Fad diets are all lies. Comedian Moriyama from the duo Mitorizu, who successfully lost 20kg in about three months, clearly stated this on YouTube.
As a diet instructor, I analyzed the methods Moriyama used and found them to be incredibly fundamental. I will explain and share them here. If you are a perpetual dieter who gets swayed by fad diets and can never lose weight, please read until the end.
1. Thorough Calorie Calculation
We're starting with a classic, straightforward approach, but ultimately, this is all there is. Calorie counting is as simple as downloading an app, but I'll explain it in more detail.
Understanding Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and Maintenance Calories
Dieting begins with knowing your BMR. Without it, you cannot determine your maintenance calories, which I'll explain later. Knowing your BMR also helps you understand the lower limit of calories—you should never eat less than this.
Dieting isn't just about blindly reducing food. If you cut calories too much, your body enters 'starvation mode,' known as Adaptive Thermogenesis. This involves:
- Decrease in Thyroid Hormones and Leptin: When food intake is too low, the secretion of 'Thyroid Hormone (T3),' which controls metabolism, is suppressed, slowing down energy consumption. Simultaneously, 'Leptin,' the satiety hormone secreted from fat cells, plummets. When leptin is high (during healthy eating), it promotes energy expenditure. When low, your sensitivity to sweetness increases, making food taste better and leading to easy rebounding.
However, be careful, as overeating leads to leptin resistance, where the body fails to suppress appetite or promote energy expenditure properly.
- Muscle Breakdown (Gluconeogenesis): The human body primarily uses glucose as energy. If you cut food too much, glucose stored in the liver and muscles runs out. The body then breaks down muscle to create glucose. While weight drops, you lose muscle, resulting in a flabby body.
For these reasons (along with autonomic nervous system disruption, organ fatigue, etc.), it's vital to grasp your BMR to prevent your body from entering starvation mode.
Once you have your BMR, identify your maintenance calories. This is the state where 'energy output' and 'energy input' are perfectly balanced, and weight stays the same. This is also called TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure).
TDEE = BMR (~60-70%) + TEF (Thermic Effect of Food, ~10%) + EAT (Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, ~5%) + NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, ~15-30%).
of the formula. While impossible to calculate perfectly, you can check it instantly on this site. If your diet isn't working, try it out.
2. Cycle Dieting (Fat Loss to Carb Loss) & Precise PFC Balance Adjustment
Humans have 'metabolic flexibility'—the ability to switch fuels based on incoming nutrients. By switching between fat restriction and carb restriction every 1-2 weeks, mitochondria fully utilize both 'carb-burning enzymes' and 'fat-burning enzymes,' burning fat more efficiently.
However, this is difficult for most people. I will focus on the fat restriction method I used to lose 15kg and how to set PFC balances. According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the recommended balance for healthy living is:
- Protein (13-20%)
- Fat (20-30%)
- Carbohydrates (50-60%)
But how should you adjust this for dieting?
During a diet, you burn fat by creating a calorie deficit. This means the body is in an energy shortage, leading to muscle breakdown via gluconeogenesis. To prevent this, you need higher protein intake.
Furthermore, protein has a higher TEF than other nutrients, meaning it burns more energy during digestion.
For those who train, a recommended theoretical balance is:
- Protein (31%)
- Fat (20%)
- Carbohydrates (49%)
Since bodies vary, try this for two weeks. If training intensity drops, increase carbs. If your condition or health is affected, increase fats. Adjust while listening to your body.
3. High-Alti and Gym Training
Dropping Weight Quickly with Aerobic Exercise
'High-Alti' refers to training in low-oxygen environments. Moriyama reportedly did athlete-level training: 10 sets of 30-second full sprints followed by 30-second rests.
Additionally, because of an upcoming 'anan' magazine shoot, he started voluntary morning walks on an empty stomach.
While he lost weight, he noted that excessive cardio caused muscle breakdown, and he couldn't lift as much on the bench press as on day one.
This is due to gluconeogenesis. While fat is burning, muscle is also being broken down. Excessive cardio is a stressor, secreting 'cortisol.' Cortisol promotes gluconeogenesis, further breaking down muscle. Cardio burns fat directly, but overdoing it requires caution.
Upper Body Only Strength Training
Though advised to do squats by Noda Crystal, Moriyama skipped lower body training since the goal was an 'anan' shoot, not a competition.
While it's encouraging that he lost weight this way, lower body training is still recommended. The lower body has more muscle mass; training it prevents metabolic slowdown.
He mentioned training late at night while feeling dizzy. His form was likely poor. However, succeeding in a 20kg weight loss proves that 'just doing it' is often the best and only way to get results, regardless of perfect theory.
Other Efforts...
He also did:
- Extreme training on cheat days
- Drinking 4 liters of water a day
- Almost no sweets or alcohol
These sound painful, but they highlight the fundamental nature of his diet. As Moriyama says, you just have to do the basics.
Relying on trendy drugs like Mounjaro will lead to trouble later. If you truly want to lose weight, I recommend trying a serious diet at least once in your life.
I lost 15kg last year without it being painful. I didn't ban McDonald's or sweets. By following a certain rule, I lost weight rapidly. I've explained that method in a 20-minute video for those interested.
https://s.lmes.jp/landing-qr/2000800642-goznlroe?uLand=dVMPsqo
