Calorie Mate?

[GTJ]

I'm putting myself on a pretty strict diet for a little while to knock off the pounds I gained when I visited America for a few months. I do pretty well cooking healthily for myself, but when I'm out and I need a snack, where should I turn? Keep in mind I have a VICIOUS sweet tooth, as well.

So what's the deal with calorie mate? It seems like a supplement. Is it good for anything?

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by GTJ

I'm putting myself on a pretty strict diet for a little while to knock off the pounds I gained when I visited America for a few months. I do pretty well cooking healthily for myself, but when I'm out and I need a snack, where should I turn? Keep in mind I have a VICIOUS sweet tooth, as well.

So what's the deal with calorie mate? It seems like a supplement. Is it good for anything?

I`d avoid it. It`s like a high calorie fortified cookie - it`s designed to give you a burst of energy via high calories in a small package. A single stick is 100kcal... And there are typically 4 small sticks in a box. Definitely not a diet snack.

I would just pay attention to the calories in bread and like. If you`re into artificial sweeteners, there is quite a lot of "diet" or "calorie-off" stuff out there. I have a pretty bad allergic reaction to the two major ones so usually avoid them.

If you really want a snack type bar thing - ぐーぴたっ is my personal favorite. They`re incredibly dense, and a whole box is less than 200kcal. You can manage a good stomach filling snack-meal with tea and half a box of these.

[GTJ]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

I`d avoid it. It`s like a high calorie fortified cookie - it`s designed to give you a burst of energy via high calories in a small package. A single stick is 100kcal... And there are typically 4 small sticks in a box. Definitely not a diet snack.

I would just pay attention to the calories in bread and like. If you`re into artificial sweeteners, there is quite a lot of "diet" or "calorie-off" stuff out there. I have a pretty bad allergic reaction to the two major ones so usually avoid them.

If you really want a snack type bar thing - ぐーぴたっ is my personal favorite. They`re incredibly dense, and a whole box is less than 200kcal. You can manage a good stomach filling snack-meal with tea and half a box of these.

Yeah, the "Calorie" part made me wary, hehe.

ぐーびたっ, huh? I'll go look for it. Having a hard time pronouncing that last っ though, hahaha

[NanteNa]

I'd just stick to fruits and veggies. If u get ur hands on really good seedless grapes, they're just as good as a cookie or what not. It's not so difficult to fool ur so called 'sweet tooth' into believing that grapes, watermelon etc. is like candy. U just needa switch on a different mentality. If you exercise along with it, it's even easier. Cause after a hard workout u feel more like munching on a light salad than a big mac followed by a gallon of icecream.

[GTJ]

Originally Posted by NanteNa

Cause after a hard workout u feel more like munching on a light salad than a big mac followed by a gallon of icecream.

That's true. I used to work out a lot. The job hunt and graduating from college and all this crazy life change shit knocked me off my schedule. Haven't signed up at the gym near me yet. But I do find that recently I have ZERO energy so my body's telling me something and I know exactly what it's saying

Cheers for the advice! Unfortunately I can't seem to find seedless grapes... they just have the gigantic seeded variety here I think... and I do so love grapes :3

[trunker]

not sure what your current diet is like,...

but i've found that sticking to a pretty japanese diet does wonders. i've only been here less than 4 months but i'm already fitting into some old jeans that i previously had a hard time with.

breakfast - i dont do the japanese thing of rice so its just toast and coffee.
lunch - either onigiri with last nights left overs, a sandwich, or ramen/yakisoba of some sort.
dinner - this varies greatly of course, but its normally rice, one sanma or other kind of fish and some salad on the side.

its quite tricky here, cos the local junk food ie ramen, yakiniku, katsudon, or curry seems healthy and may be healthier than say a burger and fries, but it is still high calorie junk food compared to typical japanese cooking.

[Nyororin]

Seedless grapes are available here. It`s just a matter of seasons and knowing which ones are what. Fruits and vegetables in Japan actually tend to follow a natural seasonal pattern when it comes to availability.
Later this month you should start spotting seedless varieties. They grow a lot of them in Nagano.

BUT, I really cannot recommend them for a quick snack while you`re out. In fact, I can`t recommend any fruit for a quick snack while you`re out, unless you have money to burn. A single bunch of grapes can hit 1000 with no problem. The price on most fruit is painful.

When it comes to losing weight on a Japanese diet - I think it really depends on the person. Rice converts into sugar, and if your body isn`t fast at metabolizing it you`ll gain tons of weight. I seriously can`t eat more than a spoon or two full of rice a day without gaining.

[GTJ]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

Rice converts into sugar, and if your body is fast at metabolizing it you`ll gain tons of weight. I seriously can`t eat more than a spoon or two full of rice a day without gaining.

Did NOT know that. Crap! I don't eat too much; an おちゃわん per day tops. But still... Btw did you mean "if your body ISN'T fast at metabolizing it"?

I'm actually gonna start the diet trick of writing down everything I eat. It helps a lot.

Also, Nyororin, I got some of those snacks you mentioned. You were right! They're tasty and fill me straight up!

[TalnSG]

Nyororin is right abotu rice converting to sugar - all starches and grains do. But a slight correction is in order. When one's body metabolizes something it means it burns it (uses it). So if your metabolism of sugar is good, it means you burn it fat before it adds to your weight by turning to fat. Yes, excess sugar in the body becomes fat if it is not metabolized.

Rice is one of many food that individuals burns differently. For most it is a slow steady source of fuel (sugar), but for some its an instant jolt.

Something to be very careful of (and a major problem with American diets) is actual fats, especially those that are hidden and you only know about if you read labels carefully. Fat not only adds calories/weight, when it is consumed with starches (and many other foods) it slows your digestion and hence metabolism of the starch. This gives it more time to turn to fat, too.

Generally, the less preparation of a food that is done before you consume it the better off you are for maintaining or losing weight.

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by GTJ

Did NOT know that. Crap! I don't eat too much; an おちゃわん per day tops. But still... Btw did you mean "if your body ISN'T fast at metabolizing it"?

That is exactly what I meant. Thanks for pointing out the typo.

I'm actually gonna start the diet trick of writing down everything I eat. It helps a lot.

It helps tons to just pay attention to what you`re eating. The very act of thinking about stuff before you eat it, and remembering what you`ve eaten each day has been shown to have a huge positive effect in losing weight.

Also, Nyororin, I got some of those snacks you mentioned. You were right! They're tasty and fill me straight up!

They`re not really nutritious, and aren`t a meal replacement - but they are great for holding off hunger until real meal time rolls around.