Portion sizes (rant)

[Raindrop]

Portion sizes have been quickly enlarged over the last twenty years. Just google what a serving of french fries was in 1983 vs 2006. Likewise, the huge increase in high calorie drinks and I'm not just talking about carbonated beverages, but the high-energy and smoothy drinks that come across as "healthy".

Add to that our "time saving" devices (garage door openers, remote controls (for EVERYTHING!), light vacuume cleaners (We wouldn't want to actually work at our housework!), dishwashers, clothes dryers, automatic sprinkler systems etc. etc.

Then, we drive to work, drive to the store, drive our kids to their organized sports and/or play dates, school etc. etc.

I know most of us here try to commute by bike when possible, but for many, unsafe neighborhoods and busy streets mean our kids can't just play outside like we used to do and we can't just walk down to the store or send our kids down when we need a quart of milk or even just get on our bikes and ride to the store without carrying our u-locks and chain cables to keep our bikes safe while we're inside.

For most of us...it's been an easing into our current soft life with a slow degeneration of our formerly active, safe and productive lives.

What's the answer

[Kitsune06]

I call for the complete downfall of all society. Folks will certainly lose weight when farming for themselves, pounding and drying corn/acorns/wheat and steel-cuttinog oats etc etc.

Anyone with me?
...anyone?
**Crickets**

[CyclChyk]

Anyone with me?
...anyone?
**Crickets**

Um.... count me out cuz that would take time away from me Riding my Bike......

[chickwhorips]

I call for the complete downfall of all society. Folks will certainly lose weight when farming for themselves, pounding and drying corn/acorns/wheat and steel-cuttinog oats etc etc.

Anyone with me?
...anyone?
**Crickets**

here here!!!! its how i grew up! hated it then, but miss it now.

[Kitsune06]

Woohoo!
Oh- D'oh~ I hijacked the thread. Back on topic, though,
After thinking about it a little more, there's such emphasis on 'eating until you feel full'.
Two separate thoughts come out of that...
1. If you do that often enough, wouldn't the stomach stretch to accomodate more and more food, so you need more all the time to get that sensation?
2. If you're eating until you 'feel full' (and I don't mean 'sated' I mean 'if I eat anymore I'm going to burst', because that's were a lot of people go) and then hop on your bike to get home, you'll hurl. (pardon the graphic speech) but it's alright to eat that much, then waddle out to your car, sit down, and drive home, then take a nap while you wait for things to digest (and go straight to your butt and thighs- thank you, Thanksgiving dinner...) so maybe biking to/from restaurants for meals isn't such a bad thing, either. Certainly enforces the take-out box mentality.

[HipGnosis6]

I have to throw in my two cents here... portion sizes are all kinds out out of whack everywhere. Ever been to the gas station convenience mart and found a bag of chips that's actually ONE serving? Most of them are more like three or four servings. People think a liter of Coke is OK to drink with their lunches. Super-Sizing is happening everywhere, not just at McD's or at the local greasy spoon.

I've been to expensive French restaraunts and been shocked by the "tiny" portion sizes - and then realized that it was just one portion when I'm used to seeing two or three portions served.

Now I admit that I usually am not sated by what you ladies are talking about as a healthy meal. I'm also fat. BUT... I've been a boxer (and therefore a bodybuilder) and played field hockey at state level and miss being able to bike commute a 7 mile round trip, and I'm several inches taller than a lot of you. I consider myself to be very out of shape these days but I'm probably about 100 times healthier than the "average" American woman. My blood pressure and cholesterol and sugar levels are fine.

As somebody who has done some very, very serious training I have a pretty good grip on my metabolism and I assume that each one of you do, too. That guy at the grocer was totally out of line!!

I've known some women who were too thin. And they were as unhappy and self-aware (and self-conscious) of it as I am of being overweight. Anybody who isn't your doctor or yourself should sod right off if they say you're too thin. They're just jealous.

[Dogmama]

I read that toxins are stored in excess body fat. I wonder if that is why losing weight can be so unpleasant because the body is releasing toxins?

[Grog]

I read that toxins are stored in excess body fat. I wonder if that is why losing weight can be so unpleasant because the body is releasing toxins?

Very interesting theory Dogmama....