We are So Backwards as a Country!

[RobertW]

Yes, I think we are more "advanced" because we got off on the obesity trend long before the rest of the world. Now Europe, China and India are playing catch-up.

[runningfromfat]

Originally Posted by 100percentME

another guy looked and her and goes "what, you aren't going to eat the whole thing" and in an excited voice she responded "no way im taking half of it home with me. everybody knows that leftovers from here are the best part" he nodded and went back to his own food.

I'm stealing this line!!

Originally Posted by 100percentME

i think portion sizes in restaurants are absurd, but i also think its absurd that so many people have the mentality that since that much food is on the plate, than its the restaurants fault if they over eat. a lot of people dont think to break up their food and save some for later, and then they get upset at the restaurant for serving so much food. There are a lot of servings in the bag of grapes in my fridge but i dont get mad at the produce department for giving me too many grapes all at once. lol
I think people need to take responsibility for themselves, and besides, i appreciate large portions because as a poor college kid, i always take home and eat leftovers.

Yes to this too! Now that DH and I have drastically cut back on our portion sizes we find that one pizza can last our entire family two meals. Before we were ordering two pizzas and that was lasting one meal!

I don't have problems at all with the portion sizes but you have to be aware of what you're eating. I actually like the left overs because we save money and we get another meal or two out of it, so less cooking for me!

[Panacea86]

I cannot stand food pushers, food criticizers, and food yackers. You don't need to tell someone how much to eat, what to eat, or tell everyone why you're eating something unless someone asks. It's just rude.

Overall though, it's best to let it roll off your back. It can be exciting, in a frustrating way, to have people tell you to eat more when you know they were staring at you thinking "step away from the burger, fatty" when you were heaver.

I think that excitement is what riles us up even worse. Just let it go. You know what's best for you, and if you don't, it's on you anyway

It has made me think, though, as an overweight person myself (have been most of my life)...it's going to be strange to be a healthy weight and see all of these overweight and obese people. I didn't fit in when I was fat as a teen, now everyone seems to be!! Sad indeed.

[irishlad]

I know how you feel!!! I was on a specific plan too, and people at home (My mum) was like, here have some homemade brown soda bread, sure its healthy its homemade, it would be better than most things to eat, even with jam on it! Or I measure the amount of potato I am allowed, and people are like, here, sure its only potato its fine, theres no sauce, have more, or else measure how much you are allowed, serve it, and people look and say, sure that will hardly fill you up, thats not enough of a dinner for you !!

Just stick to your guns, and know yourself its all for a good reason in the end!

Personally I tried to avoid these restaurant trips etc myself for a few months at the start and stuck more or less religiously to the plan I had. But then it may be considered a recluse method, I just knew myself, if faced with temptation, The temptation would probably win in my eyes! lol. But its not a lifestyle - staying in and not socialising, I just used it as a kickstart at the beginning.

Maybe it comes from when we are young, and told, eat all your dinner etc to grow big and strong?!! Are we still eating to become bigger and stronger or when does this stop?!!

[khat]

I don't know.. Coming from Europe myself, I never see obese people on the street or wherever. I see overweight people all the time now. But never like morbidly obese. I think it comes down to all the choices we have now (most of them coming from the West, in very flashy packaging, processed beyond tasteful recognition). When I was a kid (growing up in socialism) we went to the store, we had like three choices of candy and chocolate, a few choices of dairy products, fresh white bread, seasonal&local veggies and fruit etc. There was not a lot of low fat, whole wheat, vegan, microwaveable, processed things from the other side of the world that you could buy. AND EVERYONE WAS SKINNY!! We were not like poor or anything. We would eat home made fries with eggs all the time and white bread with butter AND jam that had too much sugar in it, or maybe some spaghetti with meatballs, and vanilla puding for desert after.. My point is, nobody really cared about nutrition values or portion sizes, of course we ate salad and fruit, but I don't remember one single time someone mentioned how much calories some dish had. And everyone was super thin (for us this was 'normal' at the time). Now everyone is overweight (Yes, Europe is catching up very quickly with you) and all we talk about is calories, nutrition, fat content, aspartame, whole grain, bla bla bla.. It's just sad how we ruin our society with this S**T we don't need.. I really don't get it. We got so spoiled (addicted) with this processed crap they sell us.. Do you think there is like a Dr.Evil living on some island watching the world go to s*** with his master plan of getting everyone to just die of fatness? I mean.. It must be some scheme or else we are all just plain stupid.. Or just selfish?

[Icey21]

i eat just because it taste so good i dont want to stop i am also trying to get a handle on that. (not working yet) They do that cause they love you and they dont see it in the eyes of they person who has worked so hard to drop the weight like you have!

[124chicksinger]

You know whats even more odd? When you've made a salad. A SALAD--and someone comments....WOW THAT'S A HUGE SALAD...how can you eat all that? OMG, its a salad. It's not like I've served up in a ten gallon hat!

There's like 2 to 3 ounces of protein, and the rest of it is fresh veg with 1 or 2 tsps. of olive oil and some vinegar. How can I eat all that? I'm hungry, and its low in calories, high in fiber, nutritious, healthy, fills me up. How can you eat that Sub Sandwich? Burger & Fries? 4 slices of pizza? KFC chicken meal? etc., ad nauseum. This happens in the lunchroom at work, where you kind of expect to be safe from comments when you're brown bagging your own! And the worst of it? Its usually someone in worse shape than you saying it!!!

[indiblue]

Originally Posted by berryblondeboys

But, being married to someone from a different country and from visiting other countries, I can say this. Shoving food in people's faces and trying to get them to eat more is even more pronounced in Europe and in Mexico. It's almost rude to say, "no thank you, I'm full." when you are a guest. They won't take no for an answer!

It's the same in all of Asia too. Holy canoli.

Here in India, obesity and morbid obesity are everywhere. And a lot of it stems from the cultural importance of eating seconds and thirds until you feel like you want to die.

[Soft Speaker]

It really sucks having to tell someone over and over that you don't want anymore. And when they push you feel so pressured, especially when I'm around my family. But you just have to stand your ground and try and ignore them or tell them that they are making you uncomfortable.

[melodymist]

Originally Posted by 124chicksinger

This happens in the lunchroom at work, where you kind of expect to be safe from comments when you're brown bagging your own! And the worst of it? Its usually someone in worse shape than you saying it!!!

I totally agree. Giving me advice on what to eat and saying I'm making the wrong choices. Wow. Really? Making the wrong choices? I just lost over 30 pounds, excercise, count calories, drink water and much more what do I know?

[Isis21]

Same thing happens to me all the time! It is actually so annoying that I try to get out of going to restaurants with my family! Although it doesn't seem like such a bad thing, Its hard when its your mothers birthday and all she wants is to splurge and eat everything in sight! The last time we were out at a Italian restaurant I let myself have pasta BUT I split it up into 3 portions for home and ate the fourth. When I asked the waitress to pack mine up since its very hard to not have those couple extra bites when its just sitting in front of you. My mom flipped out on me in the middle of everything! She said
"Your skinny and only 21! That pasta will burn right up when you simply walk to the car. I can't believe your doing this on my birthday, making me look like a fat pig in front of everyone for eating my whole meal! Do me a favor and just eat what you ordered"

Can you believe that! I was in such shock that I just sat there and said nothing the rest of the meal. She did however apologize early saying that she knew how hard I was working and was sorry for her out burst. Still holy crap, its crazy when people get noticeably upset when you eat the amount your actually suppose to as opposed to the amount they want you to.

[Esofia]

What is really weird is when people grumble about the obesity epidemic and made snide remarks about other people's weight (particularly strangers, celebrities or someone in the street or what have you, but sometimes someone closer to home), and then they try to push food down you. Look at the comments section whenever a newspaper is running an article on obesity, it's always full of people being b1tchy about those who are overweight, but I bet you most of those commenters will happily try to push someone into eating more.

[GonnaTurnHeads]

This is so true!! People will push you to eat more and more, people will encourage you to eat whatever junk they have around. If you eat "too healthy" people are critical of it. If you eat junk food, they are also critical about it.

I hate eating around the break room at work for this reason! People will be the first one to talk about whatever diet they are on, what diet so & so is on and who is losing weight the best... Its frustrating. People are aware that I am changing my habits and they know that one of the things I am doing is juicing. But if I come into that break room and I'm eating some shrimp and not some juice - I will hear about it my entire lunch hour!

UGH!

One thing I know for sure - no one is ever going to be happy with us. We will either eat too much, too little, too healthily or too unhealthily... Just do whats good for you and stick to your guns!!

[samidget]

I know how frustrating it is. My husband (who could lose about 30lbs himself) went to culinary school. He gets offended if we don't eat his food and makes fun of my 13 yr old when she eats such little portions. I know he doesn't mean any harm, but she is eating the correct amount. She has also lost about 30 lbs since the beginning of summer and hasn't really tried. She just doesn't eat as much. I have always been overweight and I don't want to see my kids go through that. My 8yr old and my 16yr old are both overwieght. My oldest struggles, but has found a love for food. My 8yr old will tell me he wants seconds and I tell him, "you are not still hungry, it just tastes good." I agree with you that this has become the norm. Nobody eats for nurishment anymore. It is all about pleasure. Hard to overcome that, but it is possible.