If you are looking for some inspiration and motivation from elsewhere in order to get your weight loss programme live and kicking, then I know just the place. You need look no further than the Japanese way of life! Japanese women, in particular, have long been regarded and praised for their ability to remain healthy and slim, even into their old age, so they must be doing something right! If you want to achieve the same kinds of results, then keep on reading for some of the best tips and tricks. Here is how to follow a Japanese lifestyle if you want to be thin.
Well, diet is of course the best and most obvious place to start! The secret of Japanese diet is carb heavy but low in saturated fat. The main players are vegetables, grains, fish and meat, with overly sugary, overly salty and overly processed foods not really present. Dairy also isn’t something that is too popular.
There is virtually no snacking culture in Japan, with people preferring to stick to three proper meals a day that keep them feeling full. If they do snack, it is small amounts and on healthy foods rather than the junk treats that other nations prefer.
Just like busy people in other countries, Japanese women on the go look towards fast food, but the difference is that rather than all the fried and fatty foods that we are used to associating with the term, Japanese fast food is much healthier and tends to be fish and sushi based. Nice and fresh and low calorie!
From a young age, Japanese children are given nutrition classes at school to help them make better choices about food for the rest of their lives. You can replicate this by taking some time to really study and increase your own nutritional knowledge. When you know what everything means, you can apply it to your weekly shop and restaurant choices.
Most Japanese people have very regulated meal times, eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the same time every single day. This is something that you should be looking to replicate because the more routine you have, the better your digestive system and metabolism is allowed to work.
Exercise is a very common activity performed by everyone in Japan from children to the elderly. Kids are encouraged to walk and cycle to school, and older citizens are encouraged to perform things like yoga to keep themselves active.
There is no such thing as ‘supersize’ in Japan! There is rarely an option to go large or extra large for your meal, with a preference for a moderate sized portion that gives you enough food to satisfy your hunger but not enough excess to feel overly full and uncomfortable. The Japanese don’t believe in eating until you feel sick, that is seen as an unattractive extravagance!