I'm Fat! (Woot!!)

[Curveegrrl]

I've been doing Atkins for about 15 months now. And I've lost a lot of weight. I still have a long way to go of course, but I'm going!

Living in Japan provides some interesting challenges for the Atkineer. Rice is constantly being thrust at me. You might think I'm speaking figuratively about this. And you'd be half right. It's not CONSTANT, but it is thrust!

For me though, the biggest challenge is seeing all the tiny people around me all the time. Yes, Japanese are getting bigger. But not nearly fast enough, if you ask me! hee. I'm always the tallest woman. I'm taller than most men. And on the rare occasion that I see someone larger than me, I wanna whip out my camera phone and take their picture! I don't of course. But I do get a sick thrill. For the most part, women here are tiiiiiny. And so cute! It'd give you a cavity to look at them, they're that sweet. So sometimes it's really hard to feel good about my successes when I still look like a moose compared to the rest of the population.

However, I've found a new way!

You may or may not be aware that I am crazy for Japanese Boy Bands. And those boys are skinny! Pretty. But skinny. Recently, one of my friends made up a chart to measure just how skinny some of them were. And surprisingly enough...some were rilly rilly skinny!

After looking at this chart for several days, it finally occured to me to place myself on it, to see how big I was. (I'm a bit slow) And you know what? I'm fat. No really. I'm faaat!!

HOWEVER! 15 months ago, I was VERY fat. Now I'm just fat. Hey! Look at me shrink. My little marker has come a long way over the last year. And that's not even a really accurate starting mark. I was too big for my Japanese scale to weigh properly for the longest time. So, I was probably even fatter! Hey! I'm shrinking. I have shrunk! I am be-shrinked!!

So here is my new progress chart:



You don't really need to know who the people on the right are. Just know that they are pretty Japanese pop stars (Who I'm going to see in concert this Christmas!!! squee!). And if you find this holiday season, that people are constantly thrusting carbs at YOU, just smile and take them. Then wrap them up and send them to Japan c/o Subaru Shibutani. Because that boy NEEDS some potato salad!!

[tickletussler]

Re: I'm Fat! (Woot!!)

So what do you end up eating in Japan Curvee?

I've learnt to bypass rice in most asian foods but when it comes to Japanese food, I usually almost always just end up eating sashimi with a bit of soy sauce. I love sukiyaki but they don't serve that a lot in the japanese restaurants here in Sydney. There's usually a lot of sugar in the soysauce based foods like teriyaki, but if I pick through the menu, there's always something i can eat Oh, and teppanyaki is good because you can see what they put in the foods while they're cooking it LOL

So I am curious to see how you are managing it over there.

[wannabethintoo]

Re: I'm Fat! (Woot!!)

You're funny curveegrrl...and you're doing great! You go girl!

[2big4mysize]

Re: I'm Fat! (Woot!!)

yep we all understand the joy at moving from a very heave weight catagory to a smaller one. Check yourself out on www.fitday.com and you get to move from obese to overweight
Congrats on all the hard work you have done working your Atkins.

Are you and Pammie still doing those workouts?

[Mary-chan]

Re: I'm Fat! (Woot!!)

Way to go, Curveegrrl!! You really are doing wonderfully!! And you look so pretty in your siggy pic!! I know how hard it must be to be around all the skinny japanese girl. I remember feeling like the stereotypical overweight gaijin when I was over there! Thankfully they really like foreigners and are really nice (at least to your face!). I'm still so envious of you that you are living in Japan. I wish I had done that when I graduated from college. Are you still studying the language? I keep trying to, but I'm forgetting it at a faster rate then I'm learning it. I really want to go back!!

I always try to remember that life is who you compare yourself to, though. Some days I look at the skinny minnies and want to cry, other days I look at my former self and think I'm doing so great!! My sister thinks she's huge, and she's at my GOAL weight, I tell her just to compare herself to me and she'll feel better!!

You really are doing an amazing job, especially with the extra challenge of being in a different country!! It's definitely an inspiration and shows that there are NO excuses good enough out there!!!

[Sheshy]

Re: I'm Fat! (Woot!!)

You are doing a GREAT job curveegrrl! I like the chart!

[RunAwayMichelle]

Re: I'm Fat! (Woot!!)

Wooo hooooo good for you!!! Congrats on moving from Very Fat to just Fat!!! Next stop Overweight!..... LOL

[womanpraised]

Re: I'm Fat! (Woot!!)

And if you find this holiday season, that people are constantly thrusting carbs at YOU, just smile and take them. Then wrap them up and send them to Japan c/o Subaru Shibutani. Because that boy NEEDS some potato salad!!

THis cracked me up. And then again, in church, when they were announcing the community supper next week, and listing things we might bring, and he said, POTATO SALAD...

Somehow, I was the only one in the entire congregation that found that laugh out loud funny.

THough the old lady next to me shot me quizzical looks for the next hour.

What are you doing in Japan, if I might ask?

[softnred]

Re: I'm Fat! (Woot!!)

lol....that chart is tooooo funny!!! I can see it now...those twig boys getting sandwiches and potato salad in their fanmail...all with the return address of "Curvee"......

ps...How's Pammie doing??

[divaindubai]

Re: I'm Fat! (Woot!!)

Dear Curvee!

I can kind of relate to your story! (1) we're both Canadians! (2) both living overseas (3) the local women here are mostly slim but hard to tell because of their national dresses (long black abayas)

I can't say that I completely stand out in the crowd as far as my weight goes, as I do see the odd other overweight/fat person, but compared to Canada I'm definitely bigger than most people.

So I guess I can relate to your situation! Also, the difference is here people don't eat rice as much as Japanese do, but they gobble on Shawarma (those "donairs" as they call them back in Canada), and they are freaks for Arabic pita breads, and all different sweets...ouch!!

Buty ou are doing great! Keep up the good work!

[Curveegrrl]

Re: I'm Fat! (Woot!!)

Thanks for all the encouragement every one! Y'all are too lovely. {{{{{Everyone}}}}}

To answer some questions:

TickleTussler: I usually cook for myself. Japan has some great stuff for the low carber if you feel adventurous. There are all sorts of exciting veggies that I'd never seen before. There's lots of great meats and poultry. Fish is cheap and waaay fresher than anything I'd get in Northern Ontario. There's tofu, and chikuwa (a fishpaste thing...it's better than it sounds) and konyaku (it's the processed root of some veggetable...I don't know how to explain it, but it replaces noodles!). I'm always finding new great stuff!

But when I go out to eat, there are still lots of choices! Yaki Niku (Korean BBQ) is a favourite. You grill up your choice of meats and veggies right there at your table. Shabu shabu is good too. It's similar to yaki niku, except instead of grilling, you are cooking things in water. There's also oden, and yaki tori, and sashimi of course. Sadly, there are VERY few places here with a sald bar. And almost everything comes with rice. Which, even if you ask them NOT to bring it out, still gets delivered to your table.

2big: I'm still not a blip on the fitday chart. Soon, but not quite yet. I can't wait to become a blip! And Pammie and I don't work out together anymore. We still work out though. I've joined a gym, and Pammie walks everyday during her luch hour. I just find I get a better work out by myself. Less giggling, I guess. And our schedules are pretty different now, so working out together is difficult to arrange.

Mary-chan: I'm still studying. And I'm still crap! It's getting easier to understand stuff that's going on now, but I still can't speak. Ganbarimasu!!

RunawayMichelle: I know! I can't wait to be overweight! I'll get there eventually!!

WomanPraised: I'm over here teaching English. I work at a junior high school, and I just love it! My kids are just nuts. But they tell me almost everyday that I'm cute. So I love them forever. If you ever find yourself interviewing for a new job, and the person interviewing you asks if you have any questions, ask if the people you work with will call you cute all the time. If the interviewer says "yes," take the job!! No questions asked. It's the best, I tell you!!

softnred: Funny you should ask about me sending food to the boys. I actually want to start a program called "Feed the Idols." Where fans can send their extra/unwanted food to the starving pop stars. But sadly, there are rules about what you can include in fan letters. It seems that it only takes ONE boy getting lye thrown at his face by a crazy fan, and now none of the other fans can send anything but printed material. Go figure.

And Pammie is hanging in there. But she still isn't losing, which I know is frustrating her. SHe still hates her job, but is getting used to it. Her cats are wonderful!! And gigantic! I'm not sure why she thought getting 2 Mane Coons for a Japanese apartment was a good idea, but there you go. They are the sweetest cats too!

DivainDubai: Woot for ex-pat living!! Do you miss Tim Horton's coffee too?

[womanpraised]

Re: I'm Fat! (Woot!!)

If you ever find yourself interviewing for a new job, and the person interviewing you asks if you have any questions, ask if the people you work with will call you cute all the time. If the interviewer says "yes," take the job!! No questions asked. It's the best, I tell you!!

I have always wanted to reply, when the interviewer asks me if there is anything about the company I want to know, "Yes, ma'am. How many single, cute, nice, financially responsible men under 45 do you have in your employ?" These are things I want to know!

Do you speak Japanese?

[Mary-chan]

Re: I'm Fat! (Woot!!)

Do you miss Tim Horton's coffee too?

We had Tim Horton's in Michigan (my home state), but none here in california and man do I miss it!!!!!! Their cafe mocha's were the best!! But I think I'm glad they don't have them here, one less temptation!!!

Don't give up with the language, I think it takes like 2 years before you can really build a solid foundation for understanding the syntax. It's so much fun to learn though!! I wish I could find a good language partner here, my last one moved away and my japanese is suffering as a consequence.. Anyway, Ganbatte kudasai!!