Hello everyone!
I've been trying to lose weight for as long as I can remember, and I've tried a ton of different diets over the years.
But my go-to has been the Japanese diet for almost 20 years now, and I'm excited to share the details with you.
The Japanese diet is all about cutting out sugar, salt, carbs, dairy, and booze. It's not a quick fix, but a long-term lifestyle change.
The length of the diet can vary from 3 to 14 days, but I'll give you an example of a 7-day plan below.
Day 1:
Breakfast - a cup of coffee or green tea;
Lunch - two hard-boiled eggs, steamed cabbage;
Dinner - a serving of grilled fish, 200g.
Day 2:
Breakfast - a cup of coffee or green tea, a rye cracker or small bread;
Lunch - grilled fish, a salad with cabbage;
Dinner - a serving of boiled beef, 100g, a cup of low-fat kefir.
Day 3:
Breakfast - a cup of coffee or green tea, a rye cracker or small bread;
Lunch - zucchini or eggplant, fried in vegetable oil;
Dinner - a serving of boiled beef, 100g, a salad with cabbage, two hard-boiled eggs.
Day 4:
Breakfast - a salad made with grated carrot, dressed with lemon juice;
Lunch - a serving of grilled fish, a cup of tomato juice without salt or spices;
Dinner - a serving of fresh apples, 200g.
Day 5:
Breakfast - a salad made with grated carrot, dressed with lemon juice;
Lunch - a serving of grilled fish, a cup of tomato juice without salt or spices;
Dinner - a serving of grapefruit, 200g.
Day 6:
Breakfast - a cup of coffee or green tea;
Lunch - a serving of boiled chicken breast, a salad with cabbage and carrot, dressed with vegetable oil;
Dinner - two hard-boiled eggs, a serving of fresh carrot.
Day 7:
Breakfast - a cup of coffee or green tea;
Lunch - a serving of boiled beef, 200g;
Dinner - a serving of pears, 200g or grilled fish, 200g.
Those first 7 days are the foundation, because the next days are pretty much the same, but in reverse order. So, it's 1 2 3 4 5 6 7, then 6 5 4 3 2 1.
In general, meat and fish, veggies and fruits, eggs and coffee are all fair game, but with some restrictions. It gets a bit repetitive.
Let's get to the good stuff – the results!
I'm really happy with them.
Of course, the first thing you want to see is weight and inch loss. Here are my results below. I measured my body every morning, and I've highlighted the numbers in bold.
Day 1 104 78 53
Breakfast: black coffee or green tea
Lunch: braised cabbage, two boiled eggs, and a glass of tomato juice
Dinner: 200g of baked fish
Day 2 102 73 52
Breakfast: a slice of rye bread and a cup of coffee or tea
Lunch: 200g of baked fish, a salad with white cabbage, and some vegetable oil
Dinner: a glass of kefir and 200g of boiled beef
Day 3 102 73 52
Breakfast: a plain cracker and a cup of coffee or tea
Lunch: as many grilled zucchinis as you like
Dinner: two apples
Day 4 101 73 52
Breakfast: a fresh carrot with a squeeze of lemon
Lunch: 200g of baked fish, tomato juice
Dinner: two boiled eggs, 200g of boiled beef, and a salad with white cabbage
Day 5 101 73 52
Breakfast: a fresh carrot with a squeeze of lemon
Lunch: baked fish, 200g, tomato juice
Dinner: 200g of any allowed fruits
Day 6 101 73 52
Breakfast: coffee or green tea
Lunch: 200g of boiled chicken, tomato juice
Dinner: 200g of any allowed fruits
Day 7 101 71 51.5
Breakfast: coffee or green tea
Lunch: 200g of baked fish, two apples
Dinner: a glass of kefir and 200g of boiled beef
Day 8 101 71 51
I'm thrilled with the results after just 7 days - I've lost 3 cm from my thighs, 7 cm from my waist, and 2 cm from my legs. I'm really happy with that!
To be honest, the results could be even better. This time around, I was a bit more lenient with my diet. I'll share what I did differently below.
But it's not just about the weight loss - my skin is looking amazing too. My face is smooth, clear, and free of acne and breakouts. My body's not looking as dramatic, but I think that's because I'm still eating dairy products.
I'm also loving the bonus benefits - I'm sleeping better, feeling more positive, and just generally feeling amazing. The lightness in my body is incredible! It's hard to explain, but you just have to experience it for yourself.
This diet can be tough for a lot of people, or even impossible. I'm not sure why that is, but for me, it's been really easy. The only challenge is cooking for myself when everyone else in my family is eating normally.
I'm a total coffee addict, and it's been hard to give it up. But I've been managing to cut back every morning.
I'm also a big fan of eggs and fish.
And let's not forget about veggies - they're basically just vitamins in disguise. We actually grow our own at home.
But there's one thing I've never done - eaten a raw egg. That's just not something I'm comfortable with, and I think it's really bad for your health.
Over the years, I've developed my own rules for sticking to the diet. I'd love to share them with you.
First off, no stressing about intense physical activity or sports. We'll save those for after the diet.
Secondly, drink plenty of water. Since it's lost quickly, you need to replenish it. Everyone's got their own water intake norm, I think.
Thirdly, get a good and long sleep. And if the diet makes it good, you'll have to make sure it's long yourself!
Fourthly, mix up your menu. Sometimes you might not have the right fish or meat in the fridge, or you just don't feel like eating cabbage. You can swap fish for shrimp, for instance, or add a fresh cucumber to your cabbage salad. And sometimes, it's okay to have a burger instead of meat – it's better than giving up and starting all over. Just remember, it's supposed to be an exception, not the rule.
Fifthly, plan your diet start date carefully. For me, May is the perfect time – fresh veggies are in season, the days are getting longer, and summer's just around the corner, which makes for great motivation!
And, of course, there shouldn't be any holidays or family gatherings. Why tempt yourself with extra treats?
I've tried different numbers of days – from 3 to 14 – and varied menus and products. Nothing really changes. Eating at set times doesn't make you feel hungry. The kind of hunger that makes you want to eat because your eyes are telling you to, not because your body needs it. The key is to eat everything on the menu – nothing more, nothing less.
I often use the first day of the diet as a detox day: it helps me get back on track or lose a few extra pounds. The results are amazing, even after just one day!
After following the Japanese diet, I find myself craving only healthy and nutritious food. And I really know what I want – it's a weird feeling!
When getting into the diet, it's best to do it gradually, and the same goes for getting out of it. That way, you won't regain the weight you lost.
I really enjoy eating like this, but there's one catch! If I can live without sugar and carbs – I did it for a whole year, even with intense aerobic workouts – but without dairy products, I'm in trouble. They're my weakness, and it's a big problem. I mean, how can you live without cheese and sour cream?
I had a pretty unconventional experience with this product. But I wouldn't recommend doing it to anyone! It's just not safe.
I'm not even sure what drove me to do it, but I think it was the numbers on the scale. I was on the Japanese diet for a few months, and during that time, I lost around 10 kg. I finally hit the numbers I was aiming for: 48 kg. Considering my comfortable weight range is 55-57 kg, it was getting tough to lose any more weight. Was I satisfied with the results? No way! I'd grown accustomed to eating this way, and it wasn't a problem for me. But I found it hard to stay active and commit to regular exercise, and I wanted to see some definition and muscle tone. Plus, I felt like I wasn't seeing any changes on the outside, but the weight was just melting away from within. So, I lost interest...
So, my takeaway is that if you don't have any weight to lose, a diet like this won't help.
I highly recommend this diet. It not only improved my physique but also my skin and overall well-being!
Five stars, hands down!