I love Tokyo. I've had lunch there many times and each time I burned more than 500 calories just getting somewhere to eat!

/I'm big in Japan... hehe

Mmmmm...

Slave-Rations.

500 calories is a good meal if you're eating 3 (woman) or 4 (man) times a day and are only going to be sitting at a desk for 3-4 hours. Should have about 25-30 grams slow digesting protein (meat), with complex carbs, and unsaturated fats.

If it's simple carbs, you're going to get a blood sugar low and start feeling crappy some time around quitting time.

If it's just a salad with some nuts, or noodles without meat, or whatever, you're going to be feeling dull much more quickly.

This would make my life so much simpler.

A push to carefully measure everything about your life - brought to you by a manufacturer of scales and body fat measuring equipment.

Nice goal, but I've got to question their motivations a tiny bit.

I don't know why, but subby's headline made me chuckle.

Well done, subs!

Three? I would need at least 5 for lunch.

Wut? Why are people in Japan on a diet?

rev. dave: Wut? Why are people in Japan on a diet?

Because MacDonards and Bulgel King came to town!

If fiber was added to fast food, that would be a start.

An Asian place in NW Portland has a 500 calorie section of the menu. The food was mediocre, but I wasn't hungry after.

Everyone ITT sounds fat.

rev. dave: Wut? Why are people in Japan on a diet?

Because companies can get dinged for having an unhealthy* workforce.

* BMI and waist size are the basic measurements I think

jingks: rev. dave: Wut? Why are people in Japan on a diet?

Because companies can get dinged for having an unhealthy* workforce.

* BMI and waist size are the basic measurements I think

Seriously? There is no way to explain this other than they are eating the crap the US is making. Japanese food is some of the most healthy food I have ever seen. Tasty too.

davidphogan: An Asian place in NW Portland has a 500 calorie section of the menu. The food was mediocre, but I wasn't hungry after.

What a coincidence. The corner hot dog place has no such menu. I had a Chicago dog, a beer and a few swigs of my kid's milkshake. The food was fantastic and I wasn't hungry after, either.

rev. dave: Wut? Why are people in Japan on a diet?

Because the law says you have to be 33.5 inches or less at the waist-line.

Link (new window)

skrame: rev. dave: Wut? Why are people in Japan on a diet?

Because the law says you have to be 33.5 inches or less at the waist-line.

Link (new window)

At first I sort of laughed, then I realized it was just a convenient way to tax foreigners.

I like this idea. I try to pay (a little) attention to what I eat daily - and I get tired of having to mentally cut in half my meal when eating out - as the average meal is much more than I'd generally eat in a single sitting. Granted - if you split what you are eating in half and take home the leftovers (when eating out) it does effectively lower the price of the meal - while I doubt you'd see the same sort of savings if this became standard as restaurants are used to seeing a certain dollar figure per individual served.

/Not skinny
//Not wanting to be fat either.

rev. dave: Seriously? There is no way to explain this other than they are eating the crap the US is making. Japanese food is some of the most healthy food I have ever seen. Tasty too.

I don't know of too many people that eat American fast food for lunch. Lots of deep fried food and microwavable lunches from convenience stores though.

I've lost a lot of weight this past year by walking 4 times a day and eating 400 calorie lunches at Starbucks.

Then every Friday we go to Coldstone.

Full of ice cream and regret right now.

But mostly ice cream.

/csb

ProfessorOhki: At first I sort of laughed, then I realized it was just a convenient way to tax foreigners.

The people aren't fined, the companies supposedly can be if there is too many overweight workers. I know quite a few "overweight" workers and other than getting a poor report card for the yearly health check, I've never heard any of them fearing for their job over it.

rev. dave: jingks: rev. dave: Wut? Why are people in Japan on a diet?

Because companies can get dinged for having an unhealthy* workforce.

* BMI and waist size are the basic measurements I think

Seriously? There is no way to explain this other than they are eating the crap the US is making. Japanese food is some of the most healthy food I have ever seen. Tasty too.

Eating salt soaked deep fried instant noodles at your desk isn't healthy, no matter what country it happens in.

It's not like most workaday people are going out for a nice salad w/ fish on it for lunch.

Most of the sandwiches at the local sub shop are under 400 cals, unless you get the large size. I'm on my feet moving around all day and I've never felt compelled to eat a large sub there. I don't see why the desk bound officebees eat that much.

Portion size is everything

TheDirtyNacho: I don't see why the desk bound officebees eat that much.

The body still burns calories, even when sitting, and if you don't get food in your system your blood glucose will crash leaving you unable to think straight, tired, irritable, achey, and so on.

natmar_76: TheDirtyNacho: I don't see why the desk bound officebees eat that much.

The body still burns calories, even when sitting, and if you don't get food in your system your blood glucose will crash leaving you unable to think straight, tired, irritable, achey, and so on.

Well, yeah, but there's no reason why most people would need more than 500 cals for lunch unless you're an athlete. Of course, not all calories are the same.

One thing that amazes me: Fat construction workers.

Or maybe the fat ones are the ones that sit in the machines all day.

TheDirtyNacho: Fat construction workers.

Beer-guts maybe.

The real fat ones are rare.

Maybe in some heavy union town you'll find some slob that sits on his fat ass operating an elevator all day, dispensing his own brand of wisdom and pushing buttons* for $35.00/hr.

*God help you if you try to push a button yourself BTW...

TheDirtyNacho: Most of the sandwiches at the local sub shop are under 400 cals, unless you get the large size. I'm on my feet moving around all day and I've never felt compelled to eat a large sub there. I don't see why the desk bound officebees eat that much.

Portion size is everything

For me, it's more about the sides, drinks, and snacks. I'll get a sub for lunch, and it'll be about 500 calories. No problem. Perfectly in line with a good day. Add some chips, 200 calories. Not as good, but ok. Then I get a Coke to drink..... and refill it before I leave. Crap, 400 more calories. Then I get a bit hungry that afternoon, and grab a candy bar or some crap like that - 200 more calories. I'll have something like 1,300 calories just around lunch.

It's taken me a while to adjust it down - go with wheat bread. No chips. Tea or water to drink. Drop the cheese. Bring fruit to munch on when I get snacky in the afternoon. If you have to add some heavy calories during the day, make them useful calories, not empty crap.

TheDirtyNacho: Well, yeah, but there's no reason why most people would need more than 500 cals for lunch unless you're an athlete. Of course, not all calories are the same.

500 calories is not a large meal. It's reasonable. Most men will need 1600 to 2000 calories a day. Most women need somewhat less than that. So 500 falls in line with 3-4 meals a day. For a small woman, it might be slightly less than that, 400 or so. It's better to get the larger meals at the beginning or middle of the day as well, not the evening when metabolism decreases.

I'm assuming it's a healthy meal, also, not tons of carbs, 20-30 grams of protein, healthy fat. 500 calories of sucrose is not 500 calories of healthy protein, carbs, and fats.

I had to check the calories on some of the items shown.

Clementine - 35 calories
Cup of rice - 140 calories
Miso soup - 30 calories

That leaves under 300 calories for a salad and entree. Maybe no dressing on the salad and a small entree. Not too bad. I was surprised how few calories were in clementines. I just ate a Cutie as an after dinner snack and seeing 35 calories takes away all the guilt. A lot of flavor (and fiber) in those little guys.

madgonad: That leaves under 300 calories for a salad and entree. Maybe no dressing on the salad and a small entree. Not too bad. I was surprised how few calories were in clementines. I just ate a Cutie as an after dinner snack and seeing 35 calories takes away all the guilt. A lot of flavor (and fiber) in those little guys.

I had to google both of those. I've never heard mandarins referred to by specific varieties or the cutie brand name. Learn new things every day.

Notabunny: davidphogan: An Asian place in NW Portland has a 500 calorie section of the menu. The food was mediocre, but I wasn't hungry after.

What a coincidence. The corner hot dog place has no such menu. I had a Chicago dog, a beer and a few swigs of my kid's milkshake. The food was fantastic and I wasn't hungry after, either.

[img.photobucket.com image 640x504]



Oh, we have that here too!



Except, they don't serve beer. But other than that, it's, like, totally the same!

FuManchu7: This has caught on in the US in some places.

There's a restaurant just up the road from me called Seasons 52 where everything on the menu is 450 calories or less. If you feel the need for dessert, they do 60-80 calorie dessert shots. One I had was a red velvet cake, enough for 3-4 good sized bites.

The food is quite tasty too. It's one of my favorite restaurants in the area.

The food looks really appealing. I'm guessing it's a little pricy? And just out of curiosity, what's the fatty to waif ratio?

Notabunny: davidphogan: An Asian place in NW Portland has a 500 calorie section of the menu. The food was mediocre, but I wasn't hungry after.

What a coincidence. The corner hot dog place has no such menu. I had a Chicago dog, a beer and a few swigs of my kid's milkshake. The food was fantastic and I wasn't hungry after, either.

There is nothing fantastic about a hot dog.

Eating them is fine, but pretending they are good food is not.

Smackledorfer: Notabunny: davidphogan: An Asian place in NW Portland has a 500 calorie section of the menu. The food was mediocre, but I wasn't hungry after.

What a coincidence. The corner hot dog place has no such menu. I had a Chicago dog, a beer and a few swigs of my kid's milkshake. The food was fantastic and I wasn't hungry after, either.

There is nothing fantastic about a hot dog.

Eating them is fine, but pretending they are good food is not.

You sound flat.

there's nothing wrong with a 500 calorie lunch. if you eat 300 calories for breakfast, 500 for lunch, and you weigh 200 lbs, you can eat a 1100 calorie dinner and still lose weight.

Smackledorfer: Notabunny: davidphogan: An Asian place in NW Portland has a 500 calorie section of the menu. The food was mediocre, but I wasn't hungry after.

What a coincidence. The corner hot dog place has no such menu. I had a Chicago dog, a beer and a few swigs of my kid's milkshake. The food was fantastic and I wasn't hungry after, either.

There is nothing fantastic about a hot dog.

Eating them is fine, but pretending they are good food is not.

Heretic

The ballpark number of calories you need per day is supposed to be 11 * your weight in pounds.

So if you are 180 pounds (1980 calories per day), a 500 calorie meal is quite reasonable.

karellen: The ballpark number of calories you need per day is supposed to be 11 * your weight in pounds.

So if you are 180 pounds (1980 calories per day), a 500 calorie meal is quite reasonable.

What a coincidence. I weigh exactly 180 pounds. 500 calories will do me just fine. Thank you.

Around here (Central CT) An increasing number of restaurants have a section on the menu with 5 or 6 items that are under X calories, where X ranges from 500-600. A lot of them are pretty tasty options, as well.

SirPeteTheGreat: Around here (Central CT) An increasing number of restaurants have a section on the menu with 5 or 6 items that are under X calories, where X ranges from 500-600. A lot of them are pretty tasty options, as well.

Yes, it has even become a trend on a lot of national chain restaurants. I don't believe that it really matters for most people. It's a bit like having a diet coke at McDonald's. People order the low-cal option so they feel better about eating more of the bloomin' onion and having drinks and dessert.

TheDirtyNacho: I don't see why the desk bound officebees eat that much.

Because most of the energy goes into keeping you warm.

That's why the whole "hit the gym to lose weight" thing is a myth. Moving around is only a tiny amount of calories. Just eat two less Oreos instead.

imprimere: SirPeteTheGreat: Around here (Central CT) An increasing number of restaurants have a section on the menu with 5 or 6 items that are under X calories, where X ranges from 500-600. A lot of them are pretty tasty options, as well.

Yes, it has even become a trend on a lot of national chain restaurants. I don't believe that it really matters for most people. It's a bit like having a diet coke at McDonald's. People order the low-cal option so they feel better about eating more of the bloomin' onion and having drinks and dessert.

Not always.

The low-calorie options are good for when you're with a group of people, making it impolite to skip dinner. Order the 450-calorie chicken, have water to drink, and don't draw attention to the fact that your friends are eating 1500 calories each of deep fried pork in sugar sauce with fries, grease bread, and three glasses of soda. You win! (That is, you don't get fat.)

NetOwl: imprimere: SirPeteTheGreat: Around here (Central CT) An increasing number of restaurants have a section on the menu with 5 or 6 items that are under X calories, where X ranges from 500-600. A lot of them are pretty tasty options, as well.

Yes, it has even become a trend on a lot of national chain restaurants. I don't believe that it really matters for most people. It's a bit like having a diet coke at McDonald's. People order the low-cal option so they feel better about eating more of the bloomin' onion and having drinks and dessert.

Not always.

The low-calorie options are good for when you're with a group of people, making it impolite to skip dinner. Order the 450-calorie chicken, have water to drink, and don't draw attention to the fact that your friends are eating 1500 calories each of deep fried pork in sugar sauce with fries, grease bread, and three glasses of soda. You win! (That is, you don't get fat.)

Yes, I get that and it is a nice option to have. I'm just sayin' that aint how most people do it.

thalidomide new and improved: there's nothing wrong with a 500 calorie lunch. if you eat 300 calories for breakfast, 500 for lunch, and you weigh 200 lbs, you can eat a 1100 calorie dinner and still lose weight.

Yeah if you want to eat. But what if you want to drink 100 calories of diet dr. pepper.

YOUR STOMACH WILL EXPLODE

I would like to point out that the ad in the sidebar is for cupcake toothpaste.