# How much do you eat?



## SuperMishe (Aug 5, 2012)

I waffled (heh) back and forth about where to put this... the Main Board, the Health Board, or here, but since we love food so much, I decided the Foodie board was it. However, if a Mod feels it belongs elsewhere, please do move it!

Throughout my time in the SA movement, I've heard over and over again that fat people, or most fat people, don't eat any more than average sized people do. In fact, I've repeated that mantra myself when defending size acceptance. I remember when planning NAAFA conventions (both local and helping with national), we were told that hotels reported we ate no more than other groups/conventions did. And this was always repeated with pride, as though it proved something. As though it meant we were right about the "fact" that we didn't overeat and we were fat because of __________ (enter your favorite reason here).

But you know what - I DO eat more than the average sized person. A lot more. And when I'm with my BBW/SSBBW friends, IMO, they ALL eat more than an average sized person as well. 

So I wonder, how many of us do and admit to eating more? For example, when you have cookies, are you really able to take 3 cookies from the package with a cup of tea, sit on the couch and eat them and feel satisfied afterward? Or are you like me and bring the whole bag into the living room and suddenly find yourself doing that "OMG was that the last cookie" reach into that bag? Is the family sized bag of chips actually a single serving for you? How long does a bag of Hersheys Kisses last in your house? If you buy a pound of ground beef to make burgers, how many burgers do you make from it and how many do you eat?

I hope this post doesn't come across as something for a feeder to get turned on by, because it's not meant to be taken that way. I just want to know if I'm the only one that eats a lot more than everyone else does or will admit to?


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## SoVerySoft (Aug 5, 2012)

Mishe, I think the Main board is the best place for this. Great topic!


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## Sweetie (Aug 5, 2012)

I eat toooooo darn much. Constantly. Nonstop. Past the point of hunger. I've been fighting it my whole life. It SUCKS. I hate it. Its the truth. Starting to feel very uncomfortable in my body again. I hate feeling like this. Its not about looks...its about feeling physically uncomfortable.


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## Jah (Aug 6, 2012)

I generally eat twice the amount of a person with a healthy BMI, which is interesting because I'm about twice the weight of a person with a healthy BMI. Occasionally I might eat a whole large packet of something like cookies.


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## Lovelyone (Aug 6, 2012)

I think I have weird eating habits. On some days I barely eat, and have on occasion forgot about eating altogether. On other days, I eat everything I can get my hands on. Since I live with my sister and her family and she pays for the groceries, we don't have a lot of money for extras. 

In the past I've been known to eat a whole bag of chips (and dip) in one sitting and down it with an entire 2 liter of soda. There have been times that a bag of candy lasted an hour and I wondered why I didn't buy more. Don't get me started on peanut butter M&M's and Red Vines! Trail mix have a shelf life of less than 24 hours in my house and I eat pistachios until my tongue is sore from the salt...a bag at a time. I can and have eaten an entire large pizza on my own (usually over the course of several hours), and when I make burgers the entire bread is covered and I usually eat two of them with the works. I'm not much of a cookie eater but when I do eat them I've been known to take down an entire pack of fig newtons, Keebler fudge sticks or Pepperidge Farms cookies without blinking an eye. I have eaten fast food from 2 or 3 different places in one sitting (that's rare though). I eat Ben and Jerry's ice cream by the quart and have at times had two of them in one day. Can't tell you how many times I have eaten an entire box of Little Debbie Snack cakes in one sitting...but it's been a lot. I am ashamed to say that my Wal-mart wish list is full of candy.

I don't eat like that ALL the time, in fact--for the most part I think I eat relatively normal these days.


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## Sweet Tooth (Aug 7, 2012)

I guess I'm around enough of a variety of people during the times I eat that "normal" food intake is so subjective. I share meals with people who are quite thin and have almost no real appetite, not simply the "oh, I couldn't eat another bite!" B.S. of chronic dieters who you know are not even close to satiated. I share meals with someone half my weight and very lean who eats as much as I do, although perhaps doesn't have a sweet tooth quite like me. I share meals with a relative who doesn't eat as much as me at one meal, but then she has to snack an hour later when I couldn't look at more food. I share meals with a coworker who recently looked at my 6" sub, bag of baked chips, and diet pop and said he'd never be full on that. For him, he said it minimally takes a 12" sub if not a 12" with a 6" chaser sub. He's muscular but weighs a good 100+ lbs less than me. I've also been with people who need to comment on how much I eat... I guess in comparison to them, although I don't know why it's anyone's business either way.

Maybe the thing is that we all have our rhythms. I, too, have days when food is "meh" to me and it might be late afternoon before I have solid food [as opposed to just fluids], and I have days when I can't seem to eat enough. I might buy a package of cookies and end up throwing them out because they get stale, but I might buy a bag of Sun Chips [a fave] and it's gone in 3 days but then I don't want them for a couple months.

I'm not sure that thin people don't go through these phases, too, or that they don't also sometimes eat less healthy food or have days of massive cravings. I do think we could probably do with less comparison and more paying attention to our bodies and our physical or emotional needs, although being honest with ourselves is a good place to start. 

And, yeah, sometimes 3 cookies is enough. And sometimes it isn't. It all depends. I have found that not making any food off limits has helped me pay better attention to what I really want in a moment. Sometimes just a taste of something is perfect, like when I want a bite of ice cream but don't need a bowl. I'll go get a spoon, dip into the container, then put the rest back. Sometimes. :happy:


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## Gingembre (Aug 7, 2012)

My food intake varies. On an average day, I'd say I eat fairly healthily, and probably I eat less than most people. But I'm an emotional eater, prone to binging and when I'm binging (about once a week), I probably eat 2 days worth of calories in the space of an evening. Then I'm back to eating not very much. Both these habits contribute to me being fat - I'm either gorging or fasting. My metabolism is f**ked. I'm trying to eat "normally" but old habits die hard. It's difficult.


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## Tad (Aug 7, 2012)

I'd say my wife and I eat normally....for a teenage boy. Given that we are in our forties....we weight a good bit more than most teenage boys. What we eat is quite good for the most part, it is really just quantity where our appetite isn't so aligned with what our bodies would need to be thin.

Then again, I never really valued being thin, so this doesn't bother me


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## Miss Vickie (Aug 7, 2012)

Prior to WLS, I ate about 1500 calories a day. I could eat more -- I'm a pasta FREAK and could eat a whole plate of it, plus garlic bread -- but prior to WLS it took Herculean effort to stop. To actually lose weight, I had to eat less than 900 calories a day (good LUCK!) and be super active (see above).

Since my WLS I'm able to eat about the same, I think (I truly don't pay attention) but i'm full. No more torturous self deprivation. No more forced gym flogs.

Here is a normal day for this post-WLS patient:

Breakfast:


Homemade latte with 1% milk ('cause I like it)
1/2 bagel with some cream cheese (I don't measure -- just enough to cover the bread and offer a "cushion" for the lachs) and two slices of salmon lachs (YUM!!!), two slices or more of red onion and some tomato.
Some sort of fruit


Lunch:


Sandwich with whole wheat bread (usually I eat 1/2 plus a little more and give the rest to my doggies) and a meat like tuna or turkey or olive loaf or ham or something; also has some cheese, Miracle Whip and a ton of veggies.
Yogurt (greek) or soup or pasta salad or pretzels
Diet Coke

Snacks:


Latte (what can I say? I'm an addict)
pretzels
granola
string cheese
whatever is around which could mean fruit or part of a muffin if I'm at work or if I'm at home usually part of a kashi granola bar

Dinner:


Since it's summer, it'll be grilled meat
Grilled veggies
A bit of a grain like an ear of corn or quinoa or rice or whatever
Sometimes some baked beans
Maybe some pasta salad instead
Half glass of wine

In winter we make more casseroles or soups with meat and a ton of veggies and a side salad. Usually some delicious crusty healthy bread. Salad. Wine. 

Before bed: Small sized ice cream cone or scoop of ice cream or kashi bar. Might be half a PB&J sammich with milk or a cookie.

So that's what I eat. Not so different from before WLS but it fills me up.



L


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## Mishty (Aug 7, 2012)

I've always ate a lot,since I was just a little girl,but so does my entire family.
I didn't even notice how much I ate until around fifth grade,when I realized I was eating like the jock boys, triple slices of pizza,three/four cartons of milk and enough sweets to deplete my allowance every week. 

From around the age of seven till fifteen I had the same birthday supper, t-bone steak,baked giant potato,grilled corned,chef salad,yeast rolls,gravy, and chocolate milk. I could actually eat two steaks if I wanted to,even as a kid. My parents actually thought it was cute when I ate a lot,so a second steak wasn't even a big deal. Although these days Ma will say I only started eating this way once I 'got on the pot'. 

Now I'm a terrible glutton. I drink two and half gallons of whole milk a week,by myself. I eat a king size candy bar every single morning after breakfast. My cravings are the worst though,I don't crave a donut at midnight,or cashews around two am,I want entire meals in the wee hours of morning. That's when things get insane. But a sandwich doesn't cut it,I don't feel satisfied or full. 

I eat a lot compared to my friends. We go out to brunch and they nibble organic salad,slivers of quiche and share a slice of cheesecake,whereas I eat four courses and eat the biggest dessert for two on the menu. Most of the time I even eat some of someone's leftovers. 

I do have a few of those tiny little friends that can surprise me with their portions though,and most of my guy friends eat more than me. But for a girl my age,yeah I tend to eat a lot I suppose.


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## Surlysomething (Aug 8, 2012)

I'm an emotional eater so when i'm feeling ok I eat like a normal person.

When i'm not feeling ok I binge eat A LOT.


It's a constant roller coaster.


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## bigsexy920 (Aug 8, 2012)

When I'm with people who eat alot, I do tend to eat more than I typically would. I think I eat fairly normal however like some have stated, I am an emotional eater, I sneak eat when i KNOW I shouldn't be eating something. I eat more, to the point of feeling ill, when it is something that I really love. I also tend to pick when I cook or prepare lunch. The other thing is, I'm a condiment queen. i love sauces, mayo things like that and that adds many calories to things. 

So between those things and my lack of interest in exercise leads me to this body that I live in.


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## Shan34 (Aug 8, 2012)

Gingembre said:


> My food intake varies. On an average day, I'd say I eat fairly healthily, and probably I eat less than most people. But I'm an emotional eater, prone to binging and when I'm binging (about once a week), I probably eat 2 days worth of calories in the space of an evening. Then I'm back to eating not very much. Both these habits contribute to me being fat - I'm either gorging or fasting. My metabolism is f**ked. I'm trying to eat "normally" but old habits die hard. It's difficult.



100% me as well. Although lately I've had a larger than normal appetite. Seems I'm always hungry, very very hungry and is completely unrelated to my emotional state.


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## imfree (Aug 8, 2012)

Scientifically, (SNARKFONT) I eat 450 X 100 cal/lb=4500 calories per day.

I maintain on substantially less than that, as being an oxygen user who severely desaturates under any exertion, I just can't move enough to use very many calories on a daily basis unless I'm really burning it up, mentally*, at the workbench.

*Compare fatigue factor and brain calorie usage to that of driving bad, unfamiliar road in poor weather.


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## Imp (Aug 8, 2012)

imfree said:


> Scientifically, (SNARKFONT) I eat 450 X 100 cal/lb=4500 calories per day.
> 
> I maintain on substantially less than that, as being an oxygen user who severely desaturates under any exertion, I just can't move enough to use very many calories on a daily basis unless I'm really burning it up, mentally*, at the workbench.
> 
> *Compare fatigue factor and brain calorie usage to that of driving bad, unfamiliar road in poor weather.



Your signature just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Kind of like weight gain for board posting.


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## bmann0413 (Aug 14, 2012)

Honestly, it varies sometimes for me. Mostly, I just eat a regular amount of food one day, and then the next, I'd want to eat EVERYTHING. Or sometimes, I'm just not all that hungry. 

I just have a strange appetite, I guess. But I don't eat like that all the time, though.


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## sw33tness3 (Aug 16, 2012)

I usually don't eat breakfast. Only once in a blue moon I'll have a bowl of cereal. When I'm not working that day.. here's my usual: For lunch (early afternoon or so... it just depends on the day) it's a turkey or ham and cheese sandwich with a handful of chips. Supper (9-10pm or so) is 1 plate of food.. don't usually get seconds either. Always have some kind of meat/potatoes/gravy and a veggie to go with it or pasta with meat and a veggie. Don't really snack throughout the day either. I might have 1 granola bar, or a couple cookies, or a cupcake, or something like that.. but I'm not constantly eating. So I don't eat a lot, but what I eat isn't all that healthy and I eat the most at night, before bed. When I am working that day, I'll usually grab some fast food. Just 1 medium combo meal and that fills me up. Like today I stopped at Mc D's for lunch and got the Angus Mushroom and Swiss combo, medium with a sweet tea. I finished the hamburger and only ate a handful of fries and was full. By the time I get home, I'm usually too tired to fix anything for supper so I only eat once on those days that I work. I think what keeps me fat is that I don't drink hardly anything else but Mtn. Dew. I can drink anywhere from six 12 oz cans up to 12 pack or more, just depends on how thirsty I am that day.


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## Tad (Aug 16, 2012)

sw33tness3 said:


> . I think what keeps me fat is that I don't drink hardly anything else but Mtn. Dew. I can drink anywhere from six 12 oz cans up to 12 pack or more, just depends on how thirsty I am that day.



Yep, 110 calories per can (also well as 55mg of caffeine). So 660 to over 1300 calories a day just from that!


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## Lamia (Aug 16, 2012)

I find as I have gotten older I eat less. When I was younger and also obsessed with being skinny my relationship with food was much different than it is now. I would do the binge/starve myself cycle. 

Now I just eat when i am hungry and I try to make healthy choices. I try to avoid soda, but I drink one a day. I did good for a while. 

I have been eating pretty shitty this past couple of weeks though. 

Here is an example of what I have eaten in the last 24 hours

yesterday got home from work at 5:30 am. I had a bagle with cream cheese and two burritos with cheese melted on them. 

2pm woke up....ate 16 or so pizza rolls

10pm ate a lean cuisine meal and sugar free jello. 

5:30 am got home waited for my boyfriend to wake up so we could go to breakfast....

7:30 finally caved put on my nightgown and nuked two burritos with cheese melted on them looked up and boyfriend is in the dooryway CURSE YOU!! I wanted taters....anyway. While waiting for my food to cook I ate two ice cream bars. 

Since I work 9pm to 5 am...I usually eat when I get home...eat when I wake up and eat a lean cuisine meal at work. 

Last week I was just eating salsa, chips and fresh avocado instead of meals. I know I eat a lot, but I don't think comparisons are really helpful since everyone is different. 

I weigh 396 lbs.


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## sco17 (Aug 16, 2012)

I should probably know how much I eat since I'm giving serious consideration to making exercise science a career but I really don't know. If I had to guess I'd say I'm somewhere around 2,000 calories a day. I eat 3 meals and 3 slightly smaller snacks with an emphasis on slow burning carbs and protein. My job requires me to walk and lift heavy things all night long so in conjunction with working out 6 days a week I tend to burn a lot of calories. Right now I'm hovering around 160lbs but would like to be 10ish lbs heavier. Unfortunately because I work overnights I think my appetite tends to suffer a bit. I also keep a fairly health conscious diet because of my cholesterol but Fridays are my cheat days and all bets are off. There isn't a pie, cookie, cake, chicken wing, rib, mound of bacon or bag of chips that's safe


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## Surlysomething (Aug 16, 2012)

sw33tness3 said:


> . I think what keeps me fat is that I don't drink hardly anything else but Mtn. Dew. I can drink anywhere from six 12 oz cans up to 12 pack or more, just depends on how thirsty I am that day.




I believe that pop is one of the main causes of Diabetes in the Western world. I truly believe that. I quit smoking 18 years ago and I basically replaced cigarettes with Pepsi. I drank so much that I would choose it over food. I have Type 2 diabetes and got it in my mid 30's. That's pretty damn young. I had so much sugar in my blood from all the pop that I had boils forming in my arm pits. As soon as I stopped drinking Pepsi they vanished and have never returned. I drink Diet Pepsi now and you'd be surprised how you get used to sugar free options.

You might want to look into it.


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## sw33tness3 (Aug 17, 2012)

I agree with you Surly. I think pop is one of the main causes of type 2 diabetes in the Western world too. I don't think that I'm diabetic, but I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to test my blood sugars every now and then just in case. 
A few years ago I was on this weight loss kick and tried the low carb Adkins diet for several months along with switching to diet Mtn Dew. It didn't take me long to get use to the taste. I lost quite a bit of weight then and felt better as well. I'm seriously considering going back to it and sticking to it this time. I just don't think I'll do the diet pop again though. Not a big fan of artificial sweeteners and the possible harmful effects of them. I'd rather cut pop out completely and just drink water. Really hard to do because of the addiction though.


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## CastingPearls (Aug 17, 2012)

I love food and talk about it a lot but I don't eat a lot of it. Not even average anymore. When I was a kid, you'd swear I had a hollow leg but I get full very easily now and I don't like feeling full. I know it seems like a line but I literally do forget to eat often and don't know I'm hungry until I realize I haven't eaten all day and open the fridge and my hands start shaking and my mouth waters. I'm currently living with family and there's not really much room for me anywhere and that includes the fridge so whatever I do eat is usually on the run unless I go out with a friend. I have to be careful about everything because I have an ulcer too. Some of us fatties really don't eat a lot.

I'd probably eat anything Mishty put in front of me, though. 

And pizza bites, if there were a bag of them in the freezer, would probably be eaten in one sitting--they're def one of my kryptonites.


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## Shosh (Aug 17, 2012)

Good topic Mishe, and it seems obvious that if one is heavier they ate the required amount of extra calories to get them to that point. Weight does not just magically appear, you have to eat an excess to store an excess.

I absolutely adore eating. Always have, always will.
Eating for me is so pleasurable, it makes me feel happy, and I just enjoy it so much.
I have always definately been a person who eats as a comfort thing as well.


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## bigmac (Aug 17, 2012)

I eat about 3500 to 4500 calories per day. This has kept me at 300lbs +/- 20lbs for the last 20 years. If I eat less I'm hungry all the time. I don't eat junk food, deserts (no sweet tooth), or sweetened drinks (just lots of unsweetened ice tea).

I like very basic food -- my motto is _*sear it and serve it*_. I'm always telling my wife, a food network junkie, to simplify her cooking. If you can't cook it in a cast iron frying pan or pot its too complicated.


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## Surlysomething (Aug 17, 2012)

sw33tness3 said:


> I agree with you Surly. I think pop is one of the main causes of type 2 diabetes in the Western world too. I don't think that I'm diabetic, but I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to test my blood sugars every now and then just in case.
> A few years ago I was on this weight loss kick and tried the low carb Adkins diet for several months along with switching to diet Mtn Dew. It didn't take me long to get use to the taste. I lost quite a bit of weight then and felt better as well. I'm seriously considering going back to it and sticking to it this time. I just don't think I'll do the diet pop again though. Not a big fan of artificial sweeteners and the possible harmful effects of them. I'd rather cut pop out completely and just drink water. Really hard to do because of the addiction though.




I do think water is really people's best option, but I would much rather take my chances with a Diet option than to fill my body full of modified corn syrup. Haha.


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## Surlysomething (Aug 17, 2012)

bigmac said:


> I eat about 3500 to 4500 calories per day. This has kept me at 300lbs +/- 20lbs for the last 20 years. If I eat less I'm hungry all the time. I don't eat junk food, deserts (no sweet tooth), or sweetened drinks (just lots of unsweetened ice tea).
> 
> I like very basic food -- my motto is _*sear it and serve it*_. I'm always telling my wife, a food network junkie, to simplify her cooking. If you can't cook it in a cast iron frying pan or pot its too complicated.



We really should eat in a more simpler fashion. I took a course in healthy eating and we toured a grocery store. The main thing that struck me was how they market food to us. If you really want to keep things simple, shop the perimeter. That's where you'll find your vegetables, meats and dairy. If you do need your carbs it should be whole grain if at all possible. I could teach the damn class, I just have a hard time putting it into practice. 

I love summer eating. Fresh veggies and bbq meat? ANYTIME.


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## spiritangel (Aug 17, 2012)

I go through phases I can be a total pig

but I can also forget to eat altogether 

I am weird and sometimes I just pick and others I am hungry as

I have had so many skinny friends at times be shocked that I mostly eat less than them but at the same time I can eat a lot a times as well it just is dependent on how I feel 

and also if I feel like doing the work to eat as I dont have convienience and easy meals here so if I want to eat I have to make it.


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## Dr. Feelgood (Aug 17, 2012)

CastingPearls said:


> I know it seems like a line but I literally do forget to eat often and don't know I'm hungry until I realize I haven't eaten all day and open the fridge and my hands start shaking and my mouth waters.



This sounds like my wife. She can go from uninterested to ravenous in sixty seconds. I'm the cook, and I usually check to see if she's ready to consider dinner before I start it. There have been times, however, when I knew she hadn't eaten for several hours and went ahead, even though she said she wasn't hungry. Sure enough, ten minutes later: "Isn't dinner ready YET?"

As a vegetarian, I eat four or five small meals each day instead of three big ones. Breakfast, around eight, is a bagel (with cream cheese, butter, or peanut butter), fruit, and two cups of coffee. Lunch, about one p.m., is a sandwich, or ramen, or occasionally both. At four, I have another cup of coffee and a snack, usually a slice of cheese and a few crackers. Dinner, around seven, is typically a casserole or a stir-fry. If I'm hungry later, I may have a bowl of cold cereal before bed. :eat1:


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## Lamia (Aug 18, 2012)

Shosh said:


> Good topic Mishe, and it seems obvious that if one is heavier they ate the required amount of extra calories to get them to that point. Weight does not just magically appear, you have to eat an excess to store an excess.
> 
> I absolutely adore eating. Always have, always will.
> Eating for me is so pleasurable, it makes me feel happy, and I just enjoy it so much.
> I have always definately been a person who eats as a comfort thing as well.



IF you eat 1,000 calories a day, yet do zero exercise you can gain weight. So you can in fact eat less than some peopele and still get fat.


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## Shosh (Aug 18, 2012)

Lamia said:


> IF you eat 1,000 calories a day, yet do zero exercise you can gain weight. So you can in fact eat less than some peopele and still get fat.



But how many fat people only eat 1000 calories a day? Not many.

One generally retains weight from eating an excess of calories and not exercising.

Not sure why some fat people have to hide that fact by claiming that they do not eat. Is it some misguided attempt to appease fatty haters? Screw em!

Enjoy it, food is one of life's great pleasures!


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## bigmac (Aug 18, 2012)

Shosh said:


> But how many fat people only eat 1000 calories a day? Not many.
> 
> *One generally retains weight from eating an excess of calories and not exercising.
> *
> ...



Yes, but there is not a direct relationship. For example if you eat 100 calories more than needed on any particular day your body does not automatically store that 100 calories as fat. Most skinny people's bodies will find a way to get rid of this surplus in other ways.


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## CastingPearls (Aug 18, 2012)

Shosh said:


> But how many fat people only eat 1000 calories a day? Not many.
> 
> One generally retains weight from eating an excess of calories and not exercising.
> 
> ...



Oh I appease no one but myself. I don't hide a thing, as is commonly known.
I do enjoy food. Love it. But, I also eat less than 1000 calories a day. And yes, there is a difference. Just as there is joy in gaining, there is satisfaction in not. Neither is wrong and to condemn one is to be hypocritical of one's own choices and allowing others' body autonomy.


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## PinkPoodle (Aug 19, 2012)

It usually depends on what type of food, what kind of mood I'm in, and what time of the month it is. For meals, I generally eat decent portions. Maybe a little more than the average person, but I don't super size my meals. I LOVE to snack, though. However, when I do I have some kind of self control. I don't eat the whole bag of chips or package of cookies in one sitting. But where as the average person might have 2 or 3 cookies, I'll have 4, 5, even 6. So I guess I can say that I eat more than the average person, but not so much that I make myself sick.


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## Sweet Tooth (Aug 19, 2012)

Just a thought rolling around in my head after following this thread the last few days... I would really like to see a space where it is safe to "come clean" and be honest with ourselves about what we consume [and don't] and in what quantities, not like it's a value or character statement either way. Unless you spend 24/7 monitoring someone else's activities, you'll never know, and there has to be some trust that the freedom to be accepted where one is at will allow that person to be honest.

It doesn't do any good to assume we all must eat the same way to have gotten fat. That's what the haters do, because they can't look beyond their assumptions. And do thin people never have days of binging? Hardly. Being real is part of owning these bodies we have, the good and bad choices every human makes about their physical self, and the confirming or denying of any given stereotype about them out there.

[And, for me, I've gotten far less crazed about food than when I was younger and hated my body. My weight crept up when I ate the same as I did when I was a smaller BBW but developed a less active, but not totally inactive, lifestyle in college after an ankle injury. Several years later, partially because I was following the fad at the time of high-carb, low-fat which kicked my PCOS side effects into full gear, I gained about 50 pounds over a few months, and that has not budged even with more cautious and healthy eating AND exercise. The only time anything affected it was when I wasn't eating at all due to emotional stress. So... that's my personal story on top of my above comment about my typical eating now.]


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## Shosh (Aug 19, 2012)

CastingPearls said:


> Oh I appease no one but myself. I don't hide a thing, as is commonly known.
> I do enjoy food. Love it. But, I also eat less than 1000 calories a day. And yes, there is a difference. Just as there is joy in gaining, there is satisfaction in not. Neither is wrong and to condemn one is to be hypocritical of one's own choices and allowing others' body autonomy.



No condemnation here.

I just like to deal in reality, and when some people say " I am 500 pounds, but I do not eat anymore than anybody else" I would say, that to get to that weight you must have. And it is absolutely fine. 

I would have to say that yes I do eat more than other people, and that is how I got to my 350 pound weight. I have been eating more than others.


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## CastingPearls (Aug 19, 2012)

Shosh said:


> No condemnation here.
> 
> I just like to deal in reality, and when some people say " I am 500 pounds, but I do not eat anymore than anybody else" I would say, that to get to that weight you must have. And it is absolutely fine.
> 
> I would have to say that yes I do eat more than other people, and that is how I got to my 350 pound weight. I have been eating more than others.


Perhaps no condemnation on your part. 

'I just like to deal in reality'--That was good. Since when? Is this an oblique (or perhaps snide) way of calling fat people who have lipidemia, lymphedema, and any host of metabolic and immune disorders not to mention those who take medication that causes weight gain or retention, liars? Why 500? Is that a personal goal or more to the point, is anyone under that still possibly genetically predisposed and anyone over that definitely a deliberate food Hoover? 

Not all fat people eat a lot of food. Not all thin people eat 'normal' portions. Nearly everyone eats junk. Hell, there are fat vegetarians and vegans. Metabolism plays a lot into it. Activity does too. If you like to eat, GO FOR IT, shoot for the stars, more power to you, and guilt-free too, but to say that hypothetical someone else isn't being honest or realistic because they don't eat a lot is exactly the same myth that western culture, at large (pun intended) thinks even though modern research is FINALLY getting around to because fat people is big (intended again, sorry, can't help myself) big business and as long as there is profit to be made, some of that research that isn't be suppressed in favor of genetics and disorders causing obesity as opposed strictly to caloric intake, is leaking out with all the other anti-fat biased research currently being funded by the diet industry. 

How many fat people have said in these hallowed threads that they don't eat a lot --are they all out of their minds? In denial? Liars? Why are fat people being blamed by other fat people of things they may not be doing even here? 

P.S.--Seriously, enjoy your Violet Crumble.


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## Shosh (Aug 20, 2012)

CastingPearls said:


> Perhaps no condemnation on your part.
> 
> 'I just like to deal in reality'--That was good. Since when? Is this an oblique (or perhaps snide) way of calling fat people who have lipidemia, lymphedema, and any host of metabolic and immune disorders not to mention those who take medication that causes weight gain or retention, liars? Why 500? Is that a personal goal or more to the point, is anyone under that still possibly genetically predisposed and anyone over that definitely a deliberate food Hoover?
> 
> ...




You can gain weight from eating an excess of regular food as well as junk food.Cheeses, breads, pasta, pastries, dairy etc etc.

People that have medical disorders would be in the minority.

Most people that eat to excess and do not exercise will store fat. Simple scientific concept.

And who cares? Enjoy it. Why the need to qualify everything we do to justify ourselves to others that want to tsk tsk. Forget them!

Violet Crumble is no longer sold meanwhile. I am a cake girl myself.


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## LoveBHMS (Aug 20, 2012)

It's always amused me that two things that are 100% sure to stir up controversy on Dimensions are:

1. Fat people saying they love being fat and would like to gain weight.

2. Fat people saying they eat a lot.


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## Lovelyone (Aug 20, 2012)

Shosh said:


> But how many fat people only eat 1000 calories a day? Not many.
> 
> One generally retains weight from eating an excess of calories and not exercising.
> 
> ...



There are many reasons why someone could gain weight--not all of them are overeating and non-exercise related. IN some cases it is glandular and in others weight gain can come from medications.

I am one of those 500 lb people to whom you aluded to in a previous post. I am one of those people whom you say cannot be telling the truth if they say that they have eaten less than 1000 calories. If I averaged out all the food I eat in a week I am quite positive that I consume less calories than an average sized person and less than is suggested by doctors. Speaking only for myself I can say that in my case I have gained weight even if I ate less than the norm. My weight gain is from EATING less but NOT exercising. I can eat less than others but I live a sedentary lifestyle for the most part--so even if I eat fewer calories those calories tend to stay with me. 
It's a mighty big generalization to say that just because someone (in your words the "fat people") says they don't eat...they must be hiding something or appeasing the fat haters. I know for a fact that sometimes I do not eat. I am either too busy doing things or just plain forget. I have at times gone for up to three days without eating simply because it wasn't as important to me at the time as the things that I was doing. It's not a lie, I am not trying to hide anything nor am I trying in any way to appease the fat haters. I don't waste my time trying to prove anything to fat haters...my time is too precious for dealing with idiots. Anyone who knows me knows that when I eat I am not concerned about how much or what I am eating. I thoroughly enjoy my food and take pleasure when I do eat for the sake of eating. I eat what I want and when I want without concern for offending someone who might not enjoy seeing me eat MY food MY way. On some days I eat some fruit or veggies...probably no more than 500 calories (less then the 1,000 that you mentioned) and that is enough for me. Other days I can eat a whole pizza cos I am THAT hungry. I am not trying to deny that I am an overeater, but just because I don't come out and say that I eat 5000 calories every single day does not mean that I am lying or hiding what I do consume.


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## Tad (Aug 20, 2012)

One thing to keep in mind, when wondering how much someone needs to eat just to stay steady in their weight, is that fat burns almost no calories on its own. It takes as much energy to move a pound of fat as a pound of bone, muscle or anything else, but when just sitting there, fat is pretty inert. Which makes sense--it has evolved as a form of long term energy storage, you wouldn't want to burn part of it just to keep it in place.

The result is that the fatter you are, the larger an impact your activity level will have on how much your body burns.


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## imfree (Aug 20, 2012)

My $.02, or is that "my O2"?, s**T, I dunno!!! A lot of people say "there's no such thing as being fat because of low metabolism" A person who can't maintain decent oxygen saturation under exertion is sure as f**k going to have a hard time getting enough exercise to metabolize very many calories!:doh:


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## LoveBHMS (Aug 20, 2012)

I'm sure what Shosh meant was that most fat people don't eat 1000 calories/day on a consistent basis, not that fat people eat 5000 calories every single day or that fat people never skip a meal.


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## Lovelyone (Aug 21, 2012)

LoveBHMS said:


> I'm sure what Shosh meant was that most fat people don't eat 1000 calories/day on a consistent basis, not that fat people eat 5000 calories every single day or that fat people never skip a meal.



I know what she meant, but its still a sweeping generalization to state that just because someone says they don't eat sometimes that they must be hiding something or catering to the fat haters--not to mention assuming that just because someone is fat they cant possibly eat less than 1,000 calories a day. And...honestly don't we have enough criticism outside this community? 

The truth is that I got fat from over-eating, indulging and not caring about what I put in my body. Pretty much the only exercise I got was at my job in a plastics factory. When I was working I didn't gain weight no matter how much I ate because I worked my ass off in a factory that was 120 degrees inside in the summer. 

Now, I am unemployed and living on a budget. For the most part I do not have the money to indulge. The few occasions I get to eat more than 1200 calories a day are when a good friend buys me some treat from my wish list and sends it in the mail (and I am ashamed to say that I've asked some friends to do that) or when my best friend buys me and my family pizza at the end of the month cos there isn't anything in the cupboards and we haven't any money to buy some. Once in a while my sister gets an overdue child support check and we party it up with McDonald's Whooo hoo!

As I explained in an earlier posting--sometimes I go days without eating for any number of reasons from being too busy, to being too depressed, to not having any groceries in the house and because all we got in our food box was northern white beans and/or something with mushrooms (both things I cannot have). My family has just enough money every month to buy the food that is needed and nothing more(and sometimes what we do have doesn't last). We have on occasion had to get a food box from the food pantry of the Saint Vincent DePaul organization. When this happens I avoid eating so that my sisters kids get fed. We are not hurting greatly...and only have had to do it a few times in the past year, but when it does--I take the last of something after everyone else has been fed. The last little bit of corn from a can, the last hot dog with the end piece of bread, the smallest amount of dry cereal (cos the kids need the milk), etc. I frequently put off eating just to make sure that everyone else had something to eat that day. 

Now...I do not eat more than 1000 calories on MOST days and I still gain weight because I am obese and live a very sedentary lifestyle. I do what I can to get exercise but both of my knees are shot and right now one of them is fractured. I use a walker. I am quite sure that I will gain weight now that I cannot move around much at all while it is healing. 

I can't count the number of days I have gone to bed with aches in my stomach because I haven't eaten that day because the kids in my family come first. So I take a little offense when someone ASSUMES that just because I am a fat 500 lb. person I must eat more than 1000 calories OR that I cannot ever eat less than 1000 calories.

For the record, I love Shosh and think she's a terrific person with a heart of gold--but on this occasion I had to speak up.


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## buchannan2926 (Aug 21, 2012)

When I was so very skinny at 180 and 6 2 that I looked like a death camp inmate I was eating over 5000 kcal per day probably over 6000 ... but I was doing heavy manuel labor for 12 to 16 hours each day . It is not how much you eat but what you do to burn off what you eat.. So all you bbws keep eating and dont do too much heavy work...


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## BBW MeganLynn44DD (Aug 21, 2012)

I am an emotional eater also,been going through a rough time with health in my family and I just seem to be eating nonstop.I really don't care about the weight but I'd like to get on a normal eating schedule.Like a bottomless pit this entire summer,something's gotta give!


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## Surlysomething (Aug 21, 2012)

buchannan2926 said:


> When I was so very skinny at 180 and 6 2 that I looked like a death camp inmate I was eating over 5000 kcal per day probably over 6000 ... but I was doing heavy manuel labor for 12 to 16 hours each day . It is not how much you eat but what you do to burn off what you eat.. So all you bbws keep eating and dont do too much heavy work...



Gee, thanks.


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## EMH1701 (Aug 21, 2012)

I'm weird. I've counted calories while not dieting and found myself around 1700 or so on an average day. Apparently I eat enough to keep my weight stable (just over 200).

I strongly suspect it is more my days of yo-yo dieting that led to weight gain and a slow metabolism than anything else. But yo-yo dieting will do that to people. I am now firmly against dieting unless one absolutely *must* do it for medical reasons (and even then I am still against fad diets).


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## willow173 (Aug 24, 2012)

For me it varies daily, if I have stuff to do I can eat as little as 1000 calories which consists of fruit, soup and a bit of something in the evening like noodles. If I am bored I can eat 3x that and throw in plenty of junk.
If I am sad I dont eat at all until I shake and remind myself I have not eaten all day. And that there pure and simple is why I am the size I am!

I am healthier than I used to be as I could binge with the best and yes 3 biccy's is enough if its the right biccy's. I wouldnt eat more than 1 4oz or maybe 6 oz burger but thats probably because I dont like meat very much. I try very very hard to eat a balanced diet but I probably only manage it twice a week.

I often think if I did one of those sent to the door diets and just eat what I am given I would be much healthier but I wouldnt subject my kids to that and couldnt warrant the majority of our food budget going on me.


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## Russell Williams (Aug 30, 2012)

Shosh said:


> But how many fat people only eat 1000 calories a day? Not many.
> 
> One generally retains weight from eating an excess of calories and not exercising.
> 
> ...



As best I remember in the 1960s someone did an experiment with male prisoners. They took thin men and have them spend time eating (I do not remember which it was) 7000 or 8000 cal a day. All the men gained weight. After the man had gained an average of 30 pounds they let them eat what they wanted to. All of the men except for one went back to their previous weights. A check of the family history of the man who did not go back to his previous week revealed that some of his relatives were fat.


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## Russell Williams (Aug 30, 2012)

In the 1980s I did what I grandiosely called the Williams experiment.

The question to be answered was, "How much would a bunch of mostly fat people eat in a situation in which there was a lot of food available and the people around them were not watching to see how much they ate and no matter how much or how little they ate the price they paid for the food was the same."
Such a situation existed at all you can eat buffets at NAAFA weekend functions. While, with the possible exception of some F A's, those who came to the conventions and gatherings were not paying attention to how much people were eating there was someone who was paying close attention to how much food was being consumed. That person was the banquet manager.

As best I remember, at 10 different meals, I explained to the banquet manager that many people said that fat people would eat everything in sight and I was wondering if that was true. I asked how much the NAAFA group had eaten compared to other groups. In seven instances the banquet manager told me that the amount was almost exactly the same. In one instance the banquet manager told me that the amount of food eaten was the same but that the group had drunk a lot more water (however, water is not a high calorie item). In one instance the banquet manager told me that the amount eaten was the same as for other groups with the exception of when a football team came for a weekend and that the football team out ate the NAAFA group by (here he was obviously searching for words) "the length of a football field."

In one of the 10 instances THE NAAFA group consumed about one third more food. As I thought about this anomaly I realized that this had been the first meal for most people after a long day of travel and so perhaps they were more hungry than normal.

Once I was talking to a reporter about how many people say that fat people will eat everything in sight. The reporter agreed that he had heard such. I pointed out that the evidence of the untruth of that statement was right beside him. He looked confused. We were standing next to the food line at a buffet and the buffet had ended. I pointed out to the reporter that the was a lot of food left in the food trays in the buffet line. He could not deny the evidence provided to him by his own eyes.


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## Saoirse (Aug 30, 2012)

I hardly eat during the day when Im at work. Dont really ever eat breakfast (unless its being made for me) and lunch at work is usually a granola bar. When I get home I pig out for dinner and then maybe something sweet afterwards. Honestly, I think most of my calories come from beer. :doh:


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## Lamia (Aug 30, 2012)

I would be interested in seeing how much food was wasted. It's been my experience that thin people will pile up as much food as me on their plates....My plate will be empty and they will waste at least half and then they will go get another plate of food and waste half of that. 

At a buffet I generally will get some appetizers and the a main course. I eat a lot and I empty my plate because I refuse to waste food. The people around me will have 2 or 3 plates of half eaten food.


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## Lamia (Aug 30, 2012)

I notice as I have aged I eat a lot less, yet my weight remains the same. I think you can eat yourself up to a certain weight and then it doesn't take much to maintain it for certain people.


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## Surlysomething (Aug 30, 2012)

Lamia said:


> I would be interested in seeing how much food was wasted. It's been my experience that thin people will pile up as much food as me on their plates....My plate will be empty and they will waste at least half and then they will go get another plate of food and waste half of that.
> 
> At a buffet I generally will get some appetizers and the a main course. I eat a lot and I empty my plate because I refuse to waste food. The people around me will have 2 or 3 plates of half eaten food.




I've noticed this too! I hate wasting food so I really think about what i'm taking.


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## LoveBHMS (Aug 31, 2012)

I really don't understand the need to base size acceptance on the theory that people aren't responsible for their size.


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## BriannaBombshell (Aug 31, 2012)

I eat a lot and probably much more than that! I am a large woman and I don't stay large by dieting or exercise. I do however tend to eat healthy except for the fact that I love ice cream. I can eat way more ice cream then any person, I'm pretty sure of that.


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## CastingPearls (Aug 31, 2012)

I really don't understand the need to condescend to an entire group of people over and over again that their perception of their bodies and how they relate to them is to be dismissed, ridiculed and vilified.


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## LoveBHMS (Aug 31, 2012)

CastingPearls said:


> I really don't understand the need to condescend to an entire group of people over and over again that their perception of their bodies and how they relate to them is to be dismissed, ridiculed and vilified.



Excuse me? My point is that it's a dangerous road to go down when you start worrying over why somebody's fat. The minute size acceptance stops being about size it runs into trouble. You can't eliminate bigotry simply by proving it's not your fault you're fat. There are a lot of fatties between the "fat due to reasons 100% beyond your control" and "fat because they get off on being fat and are feedee/gainers who intentionally got fat."


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## seavixen (Aug 31, 2012)

I go back and forth. Some days, I eat considerably less than most average people that I know. Others, I eat much more. It just depends on what my mood is. I tend to forget completely about eating, if nobody's around to remind me, though - lol.

Honestly, my husband is just chubby, and he can often eat way more than I do, and he's a constant snacker, on top of that. I find that I eat the most when I've forgotten to eat all day - then when I finally eat, I just keep going. If I actually have breakfast of some kind in the morning, I usually eat less over the course of the day.


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## CastingPearls (Aug 31, 2012)

LoveBHMS said:


> Excuse me? My point is that it's a dangerous road to go down when you start worrying over why somebody's fat. The minute size acceptance stops being about size it runs into trouble. You can't eliminate bigotry simply by proving it's not your fault you're fat. There are a lot of fatties between the "fat due to reasons 100% beyond your control" and "fat because they get off on being fat and are feedee/gainers who intentionally got fat."


Excuse YOU. You have maintained more than once that fat people are fat exclusively because they consume too much or don't exercise enough so pick a lane, please, rather than pontificate that fat people only say they're in one of the two extreme camps. Who are YOU trying to enlighten? Do you think fat people are so stupid to think that's all we think about-- who's to blame? It's either not of our own doing at all or it's all our doing, by deliberate choice? Are you worried about it? Why? Can't imagine why since you've already made your judgement and shared it which is your right as much as mine. 

Fat people make up the majority of the size acceptance community and if they want to worry or talk about why they think it might be X, Y, or Z, as part of their experience, really, what is it to you? They're part of the community but it doesn't mean it's the party line of the community. If something is their experience, who are you to tell them it's right or wrong? How does how they experience their bodies and their lives threaten the fight against bigotry? Everyone, regardless of size should be respected, THAT as far as I know is what size acceptance is all about, and that's what it's always going to be about. Other concerns are additional but to many fat people as individuals, no less important. That's why we who are fat talk about it. That's why it's in our conversations in the size acceptance community because we're the ones who are fat and are allowed to discuss our concerns as WE see fit.


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## extra_m13 (Sep 1, 2012)

if you ask me... usually i eat pretty decent and healthy however there are ocassions when i just go all in and try to eat beyond any limit and i enjoy it to be honest.


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## one2one (Sep 2, 2012)

LoveBHMS said:


> I really don't understand the need to base size acceptance on the theory that people aren't responsible for their size.



I think size acceptance is about the the inherent physical diversity within humanity and the right to live without the abuse that gets thrown at larger people every day. Including blaming them for all the physiological factors that they do not deserve to be faulted or punished for. I am not a part of the food/fear/control, fat/anger/hate culture and have zero obligation to deny my body what it needs.

I adore food and believe that my beautiful body needs nutrients, primarily from food. I don’t count calories (or fat grams) or measure servings. I never have and literally have no idea how many calories are in anything I eat. I don’t have fear, guilt or angst about food either, and because that’s not a part of my internal life, I don’t project that on the people around me. 

The fridge was a little bare, so I happen to know pretty precisely what I had and what I ate out this week. This is Sunday thru Friday; 3 meals a day plus any snacks or desserts. Almost everything on the list, including the 7” pizza and the sandwich, was divided among different meals. I usually have a little better variety of fruits and vegetables, maybe a bit more grain (or not), and less pizza. 

I completely understand why people point out the studies and anecdotal evidence from catered events that indicate larger people do not eat more and often eat less. That’s been my experience, but there seems to be no end to amount of ignorant assumptions we deal with. 

about 8 fun size candy bars (someone filled the candy jar at work )
2 snack size Cadbury ice cream bars
3 kashi granola bars 
2 large bananas
about one and a half lbs of fresh cherries
a couple lbs of carrots w/ a little butter and lavender honey
¾ lb green beans
2 cups of homemade coleslaw
half a dozen grape tomatoes
2 pieces of 7 grain toast
about 2 Tbsp peanut butter
1 cup green rice (brown rice baked with egg, milk, cheese, parsley and lots of chopped baby spinach)
6 whole grain crackers
3 slices fresh mozzarella
1 slice of pizza 
a 7” pizza
a ham and swiss cheese sandwich on caraway rye
a single serving spinach and bacon egg soufflé 
1 whole grain bagel
a little container of cream cheese (maybe 2 Tbsp.)
½ lb of shrimp
½ lb of salmon
½ a piece of banana cream cheesecake
a garden salad (greens, tomato, beets, cucumber, carrots and zucchini) w/ranch dressing
3 slices of sourdough baguette w/butter
6 tiny crab balls 
1 cup chicken soup
a blueberry/raspberry/blackberry smoothie made with plain Greek yogurt
at least 500 oz. of natural spring water (this is not a typo)

After a late breakfast at Perkins, I finally went grocery shopping Saturday but didn't really have much time to cook. I had:

2 scrambled eggs
one and a half buttermilk pancakes
about a 1/3 cup of red grapes
2 sausage links
a cup of roasted red pepper/tomato soup
brown sugar smoked trout and crackers
a salad of baby kale and plum with a homemade vinaigrette
bread with a triple cream brie and shallots and mushrooms sautéed in butter and sherry (seriously yummy)
at least another 80 oz. of water
a square of dark chocolate


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## bigmac (Sep 2, 2012)

LoveBHMS said:


> I really don't understand the need to base size acceptance on the theory that people aren't responsible for their size.




The world is full of people who believe that being fat is a "lifestyle choice." Many negative consequences flow from this belief that fat people choose to be fat and could become thin anytime they want if they just "choose" a more "healthy lifestyle". 

While obesity is a complex poorly understood phenomenon the one line reply to the foregoing is that fat people are indeed not responsible for their size (an oversimplification for sure but a start).


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