Interesting...maybe not pertinent

[joasia]

When I was eleven years old, I went to communist Poland with my mother to visit my grandparents. To say the least, it was a shock for an American raised child. Poland at that time was poor and under communist Russian control. There were bread lines. Anyway, I remember there was a store called "Zepelia", which I know I am spelling incorrectly. This particular store sold some American products such as "Snickers" candy bars. My mother purchased one. I remember taking this candy bar and sharing it with my new Polish friends. I remember their reaction. They did not like it. And why? They said it was "way too sweet". There was no childhood obesity in Poland at the time. We played hard outside. We ate well inside. The bread was fresh, the eggs, the meat, everything. Nothing lowfat. And the best ice cream I have ever tasted.

[kccc]

When I get sweets in Europe (mostly baked goods as opposed to candy), my sense is that it's not as sweet, but much richer. Real cream, butter, eggs, and you can taste the richness. Far less sugar.

And SO good...

[ClickBeetle]

I had ice cream in England last month. It was yellow. Someone asked me "What flavor did you get?" It was not a flavor. It was just ice cream. Cream and sugar, frozen. It was so good. It was yellow like real cream from cows fed on grass. Not white like cream from cows fed grain in feedlots. Amazing.

[stevecooper]

They did not like it. And why? They said it was "way too sweet".

Noticed the same with milk? if a person drinks whole milk, they'll hate skimmed for being watery; people who drink skimmed hate whole milk for it's overpowering richness. Similarly for brown and white bread, and fruity and plain yogurt -- you like what you get.

If change is forced upon you, it's not long until you acclimatise, and switch groups.

Is it good to acclimatise yourself to lower-fat, lower-sugar, higher-fibre stuff as much as possible? Should you switch diets to healthier stuff, maybe compensating for a while with bigger portions, until you acclimatise?

[stevecooper]

When I get sweets in Europe (mostly baked goods as opposed to candy), my sense is that it's not as sweet, but much richer. Real cream, butter, eggs, and you can taste the richness. Far less sugar.

From my very limited experience, American chocolate (Hershey's) is even worse than British chocolate (Cadbury's).

That said, high-cocoa dark chocolate has become popular here in the UK in the last few years; a more typically continental style. The richness of good-quality chocolate means you don't want to eat so much of it; it's a better s-day treat, I think, than a huge slab of cheap milk chocolate.

[wosnes]

Is it good to acclimatise yourself to lower-fat, lower-sugar, higher-fibre stuff as much as possible? Should you switch diets to healthier stuff, maybe compensating for a while with bigger portions, until you acclimatise?

What I've found is that "real food" is so much more satisfying that there's not a need to acclimate to lesser amounts. Less satisfies more. If you feel a need to eat more, it's likely because you're accustomed to eating more. If you eat more real food on a daily basis, you're likely to experience daily the overstuffed, loosen-the-belt feeling typically associated with Thanksgiving and other major food-related holidays.

With the exception of two reduced fat products that I prefer over the full fat varieties, I've completely given up lower-fat or fat free products. I've never used artificial sweeteners or reduced-carb products Weight hasn't suffered, and according to labs, neither has my health.

As I'm writing, I see that when I started eating real, high quality food is when No-S became easier. It's easier to pass snacks and sweets that are lower in quality because they just aren't as satisfying as some indulgence made from real ingredients and enjoyed less frequently. The memory of it and the knowledge that I'll be able to indulge on the next S day keeps me going on the No-S days.

One cautionary note: If you've been eating a diet that's lower in fiber, it may be a good idea to slowly increase the amount in your diet. A sudden increase can cause bloating, gas, and other distress until you adapt to it. Done a little more gradually it's not so upsetting to the system.

[ClickBeetle]

What Wosnes said! Really good food is worth paying for, worth eating, and more satisfying.

A small piece of very good dark chocolate is far more satisfying than a giant, waxy slab of ordinary chocolate. The thinnest tissue-paper slice of real Genoa salami from my favorite Italian grocery is incredibly satiating. I can't even think about eating factory-farm cold cuts any more. They taste so insipid, so fatty and bland. No wonder they're full of salt and injected with sugary nitrite solutions; the marketers have to resort to something.

I guess the alternative is more of a French approach to food -- less of it, more carefully selected and prepared, then eating it becomes a slow and savory celebration. I mean, I don't know from French, but this approach has really helped me a lot!

[ClickBeetle]

And I meant to say, at no point during my recent 18-pound weight loss did I attempt to reduce the fat content of what I was eating. I had butter and cream and so forth in great quantities. I just did no-S, so it was always part of a meal. I really think that the fat helps you stay feeling full til the next mealtime.

What Wosnes said.