[BrandNewJen]

Now that I'm a day away from my 2 week weigh in, I'm realizing all of a sudden how our world is SATURATED with unhealthy food imagery.

I mean... it's true what they say that if you want to live healthy you should shop only in the perimeter of the grocery store--- these HUGE supermarkets, and 14 aisles are just dedicated to CRAP (for the most part)... I just cannot believe that the entire united states are not huge blubbery idiots.

Watch TV for 2 hours... there are SOO many food, fast food, eating-related commercials it isn't funny. Drive down the street and you're hungry--- all there is to choose from is a fast food restaurant.

It is HARD to be a thin person in this world of ours... why is it that when we go to a restaurant there are FOUR options for healthy foods, but a million bad ones? How can people stay thin when there is so much BAD FOOD out there?

Wow... it just shocks me how we even allow it. I mean, really, does ANYONE need a BK Triple STacker burger? I mean, should it even be LEGAL to allow someone to consume 1200 calories in ONE burger?

I don't think so... I mean, really?!?!!?

[rockinrobin]

It really is quite difficult to eat well in our society. A real true challenge in fact. You can't turn anywhere without being bombarded with horrendous, high calorie, high fat, highly processed food. It's really scary if you stop to think about it.

That's why I always say that eating healthy does not happen by chance. It must be planned for in advance. That's why we need to always have healthy food at our fingertips, pack our lunches and snacks for work and for outings. If I go to the mall and don't have anything healthy in my bag to eat, well then I haven't planned well and would be stuck choosing something to eat from the enormous variety of unhealthy foods that they offer.

[BrandNewJen]

Agreed--- I think these first couple weeks have gone good for me thus far because I have been pre-planning. Today I'm going out to dinner with a friend and I was given the option to choose what place we went to. I checked out the menus and nutritional info and I chose where we're going b/c I know they have a delicious and good-for-me salad so that I don't get tempted by looking at the menu.

I bring my lunches to work, I totally avoid the lunchroom and their snacks set out, I eat before I grocery shop so that I avoid temptations based on what my belly is telling me... I eat before we go anywhere b/c you never know what's going to CALL YOU when you're out and about.

[traci in training]

And here's the thing - we, as a society, plan everything except what we eat. We plan our career, our family, our vacation, our weekends. You name - we plan it. Except we're willing to put any old thing that comes along in our bodies and call it fuel. Weird, huh?

I have to plan everything. Snacks, meals, what I'll eat when we go out. If I have a plan, I do great. Honestly, I've been doing this long enough I just kind of plan without thinking about planning. I never leave the house without a snack in my bag - you never know when you'll get hungry. I never go to a restaurant without first checking out their menu. If I do end up someplace unexpectedly I order without opening the menu most of the time. Grilled fish, double side of vegetables, salad with the low fat dressing on the side. No tempting pictures for me, thanks. Just the fish. :-)

[NightengaleShane]

That is an outstanding question! It IS hard to not be overweight in today's society - that's why more than half of our population IS overweight. In some ways, we have become more health conscious as a nation, but at the same time, multitudes of ridiculous myths are being perpetuated.

A lot of "thin" people I know rarely watch what they eat. Some of them get full easily and therefore only need a few bites of something (even if it IS junk) to be satisfied, others have physical jobs and/or immense nervous tics, and others just store all the fat in their blood stream, so while they *appear* healthy (because our sick society thinks thin/skinny = healthy), they are not. Of course, there are also the borderline OCD health/environment freaks who won't touch anything non-organic because of something about processing and the meat industry... those people are usually thin, too... and every now and then, people just embrace healthy habits because, well, you know, they want to live longer and look better, but despite so many people having these wishes, so few put getting them into action... because it IS hard and it DOES require effort in our society.

While saying that, it does get easier. I instinctively make healthy choices while out to eat, no matter where I am. I check every nutritional label at the supermarket before I throw an item into my cart. I try to predict my calorie count for the day and sometimes log my choices ahead of time. Now, I am by no means perfect and fall "off plan" frequently but I try my best to pull myself back together and remember that this journey isn't going to be easy... most worthwhile things are not.

[nelie]

If you think that is hard... try adding not eating animal products.

Actually, I don't find it hat hard because I buy mostly fruits, veggies and other whole food products. I read labels, I eat out at places that I know are fairly healthy and meet my requirements.

[BrandNewJen]

Originally Posted by nelie

If you think that is hard... try adding not eating animal products.

Actually, I don't find it hat hard because I buy mostly fruits, veggies and other whole food products. I read labels, I eat out at places that I know are fairly healthy and meet my requirements.

I actually couldn't IMAGINE would I would eat without eating animal products... I eat lots of fruits and veggies... but STILL. My lunch always has a pudding, a cheesestick... dinner ALWAYS has meat in it (of some kind)... milk in LOTS of stuff, cheese on lots of stuff... Just healthier versions of it. Yowza!!!

I guess you'd be the person to give me tips on the tastiest way to cook up an eggplant, huh?

[amouse]

The fast food bug got well and truely squished in this house when my daughter got very sick . she was blowing up like a baloon, cover in a rash inable to move because of painful joints, having trouble breathing . swollen face eyes throat, arms ,legs and body every single day and we didnt know why. She would blow up just after midday then need strong antihistamines and ventolin and then she would sleep for hours during the day . She wasn't even having fast food at this stage either . But she had always got a nasty rash from it all over her body. She was eating fresh grapes, cheese spread, vegemite and bread. We took her to an allergy doctor and found out she is allergic to almost all food colouring, food presevatives and additives.. there is only a few that dont make her sick. she is also allergic to alot of animals pea straw hay grass seed and bark.nickel. lol

But the food was killing her. She is only 3 and if we go past a fast food resturant she says that makes me sick... lol.. we dont eat out .. we cant .. there additives are in everything . gravy, cheese, bread ,oils, you name it.. Of course you can find thing that are safe for her plain chocolate plain biscuits , one brand of bread and cheese no more fresh grapes or dried fruit( they are treated with sulphar dioxide) expensive ice cream she can have but i wont touch it its hers and very expensive lol. I read every single label in the supermarket lol.. amazingly the thing we have the most variety in is breakfast cereals on the whole they are very good at not having the crap in them.. lol.

this is why the weight loss thing will be a permanant one.. lol Fast food is for fast weight gain nothing else lol...

I know i went off track a bit but this is the easiest way to avoid it long term.. lmao not that i would reccomend living with a child with allergies like hers as its very stressful lol.Im not looking forward to when she goes to birthday party and kindy and school. maybe ill get a tshirt printed that says DONT FEED ME I HAVE ALLERGIES .. lol

[nelie]

Originally Posted by BrandNewJen

I actually couldn't IMAGINE would I would eat without eating animal products... I eat lots of fruits and veggies... but STILL. My lunch always has a pudding, a cheesestick... dinner ALWAYS has meat in it (of some kind)... milk in LOTS of stuff, cheese on lots of stuff... Just healthier versions of it. Yowza!!!

I guess you'd be the person to give me tips on the tastiest way to cook up an eggplant, huh?

Actually I thought it was hard until I did it.

Eating without animal products is pretty amazing when you do it, I think. I also found out that meat just doesn't taste very good anymore now that I have lots of yummy things to eat.

As for eggplant, I don't buy regular american eggplant, I buy either Japanese or Chinese Eggplant (they are long and slender). One way you can cook them is by roasting them in the oven although a favorite of mine is to cut them up into small chunks, sautee in water and a bit of oil, add various spices (I love indian hot pepper), and cook until it breaks down into sort of a mushy texture. It is soo good

[fiberlover]

It's amazing how portion sizes have grown over the years, and we don't even notice. You can't even order a steak out that is smaller than 6 ounces - if you are lucky to find one that size!

[GirlyGirlSebas]

Almost every celebration involves food.....birthday cake on your BD, chocolates on Valentines day, Cookouts on July 4th, Turkey and the trimmings on Thanksgiving....etc, etc, etc. If you're Baptist in the South, well, to have "fellowship" means to get together and pig out...right? Fancy hotels have fancy restaurants, cruise ships have elaborate buffets. Dates usually involve some type of dinner, then dancing, etc. Does anybody know how to celebrate or have a good time without food? No wonder we feel deprived sometimes. We can't let our hair down and relax like everyone else. We have to be on guard against overeating.

[BreakingFree]

Amy -

I just read an article about this mom in my local paper today, then I read your post:

www.allergykids.com

[amouse]

thank you breaking free there are alot of good websites out there but most are not for kids .. very handy