Take a look at the picture of me giving a lecture that is posted on our school’s website (http://www.niigataum.ac.jp/news/2012_20121218083847.html). I’ve lost more than 10 kg of weight and have been keeping the lost weight off. When all is said and done, I found that a version of the low-carbohydrate diet worked best for me. I would like to recommend my method to those who wish to treat or prevent some chronic diseases and conditions including metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, a stiff neck and shoulders, lower back pain, and diabetes.
It also helped me turn back the clock. I am now what I was 30 years ago in terms of weight. I was suffering from many lifestyle-related diseases and conditions, including a fatty liver, chronic snoring, back pain and skin rashes. However, these have all improved or disappeared since I started my diet in late September.
I was always up and down in the course of my struggle to control my weight. Each time I would lose weight using a certain diet I would relapse and put back on the weight. My former method was basically to diminish the total intake of calories which always proved to be stressful.
My stay in San Francisco last September was sort of my last chance to test if my theory was right. I walked and walked and ate less for two weeks. While I lost a kilo, I felt very stressful and missed a chance to eat a lot of delicious food.
Low-carbohydrate diets, which are dietary programs that restrict carbohydrate consumption usually for the treatment of obesity and diabetes, have only recently become accepted in Japan. You limit foods high in digestible carbohydrates (e.g. rice, bread, pasta), but you can eat foods containing a higher percentage of proteins and fats (e.g. meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs, cheese, beans, nuts, and seeds) and other foods low in carbohydrates (e.g. vegetables, mushrooms, Japanese konnyaku and edamame) as much as you like.
I decided to reduce substantially the amount of rice I eat during each meal and when I drink sake, which is rice wine, I decided not to eat rice at all. The hardest part for me was to decline going to ramen noodle restaurants and drinking beer. Usually, when I drink alcohol these days, I only drink whiskey or other distilled drinks.
Currently, I feel healthier and happier than I've felt for years. The only downside for me is that I had to change all my suits to fit the new smaller me.