Anime producer, author and "otaku" expert Toshio Okada hit the big time when he published "Itsumademo Debu to Omouna yo" (Don’t Think You’ll Be Fat Forever) in 2007. The memoir, recently released in English as "Sayonara, Mr Fatty!", describes how he managed to drop 110 lbs in the space of a year simply by recording exactly what he ate.
The book has sold over half a million copies since it was released, but not everybody’s happy with the author. Least of all mobile software company T2 Mediapal, which created a mobile site as a tie-in with the book, apparently at Okada’s request. However, when it emerged that the author was already receiving royalties from a rival site, T2’s was pulled from the networks in order to avoid a nasty rights dispute from erupting.
Now the company is suing the former fatty to the tune of 22 million yen, claiming that he didn’t do anything to prevent the closure. We’ll save the jokes about having your cake and eating it for next week.
© Metropolis magazine
12 Comments
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LoveUSA
It is impossible to slim down by recording what you eat only.
risingfro
Actually one of the only ways to effectively lose weight is by writing down what you eat all the time and the calories you consume. Ask any bodybuilder or athlete that is required to drop weight for competition and see if they don't have some form of record keeping for their diet. This is only the first step, obv still have to change what you eat but it is a great first step.
LoveUSA
yes, bodybuilders and athletes - these are people who exercize every day.
risingfro
doesn't matter. losing weight at any body fat %age will always be more successful if its monitored properly. just cause you work out everyday doesn't mean you can eat whatever you want and expect to loose weight.
cleo
For lots of people simply writing down everything you eat is an eye-opener; most people 'forget' a lot of what they put into their mouths, and are shocked when they can actually see how much rubbish they are consuming. If they then find themselves avoiding eating the bad things (or too much of the good things) because they don't want to write it down, then they naturally reduce the amount of calories they consume and, all other things being equal, they start to lose weight. Simply writing it down and not doing anything about it won't lose you any weight.
nath
Better solution. For one year eat 1/3 less and after a year, eat 1/2. I still eat only one half, and weigh the same as I did when I graduated college. 144 pounds. You do not need tons of calories to survive. And walk every day. Great exercise and keeps you in shape.
nath
2 to 3 times sport every week, low alcohol consumption and avoid high carb, high fat... That's all, you will never get any problems. Okay, I love pasta, but the less I eat, the more I feel happy once I'll have a plate of spaghetti...
lostrune2
Many people also now use Twitter, MySpace, and other social networking sites for support (even if from strangers) and also partly to put themselves into a pressure situation where they could be embarrassed if they don't go thru with the diet.
For example:
"Digital Confessionals: Tweeting Away Your Vices
Twitter, Facebook, Texting Help People Lose Weight, Quit Smoking and More"
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/AheadoftheCurve/digital-confessionals-tweeting-vices/story?id=8830730
http://tinyurl.com/yhqklyz
LoveUSA
this may work for men but women already consume the minimum so writing it down won't help/
SiouxGirl
Somehow I never imagined a Japanese person would be as much as 100 lbs. overweight ... Americans, yes. Japanese, no. I'll be darned ....
risingfro
seesaw
LoveUSA: writing what you eat is an effective way to lose weight. I've done it before. I'm not an athlete. The purpose is to monitor the calories of what you ate. 3-4 of exercise at gym/swimming/cycling/simply brisk walks helps a lot too...:)