Not to mention......my wife bought new dinnerware.......which was considerably larger than the old dinnerware, and couldn't understand why I said the larger plate size, did not need to be filled, but rather, just the center portion of the plate!

Bigger is not always better......just more expensive.

It gives no point of reference. For example I know most carbohydrates (rice,noodles,ect...) run about 200 cal for a cup. A hamburger bun,toast and a pancake 4"(no butter/syrup) run about 80-120 each. All noodles and breads are 1/3 more if rice flour based instead of wheat. 3oz of meat (hamburger,chicken or pork meat unprocessed) runs about 120-200. All cheeses run about 100 a slice or 1" cube. I can actually give you a pretty good approximation of the calories in MOST foods but I have to know how many ounces it is and how many condiments they used of what kind. A good rule of thumb to watch calories in a restaurant serving is to get an extra plate,cut your dinner in half and take the rest home for another meal. FYI restaurants have WAY more calories than fast foods. Out Back Steak House is the MOST fattening. A single dessert(chocolate thunder down under) is 1200 calories alone. 1200 calories is the SMALLEST amount of calories a seditary woman would eat to lose weight sensibly! PJ

Restaurants add high fat / high calories to almost all low fat and low calorie food. i.e. cheese on fish.

Restaurants also serve large portions to justify high meal prices, rather than offer more modest meals at lower prices, to increase the revenue per patron. Since most restaurants have limited seating, and / or wait staff, they simply plan to charge according to how much revenue they wish to generate per meal, rather than how much the meal costs to serve.

In a couple of months (maybe weeks) I'll be upset about this, lol
For the last few weeks I've been able to eat whatever I have wanted (probaly did get a little carried away) and I have gained almost 8 pounds since then. I'm happy about gaining now and hopefully by the time Spring gets here I will be about normal and be able to tone up what gravity and Mother Nature are calling to go South, lol

Don't anyone throw anything at me thru my monitor, okay?

Rick, I agree with you just because we have bigger plates, doesn't mean we have to fill them. LOL

That does it! Next time I go to Outback, instead of the porterhouse, I'm going to order the 16oz. rib-eye!
Jim

OMG!!! I'm in the doghouse.

Last night, I explained the 'portion problem' to my husband as I was making dinner.
Somehow, I still don't know quite how, the statement about pot bellied men having more heart attacks fell out of my mouth. He stared at me, then looked down at his belly, then back at me in shock.

I blamed the whole thing on my mother! SHE mentioned it to me out of concern for him. (Guess I'd better clue her in.)

Later, we were watching a Sherlock Holmes DVD and he went to get us some iced tea. I knew I was in trouble when he added, "If I can get my pot belly and fat a-- off the couch." EEK!!! There was no amount of mudbugging going to get me out of that one. Although, in my defense, I never mentioned his tail!

It was MY "fat a--" that got me into this mess!
(huff) Men and their delicate ego, I swear...

Jac, that's a good thing to keep in mind, it's his ego, lol
A while back we were at our yearly holiday ONE shopping venture to the mall and we passed the Victoria Secret store and in the window was a very, how to describe it...nothing to it outfit. DH's eye's got big and he said "wow that's steamy", to which I replied " well, I can't wear stuff like that anymore". I was wanting a compliment but got " yeah I've gained a lot of weight too.
At the time I was 130 at 6'
I guess to him that was big since I had always been a rail
UUGGHH

Jolana, honey, 130 pounds is toooooo thin anyhwere near that height.
I have always been kinda scrawny but some big life changes have taken place.
Apparently, they are showing up as extra padding!

I didn't mean to step on his feelers, honestly!
Guess I sometimes talk to him like I would my girlfriends. We girls are very honest with each other.
Recent examples:

Best Friend: "Do I look 9 months pregnant?"
Me: "With twins."
Allow for lots of cussing...

Looking at a digital photo -
Me: "Hells bells, is THAT what I look like?"
Mom: "Yep, a heffalump in boots."
Again, allow for lots of cussing...

This whole 'kid gloves' thing is going to take some getting used to!

Hmmm. Jim, isn't Outback a car? Kinda tough chewing, isn't it?(grin)

I agree. but I was never dieting that was my make up
You get older things happen, it has been diferent for a few years, lol

Anyway, IF we could have relationships with our husbands that we have with our girlfriends, ahh

Not that all men are that way but it is at my house also and I will not walk on eggshells.

At the same time I have been real good trying to think before I speak because even if a true joke, eeww watch out, but at the same time...he better not ask a direct question, LOL

Hehehehe Rick, yeah Jim, how do you floss that out of your teeth, hehehehe

Yall are going to hurt MY feelings! I think. Where are feelings located? Actually, when OUT BACK was mentioned in a previous post, my eyes just glazed over, thinkin' about steak, and was trying to type from memory. I think. Where's memory located?
Jim

Hehehe, you got me on BOTH of those quesions, hehehehe
I sure wouldn't want to hurt your feelings, wherever they are

Location of memory depends on age. At my age, it tends to evaporate into thin air. (smile)

Still remember really old, useless stuff, though, tucked away somewhere vault-like.

Can't remember names worth a hoot, today, and I never was very good at it. Even forget names I know very well.(sigh)

Ohhh Jac's so in trouble!!! LOL! Wow, I just freaking love it when my brain-to-mouth filter fails. Should I brag about having mal-absorption now? Oh wait. I can't eat 9/10th of yummy foods without getting really sick. Nevermind. PJ

I really hate the shape my body is in.
I keep getting lumpier...not just rounder.
I never had a weight problem till I was in my mid 40's.
I'm the same me I was then, I eat the same foods & portions as I always did. In fact I eat healthier these days. I haven't changed, my body just started growing out of control and won't stop! D I S T O R T I O N thats whats happend to me!!!!

Unfortunately, that's what happens as we get older. We can eat the same things, and gain more weight.

Jac, your hubby should thank you, and take you seriously. It's been on the news and talk shows over the past few years that belly fat, on both men and women, (you hear me ladies?) is the most dangerous fat to have, and is most likely to lead to heart disease. It's because of the added fat around the heart. Everyone in my DH's family, even his sister who used to wear a size 4, has the family belly. As soon as they hit their 30's they start developing a pot belly. DH works hard to try to keep his in check, but it's hard for him. He hates ab work and loves to eat. He does love riding his bicycle, and except for that belly is in really good shape.

Now Jolana, you really should have smacked your hubby!

I didn't download the quiz, but I definately have noticed that portions on packaging are ridiculous. Watch out when the calorie count per serving is absurdly low. The product will have 10 calories per serving, but the serving size will be thimble size. And many products advertise no trans fats, when they still have partially hydrogenated oil. They can say no trans fats if there's less than a certain percentage in the product. I don't remember the number.

Rick, what were you saying? Wait, is that your name? What forum am I on?

Sally

Ya know, Sally, I can't remember. Let me go back and read it. Oh yeah.....I can remember what happened 10 yrs. ago, but yesterday is a bit vague.

Serving sizes are directly related to the calories of the product. The more calories, the smaller the serving size. You know you are in trouble, if you buy the one where the serving size is one teaspoon. (smile)

Men naturally have a bit of a belly. It is where weight is normally gained first, and lost last, in the male gender. It is also the natural absortion area of beer....which contributes disportionately to the problem.

Women tend to have more diversity, in their "trouble spots".

The best way to control weight, after age 45, is to not eat. Or at least, not very much, and certainly, nothing tasty.

Not to mention, you should never go to social events, as they always have food and drink.

Try Asian food markets for snacks.....they may sound strange, but they tend be be healthier, and less prone to "balloon" your body. i.e. dried anchovies, dried lima beans, wasabe peas, and so-on. (Careful with the wasabe peas...they are HOT.)

Better than celery sticks, anyway.

Drink more water! Why do we gain weight and get weak bones as we age? Do y'all really,trully wanna hear all my bunk about weight and nutrition?
Drink more water.
Adults,especially women(low testosterone) loose muscle at 1/2 lb a year after 35. Muscle burns calories. Tone muscles support and tone EVERYWHERE. Everything moves up at least a bit. The more muscle the more it works. It wont make you 20 again but you'll be a fabulous feeling and looking 30,40,50....
While a person can spot 'tone' muscle they cannot spot loose fat. However, tone makes it look tigher and thinner.
Light weight training is good for women. You will not bulk up. It will build a firm muscle layer,make you look smaller,and burn calories. Concentrating on the upper body is the best. Women's upper bodies tend to be ignored. Men are just the opposite.
No matter what you do...slow and easy! If it hurts stop. If I'm sore I wont work out very hard if at all. You'll still get in shape without injuries.
flexibiity is important. If you bend you are so much less likely to break. PJ

The reason you lose bone, is you don't replace lost calcium. I get cereal with milk (soy now), at least twice a week. My wife never eats cereal. Now she has to take pills to counteract bone loss.

I take calcium daily.....she doesn't.

Exercise.....well, the women I see out walking for exercise, don't move fast enough to burn any calories at all. I suspect they gain almost no benefit from their "activity". You must walk at least at the pace of an olympic walker, to gain any real exercise benefit.

Like the man says......balance is everything.....excess in anything is bad for you, in diet.

PJ, I don't ignore women's upper bodies!
JIm

HAHAHAHAHA, You boys be bad, hehehehe

Hey Rick, that's is scary that your wife doesn't get her calcium, none of my business tho.
I take that viactiv when things are normal. If someone were to like chocolate that would be a good way to get calcium

I eat yogurt like a fiend and take a multi. Yogurt is tasty and has a lot of calcium. I'm not a big fan of cereal either. Yogurt also helps with malabsorption. PJ

I take calcium sometimes, but I eat so much cheese, (I know, too much fat, but I'm addicted, and I don't eat meat) and usually have milk with granola, so I mainly take calcium if I don't expect to eat cheese that day. (Calcium has an uncomfortable side effect, which I bet those of you that take it know about. I take magnesium to help with that, but it doesn't help much.) I eat a lot of green leafy veggies, which have calcium, too. I just can't do soy milk. I've tried, but I don't see the point. I eat soy nuts, though. I work out 4 or 5 times a day, and am a fair weather walker. When the weather's nice, DH and I walk 2 or 3 times a day. We mix walking and jogging, and we definately do speed walking. You don't really need to get up to olympic speed to do any good. You need to pay attention to your heart rate instead. Go fast enough to get winded, but still be able to talk, and you're burning calories and fat. I'd hate to think someone wouldn't start walking if they thought they have to go olympic speed. Maybe after you're in shape, but to start out, go as fast as you are able to do. And stretch! Stretch before and after, but especially after excersizing while you're warmed up.

Rick, you better watch out with that soy milk...if you over do it, you might start growing breasts! Seriously...no, I mean seriously...really, I mean it.

Sally

I'm addicted to yogurt, it doesn't even have to be flavored and I love greens of any kid but I never think of them as calcium, lol
So I take the cccchocolaaaate

Sally is right about the boobies Rick, I've read several articles about that.

UNLESS since you are not behind the camera anymore you are starting a new career in front of it, lol

Rick, if you start growing breasts, would you send me some cuttings?
Jim

Sickos!!! LOL! At least you two are old enough to be subtle about it in person. I walk too. I does burn calories. I can't digest soy or most legumes very well.I can take them in small amounts.(I don't want a different size bust line so I'm good). I'm also a cheeseaholic.Ice cream too.It's crazy, I love stuff milk is made from but I don't really like milk.I'm crazy about fruit(citrus). I heard vitamin C helps absorb calcium. PJ

I like yogurt, too, but I prefer the plain, unadulterated kind. Those flavored ones are just too icky sweet for me.

I've wondered about those chocolate calcium supplements. I vaguely remember reading a long time ago that chocolate intereferes with the absorption of calcium...same with iron, so if you're taking iron supplements, it's best to leave a couple hours space between taking calcium and iron. Of course, I may be remembering all that wrong. It's been a while since I read or heard that. It's that memory thing again!

Sally

I take iron in the afternoon.
I usually don't get the flavored unless I hungry for it but I have to say I love the new mousse ones, um yummmmy
jolana

The only way I am going to increase my breast size, is with weights! Soy ain't gonna do it. Since I am too old to do weights anymore, I think I am stuck with what little pecs I got.

Maybe there is some correlation for females, but I haven't had any effect at all, and I have been doing soy milk, for several years now.

Calcium will not be absorbed, without an absortion catalist. Normally that is vitamin D. Any calcium supplement without an absortion catalist, is useless.

Gotta say, I like Oprah's guru's choice in yogurt. I prefer Yoplait light fat free. Lots of good flavors. Still gotta watch the calories, though. I only eat it a couple times a week. (The wife does eat it regularly, and her hips show it.)

Cheese is limited to fat free, for me. In the words of my doctor, "that is the WORST" thing you can eat, for unhealthy saturated fat. (Ok, so I go off the wagon, once in a while, for a slice of pizza.)

For me, the best change I made, was paying the price to change from beef to bison and elk meats. Much healthier, and actually tastier. Ok, so it costs a little more. Still, I can only eat small portions of meat, anyway, and with seafood and the ever-pervasive chicken, or turkey, or lean pork, as alternatives, I can afford the occassional meal with more pricey meat. Not gonna be long before seafood gets as high, anyway.

Gotta go with heathier grain breads (German preferred), and never eat ordinary white bread. Very limited consumption of common carbs, such as potatoes, rice, and pasta. (Most other veggies have enough carbs for someone my age.)

Almost never eat deserts. Eat a lot of raw veggies, and steamed veggies, and a reasonable amount of fresh fruit.

In spite of all that, still have to watch my weight. I am just over 180, and could stand to get back down to 170, as my younger ideal weight was 160.

Really will be glad when I retire as I have found that if I can sleep later, and only do 2 meals a day, that is more than adequate. This 5 am, to after 6 pm, work schedule, is not good for the waistline, as you get hungry if you are active that many hours.

Rick,You do like to stay skinny! 170 is really light for a 6 footer! Mine promised not to go below 180. I like my men to out weigh me! I know cheese is high in saturated fat. Non-fat cheese is either soy(icky too hard to digest) or has gluten fillers! That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!
Jolana, I forgot to mention, my EX told me that I was fat(because he's a j*rk and thought I was sensitive as an recovering anorexic) when I weighted 120. I had promised my sponsor(OA treats anorexics too) that I'd get up to 130 at least. It was a lesson to the big women in OA that anyone that's a j*rk will tell a woman she's fat,stupid,a slop or a loser even if it isn't true. Quite the eye opener I could tell.PJ

Nah. Only 5' 10", not 6 ft. Actually, weighed about 122 when I entered the military. (Barely made it.) Stayed around 135 for a number of years, then started to creep upward to about 160, dropped back to around 145 when I had braces, then started up again, when I got back to where I could eat solid food again. Never been over 187.

I kinda liked not having to watch what I ate, when I was younger. Now I have to watch everything, to keep the gut from getting in the way, and keep the cholesterol under control.

People eat way more food, than mother nature ever intended, you know. Mostly because it is sooooo available, as well as we are soooo inactive, in today's computer driven world.

Oh well. At least I'm not obese.....yet.