#187 Really Good Food
Growing up, I remember dinner being a balanced meal. It had a protein, vegetables, dairy, some oil--you know, everything we need. It's just that the protein would have been "chicken-fried." The potatoes would have been "creamed" with milk and butter then topped with a ladle of pan gravy. The green vegetable of choice, green beans, would have been steeped in bacon grease. All of that would have been washed down with several glasses of real sugar sweetened iced tea.
There is no way in God's green earth that I would change anything about those meals or my upbringing for that matter. Both Mom and Dad are great southern cooks and I consider myself very blessed to have inherited some of their abilities. I tell you about these meals only to explain one contributing factor to my weight problem: I know good food when I see it, I like to make it and most importantly--I LOVE to eat it.
You don't really hear about fat people getting to the point they are at because they can't quit eating edamame or steamed veggies . No one is driving through McDonald's 3 times a day to order a side salad and a diet coke. No. There is a good chance that if you are considerably overweight, you have an appreciation for really good food. (This obviously won't make sense to people who love edamame or vegetables more than anything else.)
I always say that skinny people just don't realize how good food can be! Of course this is a bit far fetched. I am certainly not trying to make excuses for my indulgent eating habits or make fun of healthy eaters. I just think it is something interesting to consider. Do fat people, as a general rule, appreciate really tasty food more than the average skinny guy?
Here are a few other questions:
If you are overweight, do you consider yourself to be a "foodie"?
I know there are psychological ties to obesity. But sometimes do you wonder if it's just because you LOVE food?
Did you grow up eating amazing food like me? If so, did this affect your eating habits in adulthood?
Do you have a really great recipe makeover to share? Please do so. Especially if you figured out how to make chicken fried steak healthy.
Growing up, I remember dinner being a balanced meal. It had a protein, vegetables, dairy, some oil--you know, everything we need. It's just that the protein would have been "chicken-fried." The potatoes would have been "creamed" with milk and butter then topped with a ladle of pan gravy. The green vegetable of choice, green beans, would have been steeped in bacon grease. All of that would have been washed down with several glasses of real sugar sweetened iced tea.
There is no way in God's green earth that I would change anything about those meals or my upbringing for that matter. Both Mom and Dad are great southern cooks and I consider myself very blessed to have inherited some of their abilities. I tell you about these meals only to explain one contributing factor to my weight problem: I know good food when I see it, I like to make it and most importantly--I LOVE to eat it.
You don't really hear about fat people getting to the point they are at because they can't quit eating edamame or steamed veggies . No one is driving through McDonald's 3 times a day to order a side salad and a diet coke. No. There is a good chance that if you are considerably overweight, you have an appreciation for really good food. (This obviously won't make sense to people who love edamame or vegetables more than anything else.)
I always say that skinny people just don't realize how good food can be! Of course this is a bit far fetched. I am certainly not trying to make excuses for my indulgent eating habits or make fun of healthy eaters. I just think it is something interesting to consider. Do fat people, as a general rule, appreciate really tasty food more than the average skinny guy?
Here are a few other questions:
If you are overweight, do you consider yourself to be a "foodie"?
I know there are psychological ties to obesity. But sometimes do you wonder if it's just because you LOVE food?
Did you grow up eating amazing food like me? If so, did this affect your eating habits in adulthood?
Do you have a really great recipe makeover to share? Please do so. Especially if you figured out how to make chicken fried steak healthy.
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21 comments:
Here's what I don't understand. Is that my grandma cooked for her family (my mom, aunts and uncles) that way for years on end and not a single one of was or is significantly overweight today. What gives?
Being a fellow "good food" appreciater, I do think there's an element of food appreciation the can differntiate us from 'skinny eaters'. Some thin folks probably do love food the same way but are VERY disciplined. I have a friend who's like that. Then, apparently there are physiological differences (I read about this in "The Thin Commandments"). Some of us are 'tasters' while others are not. We have a higher threshold for sweet or salty, or creamy (or all three).
A lady I once knew literally never ordered or (more importantly) wanted to order dessert, because everything was "too rich or too sweet". How nice to have been created with that little internal restraint, eh?
Your blog post title reminded me of a book I've been reading, "Stuff Christians Like". It's a hoot...and I thought you might enjoy it :)
I am overweight and I do consider myself to be a "foodie".
For me my obesity is just a LOVE food.
When growing up eating we ate very weel. So I have never really been in a situation where I didn't have an abundance of choices to make.
Making chicken fried steak healthy would be worthy of an award; hopefully someone will share one :-)
These are good questions to ponder. I think that I am just a big time emotional eater.... and my weakness has been sugar. Things like cookies, brownies, cake, ice cream... Those things would help me feel better when I felt alone, friendless and unwanted.
So for me, it isn't just about loving food too much - I mean I do love great fat-filled meals - but I think it's mostly about emotional eating for me.
Thanks for helping me see that!!
~Margene
http://www.believingitspossible.blogspot.com/
1. i think i've got foodie tendencies; but if i stray too far from my roots, i end up craving grilled cheese and french fries. and a ton of ketchup.
2. yes, i have often, and still sometimes wonder if i just love food more than most. but i really think bingeing until it hurts is a big contributor to why i am where i am now, and that kind of hurting only feels good in a bad way.
3. YES, i grew up eating amazing food like you! my grandma made the best biscuits and gravy. she made the gravy really dark like a roux with little pieces of sausage all throughout. loved her fried pies, too. favorite vegetable was/is mac and cheese.
4. i've not been making stuff over too much lately. but i will say i am thoroughly enjoying replacing some of my meals with smoothies. blend one cup of fat-free plain yogurt, 1/4 cup fat-free milk, one chopped frozen banana, one packet quaker weight-control oatmeal, a few strawberries and/or blueberries.
i won't lie- when i saw SFPL in the reader, i got excited. :)
-and i also add a tablespoon of nut butter to that smoothie recipe.
hahaha! Mac n cheese a vegetable...Josie, really?
Mine too.
And 99 to go--I totally ripped John Acuff off on these posts (yes there are a couple more in the archives) but I did ask him if it was okay and he said yes, for the record.
I LOVE stuff Christians LIke. Funniest and most convicting reading out there. He has a blog too...
Growing up in the South and with a mother and grandmother who made the best southern food EVER, I can agree with this post.
I do feel that as a fat person, we in general just savor the taste of good food more. Its like the best feeling in the world which Psychologists would probably frown upon as they would say that food should be for fuel and not to make you feel good (emotional eating). Heck when I eat a good plate of lasagna it sure makes me feel good.
Never considered myself a foodie. Not sure of the right definition for this word, so I haven't used it.
Yep the psychological ties to obesity are no doubt evident, but I just have to go on the record and say I JUST ME SOME FOOD!!
I will say that I did grow up eating great food. My mother and grandmother were awesome cooks. When you talked about greenbeans with bacon...my folk used ham ends. LORD HELP ME!! My mom used it in her greens. I can make the meanest & moist pan of cornbread this side of the Mississippi. The way I cook comes from what I learned growing up. Over the last year I have had to change those ways. Its hard I tell ya.
One thing I really remember growing up is that we were fast eaters. I would have to try to eat fast so that I could get my fair share of whatever treat it was we got. That is, before everyone else ate it all.
I'm definitely a "foodie". I grew up in the south and fattening, mouth watering full course meals were on the table 7 days a week in our household. This definitely affected my eating habits in adulthood! Lol I'm going to keep checking back to see if anyone shares a healthy way to make chicken fried steak. Mmmm..my fav.
I'm one of those who skip the "the you love food" part to get to "why do you love food" - it's not only about emotional eating, it's the imprinting food left on us. I remember my grandma's sunday lunches, they were great. I remember really great food at my house was reserved for festivities and days off in the summer. So I just guess on that food is etched "GREAT DAY FROM YOUR CHILDHOOD" for me.
If you're looking for some new great recipe, you should try lasagne al pesto. (yay for food from my childhood, once again!) You can use ricotta (a light fresh cheese, do you have that in the US?) instead of béchamel sauce, as long as the lasagne themselves are fresh :)
I am overweight after all the overeating I did while preggo. Ha ha. I don't think I'm a foodie always,it all depends on what is served.
Definitely is a phsycho tie to obesity...I call it the "poverty mind set"... filling up as much as you can cause you never know when the last meal will come. Or maybe overweight folks just enjoy the "full feeling" since this is how they were comforted as a child. I think this is my problem. I get the comfort from feeling full and I like some good food!
I've watched skinny people eat and what I have noticed is that they don't eat much at all. They'll take a bite of the chicken fried steak and a few bites of the mash potatoes then that is it. Most have great metabolism and this is why exercise is wonderful.
I have lost all my preggo weight before just by eating like a skinny person and exercising like a mad woman (daily). Basically, I trained my stomach to not want to overeat. it really does work.
So today is my first day of daily exercise. I am determined to lose 50 lbs by my 40th birthday in December.
I guess it's all about upbringing. I'm not skinny by any means, and my eating relates to eating a lot of junk. But I AM Australian and didn't grow up with 'southern' food (unless the existence of KFC counts). For me, have to say, the food your describing there doesn't look appealing. I'm not saying I wouldn't eat it, just that I couldn't eat it several days a week because it's too heavy. In my mind, it doesn't feel like Good food.
And maybe that's the thing. It depends on what we've grown up on. The person who has grown up on having fruit for dessert doesn't want any dessert because it is too sweet or too rich. If I were faced with beans in bacon grease and fried chicken every day, I think I'd cry. On the other hand, I can wolf down carbonara like we're about to run out of it!
The other thing is that food processing has changed so much that even if we're eating the same thing as our grandparents, we aren't eating it the same way, because the way things are done are so different...and that can have a big impact.
Good post! You made me think a lot! :)
I find it questionable when people refer to themselves as foodies. 'I'm a foodie. I like food. That's something unique about me.'
What does that mean. Does it imply that the rest of us don't like food, or that we don't like the right kind of food, or that our opinions on food are somehow less awesome? 'Yuck, I hate food. I never touch the stuff.'
I don't think I know anybody who doesn't LOVE food and have a very strong opinion on what constitutes 'good' food. Everyone's feelings on the subject are different and it can lead to a lot of disagrement, sometimes heated. My point is, saying you're a foodie is like saying you're a breather...I like air too. :)
Yeah...I agree. I don't know exactly what a foodie is. I was hoping someone might be able to explain it to me on here. I am guessing the most common definition is someone who likes food, almost to the point of a hobby. They like to explore and seek out trends in food,watch all kinds of cooking shows etc. But I like your point. Everyone does like food.
I think my post is flawed(although many of them probably are). Good food is subjective just like "good art." There really is no standard for what is good. Or is there? Hmmm..I feel another post coming on. The teacher in me is really digging these divergent thinking comment-versations.
In hind sight, though, I suppose I should have made it stuff fat people like: really fattening food. But in my book, fattening usually always = good.
Nope, I'm sticking to it. Whatever I say is good is good:)
this is a really great question! imho, i don't think the love of food is measured by the amount you eat, or even by what you eat. (everyone's tastes are different.)
i know for me - i LOVE food. especially breakfast (cereal is my all-time!) but i watch my portion sizes and my friends often tell me i can't possibly love to eat just because i'm, well, thin. meanwhile eating is like my favorite past time ever! it's your mindset though, i guess, like you can eat 2 pieces of Lindt Chilli Chocolate and really appreciate it, or you can eat an entire bar and not even notice. (and who hasn't?) but which equals more love? :)
as for the whole "foodie" thing, i think a true one is someone who isn't afraid to take chances, who can appreiate all kinds of food (different ethnics, different techniques) and not just stick to the comforting PB&J (no matter how great the PB&J may be.) personally, i'm still working my way up to crocodile.
anyway, keelie, i'm new around here and really wanted to say hello! love the blog, want your gorgeous red hair, can't wait to read more!
Ive never tried it but have a friend whos a life long ATKINS person and she's done the friend chicken steak using PORK RINDS....
MizFit
I think everyone loves food. I don't think that is a strong enough reason to say I'm fat. When I eat I want to eat till I pop. I want to comsume the whole bag of chips or the whole box of cheez-its. I crave salt and not much on sweet. I have to watch my portions otherwise I will gain weight. My mom wasn't the best cook so we lots of fast food and out at resturants. I think that is why I only want to eat out and not cook. And those foods are cooked with so much salt and other ingredients no wonder I have a weight problem.
I totally consider myself a foodie. My mother always made absolutely delicious meals growing up but they seemed very balanced and rarely too high in fat. My father had a heart attack when I was in HS so we started eating less red meat and less fat etc. In the end I never learned how to cook until I lost my job and was unemployed for 3 months a few years ago. I spent my days obsessing over food network and learning how to cook. Of course the first thing I went after was the heavy food, the yummy stuff like you said the stuff smart, and over weight people relish in. I then started to gain lots of weight.
Since I've been on my life change quest I've been eating better and loving it. I'm sorry I waited so long. I'll still indulge for treats but I'm happier with this way of eating and living.
I believe we can be foodies without always make bad or heavy handed choices.
I'll have to dig through my recipes for light takes on old school pleasure foods :)
I think I am somewhat of a foodie. From about the age of 16 I tended to be the cook in my family. And when I cook, I have to taste everything to make sure the seasoning is right. Then after that I sit down with a plate too lol
I do however know that the psychological ties are what caused me to be overweight. I still catch myself on occasion doing some emotional eating. At least I can recognize it for what it is now.
i was going to say..if you have a food journal, could you share what you eat on a typical day and the calories you try to maintain?
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