Everyday Systems

I was talking with my grandmother the other day. Musing about weight. She said something very interesting about my mom (who has struggled with weight her whole life). Grandma said she would see her eat her meal and then one hour later have a big snack, then another snack. then Grandma said, eat your fill at meal times, but don't eat in between. I always thought it was genetic, but I think my grandmother has a point. She and grandpa ate regular full fat meals everyday, but never snacked in between.

Generally speaking, not only did Grandma and Grandpa not snack, they were more active than we are. They didn't have all the labor saving devices we do, walked more, and so on.

"The Grandma Diet" and "The Grandma Total Fitness Program"

These could be alternate names for No-s and urban ranger, respectively.

Want to know one more reason why people didn't snack in grandma's day? Because there wasn't all that much food to go around, and if you were snacking, you were sneaking it away from someone else. It wasn't only gluttonous, it was a kind of theft. At meals everyone can see who's eating what -- keeps one honest (and thin).

Reinhard

That's a good observation, Reinhard. I hadn't thought about that, but it brings to mind my parents and others saying that while there was usually enough, there wasn't more or extra. If someone got more, there was a reason -- recuperating from an illness, for example. And others often did with a little less so that person could have a little more.

I think there was plenty of food (at least after about 1850 and in the developed world), but what was different about our great-grandparents' day was that snack food was hard to come by.

There just weren't that many high-calorie things in krinkly bags. If you were eating something, it's because someone spent a couple of hours making it.

For example, cheese straws. These delicious little devils had to be mixed, cut individually and shaped into lengths (or squeezed by hand from a cookie-press), and baked. They were rightly considered elegant party food only. Too much trouble to make, so, not for snacking.

Also, dainties like this, along with cakes and cookies, got stale or moldy after just a few days, before modern preservatives and airtight packaging. So again, snacky foods had to be *made* before they could be eaten.

Nowadays we eat stuff like this by the fistful out of a krinkly bag that costs a dollar or two.

Today is my first day on the no s diet. I used to be thin, although one time after a bought with depression I did gain about 20 lbs. I lost the weight without even trying. I have examined my life back then to see what was the difference between then and now, why have I gained this weight that I cannot lose? DDUUUHHHH!!!! The no s diet has answered it for me. I didn't "diet" and I surely didn't exercise. I ate. Three meals a day, one plate full. No snacking, pigging out, overeating, and I was active. I didn't watch tv very much. I cleaned my house, ran errands, worked in the yard. I have become a lazy, overfed fat housewife. I eat, get seconds, stuff myself, get sancks after every meal, obsess about my weight, watch hours of tv, and sit at this computer all day. No wonder I am fat!!! Me and grandma used to have something in common, and as of today, we will again!!

Welcome, my3sons! There is something surprisingly obvious about it, in retrospect...

Best of luck,

Reinhard