Everything but veggies are fattening!
Long story short - no sugar coating:
YOU CANNOT EAT ANYTHING IN EXCESS, BUT SOME VEGGIES, WITHOUT GAINING WEIGHT.
When people find out that I:
The truth is - food, in excess, is fattening. Food is fattening. It keeps meat on the bones. That's why people that don't eat are bony. If you eat - then you are giving you body nutrition and fat.
However one thing that I've learned in my studies, reading, working, and conversations is that every food group if eaten in excess (with other foods) will make you fat.
Now understand what I am saying. If you eat five cookies a day and THAT IS IT. You will be skinny and malnutritioned. However if you eat a ton of bread, meat, fruit, sweets, fried foods, etc. along with your regular meals - it is fattening.
SO UNDERSTAND ME: There isn't a food group that you can cut out that will make you skinny. So if you cut ALL carbs out your diet, but eat an excess of meats - you are still consuming a fattening diet. If you are a vegetarian, but consume excess carbohydrates you are still consuming a fattening diet. If you are lactose-free, but still consuming tons of sweets you are still consuming a fattening diet.
So, what I recommend is eat EVERYTHING in balance and in moderation, except for some veggies (you can eat them in excess). So, if you had a hamburger and french fries for lunch, make a salad for dinner. And have eaten fruit for breakfast. And I say MAKE, because many times restaurant salads (whether fast food or fine dining) are more fattening and have more fried foods in them than the fries that you ate earlier.
It's all about balance and moderation.
Balance meaning - pay attention to what you eat daily. Dessert every night IS NOT bad - as long as you haven't been snacking on sweets all day AND as long as dessert is moderate - NOT a huge brownie sundae EVERY night.
Moderation - meaning pay attention to your sizes. Eating anything in large quanties, except for some veggies, is fattening.
Some of the healthiest people that I know DON'T DIET. They don't cut anything from their diets and they eat at least three solid meals a day. However they eat at home over five times a week, pack their lunches, eat/pack breakfast, and snacks. They eat balanced meals. They watch what and how much they are putting in their bodies. They are enjoying dessert almost every night.
By the way, when I say eat at home I mean that they eat from scratch meals at home - not that they eat "heat ups" at home. You have to watch preservatives and additives in "heat up" meals - even if they read "lean."
Now I also know people that are healthy and they eat out all the time - but they are very close to their food provider - meaning they have their specific places that they will order from. They know what they are eating and most the time - they know what's in what they are eating. Like I have a friend that orders from the same restaurant at least twice a week - but they have amazing spinach, tomato, and feta sandwiches on a home made baguette. The restaurant brags on their local, organic ingredients and she knows that she is eating something without preservatives and additives.
Any ways, I guess I wrote this post to remind every one that it's okay to indulge - in fact, we should indulge. It's perfectly acceptable to never diet in your life. Just make sure that you are eating a balanced meal and not eating HUGE servings of anything.
Last example, look at the Meditarranen, Japanese, and French (highest life expectancy), they aren't major dieters - but they are people that take pride in fresh ingredients (not a lot of preservatives), family meals, moderation (eat seafood, meat, and vegetarian meals), and balanced meals (veggies, meat, and a starch). All of those cultures eat meat, carbs (rice, breads, etc.), fruit, desserts, and drink wine! Yet long lives and no obesity scare.
Remember:
When people find out that I:
- Work in the kitchen at a restaurant - a dessert restaurant
- I went to school for pastry arts
- I'm a home cook enthusiast. Yes, I leave work and cook at home! I'm obsessed.
The truth is - food, in excess, is fattening. Food is fattening. It keeps meat on the bones. That's why people that don't eat are bony. If you eat - then you are giving you body nutrition and fat.
However one thing that I've learned in my studies, reading, working, and conversations is that every food group if eaten in excess (with other foods) will make you fat.
Now understand what I am saying. If you eat five cookies a day and THAT IS IT. You will be skinny and malnutritioned. However if you eat a ton of bread, meat, fruit, sweets, fried foods, etc. along with your regular meals - it is fattening.
SO UNDERSTAND ME: There isn't a food group that you can cut out that will make you skinny. So if you cut ALL carbs out your diet, but eat an excess of meats - you are still consuming a fattening diet. If you are a vegetarian, but consume excess carbohydrates you are still consuming a fattening diet. If you are lactose-free, but still consuming tons of sweets you are still consuming a fattening diet.
So, what I recommend is eat EVERYTHING in balance and in moderation, except for some veggies (you can eat them in excess). So, if you had a hamburger and french fries for lunch, make a salad for dinner. And have eaten fruit for breakfast. And I say MAKE, because many times restaurant salads (whether fast food or fine dining) are more fattening and have more fried foods in them than the fries that you ate earlier.
It's all about balance and moderation.
Balance meaning - pay attention to what you eat daily. Dessert every night IS NOT bad - as long as you haven't been snacking on sweets all day AND as long as dessert is moderate - NOT a huge brownie sundae EVERY night.
Moderation - meaning pay attention to your sizes. Eating anything in large quanties, except for some veggies, is fattening.
Some of the healthiest people that I know DON'T DIET. They don't cut anything from their diets and they eat at least three solid meals a day. However they eat at home over five times a week, pack their lunches, eat/pack breakfast, and snacks. They eat balanced meals. They watch what and how much they are putting in their bodies. They are enjoying dessert almost every night.
By the way, when I say eat at home I mean that they eat from scratch meals at home - not that they eat "heat ups" at home. You have to watch preservatives and additives in "heat up" meals - even if they read "lean."
Now I also know people that are healthy and they eat out all the time - but they are very close to their food provider - meaning they have their specific places that they will order from. They know what they are eating and most the time - they know what's in what they are eating. Like I have a friend that orders from the same restaurant at least twice a week - but they have amazing spinach, tomato, and feta sandwiches on a home made baguette. The restaurant brags on their local, organic ingredients and she knows that she is eating something without preservatives and additives.
Any ways, I guess I wrote this post to remind every one that it's okay to indulge - in fact, we should indulge. It's perfectly acceptable to never diet in your life. Just make sure that you are eating a balanced meal and not eating HUGE servings of anything.
Last example, look at the Meditarranen, Japanese, and French (highest life expectancy), they aren't major dieters - but they are people that take pride in fresh ingredients (not a lot of preservatives), family meals, moderation (eat seafood, meat, and vegetarian meals), and balanced meals (veggies, meat, and a starch). All of those cultures eat meat, carbs (rice, breads, etc.), fruit, desserts, and drink wine! Yet long lives and no obesity scare.
Remember:
Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity. ~Voltaire
Enjoy eating! No more dieting .
