When did it become acceptable to...

[NRG Woman]

...eat several burgers or entrees at lunch? A couple of times this week I have been out much of the day and not been prepared enough to have packed a lunch. I love the McDonald's grilled southwest chicken salad so that's what I have been choosing. Anyway, it is fascinating to watch people choose their fast food meals. The majority of men eat two or three sandwiches in addition to their fries and beverages. Even some of the women are eating two sandwiches or entrees, of course with fries and a beverage. It seems that if something is on the value menu and is $1 that means you should have several???? I had no idea this sort of thing was happening The calories in one sandwich, along with the fries will pretty much put you over your daily calorie budget, but 3 sandwiches in unfathomable.

:stepping off my soapbox:

Shayne

 

[CLango]

A couple of months ago, I saw Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels (from The Biggest Loser) on Larry King. Somebody called in with a question about whether they needed to count their calories forever, and Bob answered 'Yes'. To that, he added that the reason people need to count their calories is that many/most Americans have absolutely no idea what proper portions are anymore.

Something in what he said got me thinking, and I've been doing some reading/research on calories in food, especially in restaurant food and fast food. And it absolutely disgusts me (yes, that's a strong word but it's how I feel) that many restaurant meals (including many salads) exceed the daily number of calories I need to be eating. For one meal. I would wager that there are very few people who need to eat between 1500-2000 calories in one meal. It's all become so ridiculous.

Unfortunately, I think people go to restaurants and get used to those big meals. So when they go to McDonald's, they might think to themselves that the burgers are half the size of the one they ate the night before at Red Robin (as an example), so they should get two. I think the cost only reinforces that decision, but I think the issue truly lies in the fact the people don't know how much they are supposed to be eating. And the end result is the scenario you described. It's actually quite sad.

 

[JeanneMarie]

My DH and I always, always split an entree when we dine out. No exceptions. It's more than enough food for both of us, and sometimes we even have leftovers to take home.

I am always amazed to watch diners eat an entire entree by themselves. In just about all restaurants, that's a whole lot of food!

 

[fit_fairy]

My DH and I always, always split an entree when we dine out. No exceptions. It's more than enough food for both of us, and sometimes we even have leftovers to take home.

I do this with my sister all the time. DH never wants to go out to eat LOL!

It is CRAZY what people eat.

 

[Fit_mommy]

My DH is not a big guy. He is just under 6' tall and is very slender. Much more so then he would like to be. When he goes to McDonald's he will order a big mac, a regular cheeseburger, a small fry and a coke. This is what satisfies his hunger. Who are we to judge weather or not this is too much food for him?? Granted McDonald's is bad for you but that is another topic entirely. It has been said that one can even over-do it with healthy clean foods because it's a matter of calories in/calories out so what he is eating shouldn't even be relevant anyway. This being said, everyone is different. Even I, who watches my weight, exercises and eats healthy most of the time will tend to eat more when I eat out. If I can finish the entree I do. Why is this so wrong?? I am perfectly healthy. My cholesterol, weight and body fat are all within healthy limits. I am sure there are folks out there who would eat far less then I do when dining out but are far less healthy. Who would you choose to be? I just don't think judging a person based only on one meal eaten in a restaurant or fast food joint is very fair.

Now this is entirely different from watching an obese person pack away tons of unhealthy foods. Obviously there is a problem there that needs to be addressed.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[CLango]

I just don't think judging a person based only on one meal eaten in a restaurant or fast food joint is very fair.

Now this is entirely different from watching an obese person pack away tons of unhealthy foods. Obviously there is a problem there that needs to be addressed.

I'm not at all bothered by people eating the food put in front of them at a restaurant. That's why they are there, so I don't judge people for eating what they've come for (even obese people). It isn't as if restaurant nutritional information is easily available (by that I mean it isn't on the menu). I didn't know until this week that my favorite salad at Chili's has over 1100 calories, and I've been eating it for years. So I totally understand why people go to restaurants, choose what they like and eat. Again, that's what they are there for.

Where I have an issue is with those people developing the menus. There is little to no doubt in my mind that most restaurant menu selections are developed with taste and visual appeal (including the appeal of abundance) in mind and nutrition/calories being a very distant second. While I understand that from an economic standpoint, I don't understand nor do I appreciate it from a nutritional/health standpoint because I happen to think many restaurant meals could be both appealing AND healthy. Yet that doesn't seem to be the case in too many instances.

I also think unhealthy restaurant meals can and do lead to more unhealthy eating habits in people than healthy, reasonably sized restaurant meals might lead to. And that is a trend that concerns me as our society continues to become more overweight and obese.

 

[intensityjunkie]

I've never seen anyone eat more than one burger/meal at mcd's. But I don't go that often. My DH will only get one if we ever go and he eats alot. I've seen him eat 3 full plates of food at all you can eat places. It doesn't show up on him though cause he runs and works out alot.

I agree some resteraunts give too much food. Like sit down resteraunts that have a salad or soup first then a big meal with a big side and bread too. I'll eat alot but still can't finish it. But it makes a great leftover meal. I can sometimes split a meal at a sit down resteraunt with myself and my two sons and we'll all get full. Sometimes I get full on the soup/salad and can barely eat my meal. It's alot more food than I would normally eat.

I have seen shows on TV about what some people who are really overweight eat daily and it really shocked me. They were going thru the drive thru at mcdonalds and getting two value meals then an hour or two later getting something else at another drive thru. They'd do this most everyday. Sometimes eating fast food for bfast, lunch and dinner. Then they'd say something like they don't see what they are doing that is so wrong later.
I'm definetly not saying ALL people who deal with weight issues do that but some do.

What I've noticed many resteraunts are doing that is good now though is having a healthy/lite section on their menu with nutrition info etc. So if people DO want to watch what they are eating they can choose something on there.

 

[Govtgirl]

I think all the hype that we all need to eat every 2-3 hours or our bodies will go into "starvation mode" has given people the impression that we're all delicate little flowers, and we simply must eat all the time to keep up our strength! Phooey.

The human body is one tough piece of machinery, and I can imagine our ancestors missed several meals along the evolutionary road went they came back from a hunt empty-handed. Skipping breakfast won't kill us, nor will an occasional fast. Many Americans could actually benefit from a day without food; it would remind them what hunger really feels like.

 

[dorothyrd]

Actually, it can harm the metabolism. Skipping meals, such as breakfast everyday convinces the body to slow down and conserve. This can make a person who gains easily, or is already overweight harder to maintain or lose. For someone who is diabetic, or pre-diabetic, skipping meals and fasting is actually very damaging.

The eating every 2-3 hours is not a liscence to eat a lot....the key is SMALL meals every 2-3 hours keeps your metabolism higher.

And I don't see why it is any different seeing an obese person pack away too much food than seeing a skinny person pack away too much food. Both could be damaging their hearts and heading to type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cancer.

1 in 3 Americans is now obese. That is a lot of people and this is not the 10 pounds overweight, this is using BMI(I know, I know, not valid for muscular folks), but a BMI over 30. Our lifestyles of eating out and even at home not judging proper portions is causing this, along with being sedentary.

I think the most difficult thing is once someone is to the obese point it is very, very, very difficult to lose. For me, losing weight is one of the hardest things I do. And it sure is not as hard going the other way. If we were smokers, we could just stop smoking, suffer the pain of it, but we don't need to smoke to live. Food is another story, and it is everywhere. We are not kicked out the back door 15 feet from the building to eat. No on the contrary, we celebrate with food. For the last birthday celebrated at your company, how many veggie trays, and fruit platters were brought in?

OK, off the high horse and a side note about BMI. We did a body fat lab in my class, and my classmates would not volunteer for it so I did it. We took it 3 different ways and had to look at the differences. I feel I am about 10 pounds over my ideal weight and I wear a size 6.

So we did the bodyfat scale, which should me very obese. BMI should be 26.5(about that 10 pounds). Skin fold showed me under the normal percentage. We did the 3 site test, triceps, thigh and waist. These spots are very lean on me, they had trouble pinching any fat, the 7 fold which includes the scapular area would have been a better test. I was surprised to actually agree with BMI as I am very muscular.

 

[fit44]

I think all the hype that we all need to eat every 2-3 hours or our bodies will go into "starvation mode" has given people the impression that we're all delicate little flowers, and we simply must eat all the time to keep up our strength! Phooey.

The human body is one tough piece of machinery, and I can imagine our ancestors missed several meals along the evolutionary road went they came back from a hunt empty-handed. Skipping breakfast won't kill us, nor will an occasional fast. Many Americans could actually benefit from a day without food; it would remind them what hunger really feels like.

EXACTLY!

Want an interesting read about this very subject. Read the Warrior Diet. This guy is ripped to shreds. He eats once a day until he is full. So this is the guy you would see eat a couple of entree's! LOL
Seriously, he eats healthy in his feeding window, but it is a lot

 

[Fit_mommy]

And I don't see why it is any different seeing an obese person pack away too much food than seeing a skinny person pack away too much food. Both could be damaging their hearts and heading to type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cancer.

Yes, eating like that CAN lead to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, etc but only if it is done on a consistent basis. The occasional indulgence at a restaurant/fast food joint is not going to trigger these diseases/problems in a healthy individual. This is the point I was trying to make. Unless a person is out several times a week over-indulging on high cal/high fat restaurant foods, where is the problem? Everything in moderation, right? So consider it a cheat meal. No big deal IMO.

 

[dorothyrd]

True, but how do you know that the obese person is doing it. I thought the double standard in the statement of seeing a thin person do it, is OK, an obese person doing it not OK. You don't know what the obese person is dealing with. And if you have never been obese, you don't know how hard it is to lose weight when 10 pounds loss is a water driplet in the bucket.

When my BMI was over 30, my husband was still extremely thin. I worked out all the time, my cholesterol, blood pressure numbers were very healthy and I was strong and fit, yet fat. His cholesterol and blood pressure was high, and he never worked out. He would be the first to tell people I could run circles around him. I would have been the person that was judged eating the fast food, and he would have been the one people think, oh it is OK. Unless you actually live with the person and know what they are doing, you should not judge them. And even then, there are strong emotional issues to deal with, and connections to food that are a struggle.

For me, I was not 100 pounds overweight, just 40, and that was hard to remove. Negativity at obese people is not going to help them.

 

[Gayle]

ITA with GovtGirl and Cynthia. I love my IF.

I really question the notion that our bodies are meant to be digestive state 24 hours a day.

 

[Beavs]

Actually, it can harm the metabolism. Skipping meals, such as breakfast everyday convinces the body to slow down and conserve. This can make a person who gains easily, or is already overweight harder to maintain or lose. For someone who is diabetic, or pre-diabetic, skipping meals and fasting is actually very damaging.

The eating every 2-3 hours is not a licence to eat a lot....the key is SMALL meals every 2-3 hours keeps your metabolism higher.

And I don't see why it is any different seeing an obese person pack away too much food than seeing a skinny person pack away too much food. Both could be damaging their hearts and heading to type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cancer.

I have to agree!

 

[SunKissed]

Its funny you mention that because I was just telling my friend about a woman I saw at subway the other day. She ordered a salad and put or squeezed mayo and then ranch dressing all over it. You should have seen my face. Way to ruin a salad! Why even get one if your going to LOAD it with fat. It was soo gross.

Bridget

 

[pixiesis]

I don't like my tendency to be nosy, so I try to keep my eyes on my own table or my own shopping cart. I can get really judgemental I find, so I like to just worry about myself. I also don't really eat at fast-food places except for the occasional Subway or Taco Bell. It is disturbing that these restaurants are serving food that is so nutritionally empty that a person feels the need to overeat just to feel briefly satisfied.

Also, I've noticed that many overweight people (like my DH for example) often eat very small meals. My super-skinny friend sometimes binges on huge amounts of crap, and I've never done that and am much much heavier than her. Go figure.

Amy

 

[kathryn]

Yes, eating like that CAN lead to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, etc but only if it is done on a consistent basis.

Though there are immediate ill effects of eating a high-fat meal. The blood thickens and does not flow as easily as it should.

 

[gettingfitmom]

Maybe these people eating two sandwiches is their "cheat" day? I myself know what fastfood does to me(gas, bloating, etc.) and try to avoid it. As I like to say, to each his own...

 

[Fit_mommy]

I was talking to my DH about this topic and he brings up a good point....The restaurants/fast food places are not going to stop serving over-sized portions of food filled with fat and crap unless people stop buying it. That being said, I wouldn't expect these places to change any time too soon....

I've already stated that I will go out to eat on occasion and do not worry if I finish my entire 1000 calorie fat-laden meal because as long as it's not a frequent event I suffer no ill-effects from it. Even so, I do wish restaurants would at least offer more healthy choices. I don't care if they continue to serve the usual stuff but add more choices to the menu for the health conscious individual. Sometimes I just don't feel like cooking or simply feel like going out but don't want to eat a heavy meal. Not many places offer options for lighter fare and when there are options there are only a few to pick from.

 

[Fit_mommy]

True, but how do you know that the obese person is doing it. I thought the double standard in the statement of seeing a thin person do it, is OK, an obese person doing it not OK. You don't know what the obese person is dealing with. And if you have never been obese, you don't know how hard it is to lose weight when 10 pounds loss is a water driplet in the bucket.

When my BMI was over 30, my husband was still extremely thin. I worked out all the time, my cholesterol, blood pressure numbers were very healthy and I was strong and fit, yet fat. His cholesterol and blood pressure was high, and he never worked out. He would be the first to tell people I could run circles around him. I would have been the person that was judged eating the fast food, and he would have been the one people think, oh it is OK. Unless you actually live with the person and know what they are doing, you should not judge them. And even then, there are strong emotional issues to deal with, and connections to food that are a struggle.

For me, I was not 100 pounds overweight, just 40, and that was hard to remove. Negativity at obese people is not going to help them.

I am sorry. I didn't mean to offend. That was not my intention. I realize all of the different scenarios and that it's not an open and shut case with weight. I was thinking of a very specific scenario when I mentioned the over weight individual in my original post. Perhaps I should have clarified better.