How to Lose Weight using an Ancient Japanese Secret
Date: November 12, 2019
Are you dieting and exercising and still struggling to lose weight?
We found a key secret to successful weight loss halfway around the world, in Okinawa, Japan. It’s called Hara Hachi Bu and translated it means, Eat until you’re 80 percent full.
It’s no gimmick. It’s been proven effective since the times of Confucius.
The truth is…Hara Hachi Bu is really not a secret at all. It’s just not followed in the U.S., but Hara Hachi Bu works and we should practice it. Medical experts recognize this practice of mindful eating as a reason that Okinawan people are one of the leanest, healthiest, and longest living on Earth.
Putting Hara Hachi Bu into practice:
How do you know when you are 80 percent full?
It won’t be easy. You’re going to have to change some firmly ingrained habits.
“The Clean Plate”
Were you taught to clean your plate as a child? Most of us were. You ate until there was no food on your plate, then you were ‘rewarded’ with dessert. This style of eating has absolutely nothing to do with whether your body needs more food or even if you are still hungry. You never learned to listen to your body when it came to food.
This practice of eating until you ‘nearly burst’ has become a habit practiced by many of us as adults.
The Clean Plate Habit changes your hunger hormones
Fifty-four percent of adult Americans still eat until their plate is clean. This causes disruption in our hunger hormones. By so doing, we become desensitized to our body’s natural production of leptin, a hormone that inhibits hunger. Meanwhile, the hormone ghrelin, kicks into action, thus making us feel hungry.
This result isn’t hard to imagine. We see it in our population; many of us carry extra pounds and cannot lose them.
Hara Hachi Bu
There is a big difference in what Americans say, “I’m full,” and what Okinawans say, “I’m no longer hungry.”
That’s because most of us have no idea what 80 percent full feels like. It takes 20 minutes for your brain to get the message from your stomach that it’s full. So if you eat until you feel full, you have already overeaten.
Beware. It will be difficult to tell what 80 percent full feels like. Dieticians tells us to start by eating half of what you would normally eat. Then wait 20 minutes and see how you feel. As you make this a practice, you’ll learn that once you feel any amount of stomach pressure, you are at 80 percent full. Stop eating.
Tips to Succeed at Hara Hachi Bu
Don’t get too hungry
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- Give yourself a hunger scale and check in with yourself during the day
- Ten might be when you’re so hungry, ‘you could eat a horse,’ while zero might be the way you feel after Thanksgiving dinner
- If your hunger levels start to rise, satisfy them
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- Eat slowly
- Eating faster results in eating more and will most likely lead to eating more than 80 percent
- Slow down to allow your body to send you the cues that tell you that you are satisfied
- Eat slowly
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- Choose smaller plates and narrow glasses
- You’ll serve a smaller amount naturally
- Choose smaller plates and narrow glasses
- Focus on food
- Savor each bite
- Turn off the TV, computer and smartphone
- Practice mindful eating
If you would like more information about weight loss, contact the body shaping experts at Sculpt Away in San Antonio at 210-227-3051 or visit www.SculptAway.com.
