If it fits in my daily calories...

Eating clean really isn't expensive. I feed a family of 5 on $150 or less per week.
---
must be nice, sometimes me and hubby doesn't have $50 for the month for food after rent, lights etc and we don't qualify for food stamps
alot of what we eat comes from the food bank which is ran by a local church ..

<backing back out the thread now>

I want to give you a hug...

*hug*

You make an outstanding point though. I remember being the child of a single mother who struggled to put any food on the table. It's not something that is easy to deal with, and I can't imagine it now 15 years later with food prices the way they are.

You just keep doing what is working for you.

:laugh:

Not sure why this bothers me but it ...

I'll venture a guess.

a) projecting
b) perhaps you require a level of fanaticism to maintain your own commitment to your goals

Either way, I'd relax a little. Can't save the world, dollface

Evangelical dieters. 1000x more obtrusive than evangelical Christians.

Im an evangelical Christian but Im not obtrusive.

Please point me to said 400 calorie double cheeseburger. Thanks

**waits**

McDonalds McDouble Cheeseburger: 390 calories

http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-mcdonalds-mcdouble-i134500

Eating clean really isn't expensive. I feed a family of 5 on $150 or less per week.
---
must be nice, sometimes me and hubby doesn't have $50 for the month for food after rent, lights etc and we don't qualify for food stamps
alot of what we eat comes from the food bank which is ran by a local church ..

<backing back out the thread now>

aw, sweetie, I too know that feeling and have been near there all too many times. Hugs to you!!

This is where a victory garden, (even in potted plants) really comes in handy, as well as your local farmers market. DH and I save boat loads of money in the summer by growing some of our veggies and buying the rest at market.

I'm trying to change, but it is gradual. For instance, I haven't eliminated red meat, but have it only once a week (Preferable a nice big ribeye). Eventually I may have it even less often (or choose a nice small ribeye), but for now, it beats how much red meat I was eating and serving my husband six months ago. (At least three times per week.) Do I indulge in too many sweets? Well, I don't keep them in the house, but I still have trouble not visiting the "sweet table" at meetings and Church functions (if fruit is available, I will have that instead, and now have a sight limit as to how much space I must see on my plate if I choose cookies or a mini danish). That is STIll better than six months ago, when I kept sweets in the house.
While I hope to consistently improve week by week (water intake, less sugar, less sodium, less cholesterol), I don't see it as an all or nothing proposition.
And yes, I had half a large shamrock shake last month because it fit in my calorie allotment, and I knew that I wouldn't see it again for a year. It was delicious! I will not improve on that next year. I'd consider a repeat to be a success.
We all have different goals, and different ways we feel we can best reach them. We need to support one another as we form our goals, work toward them, and reevaluate them. Judging one another's goals doesn't get us anywhere. Even if we fear someone is deficient in something, we can encourage them to choose foods that contain said nutrient without judgement. (I tease a friend all the time that it looks like she and calcium have broken up... She has a good sense of humor and "lols")

I stalked Acg for months before adding him. Nothing wrong with a little stalking.

Also, I think his abs speak for him in regards to carbs not hurting him in the fitness department.

First I want to say that I don't think or care if Acg is a weirdo. But thinking anyone's abs speak for anything when it comes to fitness or nutrition is not wise unless you've known them for a while and know them well. Many people are naturally thin no matter what they eat, so just a few ab exercises will give them a 6 pack. That doesn't mean the same is true for others.

I've seen Acg's posts before. Whenever he has made statements about fitness or nutrition, he has backed it up with peer review studies. His opinion is highly respected on these threads because he knows what he is talking about, and very often, he provides people with truth where others are only offering opinions formed from studies that they "heard" about. His profile pic is just eye candy. It is his experience and personal pursuit of knowledge that has warranted him the respect that he receives. Being that you have been around in the forums for so long, I would think you would know that.

I am not the one that said his abs speak for him.

I stalked Acg for months before adding him. Nothing wrong with a little stalking.

Also, I think his abs speak for him in regards to carbs not hurting him in the fitness department.

First I want to say that I don't think or care if Acg is a weirdo. But thinking anyone's abs speak for anything when it comes to fitness or nutrition is not wise unless you've known them for a while and know them well. Many people are naturally thin no matter what they eat, so just a few ab exercises will give them a 6 pack. That doesn't mean the same is true for others.

I've seen Acg's posts before. Whenever he has made statements about fitness or nutrition, he has backed it up with peer review studies. His opinion is highly respected on these threads because he knows what he is talking about, and very often, he provides people with truth where others are only offering opinions formed from studies that they "heard" about. His profile pic is just eye candy. It is his experience and personal pursuit of knowledge that has warranted him the respect that he receives. Being that you have been around in the forums for so long, I would think you would know that.

I am not the one that said his abs speak for him.

Oh, I see your point. But you could have at least pointed out that he routinely posts factual information, and that it is his knowledge that actually speaks for him.

I stalked Acg for months before adding him. Nothing wrong with a little stalking.

Also, I think his abs speak for him in regards to carbs not hurting him in the fitness department.

First I want to say that I don't think or care if Acg is a weirdo. But thinking anyone's abs speak for anything when it comes to fitness or nutrition is not wise unless you've known them for a while and know them well. Many people are naturally thin no matter what they eat, so just a few ab exercises will give them a 6 pack. That doesn't mean the same is true for others.

I've seen Acg's posts before. Whenever he has made statements about fitness or nutrition, he has backed it up with peer review studies. His opinion is highly respected on these threads because he knows what he is talking about, and very often, he provides people with truth where others are only offering opinions formed from studies that they "heard" about. His profile pic is just eye candy. It is his experience and personal pursuit of knowledge that has warranted him the respect that he receives. Being that you have been around in the forums for so long, I would think you would know that.

I am not the one that said his abs speak for him.

Oh, I see your point. But you could have at least pointed out that he routinely posts factual information, and that it is his knowledge that actually speaks for him.

I could have said a lot of things, but I chose to stick to my point.

I agree, even though I occasionally have a burger or Chinese food (luckily none of the worst offenders in that area, yay being a picky eater) I don't find success in it fitting in my calorie "budget" for the day. If I eat it, regardless, I will haul *kitten* to make up for it. You have to keep up the quality as well as the quantity or it's just not going to work. There's no pride in saying "Oh I totally ate these 7 layer nachos but I kept under my calorie goal for the day!" A good way to know just how bad you did despite the calorie amount is to check your sodium, cholesterol, sugar, and your fat intake from it. You won't feel like a champ seeing some of that stuff way into the red.

Fit this among many other burgers into my cals

Double brie stuffed jucy lucys topped with more brie and pancetta

I think I will be picking up some brie withi in the next few days...

Not sure why this bothers me

I think this is the most important part of what you said. You really need to figure out why this bothers you, because it shouldn't.

^ definitely this. I don't care what other people eat. If it works for them, great, if not, then that's on them to fix it. I'm don't want to be the food police and I emphatically protect my freedom and the freedom of others to do whatever the hell they want food-wise.

I don't believe weight loss in itself makes you healthier. I would like to see the cholesterol levels and blood pressure readings of the people losing weight by eating junk food (and I'm talking about daily junk food, not the occasional indulgence). I bet mine is lower even though I weigh more.

We have dozens of threads a day that rail on about how fat is inherently unhealthy and you can't possibly be fat and healthy, so it's okay to judge fat people on their appearance alone. I mean, we KNOW they're unhealthy, right? Does this not imply that they MUST improve their health, at least somewhat, solely by losing weight? Otherwise, how is it possible to judge people fairly, solely based on weight?

HINT: It's not. Nor is it possible to judge health based on what people eat. Some people will be healthier than others at exactly the same weight with exactly the same diet, because there are more factors involved and not all of them are controllable. This is why it's no one's place to judge another's diet or weight. We all have plenty to do just being responsible for ourselves.

This is true. Genetics also play a big part. I'll concede that. Me personally, I feel like **** after I eat a burger and fries. I feel better since I've been eating healthier. I'm not perfect, I did have a hamburger and fries just this last Sunday. The first in 3 months and it was wonderful! But afterwards reminded me why I don't eat them as often anymore. That is me, not you, or anyone else on this post.

I'm trying to change, but it is gradual. For instance, I haven't eliminated red meat, but have it only once a week (Preferable a nice big ribeye). Eventually I may have it even less often (or choose a nice small ribeye), but for now, it beats how much red meat I was eating and serving my husband six months ago. (

With all due respect, why do you feel the need to eliminate red meat?:flowerforyou:
A nice lean steak does not have the same fat in it than fatty hamburger....If you don't have cholestrol issues, there is absolutely no reason to elimiante lean red meat - just make sure you buy lean hamburger and cut off the visible fat on your steaks - it's great for protein, iron and a load of other good stuff!