Why are the Japanese trim?

Back in the US for less than a week and I am up a pound!! Ah, well. I know why. I have been EXHAUSTED and seriously jet-lagged. My exercise has dropped from walking about ten miles a day in Japan to almost nothing.

But I felt better this morning. Got a (mostly) normal night of sleep and feel I have normal energy again. Took the dog on his normal walk, ate a yogurt, had some coffee and was on with my day!

Before I share pictures with you, I wanted to share something I think I realized while in Japan.

Of course, I was going there wondering why the people are, for the most part, trim and don't have the same type of obesity problem we have here in the states.

Was it their diet?

I don't think it's the diet (though it IS rich with good omega fats in the fresh fish and has a ton of anti-oxidants). The food is pretty average as far as healthy goes, I think... there was noodles and rice and bread GALORE. Seriously. Finding a salad was a chore!

What I did notice was the WAY they eat. There was this unspoken societal rule that you only eat and drink when you are sitting down. I asked my tour guide about it when I noticed 1) there was rarely trash in the streets and 2) no one drinking even coffees in the street.

He said it was a matter of respect. You sat down and ate your meal or drank you drink. 

Awesome! I loved this. It made you so much more aware of what you were eating, how much you were eating AND it made certain that you were really hungry because if you are in a rush, you will probably only take time to sit and eat if you actually need it. Here, at home, we all can so easily shove snacks in our face as we run into work. But over there, I never saw anyone eating that way.

Also, the traditional dinners we were served had really normal portion sizes!

Big difference from home, for sure. I always felt satisfied and nourished after a traditional meal, but never really full. It was okay, I was fed and had energy, that's all that matters :)

So here's a look at my trip in pictures:

Wearing a traditional yukata to dinner in the ryokan in Takayama!

Traditional dinner served by the owner

Snow monkeys in Nagano!!

Matsumoto Castle :)

Golden Pavilion in Kyoto

Japanese lanterns at night :)

Some of the sushi we ate

Sake Brewery tour, yeah!

Climbed to the top of a little mountain in Takayama to get a look at the Japanese Alps in the distance!

And that is about 5% of my pictures and 5% of what I did in Japan. It was a whirlwind, full, amazing trip that I am incredibly happy with.

I'm happy I came home healthy and am really excited to resume normal life (nothing like a long trip in a foreign country to make you appreciate home!).

I want to lose this extra pound I gained over the weekend, especially because I am getting a tattoo on my ribs next Sunday and want to look my best when I show it off! So completely paleo and back to normal activity levels this week.

Namaste <3