Are you an "Almond Mom"?

[Anonymous]

not when my kids were younger but now yes.

I did child lead eating. They eat atrociously and are gaining weight as teens bc they are trying to eat like they did as kids.

So now I am more almond mom

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I tell my children not to eat past full. We regularly throw food away, like if they take two bites of pancake and are no longer hungry, it goes in the trash. Most overweight adults have a very hard time throwing away food, especially if it’s perfectly good and you only took one bite. I never ask what our children ate at school, I ask who they ate with. We basically ignore food outside of meals. Food-focused parents create food-focused children, and this is true of both hyper-nutrition-focused moms and severely food addicted moms.

I agree that eating more than you want is a bad idea, but so is food waste. Why not pop unfinished food into a Tupperware and stick in the fridge or freezer for later? I enjoy making meals out of random leftovers--sort of like being at a cocktail party and having a bit of this and that.

Because it trains them: there is a freedom that you get when you are able to take one bite of a delicious cookie and throw the rest in the trash (the only place it can serve the greater ecosystem). That freedom is what makes people permanently thin and diminishes their focus on food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I tell my children not to eat past full. We regularly throw food away, like if they take two bites of pancake and are no longer hungry, it goes in the trash. Most overweight adults have a very hard time throwing away food, especially if it’s perfectly good and you only took one bite. I never ask what our children ate at school, I ask who they ate with. We basically ignore food outside of meals. Food-focused parents create food-focused children, and this is true of both hyper-nutrition-focused moms and severely food addicted moms.

I agree that eating more than you want is a bad idea, but so is food waste. Why not pop unfinished food into a Tupperware and stick in the fridge or freezer for later? I enjoy making meals out of random leftovers--sort of like being at a cocktail party and having a bit of this and that.

Because it trains them: there is a freedom that you get when you are able to take one bite of a delicious cookie and throw the rest in the trash (the only place it can serve the greater ecosystem). That freedom is what makes people permanently thin and diminishes their focus on food.

I'm thin and I eat the whole damn cookie...or three of them. I credit good genes and daily exercise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I was going to make the distinction, I'd say:
Healthy eating = discussing what types of food/nutrients we should eat
Almond/diet Mom = discussing how much we should eat (and/or what we should NOT eat)

For 90% of kids, if you provide a lot of healthy food and make sure they are having balanced meals before any snacks/treats, they will self-regulate pretty well in terms of intake. I really don't think there has to be any discussion about the amounts of food, the size of their portions, etc. We do have dessert and a bit of junk around. But once they have a healthy meal or snack, they can't really get through that much. And if my kid is truly getting overweight on e.g. avocados, yogurt, apples and sandwiches (possible but unlikely), then so be it...

But that’s not true. It’s quite likely for someone disposed to gain weight. And I agree that it’s fine. But you’re buying into a silly myth that overweight/obesity is rooted in junk food. It’s not about Doritos, it’s about hormones and other complicated physiological systems.

But that is also not quite true. American obesity is in large part driven by the type of food we eat (which isn't just "junk food," but that's an adequate shorthand); you can see this by the effects of the spread of the "American diet" and industrialized, processed food worldwide. It is certainly not the only reason, but it is a big one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I was going to make the distinction, I'd say:
Healthy eating = discussing what types of food/nutrients we should eat
Almond/diet Mom = discussing how much we should eat (and/or what we should NOT eat)

For 90% of kids, if you provide a lot of healthy food and make sure they are having balanced meals before any snacks/treats, they will self-regulate pretty well in terms of intake. I really don't think there has to be any discussion about the amounts of food, the size of their portions, etc. We do have dessert and a bit of junk around. But once they have a healthy meal or snack, they can't really get through that much. And if my kid is truly getting overweight on e.g. avocados, yogurt, apples and sandwiches (possible but unlikely), then so be it...

But that’s not true. It’s quite likely for someone disposed to gain weight. And I agree that it’s fine. But you’re buying into a silly myth that overweight/obesity is rooted in junk food. It’s not about Doritos, it’s about hormones and other complicated physiological systems.

But that is also not quite true. American obesity is in large part driven by the type of food we eat (which isn't just "junk food," but that's an adequate shorthand); you can see this by the effects of the spread of the "American diet" and industrialized, processed food worldwide. It is certainly not the only reason, but it is a big one.

That’s your belief but it’s not backed up by anything. It’s just as possible to become obese through overeating clean foods as overeating junk foods.

[Anonymous]

I don’t want to get into the science but peace to the almond moms, we’re all in the same boat and doing the best we can. Humans are frail and full of faults. My grandmother was an almond mom. She also abused laxatives so much in her youth she permanently messed up her digestion. I think she was hungry her whole life. I’m fat and that hasn’t solved the problem! Let’s all be as kind as possible to each other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, I'm definitely not. I'm very thin, though, so a lot of people assume I'm like that if I say even the mildest thing in terms of restricting certain foods. Like my kid's school gives them cupcakes every Friday for good behavior. I am not against cupcakes, but don't love the fact that they get them every week or the fact that it's a reward (not into food punishments or rewards, food should be separate). But when I raised this with the PTA, several people looked at me and made comments that indicated that they think I'm starting myself and my kid. If they know what an almond mom is, some of them are definitely calling me that behind my back.

I'm just naturally thin. I eat a lot of baked goods. I just think store bought cupcakes with pure-sugar frosting EVERY Friday is maybe not sending the healthiest message to kids, especially not when linked with following rules and behavior expectations. Just have a cupcake if you want a cupcake, not as a reward for "being good." That's the disordered behavior but a lot of people don't recognize it because it's so engrained in our behavior.

That's a lot of words about behavioralism but I am left unclear: do you or do you not think it's a problem to eat a cupcake every week? Do you think there is a meaningful difference between cupcakes made at home and those bought in the store? How do YOU make frosting that makes it something other than "pure-sugar" (and butter or other carrying medium)?

I’m not the quoted PP, but, assuming this is elementary school, a normal-sized cupcake is a pretty massive serving of pure sugar to have for a kid that age, and as someone else said there is a birthday or Valentine’s Party or whatever else like every week. So my kid is getting like 2-3 servings of dessert at school, plus birthday parties, grandparent visits, holidays—it feels like I never get to just buy them a treat for fun because there is too much sugar. So while the cupcake wouldn’t be that big of a deal, having a guaranteed weekly sugar bomb would not be my favorite, then to add the food-as-reward thing which is its own problem would be a big thumbs-down from me.

And FWIW, when we make cupcakes at home I do frosting that is almond- or cashew-butter with enough sugar for sweetness but since the nut butters are already pretty thick, you don’t need as much sugar to get the right consistency.

Making cupcakes at home with cashew butter frosted is peak disordered eating.

hahaha what? No. I am a different poster. I make lots of "healthified" foods at home. Healthier versions of muffins, cakes, etc. You can bet my chocolate muffins have zucchini in them. I do not have an eating disorder, I just take an interest in health and healthy cooking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I tell my children not to eat past full. We regularly throw food away, like if they take two bites of pancake and are no longer hungry, it goes in the trash. Most overweight adults have a very hard time throwing away food, especially if it’s perfectly good and you only took one bite. I never ask what our children ate at school, I ask who they ate with. We basically ignore food outside of meals. Food-focused parents create food-focused children, and this is true of both hyper-nutrition-focused moms and severely food addicted moms.

I agree that eating more than you want is a bad idea, but so is food waste. Why not pop unfinished food into a Tupperware and stick in the fridge or freezer for later? I enjoy making meals out of random leftovers--sort of like being at a cocktail party and having a bit of this and that.

Because it trains them: there is a freedom that you get when you are able to take one bite of a delicious cookie and throw the rest in the trash (the only place it can serve the greater ecosystem). That freedom is what makes people permanently thin and diminishes their focus on food.

Actually I think it just trains them to be wasteful. Why don’t your kids just share a cookie?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I was going to make the distinction, I'd say:
Healthy eating = discussing what types of food/nutrients we should eat
Almond/diet Mom = discussing how much we should eat (and/or what we should NOT eat)

For 90% of kids, if you provide a lot of healthy food and make sure they are having balanced meals before any snacks/treats, they will self-regulate pretty well in terms of intake. I really don't think there has to be any discussion about the amounts of food, the size of their portions, etc. We do have dessert and a bit of junk around. But once they have a healthy meal or snack, they can't really get through that much. And if my kid is truly getting overweight on e.g. avocados, yogurt, apples and sandwiches (possible but unlikely), then so be it...

But that’s not true. It’s quite likely for someone disposed to gain weight. And I agree that it’s fine. But you’re buying into a silly myth that overweight/obesity is rooted in junk food. It’s not about Doritos, it’s about hormones and other complicated physiological systems.

But that is also not quite true. American obesity is in large part driven by the type of food we eat (which isn't just "junk food," but that's an adequate shorthand); you can see this by the effects of the spread of the "American diet" and industrialized, processed food worldwide. It is certainly not the only reason, but it is a big one.

That’s your belief but it’s not backed up by anything. It’s just as possible to become obese through overeating clean foods as overeating junk foods.

?

One of a million articles on this: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7721435/#:~:text=Several%20factors%20have%20been%20attributed%20to%20this%20epidemic,has%20corresponded%20to%20the%20steady%20rise%20in%20obesity.

I think you would be hard pressed to find a single authority that asserted that society-wide eating patterns/ American diet/ prevalence of processed foods had no effect on obesity rates.

[Anonymous]

Didn’t Obama famously eat 7 almonds if he felt overcome by hunger? This is how people who want to stay slim eat.

[Anonymous]

Because it trains them: there is a freedom that you get when you are able to take one bite of a delicious cookie and throw the rest in the trash (the only place it can serve the greater ecosystem). That freedom is what makes people permanently thin and diminishes their focus on food.

What, freedom to be wasteful with a fear of food disguised as a sense of superiority? I'm thin, and if I want a cookie, I'll just eat a cookie. I didn't have to throw away a bunch of barely nibbled cookies to get here.

Maybe teach them that one cookie is enough or that they probably don't need to eat them every day. But teaching them the joy of throwing away food as if that's something to celebrate - that's weird and unlikely to result in a healthy relationship with food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am definitely someone with a messed up relationship food and I am perpetually on a diet. I also have no desire to stop dieting and just accepting my body as it is. The extra weight I carry makes me miserable. I think it is great that the younger generation is rejecting "diet culture".

I am also very thankful I don't have daughters because I think boy are more protected from diet culture and I am less likely to screw up my sons with diet stuff than if I had daughters.

Boys are also affected. My MIL and FIL constantly talk about weight and it has negatively affected my husband’s esteem his whole life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This loomed large in the households of my white friends. Their moms were so hard on them. Most didn't complain about it but would point it out as an annoying *eye rolling* aspect of their mom's personality. The same women became just as bad when they had kids but frame it with the righteousness of healthy eating. They are obsessed with each meal being small and healthy and no wiggle room or lack of criticism for bad foods. They are just as overbearing with their kid's meals (way more with their girls). The difference is their mothers would go on more about being thin without considering nutrition beyond cutting calories, whereas their daughters (as moms) go on about not being an unhealthy weight as the goal and if that's not enough... exercise through extracurricular classes. Each generation will course correct a bit but the issues of focusing on that to an overblown degree are still strong.

If you think this is a white person thing you haven’t been around many people from other countries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I was going to make the distinction, I'd say:
Healthy eating = discussing what types of food/nutrients we should eat
Almond/diet Mom = discussing how much we should eat (and/or what we should NOT eat)

For 90% of kids, if you provide a lot of healthy food and make sure they are having balanced meals before any snacks/treats, they will self-regulate pretty well in terms of intake. I really don't think there has to be any discussion about the amounts of food, the size of their portions, etc. We do have dessert and a bit of junk around. But once they have a healthy meal or snack, they can't really get through that much. And if my kid is truly getting overweight on e.g. avocados, yogurt, apples and sandwiches (possible but unlikely), then so be it...

But that’s not true. It’s quite likely for someone disposed to gain weight. And I agree that it’s fine. But you’re buying into a silly myth that overweight/obesity is rooted in junk food. It’s not about Doritos, it’s about hormones and other complicated physiological systems.

But that is also not quite true. American obesity is in large part driven by the type of food we eat (which isn't just "junk food," but that's an adequate shorthand); you can see this by the effects of the spread of the "American diet" and industrialized, processed food worldwide. It is certainly not the only reason, but it is a big one.

That’s your belief but it’s not backed up by anything. It’s just as possible to become obese through overeating clean foods as overeating junk foods.

?

One of a million articles on this: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7721435/#:~:text=Several%20factors%20have%20been%20attributed%20to%20this%20epidemic,has%20corresponded%20to%20the%20steady%20rise%20in%20obesity.

I think you would be hard pressed to find a single authority that asserted that society-wide eating patterns/ American diet/ prevalence of processed foods had no effect on obesity rates.

But the argument I’m responding to is very different—that providing/eating healthy food prevents obesity. Not that eating unhealthy food is linked to obesity, but instead that obesity is avoidable if you only eat clean foods. That’s not true, even if unhealthy foods tend to aggravate obesity rates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Didn’t Obama famously eat 7 almonds if he felt overcome by hunger? This is how people who want to stay slim eat.

Obama smoked a pack a day. It wasn’t the almonds lol