American Food..!

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lovehan
lovehan Posts: 19
in Food and Nutrition
So I went to America for a month over Dec/Jan and came home around 4kg (9ish pounds) heavier! I did however manage to lose the weight in a short period of time when I got home due to extremely good nutrition and lots of exercise. My question to you is how in the world do Americans not eat everything delicious in sight?! The number of brands and range of food items available in the US make us Aussies look extremely boring and deprived in the food department! Please do let me know how you resist?!

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  • geenamanuelli
    geenamanuelli Posts: 2
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    Most of us can't resist which is why we have a weight problem in this country. Persoonally this is how I stay in control:

    -As children we are conditioned by are parents on what we should eat and not eat. example: "Eat two more spoonfuls of carrots and then you can go play."

    -The media makes me second guess my choices with films like Super Size Me, and those high Fructose Corn Syrup Commercials

    -Self control. If you are not hungry, don't eat it.

    Also, you were visiting here from another country (which by the way I've always wanted to see Australia), so of course you want to try everything. When you actually grow up in that country though, you are used to it and get jaded. It's the same reason why when I went to Italy I HAD to have some form of pizza just to be like "hey! I got real Italian Pizza," but Italians would be like "eh, I have pizza whenever I want, I'll take the salad."

    I do hope you had a good experience in America despite the weight gain! Good luck!
  • DalekBrittany
    DalekBrittany Posts: 1,748 Member
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    Willpower. Lots of it.

    I can't tell you how many exchange students we had, especially from Germany, got fat while here. My friend Yvonne was really upset she couldn't find yogurt without any sugar in it. She said even the "plain" ones tasted too sweet. She always said "You guys put sugar in everything!" So true.
  • dandandee
    dandandee Posts: 301 Member
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    Also, you were visiting here from another country (which by the way I've always wanted to see Australia), so of course you want to try everything. When you actually grow up in that country though, you are used to it

    Very good point. When we're on vacation, generally we're more relaxed, so we might spring for something we wouldn't normally eat, PLUS there's the whole like "oh well I'm in italy so I have to eat pasta or pizza" When you're in another country it's natural to want to try everything !
  • wldrose75
    wldrose75 Posts: 128
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    We don't resist. That's why we're the fattest country in the world.
  • JessHealthKick
    JessHealthKick Posts: 800 Member
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    HAHA omg OP are you joking? I'm from Sydney, and I don't have one friend that is HAPPY to be home from the US because of their atrociously unhealthy food. A good friend has been there for 3 weeks and will be home soon, can't stop saying how oily and crappy the food is there unless you're cooking at home.

    We are lucky to have such fresh food in Aus. That being said, now I'm in Tokyo, I realise how much better food in Asia is - lighter, less processed, healthier!

    edit: I guess it depends on what you like. I love all asian foods, not a bread person... so I guess that's why I love Sydney's fine dining because it ranges from Taiwanese, Chinese, Malaysian, Shanghainese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Fusion Japanese... to everything! We are pretty spoilt. BUT Japanese food is about 1000 times better in Japan than Sydney unfortunately :(
  • liittlesparrow
    liittlesparrow Posts: 209 Member
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    So I went to America for a month over Dec/Jan and came home around 4kg (9ish pounds) heavier! I did however manage to lose the weight in a short period of time when I got home due to extremely good nutrition and lots of exercise. My question to you is how in the world do Americans not eat everything delicious in sight?! The number of brands and range of food items available in the US make us Aussies look extremely boring and deprived in the food department! Please do let me know how you resist?!

    That's one of the reason this country is obese. But I just try to remember how bad it is for me, is all. I still eat bad stuff every now and then :( But I'm trying to clean up my diet and make sure I just don't want the bad stuff anymore.
  • bregalad5
    bregalad5 Posts: 3,965 Member
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    Also, you were visiting here from another country (which by the way I've always wanted to see Australia), so of course you want to try everything. When you actually grow up in that country though, you are used to it and get jaded. It's the same reason why when I went to Italy I HAD to have some form of pizza just to be like "hey! I got real Italian Pizza," but Italians would be like "eh, I have pizza whenever I want, I'll take the salad."

    This. Definitely this. When I first moved to Rome, the pizza was so amazing and I wanted it every day. By month three, I'd still get it maybe once a week for convenience. By month seven the novelty was completely gone and it was meh.
  • ContraryMaryMary
    ContraryMaryMary Posts: 1,688 Member
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    That's interesting, I'm from New Zealand and I found the food in the US pretty average, unless I was eating at a seriously upscale restaurant. The reason everyone come home from America several kilos heavier is that the portion sizes are nuts. Seriously, three or four times the amount you need. I used to hate wasting all that food but I refused to eat it for the sake of simply eating it,
  • dreamypone
    dreamypone Posts: 15
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    Are you kidding? You have timtams! I would eat my weight in timtams if I visited Aus, same with cadbury eggs. I am kidding of course, I don't know, I have found myself enjoying fruits and veggies more since I changed my habits.
  • hdlb
    hdlb Posts: 333 Member
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    That's interesting, I'm from New Zealand and I found the food in the US pretty average, unless I was eating at a seriously upscale restaurant. The reason everyone come home from America several kilos heavier is that the portion sizes are nuts. Seriously, three or four times the amount you need. I used to hate wasting all that food but I refused to eat it for the sake of simply eating it,


    Thats what I've always been told too, that the portion sizes are crazy. I'm in Canada, and I think our portions are already big, but apparently are nothing compared to the US. I've never been there myself, so I don't know how accuate that is.
  • rosered93
    rosered93 Posts: 69 Member
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    It's even a pretty interesting difference between Canada and the States. The variety in America is soooo much greater than it is here, and much much cheaper. Larger portions in restaurants and larger packages of food, too. Canada is certainly not a paragon of health but its kind of unusual that even neighboring countries of similar development would manage to have such a difference.
  • rachaelk8
    rachaelk8 Posts: 5
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    The same happened to me when I went to the States. I found the portion sizes were a lot bigger than home, the addition of Iced Tea at fast food please (my weakness!!!) and the massive cups OMG, and just the value of food in general. It was a LOT cheaper to eat in America than it is at home. The quality of the fast food burger places was excellent where as we only really have Hungry Jacks and Maccas.... Carls Jnr in the States was delicious!! The sandwich place was fabulous too... and you have so much more variety! The sandwich place was just a chain like subway and they also served salad and soup. Even going to the supermarket the fresh produce was very reasonably priced and it was top quality. And I haven't even gotten into the regional specialities.... you absolutely need to eat the pulled pork sandwiches, the pies, the fried chicken... it was easy to see how I returned home a bit heavier :D But I had a great time and there is nothing I would of changed. Part of being on holiday is enjoying yourself and if you go away and your stressed about eating lettuce leaves well that isnt really a holiday is it.
  • TheDevastator
    TheDevastator Posts: 1,626 Member
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    What food, there's no food?
  • JeneticTraining
    JeneticTraining Posts: 663 Member
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    I need to travel more... :)
  • allshebe
    allshebe Posts: 423 Member
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    I think it depends on where you go in the US. Most large cities have a wide variety of ethnic choices, but if you visit a small town in the Midwest, you're not even going to find huge variety in the grocery stores because the majority of people in small Midwest towns just don't seem to be terribly "adventurous" eaters. McDonalds is pretty much everywhere in the US. Food variety depends. I would be willing to bet that it's similar in Australia - lots of choices in the big cities, lucky to get "bar food" in some of the really tiny "outback" towns.
  • HSingMomto7Kids
    HSingMomto7Kids Posts: 345 Member
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    I was never overweight, and pretty much had to lose baby weight. I have tried to eat healthier and healthier and realize things like how many calories going out to eat is. Eating at home is the healthiest way is for sure!!! Yes, America for sure is dangerous with food!
  • twinkiemon
    twinkiemon Posts: 216 Member
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    Part of our problem is portion control - we've been brainwashed into thinking that an outrageous amount of food is a "normal" portion. When McDonald's first opened, their adult meal was a small fry, a burger and an 8 oz soda (or maybe 12...can't remember) - anyway, today, that's a Happy Meal...for a CHILD and us adults are told that we need the large fries and soda...no, we really don't.

    Even our plates have gotten bigger - I have a friend who bought a house made in the 40's and she couldn't fit any of her dinner plates in the cupboard because they were too big.

    A lot of it comes down to portion control - on the rare occasion I visit McD's I get a Happy Meal because really that's all I need - and now they throw apples in there to make it a little healthier.
  • mamosh81
    mamosh81 Posts: 409 Member
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    i lived for 5 years in texas, original i am german but living in norway now. And i agree on the food everything is super sweet or super fatty we ordered a pizza hut i think pizza once and the whole bottom was just grease and while i was in tx i also had heartburn for the first time in my life and never had it again after i left the states.
    I must also admit i did not really watch what i ate so i gained almost 80lbs in those 5 yrs, now in norway the food is fantastic we have a small store here and everything is fresh they dont even have canned or processed food so i had to learn how to cook just so we could eat more then just pizza and chicken wings =) i never ate so many veggies in my life as i do now
  • lorenacoy9
    lorenacoy9 Posts: 39
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    organic or healthy foods r expensive n burgers r delicious not fast food joinst but from like dinners n restaurant n pizza hut taste like **** giordanos here in chicago is awsome chicago has food from diff cultures n backrounds very good place for food
  • lorenacoy9
    lorenacoy9 Posts: 39
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    i agree moderation is a big key i still eat fries justnot everyday n not alot to im full of it

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