After three weeks of weighing almonds one by one, many end up eating a bag of chips. Fortunately, a Japanese method might just be the key to (really) lasting weight loss.
Eating has sometimes become a strange mix. On the one hand, we love talking about restaurants, cheese, pastries or aperitifs on the terrace. On the other hand, many people feel guilty after a meal that is a little too hearty. Some then alternate between very strict periods and big Friday evening breakdowns, with the impression of having “been good” all week. By seeing each meal as an exercise in discipline, many people end up no longer recognizing when they are simply no longer hungry.
Indeed, today we eat in front of a series, between two emails, in the metro or with the phone placed right next to the plate. Mealtime almost becomes a secondary activity. Moreover, several studies show that screens during meals encourage us to eat more, often faster and less well. The brain is busy elsewhere, so it does not pick up satiety signals well, which can then lead to snacking.
Conversely, some cultures maintain a much calmer relationship with food. In Japan, particularly in the Okinawa region, known for its impressive number of centenarians, eating is not just about filling a plate to the brim. There, meals are often slower, the portions more reasonable and above all, we pay attention to the feeling of real hunger, with the idea of avoiding that famous moment when we continue to eat “because there is some left”. This practice has a name: “hara hachi bu”. An old Japanese habit of stopping eating when you are 80% full.
Unlike classic diets, which work for a few weeks before ending up in a huge dish of pasta, this approach seems much more sustainable over time. Studies conducted on populations that eat more mindfully often show the same effects: affected individuals naturally consume fewer calories, gain less weight with age, and generally have a lower BMI.
This method also doesn’t require you to do away with Saturday night carb pasta, or to live with a kitchen scale in your bag. The principle mainly consists of stopping eating before reaching that feeling of a completely full stomach.
