Japan

[Hayden]

Hello, just wondering, is any other active members of this board living in Japan?

Japanese or otherwise.

日本語OKです

いつもお世話になっております。 ヘイデンと申します

今、私はアトキンスダイエットをしています。
友人でありましょう

以上、よろしくお願いいたします。

[grovemonkey]

Hayden,

I live in Tokyo. Been here about 10 years. I've been on and off on the atkins for around.. a long time! I see you've lost some weight which is very cool. How long have you been doing the atkins? Most of the Japanese I know tend to be baffled when I talk about low-carb dieting.

[Hayden]

Hello Grovemonkey,
You've been in Japan twice as long as I have !! This is my first time on Atkins, and first time of doing a diet properly. Rather than half heartedly. You must be 1-kyu, if you've been here 10 years.

My co-workers are cool about the Atkins diet. I told them how it worked before I started. Not sure if they understand fully, but they can see results. 17kg lost so far.

How about you?

[grovemonkey]

My Japanese is still a work in progress, never studied at University. I just know enough to get by in my daily life and work, for the most part!

Regarding the atkins, I have been on and off for a few years. I just went back into induction cause I've been stalled out between 91-95 kilos. I'm trying to get down to around 80 kilos as my next step.

Nice view. Must be working for a foriegn company! I have successfully purchased spenda online in Japan btw. I have a big bag of packets. Costco is another good place for meat and fish but you have to take a cooler with you if you go, I guess hanamasa is decent.

[Hayden]

Yes, it is true. I work for a 外国の会社. Do you do too?
I know that a lot of us "barbarians at the gate", or "foreigners" work for staff placement companies, or international banks, if don't work as teachers.
I'm a little bit out there, I'm the only foreigner working in my office, which is a telecom company.

I'm officially curious.
Did you get your Splenda imported? I've had cold and flu Lem-sip medicine sent by my parents stopped by customs, also a packet of Slenda, never reached me.

My Japanese co-worker, who was chasing the package down for me came back and told me it was a banned substance. This was 9 weeks ago or such.

Would you sell me some?
(we could do the exchange outside the koban on the Roppongi crossing)
I can imagine the visuals now, me rubbing the sugar on my gums, small bags, the cash being handed over. The hand shake.

[VetteChic]

Hey guys.... Tammy Lynn here! I'm close to Tokyo... at Yokota AB! And.... I find Splenda at the base all the time!!! woot woot!

Nice to know that there are other low carbers in this beautiful but fattening land of rice and noodles! I'm having a really hard time here... and have gained about 40 since Feb when we got here. I'd love to here how you guys are managing to lose. I'm getting back on the low carb wagon as of Jan 1st!

[Hayden]

Hello Tammy Lynn,
Welcome to Atkins and Japan !!

Living on base must make things a lot easier for you.
Groove Monkey bought his Splenda off ebay, whilst I'm still looking for it in the shops with no avail.

My co-worker, whom I gave a mission (impossible) task to find and buy me some Splenda, came back to me and told me it was a banned substance in Japan. I've never seen it in any Japanese supermarket, so I think there might be a element of truth in her report.

Now living on base, does give you access to a lot of American products that I would have to try much harder to find outside of the air base.

For example, Japanese toothpaste doesn't contain fluoride, but I bet you can buy "normal" toothpaste without any effort at all.

I did visit an American air base when I was in Okinawa in July this year. I explained to the soldier at the gate, that I wanted to visit the commissary to buy some "Western" products, and they kindly escorted me to the shop, and I filled a whole trolley with things like toothpaste, condoms that actually fit, and lots of American medicine like Aspirin. I also bought a lot T-shirts, jeans, and clothing. I vaguely remember noticing the Splenda, and I wish I had bought some. Oh, for hindsight.

I assume, then even though you're in Japan, whilst on base, you do all your shopping in dollars.

Do you go off-base much?

You asked how we managed to lose weight. Is that how we managed to lose weight whilst living in Japan, or just lose in general?

In general, I've lost 40lb since July, by just following the book, and being as good as I can. I've made some stupid mistakes on this diet, and I've asked questions, and corrected those mistakes. Reading and understanding the Atkins book is truly the key to the success, and the common factor in people whom fail at the Atkins diet, are those that don't read the book.

If you have difficulty in obtaining the book whilst in Japan, then I can give you directions to solve that.

Eating the Atkins way, whilst in Japan. The ease of this increases with the more Japanese you can speak.

kono tabemono ikutsu wo tansukibutsu desu ka
How much carbohydrate does this have?

saito tabetenai desu yo
I don't want to eat sugar.

These key phrases will start you off.

Anyway. woot woot for finding this forum. Good luck, and ask questions.

[VetteChic]

Ooh.. kewl. I can write that down and keep it in my purse for when we're out to dinner somewhere! But.... the tricky part is when they answer me.. I haven't even gotten the numbers down past 1,2,3 yet! I've had a hard time trying to grasp the language here but I'm tryin!


Do you ever make it up this way? If you do.. make sure you pm me or something. Although it is against the rules to bring people in and let them shop... (I don't know how the heck you managed getting into an Air Force base let alone shopping there without an ID... unless the guy personally took you on as a guest and used his ID which is always possible) I'm sure we could work something out! We can exchange "gifts" You can buy me a bottled water, and I'll buy you some splenda! HAHA! Or just lemme know when you'll be around and I'll throw some your way! I wonder why it's banned in Japanese stores.. but still available at the commissary here...?? Oh well.. if I can be of any help just hollar at me!

I read the book a long time ago.. I think even before all the "net carb" things came into play.. I bet there's a newer book out there somewhere. I'll have to check the BX but I doubt it! Do you do the whole flaxseed thing and fish oil and all that? I haven't been able to find the flaxseed.. and the commissary here does not have many low carb selections at all. Hopefully I can find stuff to make it easy to follow. My thing is my husband cannot just sit down to dinner as meat and cheese and a veggie and call it dinner. He likes nice combo meals and is a rice or potato or pasta side dish kind of guy. He says he'll support me.. but then , since he does most of the cooking, because he's awesome at it.. beggers can't be choosers so when he make the rice or potatoes, I alwasy end up caving in and eating it too! I've seriously considered leaving the house when the rest of the family eats dinner.. but we like to share that time together. UGH! I'll figure it out somehow!

Anyhow... thanks for writing and be sure to let me know if you get up this way!

[Hayden]

Hello Tammy Lynn,

I used all my best charm, and I even smiled. One of my nice ones too, at the guard at the gate. He arranged an escort, and she came with me to the shop, and back to the gate again. We had a bit of a laugh, when I asked he if all the lads on the base got their hair cut at the same place.

As for Splenda being banned in Japan, the only basis that I have to quote that is, 1) I was told so, and 2) I have never ever seen it on sale in a Japanese supermarket.

As a thought, it could also available on-base, because those bases are treated as "American soil", so Japanese rules and regulations are treated differently.

I did however, track some down today. I sometimes use this website http://www.fbcusa.com/public2/

Which sells American foods (including frozen) and cleaning products and up-to-date magazines, (also children's' books) direct from the US to your door in Japan.

Obviously, you will pay more than you would back home, or from the store on base, but sometimes the prices are very reasonable.

The web-site could be useful if need something for a party, or if your children have an allergy to certain washing powders, and you need to buy a perticular brand.

The frozen food section is quite useful too. I'm not sure about "on-base" prices, but in Japan, anything that comes from a cow, is quite expensive. Beef (although has dropped in price recently), milk, butter, cheese, yogurt, compared to UK, and the US is expensive. Sometimes, if you've got an empty freezer, and you're buying a lot, it can be cheaper to buy on the FBC website.

With that in mind, I had a look today if they had any Splenda on the FBC website, and they do. Except it's $60 for a 1lb bag !!! Since just a normal 2lb bag of sugar is $4, it makes me wonder if there are some background politics with Slenda in Japan.

As for the Atkins book, I ordered mine on the American Amazon.com, then paid shipping charges from the States to Japan. $$$ OMG! I have since found a book store in Tokyo, that has a English copy of the Atkins book.

Maybe, I could go and get the copy of the book for you. Visit the base, and give you a copy of the book. In return, you could sign me in and let me visit the commissary for a mini shopping spree!!

[VetteChic]

WOW~ $60 for a pound?? I'll have to check tomorrow and see what the Splenda runs here.. I'm not sure if they have the bags or just the packets. I have the packets myself for convenience being out. But I looked and I can't find my book. I'm gonna check the BX tomorrow and see if they have it or not. Sounds like a good exchange though! Honestly if you need anything at all just lemme know.. within reason of course! A new big screen would be a bit much and wouldn't work on the power off base anyway! HAHA! Well, I will post again tomorrow after my trip to the BX! Thanks!