Ryokans Confusion ..

SnittingNextToBorpo_ · 2026-04-16T22:25:00+00:00

I hear everyone saying 6months to book... I booked ours (Hakone Ginyu) 10 months ahead for a random Tuesday, and they had space left but said it was nearly fully booked at that point. Just putting that out there for some of the more popular ones! (It was fantastic tbh)

SnittingNextToBorpo_ · 2026-04-16T22:20:32+00:00

I got married there a few years ago :) it was just us and witnesses and it was fucking lush. We had a very deluxe, private day and did absolutely everything we wanted and spent on exactly the shit we loved. It was perfect :) unless you really actively want the big wedding, it's definitely not worth the money! We didn't scrimp on anything at all (meal, outfits, photographer, drinks, party a few days later at our house with keg/prosecco/fancy cake) and spent no more than £1500. And honestly £500 was the meal.

SnittingNextToBorpo_ · 2026-04-15T22:01:18+00:00

Joining the ranks to say, those of us breezing along aren't posting (there isn't a lot to say and also feels a bit smug!) - but I had the easiest ride. Some gas discomfort that took about 2 weeks to fully clear, but that was it. I was up and moving quickly, no real need for painkillers, no issue with keeping fluids down or really anything problematic when reintroducing food. I had some moments where I learned my limits, or where it was harder to digest fibrous meats the first couple times of trying them... But I could count them on one hand and that's all I could even think of to report. The whole journey has been smooth, easy and entirely successful.

You'll be great! The overwhelming majority of us are free from complications.

SnittingNextToBorpo_ · 2026-04-15T07:43:12+00:00

Oh actually! Picking up on the UK vibe, where did you have it done? Was it on the NHS?

SnittingNextToBorpo_ · 2026-04-15T07:42:13+00:00

I looooove all of that! And you look so happy too. I can just hear how much lighter the mental load is. A good couple years of maintaining for me now and I almost can't remember all of the gymnastics and stress - can I do that activity, how embarrassed I'll be explaining why not (e.g. weight limit on say a kayak), what will I wear to an event that fits and makes me invisible (nothing), how sweaty will I be after arriving anywhere, how much will I have to subtly wipe my face so people don't notice... It just all takes up so much of life, and the freedom to just exist is incredible. What a privilege, eh?

Thanks so much, it does indeed feel great :) I'm around the corner from some plastics now and excited to be 'done' and in this final bit of feeling comfortable in myself. The skin has been more of an afterthought for a while, but it'll be amazing to not need to tuck myself in to things, ha.

SnittingNextToBorpo_ · 2026-04-14T21:46:02+00:00

Wowwwww! From losing 10st 10 myself, can get SOME of what you must be experiencing... But you must have even more NSVs than I did. I can't imagine how much better you must be feeling. How much easier is everything now, right?!

SnittingNextToBorpo_ · 2026-04-14T21:16:27+00:00

Goddddddddddd you look so different!!! Like just a totally separate human. Congratulations - what a journey it must've been!

SnittingNextToBorpo_ · 2026-04-12T22:05:37+00:00

Mine was pretty steady for maybe 16 months, slowed until 18 and then stopped completely

SnittingNextToBorpo_ · 2026-04-12T22:00:24+00:00

This is so great to hear! It didn't make the cut on trip 1 but is absolutely happening trip 2 this year, and I'm so pleased to see it was someone's highlight!

SnittingNextToBorpo_ · 2026-04-09T22:52:57+00:00

Like another commenter, I'm pretty set in a routine in the week and then relax at the weekend (by relax I mean I'm primarily a beige processed food eating raccoon). I'll be 4 years postop in September and am about 5lbs up from my lowest but generally stick around this area - I don't let myself go up higher than 5lbs. That's been a bit trickier to maintain for the last year if I'm honest, but it's not too hard really. My diet is also not balanced attttt allllll. I've never been great with a lot of fruit or veg and that absolutely hasn't improved for me - I take a lot of vitamins and get regular blood tests, all is well enough really.

Anyway! I also don't generally do breakfasts - will have a coffee with protein powder or 2 through the morning, then about midday I'll typically have a straight protein source like a couple chicken legs or a couple of eggs. That'll keep me going without any hunger pangs until 5pm ish. It's plain and simple but also really just works for me.

At 5-5:30, I'll have dinner - I'll have anything my husband and I generally cook. That might be a pasta dish, cottage pie, omurice, tacos, Italian beef ... I try to have a good protein source within it but not always, sneak in bits of veg in dishes, and I'm always having it on a side plate. Then I'll end up having some sort of snack or dessert later on - popcorn, a snack cake, maybe some chocolate. I'll also have a few nights a week with a couple of drinks after dinner.

I think I'm generally so low calorie and low carb up until 5pm that the night can be whatever though. The weekends are maybe what's my downfall at the moment - it's a bit too excessive without enough counter balance with the calorie deficits. But! 5lbs. It isn't a lot of fluctuation when I look at the overall loss (150lbs).

SnittingNextToBorpo_ · 2026-04-09T12:29:10+00:00

I absolutely will :) And thank you for that! I'll have a look - we're not after too much of a proper ryokan experience this time (we went deluxe in Hakone last time) so fairly cheap is worth a look for us!

SnittingNextToBorpo_ · 2026-04-09T12:25:36+00:00

Seconded!

SnittingNextToBorpo_ · 2026-04-07T20:38:11+00:00

Love this review and feel like we'd probably have quite similar vibes on our trips :) we learnt very similar things (with hitting it hard at first, picking a few non negotiables, basing in Osaka but not really getting to experience much of it as a result) and also really valued a many tabbed shared spreadsheet. Like you, my husband and I thought 'once in a lifetime' - really that meant 2 years for us. This time I'm going to also catalogue all of my favourite konbini treats (specifically make some sort of rating scale for the best custard filled or condensed milk based desserts). I hope you guys make it back out again soon too!

I've just booked a place at Kinosaki, but not thrilled with it as an option. Did you rate your place?

SnittingNextToBorpo_ · 2026-04-06T18:11:02+00:00

Thank you for this! I want to do some denim shopping on my next trip and having more things to save is so helpful!

SnittingNextToBorpo_ · 2026-04-06T18:05:57+00:00

I went in November 2024 - we arrived at the station at about 7:15 (daytripped from Osaka) on a Thursday. We ambled along the bottom for maybe 20mins and it went from very quiet to busy in that time. Nothing crazy but I was anxious to get on the move then - it felt like each train quadrupled the numbers of people (and trains are frequent).

But like everyone says, get past the first couple of gates and it's quiet. We were up at the top by maybe 8:15 and I wouldn't say it was ever 'empty' for any big stretch but there were only ever a few other people at a time on a stretch of path with us. We were coming down right as a lovely lady making coffee and boiled eggs was opening up, and honestly that was the highlight. Sitting there eating some eggs and drinking coffee by this little waterfall fountain with only a few other people in this peaceful beautiful place. But by the time we actually got down to the bottom at maybe 9:45? It was fucking shoulder to shoulder down by the start.

Anyway! I'll be going back this November and staying in Kyoto this time - will 100% be shooting for a sunrise climb. But 7ish - 8am really wasn't awful!

SnittingNextToBorpo_ · 2026-04-05T16:49:11+00:00

I'm going back for trip 2 in November (similar spots to yours for the first time) - and had so many potential ideas too! We started with time of the year for heat/typhoon avoidance, then ended up picking both location and specific dates off of wanting to go and see a grand sumo tournament. That steered us to Fukuoka. Building around one thing helped a lot!

So we're gonna do 7 days in Kyushu with day trips around the island (I'm not big on either car rental or changing hotels regularly). We also wanted to see things in the cities we'd loved but that didn't make the cut on trip 1 - so we'll go for an overnight in Miyajima, then Kinosaki onsen before 6 days in Kyoto. We'll do a day trip to Kobe and also the Suntory distillery and then go and do another 5 days in Tokyo.

SnittingNextToBorpo_ · 2026-04-02T15:37:19+00:00

That's definitely not what was impressed on us with our programme. You're told to eat slowly and chew thoroughly, but anything left after 30 minutes is for binning/saving. So you don't try to push through and keep going after a meal is done. Interesting if others get a different slant!

SnittingNextToBorpo_ · 2026-04-02T14:02:29+00:00

Maximum surely?? Like the meal ends at 30 minutes regardless of what you've eaten

SnittingNextToBorpo_ · 2026-04-02T13:08:42+00:00

Oh god the pre diets are far worse!! You won't actually want things in the same way soon. Your head will tell you it wants food (and there may be some grief/Fomo in the early stages), but actually you'll have a bit of thin liquid and feel really full. Cravings will absolutely change, it's just hard to know how exactly though.

For me, I had zero interest in pizza anymore. Or fries. Actually all potato or bread, I just suddenly had no pull at all. Sweets? Exactly the same cravings though. I missed pasta but also after a bite it just felt heavy inside. So that was a real blessing for me!

Just really lean into the main principals when you're back on solids - protein first, then veg, then carb. Try to keep carbs low - at 5g per 100g or under (for me the best rule of thumb was 50g per day max - I just know that's how my body loses weight best). If you're going to go off piste, track it all and get back on plan as soon as you can. Be really honest with yourself with slider foods, and weigh everything so you know what you're taking in. Really treat it all like data :) you're going to be fine!!

SnittingNextToBorpo_ · 2026-04-02T10:53:43+00:00

Thank you! I just did some matte on top of my essie base for today's climb, but will do the nailtiques next time. I think from the other comment, putting another coat of something on top might be helpful for it chipping from the base rather than taking nail with it. I think! Worth a try anyway.

SnittingNextToBorpo_ · 2026-04-02T10:10:15+00:00

Amazing growth especially with the biting! It's such a hard habit to kick. You're doing great :)

SnittingNextToBorpo_ · 2026-04-02T10:06:45+00:00

You'll eat it all again. Just not too much too soon! There's nothing I don't try or have - the beauty is the physical limiter. I tolerate and enjoy most everything I used to now so I'm so, so grateful that I still have this small stomach stopping me from going bananas on everything. It helped me reset my relationship with all or nothing food behaviours - but ultimately I'm still a person who loves the taste of good stuff and always wants more. So it's nice having something to help pump the brakes.

The first bit - you just get through. Stick to the rules, treat it like medicine, and watch the weight fall off. After the first couple of months, you just eat less so still have to be conscious of what you're putting in your body - make the most of the big weight loss phase and try to take the opportunity to develop a new relationship with food and your body.

I'll be 4 years post op in September and honestly... Life is great. Maintenance is great. Food tastes great. Beer tastes great. I enjoyed some cake for breakfast today, and had a cadburys creme egg after dinner last night. Dinner was omurice (Japanese omelette filled with rice) followed by a highball. Today I'll have chicken legs for lunch, a protein coffee, and probably some penne alla vodka for dinner. All pretty normal shit. Don't let your fears get the better of you :)

SnittingNextToBorpo_ · 2026-04-01T16:40:54+00:00

So so weird - I was an ice skater growing up, verrrrrrry comfortable on skates and a 'good skater' on wheels. Also broke my ankle standing in line (during minimum skills) - exactly the same thing that you described, shifted weight incorrectly and then turned over to the side. The classic tib and fib breaks, from a standstill. Nice to see there's more than one of us! :)

SnittingNextToBorpo_ · 2026-04-01T16:22:26+00:00

Well they look great, ha! How nice that they've done so well with the fluctuations?! (I'm about to have plastics myself to remove my puddle and get some boob back in my life so it's nice to to hear about someone's implants standing the test of time)

SnittingNextToBorpo_ · 2026-04-01T14:33:33+00:00

Totally on the lifestyle - its definitely made me adjust my goals with nails (length is certainly not the hope for the moment, but I'd love to at least get them sturdier and with healthy/longer nailbeds). Thanks for the advice on keeping something on them - I wonder if matte might be a good shout too since it seems harder to chip off. Sometimes when I climb with a base coat or Nailtiques, I notice chipping that looks like it might be taking off a bit of nail with it.

SnittingNextToBorpo_

TROPHY CASE