I realised last night how I got so fat!

[Richt]

Ok everyone, I really did have an "aha" moment last night..........

I visited my mum and dad for the evening and they cooked me dinner. We were going to have minced beef (ground beef), mushrooms, onions carrots and potatoes all cooked together in their slow cooker. I said that I would eat it as long as mum didnt use any flour to thicken it. (I allow myself potatoes now due to my stage of my diet). But I wasnt going to have that much of the potato instead I picked a lot of it out. Mum said to put it on my dads plate. So I did just that. I sat down with my plate, the meat and veg on the bottom and my sprouts on top. It was a sufficient amount of food but Mum was concerned and said it didnt look as if I had enough.

When I started to eat I realised why she said it. My parents plate were piled high with food.

And thats when it struck me. I have not lived in my parents house for 4 years now, so have got used to smaller portions. But when I was living there big portions were regular occurances. Infact, every meal.

That was my defining moment last night.

Thanks for reading, sorry if it is too long.

Rich

[Chris]

Wow, Rich, are you sure that your parents aren't American? I thought huge portions were an American thing (everything here, today, has to be "supersized"); but, I guess we aren't the only ones.

When are folks going to catch on that supersized portions soon lead to the inevitable -- supersized bellies, butts, thighs, chins, etc.?!

[13_jane]

Rich,

My parents are exactly the same - thats the reason I put so much weight on too!! I lived with my parents for 2 years while we built our house - so every night I got home from work, she had mine and my husbands teas ready! And it was always home cooked delights, and yes she too fills the plates up, room on the plate means she's a bad cook!!!

When I moved in with my parents, I weighted 140 lbs, when we eventually moved out just under 2 years later I was 180 plus!! lol!!

They're killing us with kindness!!

jane x

[Richt]

The really upsetting thing is, my mum is a big lady and really wants to lose weight. She trys so hard and has been on one diet or another for the last 25 years. She started Rosemary Connelly last week, and she said she did really well. She stuck to it for 5 days and then because she had done so well she treated herself to fish and chips on Sunday! (I dont think thats much help) but I cant say anything to her.

I said to her whilst eating last night,

"you do realise there is a really easy way to help you diet"
and she said
"dont cook so much food?"
to which i said
"yes".

She then accused me of being horrible to her! I can't win, I wasnt being horrible to her, she was the one who came up with the "cooking less food" thing. She also will not try Atkins because she thinks its bad for you. We have had countless conversations about it, but everything i say falls on deaf ears.

It really is quite upsetting.

[ValidRouge]

Originally Posted by Chris

When are folks going to catch on that supersized portions soon lead to the inevitable -- supersized bellies, butts, thighs, chins, etc.?!

Chris, a couple years ago in West Virginia, there was a billboard campaign on this very subject. It was a parody on Wendy's Biggie Size....they'd have a billboard of a very large person and it would say Biggie Size = Biggie Thighs.

It didn't go over very well with the public, nor with Wendys. I thought it was hysterical. Needless to say, the billboards came down way too soon IMO.

[Miss Phode]

Sounds like my family too. Clean your plate was the name of the game. With grandma, cleaning your plate wasn't enough. You had to have seconds. Everyone on mom's side of the family is heavy. I remember when I was small, my cousin was pretty chubby, and her mom and dad were just so proud that she looked like one of them. One of my mom's favorite things to say when people lose weight is "they look sick, or they look old". They have such a warped view of what healthy is. 100 pounds overweight is NOT healthy. I wonder why they all have diabetes and heart disease?

[julirama723]

My family is the same way.

They're always concerned whether or not I've had enough to eat, whether I want more, etc. In college I didn't see my parents very much, but when I did come home, they would be offering me food constantly, offering to take me out to dinner, giving me food to take back with me to school, giving me stuff I didn't even want. Or they'd give me $20 for gas, and $20 for dinner! I don't know where they thought I'd be eating in a college town that it would cost $20 a plate.

My boyfriend has been a good influence on me. For the most part, his family eats normal portions, with the exception of his mother who eats practically nothing. I've gradually decreased my portions in the time spent with him and away from my parents. I didn't really notice just how much until my parents were visiting us this year. I was full after a grilled chicken breast, small salad, and green beans, but both of my parents went back for seconds and even then they looked wistfully hungry still. That was when I realized that my parents, god help them, are total gluttons. The worst part is, my dad is diabetic. My boyfriend offered him a glass of wine and my dad made this big uproar about how he can't have it he's diabetic, etc. Then the next day I visited my parents hotel room, and it was filled with M&Ms, twinkies, cinnamon rolls, cheez-its, cookies, you name it...and it was my DAD who was eating all of this. Ugh. I've flat out said if you keep eating this you're going to die, and he just gets all gruff about how he doesn't eat that much and he's so active that he burns it off (yeah right I say, he's at least 80lb. overweight).

OK sorry to rant and ramble, but long story short, my family is like yours!

[jcapulet]

I'm glad you shared this Rich, it's made me think (a rare occurrence LOL )

Growing up, portions were always pretty generous on the dinner plate. Thankfully I had a quick metabolism as a teen (after having a chubby start), but this does carry on to when you're an adult, and having a full-sized plate piled with food seems... "normal."

I eat very small portions for dinner nowadays. My main meal is lunch.

[k5commando]

Ha!!!You said "Mum"!!! Anyway, I grew up in the same enviornment. My Mum is an incredible cook and always cooks healthy stuff due to some health conditions my dad has but it's not healthy for my body type, lots of rice and more of a low fat style of cooking.

[Richt]

Originally Posted by k5commando

Ha!!!You said "Mum"!!! Anyway, I grew up in the same enviornment. My Mum is an increadible cook and always cooks healthy stuff due to some health conditions my dad has but it's not healthy for my body type, lots of rice and more of a low fat style of cooking.

I may be losing my nationality a bit on the board. (going back to my thread from last week). But there are certain things I will not do! I will never call my Mum, my "mom", and I will always spell words with the letter "u" when they are needed. Like in colour, flavour, favour etc etc.