curdles in your stomach and releases protein slowly. I drink some before bed so that my body isnt starved while I sleep, but thats something to do with trying to gain muscle. For you I think, you could try having milk if you feel very hungry before bedtime.

Calorie control alone is a good idea.. but all calories aren't equal. Eating 50 calories of olive oil is surely better than 50 calories of animal fat. Carbohdryates have a GI (glycemic index) which is quite important.. high GI, complex carbohydrates are what you should get your energy from. Vegetables contain complex carbs, good for your evening meal (your body wont need a lot of energy after your evening meal). Other complex carb sources like rice, pasta, porridge, potato, bread, etc. are better in the morning and lunch times.

Eating something sweet will make you crave sugary foods.

Different food types make you feel more full than others. Protein and fat make you feel full more than carbs do. Also, fibre pads out your meal without giving you extra calories. So a meal with a good amount of protein and fibre will make you feel full.. much better than a meal high in carbs but low in protein..

if you increase your protein intake a bit then be careful to get plenty of fibre too.. to help your digestive system...


Well... you can find this kind of information on websites.. I haven't really explained what I've written, and that probably makes it a bit less helpful.

I hope you can find a way to feel more positive about your body. You can feel good about it if you know how.

My mum is Japanese too. She is 158cm and around 60kg, size 6-8 in usa (probably plus size in Japan?). So her opinion of what is slim has been distorted by her own weight and living in usa. She keeps telling me that I'm not fat (she even tells me I am slim!). I am like "Are you kidding me"? Well I'm probably not fat by American standards (I'm 165cm and 55kg) but I'm probably fat or close to it by Japanese standards.

Eurasian,

As suggested at the first part of this thread, you are "healthy" according to Japanese standards, and if you loose 0.5kg, you will be a healthy AND beautiful figure in which "most (Japanese) males may prefer."

http://members.jcom.home.ne.jp/crystallization/check.html