"I want to get rid of the fat around my belly."
So you cut back on meals.
You tried walking hard.
Yet, when you put on your pants, your waist size hasn't changed.
Every time you look in the mirror, that stubborn belly fat bothers you...
When my body fat percentage exceeded 30%, I often struggled with choosing clothes too.
It's not just about lowering the number on the scale.
You want to be able to wear your usual pants comfortably again, right?
One of my students reviewed their diet and lost 10kg and reduced their waist by 15cm in three months.
Because you want a slimmer belly, the first thing to review is how you eat every day.
Are you skipping breakfast or lunch?
Are you only eating low-calorie foods?
Are you adding "healthy" foods without watching the quantity?
This time, I'll share the case of Chiho-ri-san, who saw a 15cm reduction in her waist, along with 5 habits for reviewing daily meals, including specific food examples.
Although you might think, "I want this fat to drop off!" fat doesn't choose to leave only from the belly all at once.
As you reduce overall body fat, let's also watch for changes in your waistline.
The numbers are results from one individual student. They don't guarantee the same timeframe or change for everyone, but please use them as a trigger to review your own eating habits.
1. Review Eating Habits That Involve Enduring Hunger
Skipping breakfast.
Not eating lunch and enduring until dinner.
"Isn't it better to lose weight if I go longer without eating?"
Some people might be trying hard based on this belief.
But as a result, do you find yourself so hungry by evening that you can't control the amount you eat once you start?
Myself, when I was 12kg heavier than now, I worked night shifts as a nurse.
Due to work schedules, there were inevitably long gaps between meals. There were days when eating at fixed times was impossible.
That's why, for those struggling with long gaps, I recommend using snacks as needed.
Recommended options include:
Unsalted roasted nuts.
Unsweetened yogurt.
Cheese.
Small dried fish.
Boiled eggs.
All of these are protein-containing foods.
For example, if you feel strong hunger even though dinner is still hours away,
take a portion of unsweetened yogurt or a boiled egg.
If it's nuts, don't keep eating straight from the bag; put them on a small plate.
Prepare only the amount of cheese you intend to eat.
Even healthy foods increase total energy intake if the added amount grows.
Use snacks to adjust hunger and meal portions, not as something that makes you thinner just by adding them.
If you aren't originally troubled by hunger, there's no need to force extra snacks.
Weight gain or loss isn't determined solely by how many hours pass between meals.
Chiho-ri-san: A 15cm Waist Reduction Case Study
Here is Chiho-ri-san, in her 30s.
By incorporating snacks and reviewing her diet, she lost 10kg in 3 months.
Her body fat dropped from 41% to 33%.
She achieved a 15cm reduction in waist size.
Just adding snacks won't make everyone change the same way.
Reviewing your entire daily diet is crucial.
However, I want you to know that enduring constant hunger isn't the only option when reviewing your diet.
First, recall the intervals between your meals today and the amount you ate afterward.
If you tend to overeat after long periods of hunger, start by fixing that pattern.
"But I don't know if my problem is portion size or nutritional imbalance."
For such cases, I offer a LINE-based 'Self-Diagnosis for Why Subcutaneous Fat Won't Drop.'
Use it to reflect on your eating habits and decide where to start.
▶ Receive the 'Self-Diagnosis for Why Subcutaneous Fat Won't Drop'
After adding LINE, send the four characters 「皮下脂肪」 (Subcutaneous Fat).
You can also search for ID @krv1420m on LINE to add me.
2. Review Eating Habits Focused Solely on Low Calories
Breakfast: One boiled egg.
Lunch: Only salad.
Convenience store: Only chicken breast.
"This keeps calories down," you might think, resulting in such meals?
Of course, balancing intake and expenditure is key to reducing body fat.
Creating a state where energy intake moderately falls below expenditure is fundamental.
But prioritizing low calories alone can strip away necessary nutrients.
Boiled eggs, salads, and chicken breast are fine foods to include.
The concern is whether you're ending a meal with just one of these items.
If breakfast is only an egg, how do you combine it with staples or vegetables?
If lunch is only salad, is there a main dish like meat, fish, eggs, or soy products?
If it's only chicken breast, what about rice and vegetable sides?
Look at the meal as a whole.
Here is an example meal.
There is rice, a main dish, vegetables, and soup.
Instead of narrowing down to one item, they are combined.
My guideline for meal portions is:
Staple (rice/bread): About one fist-sized portion.
Main dish (meat/fish): About one palm-sized portion.
Vegetables: Two handfuls raw, or one handful cooked.
However, this is a rough guide for plating.
Even if they look the same size, energy content varies by food and cooking method, and needs vary by body type and activity level.
How much oil or dressing did you use?
What is the total daily intake including snacks and drinks?
Adjust gradually to fit your own needs, considering all these factors.
Before cutting another item because "I'm eating less but nothing is changing,"
please check if your current meal has all the necessary components.
3. Stop Adding "Healthy" Foods Without Watching Portions
"Fruit is rich in vitamins and healthy, so I should eat it."
Thinking this, you eat fruit after meals.
Or drink smoothies.
What matters here is not just whether you ate fruit, but what, how much, and how it adds to your daily diet.
Don't demonize fruit itself.
Whole fruits contain fiber and are good to include.
However, 100% juice still contains energy from the amount drunk.
"It's 100%, so I can drink as much as I want" is not true.
Smoothies also vary depending on ingredients.
How much fruit did you use?
Did you add honey or syrup?
Are you drinking large glasses separately from meals?
Start by looking at that.
For example, if you're adding sweet drinks to your usual meals, switch to water or unsweetened tea.
Serve fruit on a plate to visualize the amount.
Realizing what you've been increasing just because it "seems healthy" gives you concrete places to review.
It's not a failure because you ate both staples and fruit.
Consider amounts that suit you within your total daily diet.
4. Break Free from Protein-Only or Salad-Only Diets
To diet, you increase protein and drink supplements.
Afraid of fat, you strictly avoid oily foods.
Because vegetables are good, you center your diet on salads.
While focusing on one nutrient, the overall diet can become unbalanced.
On social media, you see things like:
"Drink this to lose weight."
"Just eat this much protein."
Such information is easy to encounter.
But taking protein doesn't complete a meal.
Carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals are also necessary.
Before doing complex calorie counting, try getting closer to a set-meal format.
Staple.
Main dish.
Side dish.
Soup.
Let's build a breakfast specifically.
White rice.
Natto and egg.
Spinach with sesame sauce.
Miso soup.
Rice is the staple.
Natto and egg are the main dish.
Spinach is the side dish.
Combined with miso soup.
With this combination, it's harder to end up with only protein or only vegetables.
It also makes it easier to spot what's missing in your own diet.
"Making every meal a set-meal is impossible!"
If you thought that, you don't need perfection every meal.
Try getting one meal closer to the format.
If you only ate eggs for breakfast, think about how to add rice or vegetables.
If cooking is tedious, prepare vegetable sides in advance or use frozen vegetables.
However, just making it a set-meal doesn't guarantee weight loss regardless of quantity.
Also consider the amount of staples/sides, oil used in cooking, and seasoning.
Rather than trying to burn belly fat with one meal, create an eating pattern you can sustain.
Start where you can.
5. Review Your Eating Habits Through Photos
After reading this, you might wonder:
"Use snacks"
"Adjust meal sizes"
"Balance nutrients"
"What exactly should I do first?"
The last habit I want to share is recording every meal with your camera.
Without understanding your own eating habits, constantly adding new diet methods makes it hard to see what to fix.
Take a photo before eating.
Include snacks and drinks if possible.
You don't need to write down names and calories immediately.
First, make what you ate visible.
- Is breakfast only a staple?
- Did lunch end with just salad?
- Are you experiencing strong hunger before dinner?
- Are you adding small snacks or drinks multiple times a day?
Looking at photos together reveals things like, "I thought I was careful, but missed this."
People who eat too much and people lacking nutrients need different fixes.
Don't label yourself based solely on meal frequency or hunger.
Look at your current meals and pick one thing to fix.
And if you want to see belly changes, don't rely only on the scale.
Measure your waist at navel height.
Relax your stomach, hold the tape measure horizontally, and measure while exhaling naturally.
Keep conditions consistent regarding time of day and post-meal status.
Compare mirror photos and the looseness of your usual pants under the same conditions.
Don't fluctuate emotionally based on daily numbers.
Waist size can change due to constipation or bloating, so a few days' reduction isn't always pure fat loss.
Look at the bigger picture alongside your food records.
One Step Toward a Slimmer Belly
Are you enduring constant hunger?
Are you prioritizing low calories above all else?
Are you adding "healthy" foods without checking portions?
Are you biased toward one nutrient?
Are you reflecting on what you actually ate?
Start with whichever of today's 5 points resonates with you.
If meal gaps are tough, review timing and eating patterns.
If lunch is only salad, think about the staple/main/side format.
If you don't know the cause, take a photo of your meal first.
As I often say,
Of course, if you're busy and can't practice, it's okay to pause. Enjoy sweets.
Enjoy dining out during travel. Enjoy alcohol.
But do it properly when you can. Resting is a valid diet strategy.
You don't have to start by being perfect every day.
"I want to change my belly. But where do I start with my diet?"
Use the LINE 'Self-Diagnosis for Why Subcutaneous Fat Won't Drop' for that initial organization.
It helps you reflect on your eating habits through a questionnaire.
Compare the 5 points shared today with your daily meals.
▶ Receive the 'Self-Diagnosis for Why Subcutaneous Fat Won't Drop'
After adding LINE, send the four characters 「皮下脂肪」 (Subcutaneous Fat).
You can also search for ID @krv1420m on LINE to add me.
References
Food & Drink Logging and Weight Management (NIDDK)
Dietary Balance Guide (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries)
Healthy Diet - Fruit and Juice (WHO)
How to Measure Waist Circumference (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)
