Watching what you eat

[brewmonkey]

Over the last few years I have watched the emergence of what I can only term as "health concious grocery stores" across the country, most notable being Whole Foods (www.wholefoods.com).

While I have always tried to maintain a healthy balance with the food that I eat I have noticed in the last few years I am more aware of what I am eating. Gone are the midnight runs to Taco Hell or Mickey D's and infact if we do stop at these places I am the guy in front of you ordering a plain chicken sandwhich and a diet coke. When we eat out we have certain restaurants that we frequent because we know they will have something on the menu to suit our diet. Applebee's is an example, they have rolled out the new weight watchers menu, which is suprisingly good.

We shop more healthy but not to the obsession that I have seen some people do. We try to plan for a balanced day with very few days of straying away. I admit, last night it was just myself and the youngest so I ordered a small pizza from Domino's. I had to laugh at myself, 5 years ago it would have been a large and I would have eaten the whole thing by myself. Last night it was 2 slices of a cheese pizza.

Looking back on how I ate as a 17 year old PVT versus what I eat today I would like to think that I made these decisions for myself but more for my family. To teach my children that just because it did not come from Mickey D's does not mean it is gross. It seems to be working for the oldest, but we are ever mindful of his perceptions. We would hate for him to think we are doing this because he is fat (he isn't but you never know what is going on in thier little heads).

How have your eating habits changed as you have grown older? Do you plan your grocery trip and meals around buying and making what is healthier for you and your family? I think when I say healthy I should also point out that it does not mean removing some of the favorites from the menu, but understanding moderation as part of the diet plan.

Or is this another "fad" that will go by the wayside?

[Roguish Lawyer]

I no longer eat whatever I want. Still hanging on a low-carb, high-alcohol diet which I have discussed elsewhere.

[Jack Moroney (RIP)]

I do my shopping once every 5-6 weeks, throw a couple of coolers in the back of the Blazer and head south to the closest commissary. I buy what we like, eat what we want, and figure that as I have gotten older life is too damn short to practice to be miserable. Now don't get me wrong, we eat well and when my wife can sneak up on me with the jaws of life and force my teeth ajar I will even eat a brussel sprout or two-but she has got to be quick. If I over indulge in anything it is probably red meat and cheese. No much danger of fast food up here. There is one McDonalds 4 miles away at the exit ramp off the Interstate and one of the 4 mom and pop stores in the area doubles as a Dunkin Donuts, and that is only if you can get there early and don't mind standing in line with a bunch of folks all scented up for being accepted by the critter that happens to be in season.:D

Jack Moroney

[Sacamuelas]

DAMN Sir-
It sounds like you live near my hunting camp. :cool: That is not meant derogatory, just a funny coincidence. I like rural areas...easier to spot "foreigners". LOL

Brew-
I became addicted to "wholefoods" chain stores when I spent 13 weeks in New Orleans at the hospital with my little ones. Fantastic store- especially the produce, cheese selection, and deli. Unfortunately, I don't have access to one closer to where I live .

[Bill Harsey]

I watch everything I eat to make sure it doesn't get away.

[brewmonkey]

Originally posted by Sacamuelas
DAMN Sir-
It sounds like you live near my hunting camp. :cool: That is not meant derogatory, just a funny coincidence. I like rural areas...easier to spot "foreigners". LOL

Brew-
I became addicted to "wholefoods" chain stores when I spent 13 weeks in New Orleans at the hospital with my little ones. Fantastic store- especially the produce, cheese selection, and deli. Unfortunately, I don't have access to one closer to where I live .

We have 1 Whole Foods store here and it is about an hour from me. We shop there because they have a real butcher counter unlike the crap stores in my town where they order it pre packaged. The deli/cheese counter is excellent here as well and I am like a kid in the candy store when I am at it. They have real Prosciutto!!!

[The Reaper]

Originally posted by brewmonkey
We have 1 Whole Foods store here and it is about an hour from me. We shop there because they have a real butcher counter unlike the crap stores in my town where they order it pre packaged. The deli/cheese counter is excellent here as well and I am like a kid in the candy store when I am at it. They have real Prosciutto!!!

I miss that old butcher shop we spoke about between LW and Lansing.

Man they had nice steaks!

What about the FLKS Comm? Don't they cut meat to order?

TR

[Bravo1-3]

If you want to call it "watching what I eat", sure I can see it. Basically, I don't buy frozen foods or foods that can be kept for more than a week in the closet without going bad.

I buy fresh meats, fish and vegetables only. Pretty soon the wife is going to be starting a garden.

As for quantities, that's a whole different story. I eat. End of story. As Mr. Moroney put it, "Life is to short to practice to be miserable."

Good friends, good food, and good spirits are the top 3 items on my "simple pleasures" list. Anything else is not "Living", it's "Existing" in my opinion, and if I drop dead of a heart attack at 68 instead of 74, well... it was worth it.

[Razor]

Originally posted by Roguish Lawyer
Still hanging on a low-carb, high-alcohol diet which I have discussed elsewhere.

Yeah, those darned kidneys aren't really all that important.

[Roguish Lawyer]

Originally posted by Razor
Yeah, those darned kidneys aren't really all that important.

Great for my liver too. :D

[brewmonkey]

Originally posted by The Reaper
I miss that old butcher shop we spoke about between LW and Lansing.

Man they had nice steaks!

What about the FLKS Comm? Don't they cut meat to order?

TR

I am not sure but I know my parents drive up from Olathe to use it so I would be willing to bet they do.

[Jack Moroney (RIP)]

Originally posted by Sacamuelas
DAMN Sir-
It sounds like you live near my hunting camp.

Actually the whole town is one big hunting camp during deer season. It does get amusing from time to time especially when the town decides to throw the annual Christmas Fanatasy Parade consisting of numerous riders and horse drawn carriages on the first day of muzzle loading season. You see the town is real small and to make sure that the parade runs longer than 5 minutes it sort of takes laps around the village center to make it look like a real show. This route takes it past the towns only watering hole where all the good ole boys have been since noon pissing and moaning over all the reasons why they missed the big one. Nothing different here, right! Wrong!! You see because this is a Christmas Fanatasy Parade they deck out all the horses with antlers to look like reindeer. Now picture Otis, Azel and the boys, that did not have great vision before the half a keg they have since downed , in the bar looking out the window seeing all these large antlered critters strolling by stumbling to get up and retrieve their weapons from their pickemups. :D

Jack Moroney

[myclearcreek]

Originally posted by Jack Moroney
There is one McDonalds 4 miles away at the exit ramp off the Interstate and one of the 4 mom and pop stores in the area doubles as a Dunkin Donuts, and that is only if you can get there early and don't mind standing in line with a bunch of folks all scented up for being accepted by the critter that happens to be in season.:D

Jack Moroney


Out here in the woods, there is one 100+ year old store that has semi-cold "pop", a little gasoline and diesel, a little atmosphere, but not much else. The next two closest fast food establishments are sixteeen and thirty-five miles away, thank God. Deer graze with the horses here.

When I was young, I ate like a field hand. Biscuits, gravy, and eggs with bacon, ham, or sausage for breakfast...AFTER the chores. Lunch at the school cafeteria, which was run by farmers wives, so wasn't too bad based on what they had to work with. Supper/dinner was a lot like breakfast with steak (pan-fried or chicken-fried) or fried chicken or hamburger steaks with a vegetable or so just because. My brother and I made homemade milkshakes every day in the Summer to cool off. I was slender as a willow and never sat still. Fresh fruit was right there at home, so we ate those in season, usually right off the tree/vine.

Now, I am conscious of my choices, rarely fry foods, and eat more grilled chicken than beef. I still prefer beef to chicken, however. Since the opening of a seafood shop thirty-five miles away, I sometimes have salmon filet. Lots of veggies, cooked a variety of ways, and fresh fruit.

[Air.177]

Originally posted by myclearcreek
Out here in the woods, there is one 100+ year old store that has semi-cold "pop", a little gasoline and diesel, a little atmosphere, but not much else. The next two closest fast food establishments are sixteeen and thirty-five miles away, thank God. Deer graze with the horses here.



Windthorst??

[myclearcreek]

Originally posted by Air.177
Windthorst??

No. I will PM you.

[Ghostrider]

I watch what I eat....I watch it cook, I watch it on my plate, I watch it on my fork, and I watch myself eat it!;)

Seriously, everything in moderation, limit the "processed" stuff as much as possible.....(but sweets don't count...because I read somewhere chocolate is medicinal).

Did have a client once who insisted not giving up wine because it's a fruit exchange........how do argue with that? <wink>

[Roycroft201]

RE: QUANTITY, NOT ALWAYS QUALITY


Many, MANY years ago I came across an article that discussed the AMOUNT that we eat. It also made some comparisons of how much we Americans eat at one sitting as compared to those in selected other countries.

The premise of the article was that if we cut back on the QUANTITY, we would not have to eliminate many of our beloved food items, as long as we maintained a reasonable and healthy daily program.

Towards that end, it offered an equation (which I no longer have, nor do I have the article) to cut our intake based on the total number of BITES (and SWALLOWS) we took each day.

I decided to try this clever idea.

For several days, I was to COUNT every time I took a BITE of ANYTHING or SWALLOWED anything that had any caloric content.

At the time, I was working in a school where most of the staff would eat lunch in the faculty room. Trying to be as discreet as possible, I kept a tiny piece of paper next to me, and after every 5 bites or so, I would keep a tally. Did this for breakfast and dinner as well.

At the end of several days, I followed the directions to total all the bites taken for those days, divide it by whatever the equation stated (taking age, gender, activity level and possibly a partridge in a pair tree into consideration) and then add a certain number to the total, and this would be the GRAND TOTAL of bites and swallows allowed for each day.

To facilitate the process, I bought myself a 'clicker' to help keep track, but only used it at home ( this was after college but before I moved into an apt. so I was living with parents.) I proceeded to drive my mother nuts at the dinner table with 'clicking' after each
bite, so she begged me to only 'click' after every 5 or more bites.

At school, I didn't use the clicker so I continued to try to keep track with paper and pencil. I was eventually questioned by my colleagues as to what 'data' I was collecting and what my 'research' was about - was I counting certain words used in daily conversation, for example, which they thought I would be using for a thesis ? ! LOL !

I eventually decided I had to tell them, and trust me when I say that I deeply regretted it !!

I got pretty good after a while and committed to memory how many 'bites' were in certain portions of regularly consumed foods/drinks. (For a 2"X2" piece of chocolate brownie, for example, I will confess to increasing the size of the 'standard bite' so as to allow a wee bit more in my allottment !! LOL!!)

END RESULT: After a couple months- my mother hid or disposed of or stomped on my 'clicker' when I wasn't looking, my work colleagues came up with every joke or one liner possible, and I lost the 15 lbs. that eating junk food/pulling all nighters/ going to a local hangout drinking a few beers on the weekends at college had packed on.

Respectfully submitted,
Roycroft201