Message from Yosuke, Self Advocate from Japan

My name is Yosuke.  I am twenty-one years old and I study social welfare at a College of Health and Welfare in a University in Japan.  I have PWS and am fighting against the devil in PWS.

I have magic words for fighting.  I learned them from my best friend’s grandfather:

Makete oboeru sumou kana

It means “Failure teaches success.”

Katte kabutono o wo shimeyo

It means, “Don’t let your guard down even after you’ve won.”

And this,

Naseba naru nasaneba naranu nanigotomo naranu narikeri

It means “You can do anything if you try.”

This one is special to me.

These words help me to stop my overeating.  Whenever I get “I wanna eat!! I wanna eeaatt!!!” I remember these magic words which I have written on a card and I am carrying it with me in my bag.

And when I walk, I am always conscious of the way I walk. It improves the metabolism, and increases perspiration.  I have actually lost weight using such a walking method.  I showed my father the walking method, and he was glad that it worked on him, too.  Therefore, I believe that the other children with PWS who are having the same trouble can get better.  I am walking with consciousness on my way to and from school, at school, and anywhere.

This is how I walk.  I follow the rules which I learned from a walking lesson called “10 important points to remember for beautiful and healthy walking.”

1.       Do not lower your eyes.  (Keep them horizontal.)

2.       Lightly pull up your belly.  (Enhances breasts, raises hips, and tightens waist.)

3.       Raise toes and land on the heel.  (Prevents falling.)

4.       Rub your knees together lightly. (Prevents bow-legs)

5.       Stand and walk with vertical balance.  (For a shapely figure.)

6.       Basically walk with shoulder-width strides.  (For a smart walk.)

7.       Use your sole evenly.  (Prevents cold feet and swelling legs.)

8.       The three points – the shoulder, the waist, and a knee – should be on as straight line.  (Improves stiff shoulders, a back pain, and a knee pain.)

9.       In the image of describing 人or “person” in Chinese character.  (To check balance)

10.   Feel the bases of your legs and arms in around your stomach.  (Makes your legs look long.)

My happiest experience in my life was when my teacher said, “Come to my room and consult me whenever you are being bullied”, when I was being bullied about my body shape at a high school.

The most painful thing that happened in my life was when I was teased, and was looking down and crying, a teacher said, “Don’t sleep in class.”

The hardest thing when on a diet is that there are always worries about when my “devil” might come out.  For example, I worry that even though I know I will gain weight, I might not e able to stop myself from buying food.

Although it is not easy, I always think about food calories and how I can cut them down.  Whenever I am hungry and want to buy food at a supermarket, I have to check labels and make it less than 300 kcals.  I am always thinking about it.  This is the hardest thing.

When you see a person like me, with the same syndrome, and is about to buy extra food, I would like you to say, “You should stop.  If you stop now, you will have a better future.”

Although controlling myself is not easy, it is easier when I have aims and when I am enjoying it, so I would like to think of the ways which I can relax and enjoy.

For example in a Subway Sandwich, there is a service which you can ask for more vegetables with a low calorie sandwich.  I enjoy buying it, together with a calorie zero drink.  Moreover, I enjoy having bony parts of fish (which are called “ara” in Japanese) for dinner so that I can take time in eating them clean with my chopsticks.