My Diet and the Japanese Gift Giving Tradition

I've fallen off the wagon. OK, well not totally. Here's the problem. If you do something nice for someone (like a big favour or you give an expensive gift), you will generally get a gift in return (called okaeshi). Sometimes you get stuff (I've gotten towels and coasters and stuff) but generally you get food... and it isn't usually the healthy kind. So this last week I've gotten 2 of these gifts. The first was a giant bag of chocolate and candy (for helping my Japanese teacher with an essay) and the second was a little box of chocolate cookies from the school nurse Fujioka-sensei (because I contributed to a pool to buy her a congratulatory gift for winning some award)...
Now having chocolate, cookies and candy in my house is incredibly dangerous, especially after a night of nomihodai (all-you-can-drink)... Saturday was the start of my demise (that's when the chocolate entered my apartment and seeing as I have no will power to begin with and even less when I've had too much to drink... well... you can guess what happened) and then Sunday I had conbini food for dinner (GASP!). Monday, I didn't go to the gym. Instead I went out for dinner and ate too much. Tuesday I had a McDonalds breakfast set... And the list goes on. So in the last 5 days, I have been very very bad. I also haven't been posting because I've been sick (and lazy) so the transparency of my diet has been lost.
But I've posted and now you know. And you can post death threats or whatever for falling off the wagon, but I'm not giving up. I've put myself back on the wagon and I'm going to start all over again, if I have to. I am not giving up this time around... As the say in Japanese: Ganbarimasu!

Note to self: In the future, be less nice...

Oh the shame...

Like I had mentioned in previous posts, in order to try and reach my goal, I started going to the gym. The plan is to go 3 times a week (Mon, Wed, and Fri) and if I ever have free time... which I never do... so we'll stick to 3 times a week.
Anyway, yesterday, I decided to change it up and join an aerobics class. It's important not to get bored with your exercise routine or else you will stop going. And that goes double for me because I get bored really easily. So I joined a class called "Hashiranai Aero" (which means aerobics without running). I have always believed myself to be fairly coordinated. I need coordination to do judo after all. But boy was I wrong. I must have slept in the day they were passing out coordination... because it was embarrassing. I spent 45 minutes standing in the corner and spinning around in circles because I had no idea what I was doing. Granted this was my first time ever doing aerobics but it doesn't look that hard when I watch from the window... It's a good thing that I can laugh at myself because otherwise I'd never set foot in the gym again.
So after 45 minutes of shame, I refused to go home on that note. Instead, I decided to stay for the beginner aerobics class that was being held immediately after. I didn't feel like I had worked out anyway because all I had done was make mistakes... The beginner class went much better... I still feel like I have no coordination but it was still fun.

Lesson of the day: Hang in there... even when everything goes wrong

Is "blenderize" a word?

...because if it is, blenderizing is awesome. I bought a small blender last Saturday and I am in love with it already. I can make fruit smoothies now! I've been meaning to get one for a long time now but I either forgot or figured that I didn't need one. Well it seems that it was a very good purchase. Yesterday I made a banana/strawberry smoothie and it was delicious. 1 banana, 10 strawberries, 200ml soy milk, 1 non-fat yogurt snak-pak for a little kick. And if my calculations are correct, that's less than 100kcal per serving. It makes a good addition breakfast or snack and it's a featherweight (low Caloric Density).
And now that I have a blender, I can also make that asparagus soup I've been eyeing in my recipe book. I can't wait!
I'm adding "blender" to my previous list of things I learned...

WEEK 2 - 64.5kg

It's a day late. I'm sorry. I weighed myself properly this morning. So far so good. I lost the 0.5kg I was aiming for and that was without going to the gym last week. I started going to the gym this week though. Diet AND exercise is key. The staff at my gym were surprised to see me. "Long time no see"... I haven't been since the end of October... But I'm back and I intend to stay back. I may even have a gym partner soon. Hopefully we will keep each other motivated, but only time will tell.
I did my cardio workout yesterday. 40 minutes on the stationary bike and then I decided to try my hand at the treadmill. For those of you who don't know me very well... I hate running... with a burning passion... but I definitely feel the burn more after 20 minutes of running than after 40 minutes on the bike. I'm thinking about joining an aerobics class once or twice a week, just to change it up a bit though because the bike gets boring after awhile. I am open to any suggestions for weight training workouts though. I don't really know what I'm doing and I'd prefer not to kill myself, so if anyone has any advice, let me know.

WEEK 2 - Woke up late forgot to weigh myself

I'm a little embarrassed because I woke up at 7:25 and I have to be out of my house at 7:38... leaving me only 13 minutes to eat breakfast, get dressed and grab my stuff... oh and take out the garbage. I'm horrible in the mornings. In short... I didn't weigh myself. I did eat breakfast though which I wouldn't normally do if I were running late. Luckily, I had set everything out the night before so I ate instant oatmeal, 5 strawberries and a glass of soy milk.

To be honest, even if I had weighed myself, I don't think I would have been happy with the results. I slipped up this weekend. Saturday, my friends threw a nabe party and I ate (and drank) WAY too much. Nabe is a wonderful, wonderful thing. The Japanese word nabe means "pot" so basically, it was a hot pot. In theory, nabe is not bad for you. There are tons of vegetables green leafy vegetables (mostly Chinese cabbage) and shiitake mushrooms. There is also very little oil because the vegetables are boiled in a giant clay pot over a flame. The broth is usually just fishstock or seaweed stock. However, when you add fatty pork/chicken and mystery meatballs, that's where the problems start. Add 4-5 glasses of wine, cheesecake and chocolate cream puffs for dessert and you have me falling off the wagon... literally... with a very loud thump.
I was quite productive on Sunday though. I felt like I needed to make up for the bad behaviour so instead of lazing around the way I usually do on Sunday, I woke up at 9:00, ate breakfast, swept the floor, washed the dishes and the bathroom sink. Had 8 pieces of nigiri sushi for lunch and then went for a walk to the grocery store and the 100-en store. Dinner was mabodofu, brown rice, miso soup and stir-fried vegetables courtesy of my personal chef. And I promise that I will work off this weekend's foibles at the gym this week.

This weekend I started on the BBC Big Challenge. I got my first list of challenges on Saturday and I've basically completed them all. All they asked from me was to try and eliminate fatty /sugary foods from my diet (started doing that 2 weeks ago) and to walk 20 minutes for 5 days a week (which I already do). I think I may have underestimated the exercise that I already do...
Oh well. I guess I'll just follow it and see where it takes me. It can't hurt, that's for sure.

One Last Thing...

One last thing before I head home... I just discovered that the Okinawa Diet has a homepage for those of you who are interested in joining the online community. They have all sorts of great services and stuff if you join for a minimum of 8 weeks. I say buy the book. It's cheaper and probably just as effective.
Have a great weekend!

BBC Big Challenge

I was directed to this page by a friend (thanks K!) who has also decided to follow a healthier lifestyle. The BBC Big Challenge seems to offer everything that I've been looking for, all wrapped up in a nice little package, straight from a reliable source. So this afternoon, I joined the Big Challenge Health Club and tomorrow, I will start my Vitality Programme while continuing to follow the principles of the Okinawa Diet.
Speaking of the Okinawa Diet, National Geographic ran an article in the November 2005 issue called "The Secrets of Longevity". So if you thought that the Okinawa Programme was just another one of those fad diets, guess again... If you don't believe me, believe National Geographic.

A couple of things

Well today is Friday and if you are a Lost in Japan reader, you know that I don't usually post on weekends. If you don't read my other blog... I don't usually post on weekends. So Fridays, I will ask for forgiveness by posting a new recipe that you can try out... And it shall be called Fun Friday Recipe... oh the lameness exceeds even me. But before I get to my recipe, for any new dieters out there, let me tell you a little bit about the Body Mass Index (BMI).

BMI
What is it? The term Body Mass Index (BMI) may be a new term for many but it is one of the most important tools physicians use for assessing the risk of diseases associated with overweight and obesity (high blood pressure, heart disease and type 2 diabetes). The formula uses both height and weight to determine your body fat. The BMI is reliable for most adults (age 19-70) but it comes with a caveat. It may over-estimate the body fat of highly competetive athletes (since muscle weighs more than fat) and underestimate that in the elderly (because as you age you lose some lean muscle mass). It also isn't reliable for women who are pregnant or breast-feeding or chronically ill patients.
How is it calculated? You can calculate it using the English or the metric system and these are the formulas:

BMI = [(weight in pounds)/(height in inches)(height in inches)]*703
or
BMI = [(weight in kilograms)/(height in metres)(height in metres)]
or
BMI = [(weight in kilograms)/(height in centimetres)(height in centimetres)]*10,000

A healthy BMI is between 18.5-24.9. Under this, you are underweight. Between 25.0-29.9, you are overweight. Between 30.0-39.9, you are obese and 40.0, you are extremely obese. The risk of associated disease is thus higher if you are overweight or obese and if your waist is above 35 inches (women) and 40 inches (men), your risk increase even more. Read here for further details.

Here is a BMI chart (click to enlarge). Green is the range of a healthy BMI.
And now for the recipe.

SOBA AND VEGETABLE STIRFRY
I modified a recipe in a book because I couldn't find egg noodles. I used soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles) instead. I used only about a tbsp of oil because I have a non-stick wok. I also added more vegetables (like mushrooms and red bell peppers) and used ponzu instead of light soy sauce. Oh and I also added lemon juice and garlic powder... but under is the recipe from the book.

100g soba
50g celery
50g bean sprouts
1 large red chilli pepper
3 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 clove garlic
2 spring onions

Boil soba, drain and set aside.
In a wok, heat the oil until a light haze appears. Cook garlic in oil until golden. Add chilli pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add noodles stirring quickly so that it doesn't stick. Add other ingredients. Makes 2-4 portions.

Have fun cooking!

The Joys of Cooking

2 years ago, I could barely make toast. Living alone however has forced me to fend for myself... I used to eat out more than I ate in, stopping regularly at the convenience store for a quick fix of onigiri or Cup Noodle. However, I'll be going home in 6 months and I have saved up A LOT less than I wanted too. Conbini food is also anti-Okinawa Diet. How can I save money and follow my new lifestyle? Solution: Cook my own food! You can make a meal for less than $5 (depending on the vegetables you use) and the best part is that you usually have leftovers for lunch.
Recently, I discovered the reason why so many people love to cook... IT'S F-U-N! Yes ladies and gentlemen, cooking is fun. Imagine that! I just wish I had a bigger kitchen.

A few things I learned...
1) Invest in good knives. It makes a difference. It makes it easier to chop garlic, cut vegetables and to take the fat off meat. I bought a couple of good knives to replace my dull 100-en store ones... it was worth it.

2) Non-stick is awesome! Pots, pans, woks... whatever. GO NON-STICK! It means you can use considerably less oil in your cooking and the food just rinses off when you're finished. Makes washing the dishes a breeze (if your sink is bigger than mine)...

3) Spice it up. Chilli powder, curry powder, shichimi, ichimi, fresh black pepper, garlic powder... you will never need to use salt again. Lemon juice and Ponzu (Japanese citrusy sauce) are also your friends.

4) Ziploc, Ziploc, ZIPLOC! Cheap and reliable. The bags are great for snacks, the containers are great for dividing up portions and for storing leftovers. Also microwave and freezer safe! (I should get paid for advertising)

5) Chopsticks. Not only are they better for lipstick management, they also help manage bite sizes since you can hold way less with chopsticks than with a fork or spoon.

Common sense perhaps but no one ever accused me of having any ;)

WEEK 1 - 65kg

So I'm going to be honest on this page. If I want other people to benefit, I have to be honest with myself and with them. So here goes.
Officially, I started my "lifestyle change" last week on January 10th, the day I went back to school. Since then, I've been good (except for the McDonalds breakfast I had Sunday morning after an Osaka all-nighter).
Now even though I started last week, I hadn't really weighed myself before so I don't know what my starting weight was. I weighed myself this morning however and I weighed in at 65kg (143lbs). Keep in mind that this is on my second-hand Winnie the Pooh scale so I don't know how accurate it is. I'll weigh myself on a proper scale next time I go to the gym.

Setting goals: Following the S.M.A.R.T. principle, I need to set a goal that is Specific, Measurable, Adjustable, Realistic and Time-based.
My ideal weight would be between 50-55kg (110-121lbs), my weight before the horrors of University. So my goal is to lose 15kg (33lbs)--specific. I will weigh myself once a week to check progress--measurable. If I falter, I won't quit but I will readjust my goal--adjustable. I used to weigh 118lbs so an ideal weight of 110-121lbs is--reasonable. I want to achieve this in 36 weeks (9 months)... average about 0.5kg a week--time-based.
I guess that's a good start.

Banishing food cravings: I found this article interesting. I never realized how brushing discouraged me from eating but it does... How many times have I said no to food because "I've just brushed my teeth"?? Plenty.

Things I still need to buy: travel toothbrush/toothpaste kit, blender, food scale, small storage containers.

New Year's Resolutions

The format of my second blog is going to be very different from my first one. Here's a bit of an intro about myself. I'm a girl who has battled with her weight all her life. No one in my family seems to have faced these issues. I'm 5'2" but by the time I finished University, I was a whopping 168lbs, with serious self-esteem issues. I'm in Japan right now, the land of skinny women, which is very difficult for someone of my stature. I'm much more active than I ever was back home (no car will do that to you) so I've lost quite a bit since I've got here but I don't feel like it's enough.
A friend at the gym I don't go to told me about this book called the Okinawa Diet Plan... It's really good and informative even if you don't want to go on a diet... Anyway, I tried about 8 months ago and the results were great but there were setbacks causing me to quit after only a month. But now I'm back and more determined than ever. I've cleaned out my house of most (but not all) junk food and replaced it with fruits, veggies and oatmeal. I also have the support of a wonderful man, which probably doesn't hurt.
One of the sites I was reading says that I should make a journal to keep track of what I eat but also to distract me from cravings. That's what I'm going to do. I'll try and chronicle my progress which will hopefully motivate me to do better and maybe someone out there will find my blog and be inspired. Maybe.