USA Obesity Epidemic - how fast it happened!!! 25 years!

[JoeWras]

Yeah - if you like tangy sour, which we do, it's really great.

DH just decided to put away his kefir making for a while. He's going to use the Lifeway plain instead which he really likes. Less work. He's a very busy man - retired, but super busy.

That's the brand I tried, whole and plain. The only added ingredient was pectin. I wish it were zero, but that's not too bad.

You do need to like tangy-sour. I like it. However, I don't like it in beer, which is all the rage. I like sweet notes in my beer. Go figure.

The whole point of this is to mix things up. One of the problems I have with weight is I tend to go back "to the well" for my favorites, which are bad. I find that exploring new foods gets me energized to watch what I'm eating.

Which brings me to our friends. We love this couple, but they are killing themselves. We have a hard time sharing dinner because really the only thing they want is crap. On our last dinner, as we were eating pizza, she mentioned she has early heart failure. Oh my goodness! Stop! How can we help?

We can't. They only want comfort foods after hearing this bad news. It is a vicious circle.

 

[Freedom56]

I am not a bike enthusiast, but thought that a cheap Walmart bike would let one burn more calories sooner. Let some air out of the tires too. Non?

You are better off buying a bike for $250 - $400 from Nashbar or Bikes Direct. Walmart bikes are pretty bad.

 

[Music Lover]

I am not a bike enthusiast, but thought that a cheap Walmart bike would let one burn more calories sooner. Let some air out of the tires too. Non?

Used bikes are a dime a dozen, or check if your area has a local police bike auction. There is one here that has hundreds of bikes for sale, and as a bonus, all the proceeds go to charity.

 

[NW-Bound]

You are better off buying a bike for $250 - $400 from Nashbar or Bikes Direct. Walmart bikes are pretty bad.

Yes, Walmart bikes are bad. That's the idea. They make you pedal harder, hence burn more calories.

As I said, by letting air out of the tires and running them soft, that makes you work even harder still. Only a few miles around the neighborhood and one has his exercise.

Used bikes are a dime a dozen, or check if your area has a local police bike auction. There is one here that has hundreds of bikes for sale, and as a bonus, all the proceeds go to charity.

I already have a couple of "bad bikes", though not necessarily from Walmart.

 

[Chuckanut]

T On our last dinner, as we were eating pizza, she mentioned she has early heart failure. Oh my goodness! Stop! How can we help?

Wait one cottin pickin minute!!!

Pizza is not junk food. Not if it is made right.

Anything can be turned into junk food in the hands of modern food technology, just look at yogurt.

My home made pizza has a 50% whole wheat crust (I use Einkorn I grind myself). The crust is thin but not overly so. You can still pick up a properly cooked slice and not have it sag. I use home made sauce, a thin coating of tasty cheese that is spread evenly over the sauce, and various veggies as the topping. Sometimes I toss in a few paper-thin slices of prosciutto to add some extra flavor. OK, if the kids are having pizza I toss some pepperoni on top.

Healthy pizza is alive and well. One simply has to make it at home.

 

[JoeWras]

Wait one cottin pickin minute!!!

Pizza is not junk food. Not if it is made right.

Healthy pizza is alive and well. One simply has to make it at home.

Sorry to offend your home-made pizza.

Did I mention they mostly eat out? We ate out. Even if we had the restaurant "make it right," our friends would protest. That's part of my point.

It was already mentioned quite a bit earlier in this thread how restaurant food is contributing to this problem.

 

[Nemo2]

Healthy pizza is alive and well. One simply has to make it at home.

We love our homemade pizza......in fact it's on the menu for tomorrow night......broccoli, onion, tomato, green pepper, olives, and a variety of cheeses...gives us at least three meals:

 

[athena53]

My home made pizza has a 50% whole wheat crust (I use Einkorn I grind myself). The crust is thin but not overly so. You can still pick up a properly cooked slice and not have it sag. I use home made sauce, a thin coating of tasty cheese that is spread evenly over the sauce, and various veggies as the topping. Sometimes I toss in a few paper-thin slices of prosciutto to add some extra flavor.

But you DO stuff the crust with cheese and serve with cheezy garlic breadsticks on the side, right? Seriously- your version sounds wonderful. Just enough crust to support a load of yummy vegetables!

 

[JoeWras]

But you DO stuff the crust with cheese and serve with cheezy garlic breadsticks on the side, right? Seriously- your version sounds wonderful. Just enough crust to support a load of yummy vegetables!

Sadly, what athena said is exactly what we had. With extra cheese!

Vegetables? Hardly.

 

[Freedom56]

I was commenting on this when my computer crashed. I am in agreement that BMI is one general look at the "obesity" issue but has limitations described above. I made a decision to put on some more muscle mass this year so I can continue to do strenuous tasks around the house. So, my BMI took a tick up. I would be more interested in muscle/fat ratios.

The problem is that the computer systems used determine if you are overweight based on BMI. If your BMI is over 25 your report automatically states "overweight" and puts you in a risk factor category for heart disease.

 

[Freedom56]

We love our homemade pizza......in fact it's on the menu for tomorrow night......broccoli, onion, tomato, green pepper, olives, and a variety of cheeses...gives us at least three meals:

Looks good!. For veggie pizza, try using a creamy garlic sauce using olive and truffle oil, salt, pepper and garlic instead of the tomato sauce. Put the cheese on top of the sauce and then your vegetable toppings. I usually use the following toppings:

Artichoke hearts, mushrooms, red and green bell peppers, red onions, tomatoes, and zucchinni squash.

 

[Nemo2]

Looks good!. For veggie pizza, try using a creamy garlic sauce using olive and truffle oil, salt, pepper and garlic instead of the tomato sauce. Put the cheese on top of the sauce and then your vegetable toppings. I usually use the following toppings:

Artichoke hearts, mushrooms, red and green bell peppers, red onions, tomatoes, and zucchinni squash.

Ooops, forgot that we already add garlic & mushrooms to ours, don't think either of us has ever tried truffle oil though........(I'll buy/rent a pig tomorrow and go dig up some. ).

Artichoke hearts...have had them grilled/baked with cheese/mayo stuffing, (IIRC), very rich, quite addictive, (and heavy on calories), that way....never tried them on pizza though.

Zucchini....interesting....we grill/sauté it quite often for tortilla wraps, and, since it absorbs flavors from just about everything around it, put it in meatless chili, burritos, cottage pie, lasagna, etc, but have never thought to add it to pizza.

Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[EastWest Gal]

Of course a thread on the obesity epidemic turns to sharing recipes and food.[emoji23]

 

[Nemo2]

Of course a thread on the obesity epidemic turns to sharing recipes and food.[emoji23]

"Be stirring as the time; be fire with fire;
Threaten the threatener and outface the brow
Of bragging horror"

William Shakespeare

 

[Amethyst]

But...but...it's healthy food. Much like a LBYM thread turns to tales of how we save money?

Of course a thread on the obesity epidemic turns to sharing recipes and food.[emoji23]

 

[donheff]

Same. I was on the slow climb up. Every 3-5 years I needed to buy the next size pants. Finally, I tried eliminating sugar and lost 10 pounds without doing anything else to control what and how much I ate. Then I went to a lower-carb diet (about 70-100 g of carbs a day). I lost another 15 pounds for a grand total of 25 pounds. I literally rolled my weight back 10 years, maybe more. I gained about 5 pounds back in 6 months, but have stayed steady since then.

I realize that what was relatively easy for me may be very hard for others. Individual metabolism makes a huge difference. I think the best route is for a person to eat good, real food (little sugar and processed foods) , exercise and let their body be what it is. Unless one has a diagnosed medical condition that affects weight, there is not much else we can do.

That was almost precisely my experience. I dropped my candy addiction and lost about 10. Then went LCHF like you ~ 75 grams/day and lost another 25. I slowly added rice and potatoes back in and am at homeostasis now. I can crank it up a bit for a few days (candy or splurging at restaurants) and add a couple of pounds. Cut back a bit on the carbs and I am right back at 162. Never hungry. Never count calories.

 

[Amethyst]

Perfectly illustrates the concept of "eating below your means." You could eat more (or different) stuff, but you choose not to.

I'm thinking that for some people, LBYM (resisting unnecessary spending) is as hard for them, as EBYM is for others.

That was almost precisely my experience. I dropped my candy addiction and lost about 10. Then went LCHF like you ~ 75 grams/day and lost another 25. I slowly added rice and potatoes back in and am at homeostasis now. I can crank it up a bit for a few days (candy or splurging at restaurants) and add a couple of pounds. Cut back a bit on the carbs and I am right back at 162. Never hungry. Never count calories.

 

[Fedup]

I eat a lot of nuts. They don't help with weight loss but they are healthy for you. This is why I'm not aggressively want to lose weight. But if I want to, I can just feast on salad and sardines for lunch, either that a light rice soup for a week, keep the same dinner. I did this when I ran out of food, too lazy to go shopping for food, and the pounds just melt away.

 

[kcowan]

Artichoke hearts, mushrooms, red and green bell peppers, red onions, tomatoes, and zucchini squash.

Also sun-dried tomatoes, roasted garlic, goat cheese and for my portion pepperoni or salchicha.

 

[MichaelB]

Artichoke hearts, mushrooms, red and green bell peppers, red onions, tomatoes, and zucchinni squash.

Also sun-dried tomatoes, roasted garlic, goat cheese and for my portion pepperoni or salchicha.

Pizza. My favorite health food. I've enjoyed all the above ingredients, in different combinations, and many others not yet named. All good. Except salchicha - haven't had that option yet, but it's now on my list.

 

[Chuckanut]

Sorry to offend your home-made pizza.

No offense taken. I entirely get your point.

 

[Chuckanut]

Sadly, what athena said is exactly what we had. With extra cheese!

Vegetables? Hardly.

I wonder what your friends would think if they wen to Rome or Naples and had a real Italian pizza - thin crust, a smearing of sauce, a light thin layer of cheese and a few roasted veggies on top. (Not one of those adulterated pineapple/canadian-bacon monstrosities they make for tourists.) I see your point. But, like my old grand pappy used to say "Control of others is an illusion".

 

[JoeWras]

I wonder what your friends would think if they wen to Rome or Naples and had a real Italian pizza - thin crust, a smearing of sauce, a light thin layer of cheese and a few roasted veggies on top. (Not one of those adulterated pineapple/canadian-bacon monstrosities they make for tourists.) I see your point. But, like my old grand pappy used to say "Control of others is an illusion".

They would be unhappy if it didn't have hamburger or sausage on it. I know for a fact.

However, YOU are making me HUNGRY.

I love Chicago deep dish. It is a calorific/carbonific/fatinific bomb. After a visit to Italy, my cousin got into pizza making and had an authentic oven built in his back yard. His trip to Italy affected him so much, he even imports a bunch of ingredients (something about the crust). He makes them as you describe, almost a quick flash bake in that hot oven. Oh man, are they GOOD!

 

[HFWR]

We love our homemade pizza......in fact it's on the menu for tomorrow night......broccoli, onion, tomato, green pepper, olives, and a variety of cheeses...gives us at least three meals:

Like

 

[audreyh1]

Wait one cottin pickin minute!!!

Pizza is not junk food. Not if it is made right.

Anything can be turned into junk food in the hands of modern food technology, just look at yogurt.

My home made pizza has a 50% whole wheat crust (I use Einkorn I grind myself). The crust is thin but not overly so. You can still pick up a properly cooked slice and not have it sag. I use home made sauce, a thin coating of tasty cheese that is spread evenly over the sauce, and various veggies as the topping. Sometimes I toss in a few paper-thin slices of prosciutto to add some extra flavor. OK, if the kids are having pizza I toss some pepperoni on top.

Healthy pizza is alive and well. One simply has to make it at home.

Unfortunately, I'm avoiding wheat (and relatives), so pizza is out, as are most baked goods. And I don't really like "fakes" - attempts to recreate something like pizza dough out of non-wheat grains.