Food for Thought

A struggle with fruitless dieting ended when Anne Egros joined the Club’s nutrition program.

Anne Egros was incessantly counting calories and recording macronutrients on a smart phone app, but the weight wouldn’t budge.

“I was crazy,” says the Club Member. “I wanted to lose weight and I didn’t know how.”
Last January, Egros signed up for Club fitness trainer Takeshi Hirata’s nutrition program. Over the next year, she lost 8 kilograms, blowing past her target by 3 kilos.

“Number one, I stopped counting calories, almost from day one,” says Egros, 54. “Instead, [Hirata] gave me one tool that is very useful: my hand.”

For each meal, Hirata, a level-two, Precision Nutrition-certified coach, recommends one handful of protein, a portion of fats, such as nuts, the size of your thumb, a handful of healthy carbohydrates, such as fruits or starchy foods, and two handfuls of vegetables.

“People completely change what they eat and their routines, but because it’s so hard they can’t stick to it,” says Hirata. “After a few months, they drop out and they regain weight, over and over. I don’t like seeing that.”

Hirata’s 10-week program runs at the same time as the Fitness Center’s Weight-Loss Challenge. Each session, Hirata introduces a new habit, such as eating slower or eating only when hungry.

“You make it a routine,” says Hirata. “You wake up and brush your teeth. Did it require motivation? Not so much. You do it just automatically. I want everything to be automatic.”

Originally from France, Egros worked as a manager in multinational companies in a number of countries for 20 years. Between the continuous travel, business dinners, sleep deprivation and lack of exercise, Egros found it tough to maintain a healthy weight.

“As a pharmacist, I know very well about metabolism and nutrients, and, [being] French, I mainly use whole foods,” says Egros. “I had the knowledge. I simply didn’t know what to do.”

Hirata also shows clients how to avoid the triggers that derailed past diets. Egros says she can enjoy food during family gatherings or kick back with a bowl of popcorn at the movie theater because she is able to slip back into healthy habits, “just like breathing.”

“Altogether, I have lived in Japan for 12 years, and I know all of the French chefs. There are very good restaurants, and they have nice cheeses or desserts,” says Egros. “You are not forbidden to eat that.”

Egros has also taken up weight training and group fitness classes at the Club. Not only has her body fat dropped from 32 to 23 percent, she has maintained her muscle mass. In addition, she has completed the level-one program to become a Precision Nutrition-certified coach.

“People have noticed my change physically, but also I have much more energy, I am more relaxed,” says Egros. “[The program] really is life-changing.”

Weight-Loss Challenge
Jan 22–Apr 2

Honing Good Food Habits
Jan 22–Apr 2

Words: Nick Narigon
Image: Enrique Balducci