beauty tips

How to Slim Down Thighs and Calves With 2 Easy Moves (Can be done anywhere!)

12:16:00 AM,0 Comments

If you're anything like me, you understand the pains of having an unproportionately large lower body compared to the rest of your body. "Radish legs" (as they're unfortunately called) make it difficult to wear shorts and dresses as well as skinny jeans and boots. While there are pervasive and potentially dangerous methods to slim down your thighs and calves such as calf reduction surgeries, there are more natural and easier ways to achieve a well defined and slim lower body.
A former Miss Japan semi-finalist did just that where she was able to lose 20 kilograms or 44 pounds with just 2 simple exercises that slimmed down her lower body! No tools were necessary except for a phone book.   She shared her transformation story in a Japanese variety beauty show (video shared below).
In that program, she said that while her upper body was normal and does not appear chubby or overweight, she has a heavy, pear-shaped lower body which led people around her to compare her to an "elephant". Due to that, she made up her mind to lose weight, but she was concerned about losing fat in her breasts. So she tried to brainstorm ways to just lose weight in her lower body. She discovered 2 easy moves that can be done standing up or sitting down, while you're washing dishes, studying, or watching TV. She repeat those 2 moves everyday and her results were staggering.
Her hip width went from 110 cm to 90 cm (43.3 in to 35 in). Thighs 63 cm to 45 cm (24 in to 17 in). And her weight from 70 kg to 50kg (154 lbs to 110 lbs). She went on to compete for Miss Japan and made it up to the semi-finals. If that isn't impressive, I don't know what is!
Her simple, doable exercises are...
1.While standing 
Can be done while washing dishes, waiting for the bus, working on a standing desk, etc
Starting with one side - as you bend your ankle, lift and sweep back your foot so it goes behind you. The key point is to lift it on a slant so it slightly crosses the leg that's not moving. Repeat with the other leg. Make sure you're standing upright.
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2. While sitting
Can be done while studying, doing homework, watching TV, eating
This is super simple. Get a phonebook or any heavy book such as the big standardized practice books and stick it between your inner thighs. Hold the book there with your thighs. The key point for this move is to make sure that the book is thick and heavy to work your inner thigh muscles to hold it in place.
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With the repetition of these 2 simple moves everyday, you can slim down your thighs and legs and regain the confidence to wear short shorts and skirts! 
Original Video



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beauty tips

10 Minutes a Day to a Slimmer Face

12:15:00 AM,0 Comments

Of the numerous quirky beauty standards in Asia, one is to have a small face (小顔 - kogao). Preferably a "V-shape face" as it's famously coined in Korea. Small faces is synonymous with being slim and attractive.
I too, suffering from having a round and puffy face, have used massage rollers from the cheap plastic ones you can buy at the 100 yen store to the $100-$200 platinum ceramic rollers that's designed to induce the natural drainage of the lymph nodes. I have bought chinstrap facepacks to help lift up the fat around your chin and cheeks. No doubt the majority of these solutions simply do not work or they're temporary and just require too much effort to achieve the end result. While I was lamenting my unfortunate fate to a colleague, she recommends that I try the "Tanaka Massage".
The Tanaka message was invented by a Japanese makeup artist, Yukuko Tanaka. It is supposed to help you achieve a face that looks 10 years younger. Initially aimed to help fight wrinkles and fine lines, improve sagging skin, and reduce under-eye bags, this 10 min technique prove effective in slimming down the appearance of your face. My colleague who recommended this told me she lost considerable fat in her face after massaging her face for 10 mins everyday for 2 weeks. 
Follow the instructions in the video learn how to get a slimmer face in just 10 minutes a day!



There are several tips I have for those who are going to do this.
  1. Make sure you are using a massage cream. It will reduce redness in your skin when you're doing the massage.
  2. Make sure the pressure is strong enough that it hurts just a bit when you pull back or lift up. But don't exert too much pressure to the point where you feel sore.
  3. Take off your makeup prior to doing the massage or perform it prior to putting on makeup.
  4. Take it slow and make sure you're doing each move purposely.
I am also doing this massage and will update you on the progress in a couple of weeks! 

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beauty tips

Massage for Weight Loss? Tip from Japanese Magazine

10:47:00 PM,0 Comments

Even after leaving Japan, I try to keep up to date with Japanese beauty trends and products. It is difficult as you're not bombarded with sales, rankings, and other marketing tactics that keeps you notified of the latest product. However, living near Kinokuniya in San Francisco Japantown makes it easy to go ahead and pick up the latest copy of Non-no, Can-Cam, or ViVi (which are all Japanese fashion magazines).

So in preparation for the summer when there's immense pressure to have a somewhat presentable body, I purchased a copy of VoCE, the July 2016 Issue.



The theme for this issue is "weight loss"! The model on the cover is Oshima Yuko, a former member of a popular girl group, AKB48. She has lost quite a bit of weight herself so her tips and tricks are peppered throughout the book.
Another fun thing is that the magazine comes with this yellow massage thing that's you put on your hand like a glove. It's supposed to help you massage out your fat. Regular usage will apparently help you shed a couple centimeters...
I'll try it out and see how it goes... Regardless of my doubt about the effectiveness of the item, it's cute and I'm glad to have it as decoration. It has a cat face on the front and the book used the term おなか or stomach to refer to the back.

This is what it looks like....

   

There are in total 8 different ways to use this. 4 ways with the front (with the face) and 4 ways with the back (with the paws).

After putting it on your hands, you can....

On the back (aka stomach) 

1. Slide strongly down the nap of your nap. Start from below your ear and slide it to your collarbones. This will help with your neck line. Repeat 5x on each side.

2. Slide it down strongly from your armpit towards your bellybutton. This will help push down the fat from your sides and waist. Repeat 5x on each side.

3. Push it strongly down your front upper thighs. So start from the start of your upper thigh and push it down hard as if you're putting your body weight into it towards your knees. This will help you get more beautiful legs! 美脚！My favorite word. Do this 5x on each thigh.

4. Start from your ankle and massage up the outside of your calves. Apply pressure as you do this! You can do this sitting down. This will help you slim down those calves. Do this 5x on each side.

On the front (with the face)

1. With the yellow massage thing on your hand, grab the underpart of your forearm and squeeze it hard. Squeeze the flesh and this will help with slimming down your forearm. Do this 5x on each arm.

2. Grab your inner thigh and squeeze it hard 5 times each on both leg on multiple spots.

3. Grab the meat on your lower belly and squeeze it. Squeeze 5 times for every location you touch.

4. On the back of your calves, squeeze the flesh with the yellow cat thing. For one spot, squeeze 5 times. Go up the entire length of your legs.

So it kind of looks like this:





And here are some of the before and afters. It looks like a fun and easy way to mold a bit of your body, especially if you're watching TV or youtube.





I really like sharing Japanese beauty tips because they're so creative and fun. They also like to put the emphasize on easy, albeit I'm not sure if we should place too heavy an emphasis on that. Nonetheless, if I can massage some fat away, it's worth sharing!



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