Anonymous wrote:Most vegetarians I know are fat.

In my immediate adult friend group, the vegetarians are the ones with -- by a large margin --- the lowest body fat. There is the friend who does a lot of yoga, the friend with the long daily bike commute, and me -- the powerlifter who loves having abs as a middle aged dad. The meat eaters all tend to eat and drink a lot more than we do.

Vegetarian here. 58 years old. Never been fat. Not even close.

Have you seen people who eat pork rinds and big steaks? Blech.

Just eat half the meat and double the veggies. That way you don't have to give up anything. You'll be much healthier. My parents have now adopted this eating style the past 20 years. Super healthy, now in their late 80s.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, when my grandparents' generation struggled with letting black kids go to the same school as their kids, and fired and ostrcized people because they were gay--all while claiming to be Christian themselves--they don't get a glorified pass from me that I should live my life the way they did.

By the way? My grandparents drank Tab, smoked, ate tons of red meat, and considered cream cheese to be a primary food group. Let's be real, here.

No one is asking you to adopt dysfunctional habits from your ancestors. They seem to be racist, intolerant and porcine in their eating habits

OP is talking about the another culture's eating and work habits from many decades earlier. The lesson is - eat less, be more active.

You get it. Nobody is talking about being racist and eating tubs of mayo. And eating veggies and healthy grains. I am actually appalled by the advice of some health "gurus" to eat pork rinds and bacon on dirty keto and lose weight! But, people do that, ton of people do that. My FIL could use this advice too. He sent us a photo if double mashed potatoes and chopped steak he had for dinner yesterday, with gravy all over it. You could not see the meat from the gravy! He then goes on and on how he will never get dementia! I tried to mention casual dementia, and he said, that not from food, that is from a stroke! So, as for the Japanese health guru that died at 105, I am sure he would not tell my kids to do was this grandpa does! Common sense.

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, when my grandparents' generation struggled with letting black kids go to the same school as their kids, and fired and ostrcized people because they were gay--all while claiming to be Christian themselves--they don't get a glorified pass from me that I should live my life the way they did.

By the way? My grandparents drank Tab, smoked, ate tons of red meat, and considered cream cheese to be a primary food group. Let's be real, here.

No one is asking you to adopt dysfunctional habits from your ancestors. They seem to be racist, intolerant and porcine in their eating habits

OP is talking about the another culture's eating and work habits from many decades earlier. The lesson is - eat less, be more active.

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, when my grandparents' generation struggled with letting black kids go to the same school as their kids, and fired and ostrcized people because they were gay--all while claiming to be Christian themselves--they don't get a glorified pass from me that I should live my life the way they did.

By the way? My grandparents drank Tab, smoked, ate tons of red meat, and considered cream cheese to be a primary food group. Let's be real, here.

Clearly a person that is 105 years old had grandparents born around 1890? No? You are so full if hate maybe you are more like them than you think.

My sister and I often comment how little we ate while growing up. Example at the family dinner table: One pork chop each, 2 sides of veggies per person-- about a cup of each. There were no leftovers. Dessert about 2x per week. We loved our veggies. They were the bulk of the meal, not the meat. If there was a extra pork chop my dad got it. No one was hungry. No one was fat. A snack after dinner was an orange. We moved constantly.

I remember, as a teenage boy, being constantly hungry because my clueless mom always served what seemed like an adequate amount of food TO HER - e.g., one lousy pork chop - not even imagining I was growing and needed lots more.

The only good thing about veggies is that they are not ultra-processed crap. I mostly eat meat, and I assure you I am not fat.

Sorry, when my grandparents' generation struggled with letting black kids go to the same school as their kids, and fired and ostrcized people because they were gay--all while claiming to be Christian themselves--they don't get a glorified pass from me that I should live my life the way they did.

By the way? My grandparents drank Tab, smoked, ate tons of red meat, and considered cream cheese to be a primary food group. Let's be real, here.

Most vegetarians I know are fat.

I have been a fitness professional for the past 25 years and an athlete for the last 40. I have been saying the same thing as the OP most of my life.

My sister and I often comment how little we ate while growing up. Example at the family dinner table: One pork chop each, 2 sides of veggies per person-- about a cup of each. There were no leftovers. Dessert about 2x per week. We loved our veggies. They were the bulk of the meal, not the meat. If there was a extra pork chop my dad got it. No one was hungry. No one was fat. A snack after dinner was an orange. We moved constantly.

After college i became a vegetarian. It was not difficult, as I was not addicted to meat. Sure we had it nearly every day (except spaghetti night) but it was a small single serving. We loved our fruits and veggies. I did, however, start to enjoy dessert each day, but that kept me on my athletic track

Anonymous wrote:Well people used to be a lot busier. Grandmother also has to to hand wash dishes, hand clothes to dry, iron, do own mending and sewing, cleaned own house, walked places (one car per family was common), hand washed the floor (no shark steam mop), rarely ate out (there weren’t as many restaurants and people had a lot of kids), and many other chores most people don’t do anymore.

Technology has made people very lazy. People don’t even have to drive to the grocery store anymore to get their own food. Everything is ordered and delivered from clothes to food or supplies without having to get up from a chair.

OP here. I did this for my college DS last week. Ordered him groceries, he is an athlete and has a hard time even maintaining his low weight, but I do wonder when he is done with his sport if he will keep active or gain weight due to inactive life style.

Anonymous wrote:My grandmother used to dip her veggies in a huge tub of mayo as a snack. She kept a can of bacon grease in the fridge. She was very slim but certainly not active or healthy. I think maybe I will stick with my veggies dipped in Greek yogurt and skip the lard.

I do miss her terribly though - she lived to be 96!

I think that is why the advice to go further back if you are not that old. hat did you great, great, great grandmother eat and do in her lifetime?

Well people used to be a lot busier. Grandmother also has to to hand wash dishes, hand clothes to dry, iron, do own mending and sewing, cleaned own house, walked places (one car per family was common), hand washed the floor (no shark steam mop), rarely ate out (there weren’t as many restaurants and people had a lot of kids), and many other chores most people don’t do anymore.

Technology has made people very lazy. People don’t even have to drive to the grocery store anymore to get their own food. Everything is ordered and delivered from clothes to food or supplies without having to get up from a chair.

My grandmother used to dip her veggies in a huge tub of mayo as a snack. She kept a can of bacon grease in the fridge. She was very slim but certainly not active or healthy. I think maybe I will stick with my veggies dipped in Greek yogurt and skip the lard.

I do miss her terribly though - she lived to be 96!

It is this late Japanese scientist who died at 105. Said that if your grandmother(insert ancestor of certain degree if you are young) would be ashamed to see you eat what you are eating and being lazy, you are doing it wrong. Keep moving, no matter your age, keep working, always take the stairs, and don't set yourself in some must eat at this time or I am wrong mind set. Said how many hard working people of the past never ate lunch because they were too busy and they never thought they were starving. This is so true for me, I eat when I am bored. He said that when you are working, hunger doesn't register, also true for me. And to walk all the time. Anyway, just thought I would share this, I am sure this is common knowledge for many, but while I am aware of it too, it was good to hear it again. It reminded me of when grandma made meals for the whole family, 6 of us, and it was mostly veggies or beans, soup and some meat and grains. The portions she made for the six of us were still less food than I sometimes make for just myself, I guess out of habit of cooking for my teens who are now in college. And meat, so much meat, that my family generally eats today, I used to get one drumstick for Sunday lunch, now I think half a chicken is barely enough.