Americans eat too much!!!

flippy1234
flippy1234 Posts: 686 Member
edited April 2015 in Health and Weight Loss
I am finding that to really lose weight, you need to weigh or measure everything. Seriously. An American portion is so much bigger than we should be eating. Think about it...a serving of chicken is the palm of a woman's hand. NOT the fingers, but the actual palm. I bet most of us are or at least were, eating a whole chicken breast. It is so easy to go over the calorie count of the day. Through my diet, I am learning how much food I actually need to feel good and still lose weight. The first few days, I was starving because I was use to eating more. Now, I am feeling much better and my body is adjusting. So, my advice to all starting out is get through the first few days of hunger, it gets easier and then, weigh or measure everything...properly. Don't estimate. It will drive you crazy at first but then it becomes routine.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this...
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Replies

  • flippy1234
    flippy1234 Posts: 686 Member
    OK, I did not proofread my Title...Americans Eat to much...not East LOL
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    Since that is basically what this site is founded on, yes, you are right.
  • TiffanyR71
    TiffanyR71 Posts: 217 Member
    Hmmm - and here I was thinking just the opposite- that "Americans west too much" - interesting... Ha ha - jk
  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    edited April 2015
    TiffanyR71 wrote: »
    Hmmm - and here I was thinking just the opposite- that "Americans west too much" - interesting... Ha ha - jk

    I live in Southern California so I West every day. Or should that be, I Left every day?

    And by the way, regarding what your sentiment should have been, yes, we do. But we've got a couple/few hot on our heels eager to eat too much too. Perhaps the title should be "Humans With Tons of Food Resources Eat Too Much." Eventually it will be, anyway.

    Have a nice day.

    And try not to eat too much.
  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
    Someone would be getting very short shrift if they served me a piece of chicken breast the size of a women's palm.
  • ruggedshutter
    ruggedshutter Posts: 389 Member
    I agree, but it's not just in America. All industrialized countries are having weight problems.
  • AngInCanada
    AngInCanada Posts: 947 Member
    Yes most of us who are overweight eat too much but portion sizes be damned. If I want 10 oz of chicken breast and it fits in my calories, I'm going to have it :wink:
  • SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage
    SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage Posts: 2,668 Member
    It's very eye-opening when you start logging everything and realize how much you are actually consuming. Thank goodness for MFP.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    all first world and lots of developing countries eat too much. That is why there is such a diet industry.

    It can be very eye opening when you realize how much food is served to you.

    I did find a place close to home with reasonable prices and portions...love going there esp since the food is sooooooooo good.
  • flippy1234
    flippy1234 Posts: 686 Member
    BinkyBonk wrote: »
    It's very eye-opening when you start logging everything and realize how much you are actually consuming. Thank goodness for MFP.

    It really is eye opening. Shocking actually.
  • walkonfire5
    walkonfire5 Posts: 648 Member
    MrM27 wrote: »
    I don't think we can say it's just Americans which you can see by the fact that there are not only Americans on this and other sites like it


    No one from iceland here!. So is the icelantic, worlds best diet
  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    walkonfire5 wrote: »
    MrM27 wrote: »
    I don't think we can say it's just Americans which you can see by the fact that there are not only Americans on this and other sites like it


    No one from iceland here!. So is the icelantic, worlds best diet

    Possibly. What do you eat?

  • HeySwoleSister
    HeySwoleSister Posts: 1,938 Member
    walkonfire5 wrote: »
    MrM27 wrote: »
    I don't think we can say it's just Americans which you can see by the fact that there are not only Americans on this and other sites like it


    No one from iceland here!. So is the icelantic, worlds best diet

    It's all that Skyr. I swear, that stuff is a magical satiety tool. Also, yum.
  • SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage
    SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage Posts: 2,668 Member
    MrM27 wrote: »
    I don't think we can say it's just Americans which you can see by the fact that there are not only Americans on this and other sites like it
    Of course.
    But in all honesty, I have noticed a difference in the portion sizes in the US. I live in Canada but very close to the US border and travel to the US frequently, at least once a week. I am always surprised at the serving sizes when I eat out in the US.
    That's not to say that the US is the only country with an obesity epidemic, just an observation of mine.

  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    BinkyBonk wrote: »
    MrM27 wrote: »
    I don't think we can say it's just Americans which you can see by the fact that there are not only Americans on this and other sites like it
    Of course.
    But in all honesty, I have noticed a difference in the portion sizes in the US. I live in Canada but very close to the US border and travel to the US frequently, at least once a week. I am always surprised at the serving sizes when I eat out in the US.
    That's not to say that the US is the only country with an obesity epidemic, just an observation of mine.

    Then how are other nations beginning to become too overweight as well? Are they still eating the same portion sizes as before, just more of them? Or are the portion sizes beginning to grow, just as at one point, they began to grow in the U.S.?

    Because one thing's pretty much sure: the UK, for example, isn't getting fat by continuing to eat small portions without snacking.

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I generally agree that portions are pretty huge...but suggesting that a serving of chicken breast the size of a woman's palm would be an appropriate serving for everyone is not quite right. Saying that 4 ounces of chicken = a serving = 120 calories just makes the math easy...it doesn't mean everyone should only be eating 4 ounces of chicken when they eat.

    For example, I maintain my weight on about 2800 - 3000 calories per day...I'm going to eat more than a woman's palm size piece of chicken.

    But yes...people get fat because they have no clue how much they should be eating to support their activity (or lack thereof) and stats and they vastly overeat.
  • EvanKeel
    EvanKeel Posts: 1,904 Member
    I think knowing how much you're eating is important. I also think that's separate from portion sizes.

    You can have a huge portion, as long as it fits in your goals and it doesn't have some adverse effect (like hunger) later on that makes it unsustainable.

    Or put another way, I'm perfectly capable of knowing how much chicken I can eat. Thanks, though.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    Perhaps the problem isn't that we east too much, but that we don't work hard enough.
  • Noelv1976
    Noelv1976 Posts: 18,948 Member
    I'm from the East Coast!
  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    EvanKeel wrote: »
    I think knowing how much you're eating is important. I also think that's separate from portion sizes.

    You can have a huge portion, as long as it fits in your goals and it doesn't have some adverse effect (like hunger) later on that makes it unsustainable.

    Or put another way, I'm perfectly capable of knowing how much chicken I can eat. Thanks, though.

    Correct. OTOH, you can convince yourself you're superior to others by eating dainty little portions...yet manage to eat them all day long, and get fat.

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