Harahachibu (eat until 80% full)

Diet control
Rudolf: One month away in Tokyo and I come home lighter. One month back here and I’ve put on weight.
Mari: In Japan you eat like a monk. 
Rudolf: You mean, miso soup and vegetables? 
Mari: Try eating more slowly. With chopsticks. Here in Berlin we eat with knives, forks, spoons… very quick, very filling. Pause while eating.
Rudolf: I’ll make a note of that.
Mari: Put it on the fridge door. And chew. Twenty to thirty times. Long time salivate, instead of eat, talk, eat, talk. Digestion begins in the mouth.

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Voice-over
In Okinawa there is a principle of harahachibu: stop eating at 80% full. Controls calorie intake, slows eating, lowers BMI, reduces risk of heart problems, stroke, diabetes, high LDL cholesterol.

Extreme Intermittent Fasting

Managing an invitation…

Rachel: Feel like dinner tonight?
Felicity: Did brunch today already. I’m back on my intermittent fasting 22/2.
Rachel: But girl, you ain't gonna get all you need from one meal.
Felicity: I got a balanced plate, trust. Veggies, protein, the whole nine. Lost 3 kilos in 3 weeks last time. Got this on lock.
Rachel: But you might lose muscle, you know? Your body might start munching on that for energy.
Felicity: Nah, I'm heavy on the protein and hitting the gym. No muscle loss here.
Rachel: What about social life? Eating once a day gonna make them gatherings awkward.
Felicity: I work around it. Plan my meals when I got events. It’s a balance, but I manage.
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Voice-over
Rachel goes on to ask about the temptation to binge-eat and that extreme diets can be tricky. Felicity reassures her that the discipline keeps her focused and the results keep her hyped. Nevertheless, dieting comes with caveats.

Winter Weight Gain

Stubborn winter weight loss…

Samantha: How’s the weather treating you?

Victoria: So up and so down. One day hot, one day cold. And I can’t control my comfort foods.

Samantha: Binging?

Victoria: Not binging but I’m putting on weight.

Samantha: You've got nothing to worry about. You always look fabulous!"

Victoria: Seriously. Six kilos up in six months.

Samantha: Mmm. Hard to stay active when it's freezing outside. And in cold weather, our bodies crave more calories, even if we're not using them all.

Victoria: I’ve tried indoor exercises.

Samantha: It’s got to be sustained. And vigorous. Have you tried dance?

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Voice-over

Dance, aerobics, tai chi, they all help. It’s harder than when we were younger.

Journal writing and dieting

Penelope is incredulous that the simple act of journal writing reduces weight.

...

Penelope: Journal writing helps dieting? You’re kidding me. Like writing a lot burns calories?

Ursula: It’s the psychological act of writing. If you write down everything you eat, you get shy, you watch it.

Penelope: You get inhibited.

Urusula: It works in other ways. If I know I’m going to have to report, even to myself, how many glasses of wine I’ve had, it slows me down. I maybe have one less.

Penelope: Red’s OK. Specially if you have it same time as you eat reindeer. Blocks the release of free radicals.

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Voiceover

Monitoring curbs excess. Turn a video camera on yourself when you’re being over-dramatic. You soon learn to act like a TV actor, not a stage actor.

Maybe this journal writing is a good monitoring device for more than checking food intake.

Spill the beans to your journal and see if you start edging closer to the ideal you.

...