Fifty Plus (50+) - 50+ atitudes to food

Hello all

DG posted a thread about losing a gut, which has prompted many replies - good for you as always, DG

The premise of the thread as I've interpreted it, is "What to do if you like to eat, but still like to lose weight" Apologies if I've read this wrong.

However, I'm not in this camp. I love to cook, I love to have a sociable group round to socialise and chat and eat, I'm delighted to see my food eaten - but I don't like to eat.

I like everything about eating, I love to visit restaurants, I visit chef web sites, it's all compulsive to me, and so far peope have said that they like my cooking.

Personally, I like everything about good cooking except the swallowing.

I approach a good meal like a wine snob in a winery. Appreciate, don't want to absorb.

I'm aware that there's someting Trickcyclesomatic about this.

Anyone else with a questionable attitude about food?

There is no question about my attitude towards food - I enjoy it. Particularly those soft little round fat molecules found in rich ice cream and cakes. I love a nice cut of meat, good BBQ with lots of sause and all manner of "bad-4-u" foods. But I have to practice self control so I don't look like DG's drinking buddy. But I also practice moderate endulgance and treat myself from time to time because if I don't my "will power" always wins over my "won't power".

I have rarely met a food group that I didn't like.............:eek:

I've been eating for as long as I can remember. According to my mother, I was only a drinker before starting to eat. I've found over the years that I eat best when eating in intervals. I've tried the high intensity intervals, long slow intervals and even power eating intervals. At my age I seem to do best with 4 to 5 feeding intervals per day and the occasional power interval, followed by a "recovery day" of eating only small intervals or skipping an interval or two.

I've been eating for as long as I can remember. According to my mother, I was only a drinker before starting to eat. I've found over the years that I eat best when eating in intervals. I've tried the high intensity intervals, long slow intervals and even power eating intervals. At my age I seem to do best with 4 to 5 feeding intervals per day and the occasional power interval, followed by a "recovery day" of eating only small intervals or skipping an interval or two.
I liked this. Nicely done.

My own attitude toward food has changed some since middle-age hood grabbed me by the throat.
I like to eat. But I rarely snack any longer. If I were to eat as I used to I'd be well over 190 by now. and miserable. I'd like to trim down to 170 (my high school weight) but losing those 8-10 pounds would require some sort of lifestyle change which I am just not willing to do while i am caught up in working and taking care of a home. There's enough rigor in my life without having to worry about what I eat. SO I don't, not much anyway. If I don't buy ice cream and chips and all that, then I find I don't miss it. If I do snack then its usually pistachios and maybe some great cheddar.
One thing that has really changed is my ability in the kitchen. I don't necessarily like to do it every day, but I very much enjoy making meals or dishes and watching my friends/family consume them with gusto.
I make a pretty darned decent cream of spinach/cilantro soup if I do say so myself.
Its fun cooking and then eating with friends.

As a former military man, trained in survival, I have no food aversions. This is both good and bad. I realize the purpose of food is truly nothing more than fuel....c'mon, let's face it. However, since I am no longer faced with survival situations requiring me to eat bugs, entrails, etc...I find tremendous enjoyment in banana splits vs. bananas, steaks grilled and potatoes with sweet tea vs. roast beef sliced thin and no bread with a glass of water. The fellowship of large gatherings and dishes to pass really tempt me to overeat...I had to make a choice recently. Do I want to get fatter, or fitter? The food choice is the hardest one for me, except I know it's necessary.

I decided it IS a survival situation after all. Now I am choosing smaller portions and even foods I don't prefer to curb my appetite. The reward is I can see my belt buckle for the first time in a few years. I can get out of bed and walk without overcoming so many aches and pains first. I can sleep now, even when I feel that rumble in my belly from the "small" meal I ate four hours ago with no snacks in between. And now I can eat a breakfast because I'm not so far behind I have to skip out without one....because I couldn't sleep, and couldn't walk without five minutes of motivation to overcome sore muscles. Work is easier, play is fun, instead of absent.

How do I feel about food? Necessary evil...and Golden Corral has steak cooked to order on the buffet. I'm going to do that from time to time, just as a reward...just not yet.

God bless!

-Ron

I am on the see food diet, I see food and I eat it. That's one of the many reasons I love cycling nothing controls my weight better than cycling. If I ride consistently and hard I can eat pretty much anything I want and stay the same.

I love to cook and I love to eat. Over the past few years I have learned to cook and enjoy eating healthier foods and foods lower in cab and fat content.
Because of my cancer treatment, I am now unlearning some of those habits as I need to try and keep my weight up as much as I can during the treatments to offset days when I will have trouble eating. I am eating a lot more carbs and protein than I normally want to eat. I still try to eat healthy foods, just a different mix. I still try to avoid high fructose corn syrup, though I am adding more sugar. I still use olive oil in place of other fats where I can. I still eat a lot of fish and chicken, but am eating more beef and eggs than before. The biggest difference is that I am eating more carbs while exercizing less.
When the treatments end, I'll have to relearn how to eat to keep weight off.

I am one of those fortunates that can eat whatever I like and what does it matter if I go up to 152lbs- I can always do an extra ride to work it off- All I have to do is get the the weight distribution in the right places.

My wife is an old fashioned Italian cook, so for me, the chances of eating too much are extremely high. However, I've never been one to eat a lot at meals. I've broken her heart many times over the years by eating only small helpings.

My weakness is dark chocolate. It's a drug I tell you, a #@%&* drug that I cannot shake.:bang:

I'm a fresh fruit nut, so I'm going crazy this time of year. Peaches, watermelon, plums, apricots, cantaloupe, cherries, etc. :love:
My wife says all the fruit is why I have a hard time keeping weight off. What to do?! :o

You cook it (or not) I eat it!

I cook it (or not) I eat it!

What can I say? I grew up Jewish and learned to say "Eat! Eat!" before I could say "Mommy"
Thought I escaped that, then I married a Jewish woman from NYC.
I cannot eat enough to please her or her parents.
we're going back to visit next month... it'll be a battle but last year I managed to come back without gaining a pound. But I think they're on to me now.

Me like food!

Me want food!

But I will not eat all food. I'm allergic to raw onions, and I dislike green peppers and celery. So if you want to make food that is safe from me eating it, just include any of these three. Or make it spicy hot, which I cannot handle. Wish I could, but I can't.

I love to try dishes that I've never had before. When my wife and I eat out, I'll order something that I've never had before about 50% of the time.

My biggest issue with weight gain is snacking. I do fine when I confine myself to meals, even if I eat a bit too much. It is the late night snack crackers or ice cream that pile on the unnecessary calories. Doing better than I used to, but there is much room for improvement.

One of the best things about riding 6,000 miles a year is that I really get to eat a lot. Even with all those miles, though, I'd still be carrying more weight than I want if I just ate whatever. I've been working to make my eating more healthy for the last few years.

Like BD is doing now, I altered my diet earlier in the year to help keep me from losing weight while doing chemo treatments, and it got altered even more when chemo made so many things taste bad, but things are pretty much back to normal now.

My weakness is dark chocolate. It's a drug I tell you, a #@%&* drug that I cannot shake.:bang:

Great timing, Louis, I just now finished my daily allotment of dark chocolate. I had completely given it up but read recently in an issue of Bicycling that dark chocolate has a semi-decent kind of fat in it, so I'm experimenting. It takes me three days to finish one bar. I keep it stored in the 'fridge.

Food. I have developed a very Spartan lifestyle with regard to food. No cokes, snacks, chips, alcohol, or candy (except as mentioned). Soup and a piece of bread for lunch. I eat frozen diet meals and drink a glass of 1% milk in the evening because I am cheap and lazy. Nothing to clean but a fork and a glass. Breakfast is oatmeal. From 225 lbs down to 163 lbs (after today's ride). 5" of waistline gone.

Great timing, Louis, I just now finished my daily allotment of dark chocolate. I had completely given it up but read recently in an issue of Bicycling that dark chocolate has a semi-decent kind of fat in it, so I'm experimenting. It takes me three days to finish one bar. I keep it stored in the 'fridge.

That's what I used to do, buy a big bar and take days to finish it. But there was still more fat and sugar than I wanted. Now, I buy cacao powder (http://www.amazon.com/Navitas-Naturals-Chocolate-Organic-16-Ounce/dp/B000P24HJ8), and mix it into my daily serving of yogurt.

3 days huh?

Dark chocoloate is good for you. Makes you happy and content and does nice things for your tummy.

3 days huh?
"That's no ordinary rabbit!"...That's no ordinary chocolate bar either! That baby would last a long time with me...probably well over a week.:twitchy:

My weakness is dark chocolate. It's a drug I tell you, a #@%&* drug that I cannot shake.:bang:

I'm addicted to sugar. It's not my fault. My medical records show that I was shifted from mother's milk to a high-sugar formula at a few days of age. (1950's finest medicine).

I always thought it was a Pepsi problem, till I quit and truly comprehended the underlying sugar problem. So now I'm struggling with that. :eek: It's a major problem.

Beyond that, I don't care about food much. I used to like steak and potatos, but now potatos are rare and beef is just a weekly occurance. But sugar, I don't go a minute without craving that.

I'm addicted to sugar. It's not my fault. My medical records show that I was shifted from mother's milk to a high-sugar formula at a few days of age. (1950's finest medicine).

I always thought it was a Pepsi problem, till I quit and truly comprehended the underlying sugar problem. So now I'm struggling with that. :eek: It's a major problem.

Beyond that, I don't care about food much. I used to like steak and potatos, but now potatos are rare and beef is just a weekly occurance. But sugar, I don't go a minute without craving that.

I am going the reverse- Sunday rides have to have PIE or a Gateaux- or a bun in it- and that is to replace the sugars and energy that I have just lost- but preparation for rides and I am finding that a proper meal is the ideal set up- Attachment was of one of my holiday meals last year- hand cooked on the BBQ- but I got hungry.

Sorry.

Because of my cancer treatment, I am now unlearning some of those habits as I need to try and keep my weight up as much as I can during the treatments to offset days when I will have trouble eating.


I had no idea you were going through this....hang in there! :love:

I swear that sometimes my main motivation for cycling is that it allows me to eat more than I would otherwise. I joke about my sig line, but if it ever came down to an "either/or" decision......

Then again, this is the 50+ forum so allowances have to be made in extenuating circumstances. :D

Food. I have developed a very Spartan lifestyle with regard to food. No cokes, snacks, chips, alcohol, or candy (except as mentioned). Soup and a piece of bread for lunch. I eat frozen diet meals and drink a glass of 1% milk in the evening because I am cheap and lazy. Nothing to clean but a fork and a glass. Breakfast is oatmeal. From 225 lbs down to 163 lbs (after today's ride). 5" of waistline gone.

I love "peasant" food. I start every day with a grapefruit, some other fruit in season, a bowl of steel cut ("Scots" or "Irish") oats, and some tofu and/or lentil sprouts. Breakfast and lunch are generally my largest meals of the day. I find that keeping my exercise level up and my fat intake down helps me control my weight. (With the average American lifestyle, I would be obese, hypertensive, and probably diabetic -- it all runs in the family.)

II joke about my sig line, but if it ever came down to an "either/or" decision......


I love that sig line! :lol:

I am going the reverse- Sunday rides have to have PIE or a Gateaux- or a bun in it- and that is to replace the sugars and energy that I have just lost- but preparation for rides and I am finding that a proper meal is the ideal set up- Attachment was of one of my holiday meals last year- hand cooked on the BBQ- but I got hungry.

Sorry.

Where's the vinegar for those chips?

My wife is an old fashioned Italian cook, so for me, the chances of eating too much are extremely high. However, I've never been one to eat a lot at meals. I've broken her heart many times over the years by eating only small helpings.

My weakness is dark chocolate. It's a drug I tell you, a #@%&* drug that I cannot shake.:bang:

My "problem" also. My wife is a great cook who likes to cook. She has finally given in to the fact that I am not going to eat an extra serving no matter how great it tastes.

I, too, like to eat & generally large portions. I am still someone who can eat most people under the table & not gain weight (at56). I'm also just shy of 6'6".
But what really sets my tastes apart is I don't like sweet foods, I find them unpleasant like sour milk or such. If I go in a candy store or even the candy aisle my sinuses, gums will actually hurt. I can't eat an entire cough drop as my teeth & gums hurt. My dear departed mom told a tale of a babysitter who loved to bake cakes cookies, pies & When offers them to me I'd say no thanks, can I have the end peice of the bread, much to mom's embarrisment.
Same with salt. As a kid I'd flick the salt off pretzels. I could taste/feel the salt mom would put on her pop corn.
Salt as well,

For some its power, for some its Opposite sex, for some its food.

Me - I really don't enjoy eating, I learned this in the military for me its same bodily need as a BM, hate resturants, etc. I understand sustenance(sp?) but like Natty Bumppo (10 points if you know this book charactor) said "I ain't one to dig my grave with my teeth".

Late in life (51) I was told I had serious food allergies. Specifically; all the ferments. This means; no yeast or yeasted bread, no alcohol, no mushrooms, no chocolate, no cheese except cottage cheese, no undistilled venegars, no asian sauces, nothing with citric acid added and no mold, I have to be extreemly careful with things susceptible to mold like berries, chicken and canteloupes and tomato sauces. Tap water is out so I drink smart water, which is distilled.

Getting used to this took a while, but most of my medical problems just went away. Serious anger problems disappeared and the endless root canals stopped. The odd thing is, there are still plenty of really good foods to eat, and I enjoy them. Don't miss the medical problems, that's for sure. bk

Where's the vinegar for those chips?

Holiday in France- so no Vinegar- It had to be Mayonnaise.

At 322 I had a slight heart attack and that was enough for me. I could outeat a horse. My wife is a baker of sweet stuff " cookies cakes" and there's always were samples around.

Now I'm 210 and eat only fruit and veggies. when my wife and I go out to eat we share a meal at the eaterys. Most time they give way too much food for one person anyway.

Green tea and water are my drink of choice.

like others say "don't miss the medical problems one bit:thumb:

I am one of those fortunates that can eat whatever I like and what does it matter if I go up to 152lbs.

You live in the UK. I'd weigh 152 lbs too if I lived somewhere kidney pie was considered yummy.

You live in the UK. I'd weigh 152 lbs too if I lived somewhere kidney pie was considered yummy.

Steak and Kidney is better.

But if any of you want a proper English meal- Find a "Pie & Mash" shop in London. Very few of them left nowadays and there is a good reason. Meat in the pie is mainly fat and grissle- the potatoe is lumpy and the Condiment for the pie is Vinegar. If I had to eat that too often- I would be back to my fighting weight of132Lbs very quickly. And the Side dish for the Pie & mash is jellied eels. Made on the premises from live eels bought in each morning

Well now, as is the way with threads, it seems to be finding its own direction - in this case, towards 'what's really gross in different places?'

Fair enough. In Indonesia where I lived 85 to 87, I enjoyed Sop Kaki Kambing from a few roadside stalls. Sounded ok - Sop is Soup, Kaki is Leg, Kambing is sheep or mutton. Nothing wrong with all that, until (unwisely) you might explore the wide range of coverage in the words.

Kaki includes all five legs, Kambing includes lambs, sheep and goats. OK, goat bits soup. Still tasted ok if you're hungry. Garlic and chili srts out many a recipe

Steak and Kidney is better.

But if any of you want a proper English meal- Find a "Pie & Mash" shop in London. Very few of them left nowadays and there is a good reason. Meat in the pie is mainly fat and grissle- the potatoe is lumpy and the Condiment for the pie is Vinegar. If I had to eat that too often- I would be back to my fighting weight of132Lbs very quickly. And the Side dish for the Pie & mash is jellied eels. Made on the premises from live eels bought in each morning

If you ever come to the US, skip the coasts and meet me in St Louis. I'll get you a nice rib eye steak, baked potato and salad with blue cheese dressing. Maybe a little apple pie for desert (ala mode of course). You'll never want to eat jellied eel again.

What, no eels at all? Not even a la mode for dessert? You'll have to sell it harder than that. Pshaw!