Paleo Diet/Way of Life
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People like to argue about Paleo.
I did it for new year's last year, and I lasted until somewhere in March. The thing was, I could not WAIT to have a cheat day. I love bread. And corn. And beans! So for me, it was not sustainable. If you find that you can sustain it well, good for you.
If you find you cannot, it's not the end of the world. Calorie deficit will allow you to lose weight. If you look at my weight loss history, I lost a bunch with Paleo at the start of this year, gained it back when I re-discovered cake, and now I'm doing a calorie deficit, happy, not deprived of anything in the world, and losing weight. In a way I can sustain.
Friend me. You can do this, paleo or not.0 -
hollydubs85 wrote: »I'm just waiting for someone to write a book on the "peasant diet." Where you can eat all the bread and vegetable soup you want! Just don't eat fruits, meats, or dairy because peasants couldn't afford that kind of stuff back in the 17th century.
I laughed out loud!
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neanderthin wrote: »
Which of the 21 Countries that surround the Mediterranean are they referring to when talking about the diet, curious?tracylbrown839 wrote: »So...my diet has been like a rollercoaster ride. It has had it's ups and it's downs...and now I am looking for a change in my eating habits. I have googled the Paleo Diet and this is something that I am interesting in doing.
If any of you MFPers have changed to the Paleo way of life, can you give me some pointers/advice? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated
So, even though this response may draw a number of negative comments, I'm going to post it anyway.
Paleo diet ranks "last" on a list of diets when a group of nutritionists and dieticians got together to look at diet styles.
Why is this? One of the reasons is that it is very restrictive and so long term compliance with this diet is quite difficult.
That said, some people have done very well on this diet and swear by it.
However, you specifically say that your diet has been like a rollercoaster ride and so "sticking with" an eating plan has been very difficult for you.
In your instance, thus, I would not recommend it.
It's a popular diet at the moment, to be sure, but few scientists and dieticians recommend it.
Likely, you would be better off to simply stick with your calorie budget, to start with, and if you are interested in changing your "diet style", do so slowly, over time, by simply trading something that you normally eat for something more nutritious. (eg. if you normally drink a cola every day, try trading that cola for a glass of water 3 times a week). Slowly, altering habits, over time, can gradually lead you to better nutritional habits.
Here is a ranked list of diets from a panel of people who make nutrition and food their specialty. So, if you feel that you really need a plan to follow, I would go with one of their top 5 or 6 recommendations, personally, rather than a diet that ranks last on their list. This should provide some good reading for you to follow up on.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/07/best-diets-worst-us-news_n_4549208.html
It's really hard to beat the advice of top notch places like the Mayo Clinic, and the Mediterranean diet, which are very well proven and accepted, over time.
I think you will find that in spite of variation, depending on location, a "Mediterranean diet style" encompasses some general eating principles in common that can easily be expressed in a food pyramid. The fact that so much variety exists within this style, is one of the very things that recommends it as a long term strategy - it's not remotely boring!
Most health professionals would find it a totally suitable style of eating and well backed up by generally better health results than North Americans.
This link to the mayo clinic outlines the general diet style - and as such - it is more of a style of eating, rather than any sort of strict prescription.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/mediterranean-diet/art-20047801
(In general, Europeans, not just those from the Mediterranean, eat less meat, especially red meat, than North Americans do. And certainly, portion sizes in Europe are also much smaller than a standard American diet, too)
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Lady_violet_ wrote: »If you think that eating 1200cal of a diet fo vegs, fuits and meat is the same as one of diet shakes and diet cola, well... It's not just calorie defecit that matters, it's also the quality of the food
For health, of course that's so. No one is saying people shouldn't care about the quality of their food.
But who, specifically, is saying that people should eat 1200 calories of diet shakes and diet cola? I've never seen anyone recommend that, at least no one who usually argues for moderation. More commonly I see that kind of strategy criticized as not sustainable. The bigger question is whether adding a 0 calorie diet coke to some reasonable number of calories of mostly nutrient dense foods chosen based on personal preferences and goals somehow makes the overall diet unhealthy. Seems silly to say so, to me.
And in that there are lots of ways to not eat 1200 calories made up of diet shakes and diet cola other than being paleo and giving up dairy, grains, legumes, and maybe nightshades and potatoes, I'm not quite sure what the relevance is.
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This is my way of life. I'm not going to read the responses here, but I'm always up for Paleo/Primal/Real Food friends.0
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The Mayo Clinic uses the term Med diet in the generic sense and the benefits of that diet are compared to the SAD and in that respect pretty much any diet will show better health markers and outcomes and that includes pretty much any description of the Paleo type diets and as a matter of fact in the few studies that compare those 2 particular diets the paleo has better blood sugar/insulin control. As far as the Med diet is concerned and those original dietary parameters have long since been compromised and many European/Med children are not much better off health wise than their american counterpart.tracylbrown839 wrote: »neanderthin wrote: »
Which of the 21 Countries that surround the Mediterranean are they referring to when talking about the diet, curious?tracylbrown839 wrote: »So...my diet has been like a rollercoaster ride. It has had it's ups and it's downs...and now I am looking for a change in my eating habits. I have googled the Paleo Diet and this is something that I am interesting in doing.
If any of you MFPers have changed to the Paleo way of life, can you give me some pointers/advice? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated
So, even though this response may draw a number of negative comments, I'm going to post it anyway.
Paleo diet ranks "last" on a list of diets when a group of nutritionists and dieticians got together to look at diet styles.
Why is this? One of the reasons is that it is very restrictive and so long term compliance with this diet is quite difficult.
That said, some people have done very well on this diet and swear by it.
However, you specifically say that your diet has been like a rollercoaster ride and so "sticking with" an eating plan has been very difficult for you.
In your instance, thus, I would not recommend it.
It's a popular diet at the moment, to be sure, but few scientists and dieticians recommend it.
Likely, you would be better off to simply stick with your calorie budget, to start with, and if you are interested in changing your "diet style", do so slowly, over time, by simply trading something that you normally eat for something more nutritious. (eg. if you normally drink a cola every day, try trading that cola for a glass of water 3 times a week). Slowly, altering habits, over time, can gradually lead you to better nutritional habits.
Here is a ranked list of diets from a panel of people who make nutrition and food their specialty. So, if you feel that you really need a plan to follow, I would go with one of their top 5 or 6 recommendations, personally, rather than a diet that ranks last on their list. This should provide some good reading for you to follow up on.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/07/best-diets-worst-us-news_n_4549208.html
It's really hard to beat the advice of top notch places like the Mayo Clinic, and the Mediterranean diet, which are very well proven and accepted, over time.
I think you will find that in spite of variation, depending on location, a "Mediterranean diet style" encompasses some general eating principles in common that can easily be expressed in a food pyramid. The fact that so much variety exists within this style, is one of the very things that recommends it as a long term strategy - it's not remotely boring!
Most health professionals would find it a totally suitable style of eating and well backed up by generally better health results than North Americans.
This link to the mayo clinic outlines the general diet style - and as such - it is more of a style of eating, rather than any sort of strict prescription.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/mediterranean-diet/art-20047801
(In general, Europeans, not just those from the Mediterranean, eat less meat, especially red meat, than North Americans do. And certainly, portion sizes in Europe are also much smaller than a standard American diet, too)
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neanderthin wrote: »
The Mayo Clinic uses the term Med diet in the generic sense and the benefits of that diet are compared to the SAD and in that respect pretty much any diet will show better health markers and outcomes and that includes pretty much any description of the Paleo type diets and as a matter of fact in the few studies that compare those 2 particular diets the paleo has better blood sugar/insulin control. As far as the Med diet is concerned and those original dietary parameters have long since been compromised and many European/Med children are not much better off health wise than their american counterpart.tracylbrown839 wrote: »neanderthin wrote: »
Which of the 21 Countries that surround the Mediterranean are they referring to when talking about the diet, curious?tracylbrown839 wrote: »So...my diet has been like a rollercoaster ride. It has had it's ups and it's downs...and now I am looking for a change in my eating habits. I have googled the Paleo Diet and this is something that I am interesting in doing.
If any of you MFPers have changed to the Paleo way of life, can you give me some pointers/advice? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated
So, even though this response may draw a number of negative comments, I'm going to post it anyway.
Paleo diet ranks "last" on a list of diets when a group of nutritionists and dieticians got together to look at diet styles.
Why is this? One of the reasons is that it is very restrictive and so long term compliance with this diet is quite difficult.
That said, some people have done very well on this diet and swear by it.
However, you specifically say that your diet has been like a rollercoaster ride and so "sticking with" an eating plan has been very difficult for you.
In your instance, thus, I would not recommend it.
It's a popular diet at the moment, to be sure, but few scientists and dieticians recommend it.
Likely, you would be better off to simply stick with your calorie budget, to start with, and if you are interested in changing your "diet style", do so slowly, over time, by simply trading something that you normally eat for something more nutritious. (eg. if you normally drink a cola every day, try trading that cola for a glass of water 3 times a week). Slowly, altering habits, over time, can gradually lead you to better nutritional habits.
Here is a ranked list of diets from a panel of people who make nutrition and food their specialty. So, if you feel that you really need a plan to follow, I would go with one of their top 5 or 6 recommendations, personally, rather than a diet that ranks last on their list. This should provide some good reading for you to follow up on.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/07/best-diets-worst-us-news_n_4549208.html
It's really hard to beat the advice of top notch places like the Mayo Clinic, and the Mediterranean diet, which are very well proven and accepted, over time.
I think you will find that in spite of variation, depending on location, a "Mediterranean diet style" encompasses some general eating principles in common that can easily be expressed in a food pyramid. The fact that so much variety exists within this style, is one of the very things that recommends it as a long term strategy - it's not remotely boring!
Most health professionals would find it a totally suitable style of eating and well backed up by generally better health results than North Americans.
This link to the mayo clinic outlines the general diet style - and as such - it is more of a style of eating, rather than any sort of strict prescription.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/mediterranean-diet/art-20047801
(In general, Europeans, not just those from the Mediterranean, eat less meat, especially red meat, than North Americans do. And certainly, portion sizes in Europe are also much smaller than a standard American diet, too)
My recommendation to the op stands. I provided a list of diets and their rankings, based on a panel. Paleo ranks last - for a number of reasons that are worth considering.
The op has had difficulty moving away from SAD, or staying on any reasonable diet plan. As such, she's going to try to select a style of eating to follow. As such, Paleo is one of the more controversial styles she could select. Highly restrictive - Gee, let's start with no alcohol - (I prefer a glass of red wine with a meal, from time to time, even though I'm not a big drinker or even a daily consumer of alcohol) - and so I think the "long term prospect" of her following this diet, is probably minimal. (I could also be wrong - maybe she tries this diet and finds it to be her personal panacea)
The point is there are many diet styles - many approaches to eating, all perfectly acceptable. What a person choses to eat is clearly their own business. So, I provided her with a list that she can draw a few ideas from.
Which diet style is the "best"??? One that works for you, keeps your weight and health in good nick and that you can follow - not for six weeks but forever.
I, personally, eat a bit of everything, with a focus on "real food" and enjoy menus and flavors from many countries.
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GuitarJerry wrote: »
Are you also going to eat grubs? Because Paleo people ate a lot of grubs.
OK, best quote of the day!
My husband jokes that he invented the Paleo diet accidentally. He basically eats that way -- well, not the list of "no nightshades" or whatever, but he eliminated grains 3-4 years ago, we don't really eat processed, etc. Like others say, he feels better, it keeps the lid on weight, etc. I've largely cut out grains too now, and I also find it's easier, mainly because ...
- wheat is the base of all kinds of processed crap that I'd end up eating, so no wheat = no stuff I didn't need anyway
- it's easier to Just Say No than to Just Say Maybe A Little
- the calories (many) vs the benefits (slim)
- we live in South Asia, so it's the perfect way to avoid eating a mountain's worth of rice any time we go to someone's house, relatives, etc . ("Just give me a little" does not work here culturally at all.)
I'll make exceptions, though. Like if I feel like it at a restaurant. Or for pizza. Or beer. If Paleo people had pizza and beer, they'd have made exceptions too. Although maybe they'd have liked the pizza with grubs on it.
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hollydubs85 wrote: »I'm just waiting for someone to write a book on the "peasant diet." Where you can eat all the bread and vegetable soup you want! Just don't eat fruits, meats, or dairy because peasants couldn't afford that kind of stuff back in the 17th century.
My kinda diet!! LOL I, for one, am totally into trying the Paleo diet even if it's temporary because I'm used to eating nothing but processed foods. It's not the deficit that we are focusing on with the diet it's the quality of what we are eating. If you're not into it fine you don't have to but we are looking for guidance from people who ARE trying it.
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hollydubs85 wrote: »I'm just waiting for someone to write a book on the "peasant diet." Where you can eat all the bread and vegetable soup you want! Just don't eat fruits, meats, or dairy because peasants couldn't afford that kind of stuff back in the 17th century.
My kinda diet!! LOL I, for one, am totally into trying the Paleo diet even if it's temporary because I'm used to eating nothing but processed foods. It's not the deficit that we are focusing on with the diet it's the quality of what we are eating. If you're not into it fine you don't have to but we are looking for guidance from people who ARE trying it.
Exactly!! I have had a really bad habit of not sticking to my diet when I am doing a calorie deficit and exercising. I am looking for a lifestyle change not a diet. I know this will be hard but I have to do something.
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hollydubs85 wrote: »I'm just waiting for someone to write a book on the "peasant diet." Where you can eat all the bread and vegetable soup you want! Just don't eat fruits, meats, or dairy because peasants couldn't afford that kind of stuff back in the 17th century.
My kinda diet!! LOL I, for one, am totally into trying the Paleo diet even if it's temporary because I'm used to eating nothing but processed foods. It's not the deficit that we are focusing on with the diet it's the quality of what we are eating. If you're not into it fine you don't have to but we are looking for guidance from people who ARE trying it.
Exactly!! I have had a really bad habit of not sticking to my diet when I am doing a calorie deficit and exercising. I am looking for a lifestyle change not a diet. I know this will be hard but I have to do something.
so it is easy to restrict entire food groups, but it is hard to eat the foods that you like in a moderate calorie deficit.....all righty, then....0 -
hollydubs85 wrote: »I'm just waiting for someone to write a book on the "peasant diet." Where you can eat all the bread and vegetable soup you want! Just don't eat fruits, meats, or dairy because peasants couldn't afford that kind of stuff back in the 17th century.
My kinda diet!! LOL I, for one, am totally into trying the Paleo diet even if it's temporary because I'm used to eating nothing but processed foods. It's not the deficit that we are focusing on with the diet it's the quality of what we are eating. If you're not into it fine you don't have to but we are looking for guidance from people who ARE trying it.
Exactly!! I have had a really bad habit of not sticking to my diet when I am doing a calorie deficit and exercising. I am looking for a lifestyle change not a diet. I know this will be hard but I have to do something.
so it is easy to restrict entire food groups, but it is hard to eat the foods that you like in a moderate calorie deficit.....all righty, then....
For some of us yes it is.0 -
There is a lot of back and forth on this type of eating. It is because with the Paelo lifestyle you do cut out some things that your body needs0
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hollydubs85 wrote: »I'm just waiting for someone to write a book on the "peasant diet." Where you can eat all the bread and vegetable soup you want! Just don't eat fruits, meats, or dairy because peasants couldn't afford that kind of stuff back in the 17th century.
My kinda diet!! LOL I, for one, am totally into trying the Paleo diet even if it's temporary because I'm used to eating nothing but processed foods. It's not the deficit that we are focusing on with the diet it's the quality of what we are eating. If you're not into it fine you don't have to but we are looking for guidance from people who ARE trying it.
Exactly!! I have had a really bad habit of not sticking to my diet when I am doing a calorie deficit and exercising. I am looking for a lifestyle change not a diet. I know this will be hard but I have to do something.
so it is easy to restrict entire food groups, but it is hard to eat the foods that you like in a moderate calorie deficit.....all righty, then....
For some of us yes it is.
I understand that. I think it easier for some people, at least for a while. I think without a medical reason for the restriction you will eventually start eating things on the forbidden list. But that is okay. If your diet is really nothing but processed foods now, you probably will come out of it with better eating habits. This will force you to learn to cook your own meals from fresh ingredients, though for the life of me I don't know how or why anyone would ever want to cook without tomatoes and peppers.
Best of luck to you, whatever diet you choose.0 -
-Get the cookbook - Against All Grains. It's fabulous!
- I totally believe in the what Paleo is all about. I'm 98% Paleo. If I have a ceasar salad with chicken, I may sprinkle 1 Tbs of parm chez on it but I skip the crutons. If I really crave a glass of milk once a week, I drink it. I do my very bust however to stay away from grains, processed foods and sugars.
- I just plan meals with protein and 2 veggies instead of 1 starch and 1 veggie. You'll get the hang of it.
- I'm not a huge veggie lover but have found salads during the day great and roasted veggies (broc, caulf, peppers, green beans) a great alternative, especially if you roast with garlic too!
- I incorporated this gradually over a week....I didn't pull everything and go cold turkey.
Good luck!0 -
Peanutmanak47 wrote: »GuitarJerry wrote: »La5Vega5Girl wrote: »
It is helpful because the reasons for eating paleo are important. Some people are not aware that it's just a different way of creating a deficit. It's not magic. And, this is really an important point, for the vast majority of people, it is NOT sustainable. And, every time I say that, 20 people come in and say they've been doing it for X years. Awesome. But, MOST people cannot keep it up. It's far too restrictive for normal everyday life.
Most people that are successful with it, have to do it due to dietary reasons. Like they can't eat diary or gluten, or something. But, people who can eat all that stuff have a really hard time with it.
If you simply, instead, prioritize protein and minimize carbs, without calling it anything but healthful eating, it's easier. Much easier. And, if you eat carbs, or corn, who cares. I love corn, and I think the reasoning is stupid. And, I dislike the name. There are no paleo foods in todays world. So, it's not the same thing.
Also, the idea of it is lame. Paleo people ate what was available to them. They didn't eat a specific diet, and the people from different regions had different diets, due to the food that was available.
Are you also going to eat grubs? Because Paleo people ate a lot of grubs.
I agree with this.
I agree with this too ..... I make it a goal but don't beat myself up if I slip in this or that on occasion. My biggest goal is to remove processed foods and minimize grains/sugars. I'm a cross really between Clean Eating and Paleo. I like yoru quote - "it's healthy eating".0 -
-Get the cookbook - Against All Grains. It's fabulous!
- I totally believe in the what Paleo is all about. I'm 98% Paleo. If I have a ceasar salad with chicken, I may sprinkle 1 Tbs of parm chez on it but I skip the crutons. If I really crave a glass of milk once a week, I drink it. I do my very bust however to stay away from grains, processed foods and sugars.
- I just plan meals with protein and 2 veggies instead of 1 starch and 1 veggie. You'll get the hang of it.
- I'm not a huge veggie lover but have found salads during the day great and roasted veggies (broc, caulf, peppers, green beans) a great alternative, especially if you roast with garlic too!
- I incorporated this gradually over a week....I didn't pull everything and go cold turkey.
Good luck!
Peppers are a nightshade and not Paleo. Green beans are a legume and not Paleo.
But this seems to be pretty common, from what I've seen on these boards. Eating paleo, but not really. Which is fine. I imagine that is true of any restrictive diet.
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Need2Exerc1se wrote: »hollydubs85 wrote: »I'm just waiting for someone to write a book on the "peasant diet." Where you can eat all the bread and vegetable soup you want! Just don't eat fruits, meats, or dairy because peasants couldn't afford that kind of stuff back in the 17th century.
My kinda diet!! LOL I, for one, am totally into trying the Paleo diet even if it's temporary because I'm used to eating nothing but processed foods. It's not the deficit that we are focusing on with the diet it's the quality of what we are eating. If you're not into it fine you don't have to but we are looking for guidance from people who ARE trying it.
Exactly!! I have had a really bad habit of not sticking to my diet when I am doing a calorie deficit and exercising. I am looking for a lifestyle change not a diet. I know this will be hard but I have to do something.
so it is easy to restrict entire food groups, but it is hard to eat the foods that you like in a moderate calorie deficit.....all righty, then....
For some of us yes it is.
I understand that. I think it easier for some people, at least for a while. I think without a medical reason for the restriction you will eventually start eating things on the forbidden list. But that is okay. If your diet is really nothing but processed foods now, you probably will come out of it with better eating habits. This will force you to learn to cook your own meals from fresh ingredients, though for the life of me I don't know how or why anyone would ever want to cook without tomatoes and peppers.
Best of luck to you, whatever diet you choose.
Sensible post.
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-Get the cookbook - Against All Grains. It's fabulous!
- I totally believe in the what Paleo is all about. I'm 98% Paleo. If I have a ceasar salad with chicken, I may sprinkle 1 Tbs of parm chez on it but I skip the crutons. If I really crave a glass of milk once a week, I drink it. I do my very bust however to stay away from grains, processed foods and sugars.
- I just plan meals with protein and 2 veggies instead of 1 starch and 1 veggie. You'll get the hang of it.
- I'm not a huge veggie lover but have found salads during the day great and roasted veggies (broc, caulf, peppers, green beans) a great alternative, especially if you roast with garlic too!
- I incorporated this gradually over a week....I didn't pull everything and go cold turkey.
Good luck!
because caveman for sure had caesar salads....LOL0 -
La5Vega5Girl wrote: »La5Vega5Girl wrote: »
so you are saying it is not helpful to tell the OP to just create a calorie deficit and get a moderate amount of exercise????
what is more reasonable; 1) create a calorie deficit, restrict nothing, and work out/move more; 2) try to replicate a way of eating that has been extinct for over 10,000 years...?
i would say try to replicate a way of eating that has been around for over 10,000 years, not extinct. it is only in the very recent history of people that we have started eating overly processed foods, grains, etc. and have gotten extremely obese as an american culture.
In for when @neandermagnon shows up to school everyone of what the paleolithic diet actually consisted.
thanks @auddii
it depends which palaeolithic populations... the palaeolithic era spans more than 2 million years and several different species of human
lower palaeolithic diets involved raw meat, especially brains and bone marrow, seeing as the first stone tools were made to extract those things from animal carcases. I'd guess that they probably also ate insects and various edible plant parts and fungi.
middle palaeolithic diets saw the introduction of cooked food. But probably still included insects, edible plant parts and edible fungi
BTW edible plant parts would include wild wheat and wild legumes
BTW #2 - wheat has been cultivated for 10,000 years, and the first neolithic people didn't just suddenly wake up and say "I know, let's take this plant that *no-one's ever eaten before* and start growing it in large quantities and depending on it to get through the winter"...... which means that wheat consumption (and the consumption of other grains) actually dates back even further
BTW #3... I recently read about scientific research that showed neanderthals ate some kinds of grains. They went extinct (the neanderthals, not the grains) 28,000 years ago, so that clearly pushes back the consumption of grains to way earlier than 10,000 years
BTW #4... post-agricultural societies have been eating grains in large quantities since pretty much the invention of agriculture as that seems to be one of the earliest forms of agriculture............. but none of them got fat until recent decades, because they had to do exercise to get their food, which is the same reason why hunter-gatherers are not fat (they too have to do exercise to get their food)... modern western people can sit on their fat arses and have food delivered through their living room window while they never leave the sofa if they so will..... and people wonder why there's an obesity epidemic.0
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