Building a Body Without Leaving Your Heart Behind ⑥ | I Wanted to Start a 'Gentle Conditioning Food Club' That Doesn't Compete Over Weight

Last time, I wrote about how
being thin wasn't the only answer.

I've been on a diet dozens of times,
and there were times when I was thin, and times when I had muscle.

But what I want to aim for now
might not just be losing weight,
but rather conditioning my body into one that suits me.

That's what I've been thinking about.

This time, it's about what comes next.

If we're going to condition our minds and bodies together,
maybe we don't have to carry it all on our own.

Instead of a place to compete over weight,
maybe there could be a place where we can pick up on what we've achieved
and find ways to condition ourselves that work for us.

This is a story about how I wanted to create something like
a 'Gentle Conditioning Food Club'.

☕ Isn't it pretty tough to condition yourself all alone?

Lately, I've been spending more time thinking about my diet and body conditioning.

Trying to be mindful of protein.
Going to Pilates.
Measuring my rice portions.
Getting a bit stunned by the calories in sesame dressing.

It is stunning, isn't it?

When I saw that 50g was 192kcal,
I thought,
Sesame dressing, were you hiding that face all along?

But as I looked at things little by little like that,
I had a pretty big realization.

Dieting
doesn't last on calories alone.

Of course, calories are important.
Protein is also important.
Exercise is also important.

But it's not just about that,
it's also important that your heart feels satisfied.

If I leave that part behind,
in my case, the little version of me inside my heart shows up later.

Like, 'I'm not satisfied yet, you know?'

With a look like that.

This little version of me is actually quite strong.

And what's more, if I ignore her voice,
she'll lead me to bread or sweets later on.

Stop it.
Don't lead me there.

Even though I know the way.

With that in mind,
I've come to realize that conditioning your own body and heart
is deeper than I thought.

And at the same time, I thought:

Isn't doing this all by yourself
actually pretty tough?

☕ It doesn't have to be a club that competes over weight

When people hear about diet-related groups,
some might feel a bit guarded.

Do I have to report my weight every day?
Do I have to post photos of my meals?
Will what I eat be checked?
Will I get scolded if I'm not doing it right?

If that were the atmosphere, I probably couldn't handle it.

I'd quietly quit the club.

There's even a possibility I'd quit before I even submitted my application to join.

But the kind of place I want to create,
is not that kind of place.

It's not a place to compete over weight.
It's not a place to criticize someone's diet.
It's not a place where only the hardcore gather.

A place that's more relaxed, yet meaningful.

For example,

I settled for rice with natto today.
I managed to drink my protein today.
I went to Pilates today.
I couldn't do anything today, but I didn't binge eat at night.
I slipped up today, but I think I can get back on track tomorrow morning.

Things like that,

That's great.
That's wellness, too.
You can just get back to it.

A place where we can say these things to each other.

That kind of temperature feels just right.

☕ ☕ ☕

☕ Something like a 'Relaxed Wellness Meal Club'

If I were to start one, the name is still tentative, but
Relaxed Wellness Meal Club
is the kind of thing I'm thinking of.

Even if it's a club, it's not an athletic one.

Assembly.
Weight reporting.
Meal submission.
Reflection papers.

Things like that are off the table.

That's scary.

That would no longer be Cafe Le Miracle, but
a diet management boot camp.

I cannot be a dorm mother for a boot camp.

What I want to do is a club that's more like a small cafe.

Where regulars can just drop by,

This was my healthy meal today.
I managed to walk a bit this week.
I felt satisfied after eating this.
I made it low-calorie, but it actually left me feeling unsatisfied.

A place where you can talk about things like that.

It's okay to have a day where you just eat rice with natto.
It's okay to have a day where you just have a salad bowl.
It's okay to have a day where you just settle for soy milk protein.
It's okay to say, 'Nothing I ate today was Instagram-worthy, but I ate properly.'

It's not a place to decide what's 'correct',
but a place to find what works for you.

That is what I would like it to be.

☕ Rules I want to cherish

If I were to run something like a 'Low-Pressure Healthy Eating Club',
there are things I would want to prioritize from the start.

First, reporting your weight will not be mandatory.

Those who want to can do it,
but those who don't want to don't have to.

Weight is a useful number, but
doesn't it sometimes pull at your heart too much?

When it feels like your morning weight determines your whole day,
it gets a bit exhausting.

The scale tends to act like a fortune teller.

Today's fortune is plus 0.8kg.
Your mood is light rain.

No, it could be water retention.
It could be the salt from yesterday.
It could be premenstrual.

But when you see the number, your feelings inevitably shift.

That's why I want to make it a place that doesn't focus too much on weight alone.

Also, no criticizing other people's meals.

This is important.

Regarding what someone else has eaten,

That will make you gain weight.
That has too many carbs.
That has too much fat.

Things like that are banned at Cafe Le Miracle.

Banned might sound a bit harsh, though.

But really, that is something I want to cherish.

Before giving advice,
I want to value how that person felt.

Did that meal make them feel calm?
Were they satisfied?
Did they feel unsatisfied instead?
Did they want to eat something else later?

I think it's more like me to look at those things.

I don't want this to be a place to judge people's meals,
but a place to find a way of adjusting that suits yourself.

This is a point I really want to hold dear.

☕ I want this to be a place where we pick up on the small things we've accomplished

If I'm going to run a Gentle Meal Adjustment Club,
rather than reflecting on what we couldn't do,
I want it to be a place where we pick up on what we could do.

For example,

I drank more water today.
I managed to have protein in the morning.
I was mindful of protein at lunch.
I walked five minutes more than usual.
I didn't add any snacks at night.
I was tired, but I ate a proper meal.
I overate, but I got back on track with the next meal.

I think all of these things are wonderful.

They don't have to be big changes.

In fact, what lasts in our daily lives
is often the accumulation of these small things.

Trying to score 100 points every day is exhausting.

But even 30 points is powerful if you keep it up.

Moreover, if those 30 points
are 30 points where you treated yourself a little less carelessly than yesterday,
I think that has significant value.

Just a little bit more than yesterday,
I didn't treat myself carelessly.

I believe that, too, is a proper form of self-care.

☕ ☕ ☕

☕ I want to find satisfying menus that suit me

For me personally, a big realization recently
has been seeing the satisfying menus that suit me.

Natto, egg, and rice.
Pumpkin salad bowl with sesame dressing.
Soy milk protein.
Greek yogurt with a little honey.

Things like these tend to make my heart feel at ease after eating.

Conversely, if I only have vegetable soup and salad chicken,
even if it's excellent for a diet,
there are days when my heart finds it hard to be satisfied.

I wouldn't have known this if I hadn't actually tried it.

If I had only thought about it in my head,
I might have thought that low-calorie and high-protein
was the correct answer.

But in reality,

there were times when it entered my body,but my heart wasn't satisfied.

That happened.

I think it would be interesting if we could all
bring these kinds of realizations together little by little.

This worked for me.
I felt unsatisfied with this.
Adding this made me feel at ease.
This is convenient, but it was tough to do every day.
This combination surprisingly lasted.

If stories like that were gathered,
I think that alone would be a hint for someone.

They don't have to be as grand as recipes.
They don't have to be Instagrammable meals.

Finding a way of eating in your own life
where you can think, 'Oh, I might be able to get back on track with this.'

If there were a place where we could bring those things together,
I'm sure it would feel a little reassuring.

☕ Not a diet, but a club for self-care

I have thought about this many times throughout this series.

Being thin is not the only answer.
Low calories are not the only answer, either.
Losing weight is not a total success, either.

Of course, it makes me happy when I lose weight.

I will be honest about that.

It makes me happy.

On days when I look at the scale and think,
Oh, it's down,
I'm in a good mood.

I'm only human, after all.

But if you make that your only goal,
it's easy for your heart to get left behind.

What I want to aim for is:
A body that suits me.
A body that gives me my own kind of energy.
A body that can move.
A body that makes doing chores feel less like a thorn in my side.
A body that makes me think I look pretty healthy when I look in the mirror.

For that reason,
I want to value eating, moving, resting, and emotional satisfaction.

So, if I were to make it a club,
rather than a diet club,
it might be a 'self-care club'.

Instead of competing over weight,
we focus on self-care.

I think it would be fine to have a club like that.

☕ A place that isn't heavy, but helps you move forward a little

I'm not very good with places that feel too heavy.

I have to report every day.
I have to show real results.
I have to be the version of myself that is working hard in front of everyone.

When that happens, it gradually becomes exhausting.

But doing it all alone is also tough.

That's why something in between feels just right.

It's relaxed, but there's a flow.
It's free, but you're not alone.
You won't be blamed, but you can still move forward a little.
Even on days you couldn't do it, you can always come back.

That's the kind of place it is.

For example, once a week,
we set a 'gentle wellness' theme for the week.

This week, let's try to be mindful of protein just once.
This week, let's find one meal that satisfies the heart.
This week, let's try moving our bodies for even five minutes.
This week, let's think about how to get back on track after a day we couldn't do it.

Doesn't that sound doable?

If you can't do it, that's fine too.

As the club president, I probably won't be perfect every time either.

Actually, let me say that from the start.

The manager has days where she just falls apart.

But even if you fall apart, you come back.

I want to make that part of the club activities.

I don't want it to be a place where you have to keep going perfectly,
I want it to be a place where you can return.

This might be the atmosphere I want to create most of all.

☕ ☕ ☕

☕ Things I hope reach the people reading this

If someone reads this place or these articles and
feels even a little bit like this, I would be happy.

Dieting doesn't have to be something scary.
You can get your body in shape without competing over weight.
It's okay to look for meals that satisfy your heart.
It's okay to find a way that works for you.
Even if there's a day you couldn't do it, it's not the end.
You don't have to be alone, and it's okay to keep going at your own gentle pace.

If you can think that way, I would be very happy.

I don't want to be a teacher who judges someone else's meals.

Actually, I couldn't be a teacher. (Haha)

Sometimes I even fail to measure my own food portions.

But I think that's exactly why there are things I can write.

A record of someone who isn't perfect,
staying imperfect,
yet still trying to get themselves in shape.

If someone sees that and thinks,
Oh, maybe I'll try a little bit too,

that would make me very happy.

☕ If I were to make a small club room at Cafe Le Miracle

If I were to make a club room for the Gentle Nourishment Club at Cafe Le Miracle,

I would want to put a warm drink there
before a scale.

And I would want to write this on a small blackboard:

Pick up one thing you were able to do today
and take it home with you.

That's enough.

I ate properly today.
I walked today.
I drank water today.
I didn't blame myself before bed today.
I slipped up today, but I felt like I could get back on track tomorrow.

If you have that one thing,
I don't think that day is a complete failure.

Building your body isn't just for special people.

Busy people.
Tired people.
People swamped with housework.
People rushing around with their children.
People whose hearts are easily swayed.
People who love to eat.

Everyone should have their own way of finding balance.

If it's too hard to find that on your own,
I think it would be fine to look for it together at a small cafe table.

☕ Today's Cafe Le Miracle Summary

Don't compete on weight.
Don't blame yourself for what you eat.
Don't call it quits on days you couldn't do it.

Instead,
Find a way of eating that suits you.
Find a menu that satisfies your heart.
Acknowledge the days you were able to move a little.
Practice returning from days when things fell apart.
Build a body that suits you, little by little.

I've been thinking that someday,
I'd like to create a place like a 'Gentle Wellness Food Club'.

The form isn't set in stone yet.

For now, within this article,

I'm thinking about things like this.
What would it be like if there were a place like this?

It's like writing it quietly on a chalkboard.

If,

I'd like to join a club like this.
I'd like to find balance together, gently.
If we aren't competing on weight, I might feel a bit relieved.
I'd like to talk about food that satisfies the heart.

If there is anyone who feels that way,
I would be happy if you could secretly let me know in the comments.

In the back of Cafe Le Miracle,
a day might come when a small club room is created.

The club president will probably,
occasionally fail to measure the amount of rice.

But, every time that happens, she will say this.

Well, it's fine to just come back to it, isn't it?

That's the kind of club it is. ☕

☕ Thank you for reading this series.

Up until now, I have been writing under the theme of
building a body without leaving your heart behind
.

Eating.
Moving.
Finding satisfaction for the heart.
Searching for a body that suits you.
Returning to it again from the days you couldn't.

All of these are things I am still in the middle of myself.

But I believe there are things that can only be written because I am in the middle of it.

If there was any part of this series that resonated with your own feelings even a little bit,
I would be happy.

If you'd like, I would be happy if we could continue to search for ways to gently get ourselves in order together.

☕ This work is a series of articles for the 2026 Creative Awards submission.
Subsequent articles will be compiled in this magazine after they are published.
I will add them in order so that they are easy to read.

#CreativeAwards2026
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#HSP
#HighlySensitivePerson
#SelfAcceptance
#Mindfulness
#BodyConditioning
#Diet
#BodyBuilding
#ThingsICareAboutInDietManagement
#GentleDiet
#DietRecord
#MealRecord
#HealthyHabits
#ExerciseHabits
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