Take Your Health Seriously

[Big John]

"Your Honor, I intend to prove that, because there are legitimate culinary uses of root beer, the State of Wisconsin acted arbitrarily and capriciously in banning my client's product, A&W Root Beer, from the EBT system, and that due to lost sales stemming from that arbitrary and capricious decision, we are entitled to damages in the amount of..."

The Wisconsin legislature tried to micromanage what could be bought on SNAP but it eventually didn't pass.

[Scott5114]

My problems with meal planning have always been:

2. I struggle with eating leftovers. It's unlikely I will want to eat what I made again soon. That results in waste.

I have the same problems. With leftovers it's the dual problem of both not really wanting to eat the same dish again for like a week, and the flavor and texture of leftovers usually being a pale shadow of the freshly-cooked version.

Those fortunate enough to have always lived in prosperity can eat that way. Those that lived through true times of want, such as my grandfather did in the depression and during the Guadalcanal campaign, have an innate aversion to wasting food in any such manner. 20 year old frozen hamburger meat? Yep, still good.

There's no truer time of want than when you need to fill up the tank of your Carpenter school bus again.

[Rothman]

My problems with meal planning have always been:

2. I struggle with eating leftovers. It's unlikely I will want to eat what I made again soon. That results in waste.

I have the same problems. With leftovers it's the dual problem of both not really wanting to eat the same dish again for like a week, and the flavor and texture of leftovers usually being a pale shadow of the freshly-cooked version.

Those fortunate enough to have always lived in prosperity can eat that way. Those that lived through true times of want, such as my grandfather did in the depression and during the Guadalcanal campaign, have an innate aversion to wasting food in any such manner. 20 year old frozen hamburger meat? Yep, still good.

There's no truer time of want than when you need to fill up the tank of your Carpenter school bus again.

I've been thinking about his Ultimate Road Tripmobile.  I think it's more likely to be a 1982 Oldsmobile with a suspension that creaks a little, but still has the floating feel to it...

[Scott5114]

My problems with meal planning have always been:

2. I struggle with eating leftovers. It's unlikely I will want to eat what I made again soon. That results in waste.

I have the same problems. With leftovers it's the dual problem of both not really wanting to eat the same dish again for like a week, and the flavor and texture of leftovers usually being a pale shadow of the freshly-cooked version.

Those fortunate enough to have always lived in prosperity can eat that way. Those that lived through true times of want, such as my grandfather did in the depression and during the Guadalcanal campaign, have an innate aversion to wasting food in any such manner. 20 year old frozen hamburger meat? Yep, still good.

There's no truer time of want than when you need to fill up the tank of your Carpenter school bus again.

I've been thinking about his Ultimate Road Tripmobile.  I think it's more likely to be a 1982 Oldsmobile with a suspension that creaks a little, but still has the floating feel to it...

Yeah, but that doesn't have the little stop sign you can deploy to show everyone that you really are someone special who is entitled to go first.

Also, how would you fit a toilet in an Oldsmobile?

[dlsterner]

My problems with meal planning have always been:

2. I struggle with eating leftovers. It's unlikely I will want to eat what I made again soon. That results in waste.

I have the same problems. With leftovers it's the dual problem of both not really wanting to eat the same dish again for like a week, and the flavor and texture of leftovers usually being a pale shadow of the freshly-cooked version.

Those fortunate enough to have always lived in prosperity can eat that way. Those that lived through true times of want, such as my grandfather did in the depression and during the Guadalcanal campaign, have an innate aversion to wasting food in any such manner. 20 year old frozen hamburger meat? Yep, still good.

There's no truer time of want than when you need to fill up the tank of your Carpenter school bus again.

I've been thinking about his Ultimate Road Tripmobile.  I think it's more likely to be a 1982 Oldsmobile with a suspension that creaks a little, but still has the floating feel to it...

Yeah, but that doesn't have the little stop sign you can deploy to show everyone that you really are someone special who is entitled to go first.

Also, how would you fit a toilet in an Oldsmobile?

Easy.  Remove the front seats and replace them with toilets.  One for Dad, one for Mom.  Do the same with the back seat - then Junior and Sis are taken care of.  No more stopping just because somebody has to go.

You just have to watch out for speed bumps.

[HighwayStar]

My problems with meal planning have always been:

2. I struggle with eating leftovers. It's unlikely I will want to eat what I made again soon. That results in waste.

I have the same problems. With leftovers it's the dual problem of both not really wanting to eat the same dish again for like a week, and the flavor and texture of leftovers usually being a pale shadow of the freshly-cooked version.

Those fortunate enough to have always lived in prosperity can eat that way. Those that lived through true times of want, such as my grandfather did in the depression and during the Guadalcanal campaign, have an innate aversion to wasting food in any such manner. 20 year old frozen hamburger meat? Yep, still good.

There's no truer time of want than when you need to fill up the tank of your Carpenter school bus again.

I've been thinking about his Ultimate Road Tripmobile.  I think it's more likely to be a 1982 Oldsmobile with a suspension that creaks a little, but still has the floating feel to it...

Yeah, but that doesn't have the little stop sign you can deploy to show everyone that you really are someone special who is entitled to go first.

Also, how would you fit a toilet in an Oldsmobile?

Easy.  Remove the front seats and replace them with toilets.  One for Dad, one for Mom.  Do the same with the back seat - then Junior and Sis are taken care of.  No more stopping just because somebody has to go.

You just have to watch out for speed bumps.

Clearly I don't have a toilet in the road trip car, If I did I would not consider the disappearance of rest areas to be a problem.

[Max Rockatansky]

I've carried a roll of toilet paper and a bar of soap in my car for close to two decades.  I've found there is a rare instances where finding a public restroom isn't an feasible. 

[abefroman329]

"Your Honor, I intend to prove that, because there are legitimate culinary uses of root beer, the State of Wisconsin acted arbitrarily and capriciously in banning my client's product, A&W Root Beer, from the EBT system, and that due to lost sales stemming from that arbitrary and capricious decision, we are entitled to damages in the amount of..."

"Your Honor, Abe Froman for the defense.  99% of root beer sales are to people who will drink the root beer.  99%."

[jury gasps, judge bangs their gavel and yells "ORDER!  ORDER!"

[kphoger]

Some foods make better leftovers than others.  Pot roast, bean soup, etc. all reheat well, while broccoli pasta really doesn't.

This is very simple, actually.  Don't combine the pasta with the sauce.  When it's time for leftovers, pop the sauce in the microwave, and blanch the already-cooked pasta in some boiling water for like sixty seconds.  Done.  If the sauce is too thick now, just thin it out with some milk.

I've carried a roll of toilet paper and a bar of soap in my car for close to two decades.  I've found there is a rare instances where finding a public restroom isn't an feasible. 

Mexico taught me to carry a roll of toilet paper.  Even when bathrooms are plentiful, that doesn't necessarily mean your stall has a roll of TP in it.

[Max Rockatansky]

^^^

The strange thing is that I often find it easier to locate public restrooms in Mexico.  The big thing down there is usually you have to pay to use them.  Unless it's Target or Walmart good luck finding a public restroom in places like Los Angeles. 

[Takumi]

My problems with meal planning have always been:

2. I struggle with eating leftovers. It's unlikely I will want to eat what I made again soon. That results in waste.

I have the same problems. With leftovers it's the dual problem of both not really wanting to eat the same dish again for like a week, and the flavor and texture of leftovers usually being a pale shadow of the freshly-cooked version.

Those fortunate enough to have always lived in prosperity can eat that way. Those that lived through true times of want, such as my grandfather did in the depression and during the Guadalcanal campaign, have an innate aversion to wasting food in any such manner. 20 year old frozen hamburger meat? Yep, still good.

There's no truer time of want than when you need to fill up the tank of your Carpenter school bus again.

I've been thinking about his Ultimate Road Tripmobile.  I think it's more likely to be a 1982 Oldsmobile with a suspension that creaks a little, but still has the floating feel to it...

I'd always figured it was a Ford Crown Victoria wagon from the 80s. Enthusiasts of those cars often tend to be a bit...mental.

[formulanone]

My problems with meal planning have always been:

2. I struggle with eating leftovers. It's unlikely I will want to eat what I made again soon. That results in waste.

I have the same problems. With leftovers it's the dual problem of both not really wanting to eat the same dish again for like a week, and the flavor and texture of leftovers usually being a pale shadow of the freshly-cooked version.

Those fortunate enough to have always lived in prosperity can eat that way. Those that lived through true times of want, such as my grandfather did in the depression and during the Guadalcanal campaign, have an innate aversion to wasting food in any such manner.

This is one of rare times I agree; my grandparents and parents grew up saving and scraping every dime, and leftovers were a sign of having an extra meal where there might not have been another meal readily at hand. Things weren't always financially  perfect in our household, though they were far ahead of our grandparents' times as youngsters.

I have few qualms with leftovers; especially since I eat on the road so much. It's still home-cooking. After 48 hours or so, it does need some extra seasoning, but there's no lack of that in our home. If it doesn't smell rotten, 99% of the time I've had no problem eating it. That, and my family still cooks for 8-10 even if there's never been that many people in my direct families...

[HighwayStar]

My problems with meal planning have always been:

2. I struggle with eating leftovers. It's unlikely I will want to eat what I made again soon. That results in waste.

I have the same problems. With leftovers it's the dual problem of both not really wanting to eat the same dish again for like a week, and the flavor and texture of leftovers usually being a pale shadow of the freshly-cooked version.

Those fortunate enough to have always lived in prosperity can eat that way. Those that lived through true times of want, such as my grandfather did in the depression and during the Guadalcanal campaign, have an innate aversion to wasting food in any such manner. 20 year old frozen hamburger meat? Yep, still good.

There's no truer time of want than when you need to fill up the tank of your Carpenter school bus again.

I've been thinking about his Ultimate Road Tripmobile.  I think it's more likely to be a 1982 Oldsmobile with a suspension that creaks a little, but still has the floating feel to it...

I'd always figured it was a Ford Crown Victoria wagon from the 80s. Enthusiasts of those cars often tend to be a bit...mental.

Those were decent cars and at least in the correct direction of design philosophy for an optimized road trip car, but the station wagon body style is really only desirable for a road trip when you need that space, such as a large family trip, etc. I would love to see someone start building full size station wagons again though.

[kkt]

Some foods make better leftovers than others.  Pot roast, bean soup, etc. all reheat well, while broccoli pasta really doesn't.

This is very simple, actually.  Don't combine the pasta with the sauce.  When it's time for leftovers, pop the sauce in the microwave, and blanch the already-cooked pasta in some boiling water for like sixty seconds.  Done.  If the sauce is too thick now, just thin it out with some milk.

Yep.  Or cook only the pasta you will need for that night at a time.  Reheating the sauce works fine, but pasta is much better not reheated and doesn't take long.

[J N Winkler]

Some foods make better leftovers than others.  Pot roast, bean soup, etc. all reheat well, while broccoli pasta really doesn't.

This is very simple, actually.  Don't combine the pasta with the sauce.  When it's time for leftovers, pop the sauce in the microwave, and blanch the already-cooked pasta in some boiling water for like sixty seconds.  Done.  If the sauce is too thick now, just thin it out with some milk.

Yep.  Or cook only the pasta you will need for that night at a time.  Reheating the sauce works fine, but pasta is much better not reheated and doesn't take long.

I tend to find that pasta dishes that are high in fat and salt--e.g., restaurant leftovers--reheat well in the microwave without separation of sauce and pasta.  The sauce part of the broccoli pasta is quite lean (only a modest amount of olive oil, and no salt since I use potassium chloride instead), so it's bland when reheated.  I usually make just enough to eat fresh.

[kphoger]

Ah yes, I forgot the broccoli part of your meal doesn't really have a "sauce" other than what olive oil and feta cheese sort-of-make.

[index]

I have always struggled with my weight. I was at 290 for the longest time and dropped to 240 over last summer from diet (and a little bit of starving myself here and there... please don't do that) and hiking. Then I developed schizoaffective (not fun, it sucks) in August had to start antipsychotics, which really pile on weight. Combine that with bad eating as a result of poor mood and I'm back up to 275. It really isn't fun losing your breath going up stairs and stuff.
These days I'm not exercising at all and I'm eating okay. Not good or bad.

[seicer]

Intermittent fasting can be an effective manner of weight loss.

--

After 20 years of staying at 135 lb., I have ballooned in the past year to 155 lb. It may be age (36) but I suspect my metabolism has finally decided to start slowing down. I never expected it to be this difficult to keep my weight down but it's nearly impossible for me to get it under 150 lb., even with moderate exercise during the winter.

[Duke87]

I don't pay close attention to the forum much so I miss fun as it happens, but there are a couple items here I do feel its worth commenting on.

First, re: the concept of food sensitivity - while not everyone on the spectrum experiences this, it is a very real autism trait, and it does very much constrain how people who do experience it eat. If you think it's crazy that someone would make it to age 20 and have never eaten an apple... well, I'm 34 and I've also never eaten an apple. "But how do you know you don't like it if you've never tried it?", you say? Well, see, when you have food sensitivity you have to worry about all five primary senses, it isn't just taste. In my case, the sound of someone biting into an apple is like nails on a chalkboard and I wince and start to want to gag a little just hearing it. Given that... well of course I am not going to willingly make that sound myself, now am I? It doesn't even matter what an apple tastes like, I can't stand what they sound like.

I've been compensating for my restricted diet in part by taking a daily multivitamin for most of my life - this is one simple thing I would certainly suggest anyone in a situation like this do, to avoid suffering consequences of any vitamin/mineral deficiencies.


Re: food stamps and such, there seems to be this weird pervasive myth that restricting what people can buy with them will save taxpayer money and I just don't see how that works out. Even neglecting the overhead cost of enforcing increasingly micromanaged rules (which is real), you have to expect that people on the SNAP program are going to spend their monthly allotment regardless. Okay, fine, they can't buy soda maybe they buy juice or seltzer instead. They can't buy steaks, maybe they buy pork chops. What exactly are restrictions like this expected to accomplish? Are they actually doing anything productive, or are they simply making program recipient's lives difficult for the sake of giving the people pushing them some sense of moral superiority?

[NWI_Irish96]

Are they actually doing anything productive, or are they simply making program recipient's lives difficult for the sake of giving the people pushing them some sense of moral superiority?

That's 100% what it is. The prevailing attitude is, "you aren't good enough to not need food stamps so you don't deserve even a few indulgences."

[NWI_Irish96]

So an update on my original post:

So far the surgery has done exactly what it has intended. I'm down 26 pounds in 32 days since the surgery, and 50 pounds overall including the pre-op diet.

My surgeon has implemented a very strict dietary routine. The first three weeks were liquid only, so essentially protein shakes and water. Now I'm in the pureed foods phase, so I'm able to add in scrambled eggs and applesauce along with my protein shakes. I have 10 more days until I reach the soft foods phase, where I get to add in thin sliced deli meat, low fat cheese, and peanut butter.

One thing I've acutely noticed during my time of not being able to eat anything is just how many restaurant commercials there are. There's at least one every commercial block and sometimes more. For those of you with average or better discipline and will power, it may be no big deal for you, but with burgers and fried food being such weaknesses for me I now see why it was so hard to avoid that stuff as it was plastered all over my TV multiple times per hour.

[kkt]

So an update on my original post:

So far the surgery has done exactly what it has intended. I'm down 26 pounds in 32 days since the surgery, and 50 pounds overall including the pre-op diet.

My surgeon has implemented a very strict dietary routine. The first three weeks were liquid only, so essentially protein shakes and water. Now I'm in the pureed foods phase, so I'm able to add in scrambled eggs and applesauce along with my protein shakes. I have 10 more days until I reach the soft foods phase, where I get to add in thin sliced deli meat, low fat cheese, and peanut butter.

One thing I've acutely noticed during my time of not being able to eat anything is just how many restaurant commercials there are. There's at least one every commercial block and sometimes more. For those of you with average or better discipline and will power, it may be no big deal for you, but with burgers and fried food being such weaknesses for me I now see why it was so hard to avoid that stuff as it was plastered all over my TV multiple times per hour.

Glad it's working so far!

[Rothman]

I don't watch TV...

[formulanone]

So an update on my original post:

So far the surgery has done exactly what it has intended. I'm down 26 pounds in 32 days since the surgery, and 50 pounds overall including the pre-op diet.

My surgeon has implemented a very strict dietary routine. The first three weeks were liquid only, so essentially protein shakes and water. Now I'm in the pureed foods phase, so I'm able to add in scrambled eggs and applesauce along with my protein shakes. I have 10 more days until I reach the soft foods phase, where I get to add in thin sliced deli meat, low fat cheese, and peanut butter.

One thing I've acutely noticed during my time of not being able to eat anything is just how many restaurant commercials there are. There's at least one every commercial block and sometimes more. For those of you with average or better discipline and will power, it may be no big deal for you, but with burgers and fried food being such weaknesses for me I now see why it was so hard to avoid that stuff as it was plastered all over my TV multiple times per hour.

Great news!

Food advertising plays very strongly on our desires to "reward" ourselves with food.

[Max Rockatansky]

Count me in the camp of not really being enticed by food ads.  I can't think of a specific instance where I saw a TV advertisement for food and decided to buy something because of it.  I always feel like I try things because I randomly decide I want to go to a restaurant or someone recommends something.