Losing weight is harder in the south! Can anyone relate?

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Replies

  • jenscot25
    jenscot25 Posts: 124 Member
    ummmm...thats everywhere girl. not just down south. so panty up and get your butt in gear :)

    Yup. I think the midwest is just as bad. I live in rural Minnesota. Comes down to plannng ahead. I will not eat at fast food places at this point except subway. Either you want it or you don't. I'm done with excuses. Ronald McDonald didn't shove quarter pounders in my mouth. I did and made myself fat. This is all on me and only I can fix it. You can do it!!:flowerforyou:
  • RP507
    RP507 Posts: 6
    Omg... I can totally relate. With so many fast foods quickly readily available, temptation is always there. I think the best thing to do is be prepared and always have a snack on hand so you're not tempted by the drive thru.
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
    I think it's an excuse. The same restaurants are available everywhere in the US, yet somehow in other states they don't have the same obesity levels. It's the lifestyle more than anything else and you can change yours.

    I agree. Being in the southern US is no harder than being in the Midwest. Fast and easy options are the same almost everywhere and you can make the same healthy or unhealthy choices. High calorie food traditions exist everywhere- not just in the south. You either take responsibility for what you put in your mouth or you don't. Living in the south is no excuse. Exercise portion control no matter where you live and you will lose weight.
  • ladybg81
    ladybg81 Posts: 1,553 Member
    <moderator edited for content>


    :laugh: I agree!!

    Thanks! I got deleted!
  • yoshi91610
    yoshi91610 Posts: 177 Member
    I am from South Carolina, and in no way is good home cooking healthy! It's not so much the going out to eat in my neighborhood its the cornbread, mashed loaded potatoes, potato salad, gravy, biscuits, and fried E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G my grandma used to say if you can't fry it you can't eat it! Even vegetables! So I know how you feel, but if it's important to you it's worth being late and getting a healthy meal instead of zaxby's or mcdonalds.
  • terewilliams
    terewilliams Posts: 338 Member
    I am in Virginia and live with a "62 year old abdominal six pack marine". I have found it much easier to cook. I have also found it fun to cook exotic gourmet meals (i.e., low starch, low fat, and fresh ingredients) that have intense flavors. One good thing about living in the south is the availability of fresh produce! I serve them with a flair! I give him twice as much as I am eating. My co-workers enjoy my cooking so much that they have stepped up to the table with their own new recipes and they are not dieting!
  • jcarl1313
    jcarl1313 Posts: 1
    Personally, I carry a ridiculously large cooler with me all day, lol. I got it at Target - it's soft-sided with a hard liner and fits all my tupperware and protein shakes in it for the day. Everyday before work I pack it with enough food to get me through the day. Not only do I rarely leave the office to buy food or stop after work, its also soooo much cheaper than eating out! I also keep a box of Larabars in my trunk for emergencies - if its at my desk or in the cab of my car I will mindlessly eat it all!

    Honestly after not eating fast food for a while I don't even crave it. When I do indulge I crave more of it. Cold turkey baby!

    And if peeps at work love bringing in cookies, eat one. Cake? Eat a small piece. Then either brush your teeth or drink some black coffee to kill the sweet taste that'll make you crave more. You'll go crazy if you don't and be bummed you're not participating in the celebration. If you're active, eat healthy 95% and stay within your calories for the day you'll be fine! Its about balance:)
  • LeslieMartina
    LeslieMartina Posts: 158 Member
    It's totally harder in the South. I moved from Mississippi to Maryland. There is a HUGE difference in the culture around food and body image. As a woman, you're expected to prepare soul food for your family. Thicker body types are preferred. There aren't as many stores/restaurants that have healthy options. There aren't as many outlets for adult physical activity. I'm not saying that makes it ok to stay overweight, but there definitely are barriers. Here most of the people I know are health-conscious. When you're around people who are, you're more likely to stick with it. I live within walking distance to work. The building I work in has a gym. I can go to restaurants/grocery stores that specialize in healthy foods. Those things aren't the norm in the South.
  • DonnaLFitz
    DonnaLFitz Posts: 270 Member
    I live in South Carolina. I do a lot a pre-planning for my routine meals so I know what's in them. Then I allow myself to splurge a bit from time to time. I have carefully shopped around the various restaurants in town and researched what I can have and not feel guilty. My current fast food fave is KFC grilled chicken breast with a side of green beans. A little high in sodium, but fits right in with the calories. I only eat it when I have no other choice.

    I have hectic days, too, where all planning goes out the window. I actually make and freeze food in the right portions for myself to have as a "lean cuisine" when I just can't cook.

    My freezer is my friend.
  • dnnmccloud
    dnnmccloud Posts: 124 Member
    I live in GA....same issue...I made a rule just to stay away from those places...I keep fruit in my car....a pack of peanuts, any of the meal replacement bars, and I keep a lot of fresh frozen foods in my freezer...for example cabbage soup, vegetable soup, collard greens, and homemade beans....so if your running late getting home from class you can grab a snack from your car and a fresh frozen something from your freazer....We'd all love to be able to cook every meal..but sometimes its just not possilbe. Good luck
  • thesweatybetty
    thesweatybetty Posts: 107 Member
    i agree with everyone that says this is just an excuse. there is plenty of fast food within a 5 mile range of where i work and where i live. i use to go to school where there was a starbucks right across the street from my building. at work its either a birthday celebration or something else where there are cookies, cakes, and donuts involved once a week.

    i prepare all my meals the night before (sometimes all on sunday night) so that i have all 3 of the small meals i eat at work already prepared. then i dont even have to think about what i'm having to eat, which also reduces the temptation of driving around and trying to find something 'healthy' to eat, which you arent going to find at any fast food restaurant.. because the salads can be one of the worst items on the menu!

    if you dont want to acheive your goal then continue to make excuses like this. i made plenty for myself before i decided enough was enough. for the last 4 weeks i havent let anything get in my way and im down 22 lbs for that reason.
  • foraMEthatiLOVE
    foraMEthatiLOVE Posts: 63
    <moderator edited for content>


    :laugh: I agree!!

    Thanks! I got deleted!


    I saw that...:( Your comment was one of the bests!
  • aolani
    aolani Posts: 80 Member
    I am from New Orleans and yes losing weight in the south is hard. So much temptation just thinking about catfish poboys, beignets is enough to make my mouth water.
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,021 Member
    I don't think it's harder on a personal level to avoid eating bad food in the South. Fruits, vegetables, and lean meat are available everywhere. But I do agree that on a social level, people who make a point of eating a healthy diet are stigmatized in many parts of the South. I live in Austin, TX, so it's not much of a problem for me. People here are really into physical fitness and "hippie food."

    But I grew up in East Texas, which has much more in common with the rest of the Southeastern U.S. than Central and West Texas, and where I'm from, you're viewed as a snob if you refuse to eat fried food or any dish wherein butter is the main ingredient. It's even worse if you're a vegetarian. I don't think that's an excuse for getting or being fat; at some point, you have to stop caring what other people think and say about you if you're ever going to succeed at losing weight. But the running diatribe about how you think you're better than everyone else or that you've forsaken your heritage is not something that everyone in every part of the country has to deal with as a consequence of simply eating normal food.
  • ladybg81
    ladybg81 Posts: 1,553 Member
    <moderator edited for content>


    :laugh: I agree!!

    Thanks! I got deleted!


    I saw that...:( Your comment was one of the bests!

    Thanks! I thought so too.
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