Oh, also pursuant to my previous post. While everyone can approach their dietary self-discipline in their own ways, I thought I would share mine. I allow myself an indulgent, no holds barred dinner on Saturday nights. I like to cook and have good wine with my meals, and many of the things I like to cook are rather fatty. For example, this past Saturday's dinner -- cooked for my wife and three kids -- was Elk backstrap steaks with a rich cream sauce (cup of elk broth, 1/2 cup pinot noir red wine, 1/4 cup of cognac, 1/4 teaspoon thyme, 8 crushed juniper berries, 1/2 bay leaf crumbled -- boiled down to concentrate these flavors -- added into the pan in which the steaks were pan fried to take that flavor and then about 3/4 cup of heavy cream that is cooked to thicken). To accompany this there was a kind of dumpling coated with butter -- spatzle. Some good imported cheese and french bread afterwords. Not low calorie. I make up for this one time per week self-indulgence the rest of the week and by exercising. If someone else wants to maintain a more stable and constant flow of calories, that's fine. This works for me, and I get my self-indulgent Saturday night dinner. I don't know if I could stay on a diet for months if I had to entirely swear off the good stuff.
I do find that at my age -- 55 years -- that it is kind of important assure that I have ample protein when I'm exercising. If you aren't careful in selecting the foods you eat you could fail to get enough protein. What I found when I had this problem was that my muscles hurt most of the time and didn't seem to allow me to increase the intensity of my workouts. When I boosted my protein intake this problem went away. I know that is a kind of fundamental fact of dietetics, but I didn't know that so maybe others may not either.
I also found vitamin C to reduce the pain associated with muscle pain (lactic acid buildup).
Not consuming enough protein is a cardinal no-no. Your body will take the protein it needs and if you don't supply it, it will leach protein from your heart, kidneys, liver and limbs. Bad medicine that ! Sure you cut down on calories with protein, but a high-protein low-fat diet (fish and chicken....and the occasional red meat...it's an indulgence to be sure ! But a welcome one, especially with a nice CAbernet) is the ticket for weight maintenance in an active lifestyle. I don't do so well with carbs....i try to limit them as much as I sensibly can.
I am not from America. I came here from Brazil and found my way on this message board out of a curiosity of hunting. I read almost all posts in this board in an attempt to better understand American politics. I do study it at school as well. I do not input much, because of the simple fact that I am learning. I feel when one is learning, one should listen and not talk. I enter questions from time to time to better understand topics. I will post one of my observations. In Brazil, we do not see the same number of people with weight problems, as I witness here. Please do not assume I am making fun, just an observation leading up to my a question. I noticed on this message that there is a member or two who state that obesity is a tragic situation brought on by many factors. I have to ask those members if they feel the same way about drug addicts? Please do not take my words as an attempt at conflict. In my eyes, they are both an addict substance.
I am not from America. I came here from Brazil and found my way on this message board out of a curiosity of hunting. I read almost all posts in this board in an attempt to better understand American politics. I do study it at school as well. I do not input much, because of the simple fact that I am learning. I feel when one is learning, one should listen and not talk. I enter questions from time to time to better understand topics. I will post one of my observations. In Brazil, we do not see the same number of people with weight problems, as I witness here. Please do not assume I am making fun, just an observation leading up to my a question. I noticed on this message that there is a member or two who state that obesity is a tragic situation brought on by many factors. I have to ask those members if they feel the same way about drug addicts? Please do not take my words as an attempt at conflict. In my eyes, they are both an addict substance.
Thank you for your help
Derk.
for many people, food is an addiction not unlike a potent narcotic. But unlike drugs producing a physical addiction, food can induce a psychological addiction which is as powerful as any drug. SO yes, you can infer that in some cases, obese people can be 'addicts' of a sort. I wonder....what is the ethnic makup of brazil ? I have noticed that there are fewer obese peoples in S.America as well as Europe and wonder if it's not something about American culture which can be considered a factor in the amount of obesity extant in the USA today.
I am not from America. I came here from Brazil and found my way on this message board out of a curiosity of hunting. I read almost all posts in this board in an attempt to better understand American politics. I do study it at school as well. I do not input much, because of the simple fact that I am learning. I feel when one is learning, one should listen and not talk. I enter questions from time to time to better understand topics. I will post one of my observations. In Brazil, we do not see the same number of people with weight problems, as I witness here. Please do not assume I am making fun, just an observation leading up to my a question. I noticed on this message that there is a member or two who state that obesity is a tragic situation brought on by many factors. I have to ask those members if they feel the same way about drug addicts? Please do not take my words as an attempt at conflict. In my eyes, they are both an addict substance.
Thank you for your help
Derk.
There is nothing wrong with conflict as long as we express our differences rationally.
Why do you think the proportion of people with weight problems is lower in Brazil than in the U.S.?
__________________
Proud parents of our own "Daddy's Little Girls"
I heard Jesus He drank wine and I bet we'd get along just fine.
There is nothing wrong with conflict as long as we express our differences rationally.
Why do you think the proportion of people with weight problems is lower in Brazil than in the U.S.?
I do not pretend to know the proportions, but there are a number of factors to consider:
1: mean age of Brazil's population vs USA Mean age
2: percentage of obese people based on population
3: Brazilian population demographics vs USA population demographics
(curious as to race, country of origin (for emigres), etc).
If these numbers are disparate, say, a LOT of people in Brazil are MUCH less obese than inthe USA, we may be able to point to a cultural difference. If the population is very homogeneous, there may be a genetic factor limiting the disease. But if the averages are equivalent by population, then there may be only a perception of 'less obesity in Brazil'.
I do not pretend to know the proportions, but there are a number of factors to consider:
1: mean age of Brazil's population vs USA Mean age
2: percentage of obese people based on population
3: Brazilian population demographics vs USA population demographics
(curious as to race, country of origin (for emigres), etc).
If these numbers are disparate, say, a LOT of people in Brazil are MUCH less obese than inthe USA, we may be able to point to a cultural difference. If the population is very homogeneous, there may be a genetic factor limiting the disease. But if the averages are equivalent by population, then there may be only a perception of 'less obesity in Brazil'.
Right, your perceptions could be affected by the populations of the neighborhoods in which you hang out.
__________________
Proud parents of our own "Daddy's Little Girls"
I heard Jesus He drank wine and I bet we'd get along just fine.
Right, your perceptions could be affected by the populations of the neighborhoods in which you hang out.
Yes...our poster is quite young it seems and maybe his perceptions are skewed. then again, maybe the Brazilians ARE skinnier than Americans as a rule ! Ever been to the mall on a Saturday afternoon ? There's more rolls on folks' mid-sections than in a bakery !
I wonder what is about the culture that could influence body weight in Brazilians and in the USA ?
(hint: WE live in a TOXIC environment where every food is available 24 hours a day...we watch food commercials...we have drive-up fast food places....we are told to 'indulge the senses' and who knows what-all. We may be poisoning ourselves with food and the rest of the world looks on in wonder....as is evidenced by our young poster's comment).
Not having been in America long, I can only explain what I have observed in my short time. In Brazil, it is not common to own a car. There are not as many roads either. So most Brazilians walk or ride bicycles most places. We also have a culture that dines on a different type of diet than America. I have eaten more prepackaged foods here in America, than I have most of my life in Brazil. So I have to agree with the idea that the difference is because of culture, not genetics. And yes, Mr. Bergall, it does seem Amercia is more obsessed with food, than what i have seen in Brazil.
My observation on the size of Americans compared to Brazilians was not intended to be offensive, just something I noticed that related to this topic.
Yes, I am rather young. I came to America to live with my mothers family. My mother was American my father was Brazilian. I started my first year of university last year.
Not having been in America long, I can only explain what I have observed in my short time. In Brazil, it is not common to own a car. There are not as many roads either. So most Brazilians walk or ride bicycles most places. We also have a culture that dines on a different type of diet than America. I have eaten more prepackaged foods here in America, than I have most of my life in Brazil. So I have to agree with the idea that the difference is because of culture, not genetics. And yes, Mr. Bergall, it does seem Amercia is more obsessed with food, than what i have seen in Brazil.
My observation on the size of Americans compared to Brazilians was not intended to be offensive, just something I noticed that related to this topic.
Yes, I am rather young. I came to America to live with my mothers family. My mother was American my father was Brazilian. I started my first year of university last year.
Thank you
Derk
No offense has been taken. Your observation is valid and I am surprised to have forgotten the cultural differences too ! When I was in Chile, I remarked that the incidence of obese people is much smaller...they walk everywhere, beyond even where 'normal' Americans would concede a BUS might be worth the cost of the fare. Rather than spend the bus money, if the destination is far and they need to make the trip often, they buy a bicycle. The diet does not seem overly laden with fat and protein but rather the opposite, that a large portion of the diet appears to be carbohydrates of various types. Score one for the kid from Brazil.
Based on this perfunctory assessment, Americans can possibly learn something from our S.American brothers...
I wonder if the differences are more economic than cultural...even 'poor' Americans are wealthy, by the standards of others.
