Diet Soda and weight loss

I drink diet soda, but that's because I grew up with a diabetic mother who liked soda but couldn't have regular soda.

Now I cannot stand the after taste that regular soda leaves in my mouth and it makes my entire mouth feel DIRTY.
It makes me feel gross.
I don't drink a ton of pop, like Houndlove, probably about 8 oz. a day, but it's always diet.

I don't get diet drinks with my meals because it makes me feel better about what I ordered.
I actually prefer the taste of diet soda over regular soda.

ORIGINAL: jjsmom06

Portion size is one of the leading contributors to obesity in this country.  We have lost ALL CONCEPT of what normal even is. 

That fact really hit me when I showed an overseas friend a photograph of one of the mid-sized breakfasts from an American chain restaurant.  She immediately asked if that was seriously for one person.

And people seriously act surprise when I eat, at the most, a third of what I get at a restuarant before asking for a takeout box.

That fact really hit me when I showed an overseas friend a photograph of one of the mid-sized breakfasts from an American chain restaurant. She immediately asked if that was seriously for one person.

And people seriously act surprise when I eat, at the most, a third of what I get at a restuarant before asking for a takeout box.

 
yep!  I think we could all benefit from some time oversees huh?? []

I have started to split restuarant meals with my dad because neither one of us can ever finish one.
 
 
We aren't soda drinkers in this house, well they probably would be if I bought it, but when we eat out, the kids order diet cokes because they like the taste, not because of the calories. Most people I know that drink diet do so because they prefer the taste.

Ya know...the portions at a restaurant...cracks me up.
 
Personally I would be quite annoyed if I paid $15 for a plate of food and there was a teeny amount of food on it. Now I know all the hoity toity places do this...but that's why I don't eat there. I like to think that if I am dropping money on something I wouldn't get at home...I want it BIG....and yeah I AM taking it home to eat for lunch the next day. Who says I need to eat everything ON the plate BTW?
 
Now if they lower the price along with the portion? Less of an issue...but I'll be danged if I pay the same amount for less on my plate. I always consider my meal at a sit down place...2 meals, and I eat less during the day if I know we're going out to eat so my appetite will be HUGE (we don't go often so it IS a treat for me)...and order accordingly.
 
I lived in Germany for 3 months...and they eat smaller aside from the big meal of the day...and I was always hungry there. Didn't care for it at ALL and would never have gotten used to it. But I am a thin person and I need to eat what I need to eat, when I need to eat it or I feel extremely cranky and faint.

ORIGINAL: jjsmom06

Portion size is one of the leading contributors to obesity in this country.  We have lost ALL CONCEPT of what normal even is.   I had no idea how much I was eating until I started really changing my eating habits about 5 months ago.  Now I am shocked at how little it takes me to be full and I am actually sickened when I look at an over abundance of food.  It takes time and a lot of work though to change our bad habits and unfortunately the food service industry doesn't help us along.  

 
Shelly, it is true that changing eating habits and even keeping a food diary really is an eye-opener.
 
And, this is not to be argumentative because I do work in the food service industry, but...people have some responsibility in all of this - what they eat and how much.  When I was growing up, I was taught not to automatically salt my food, chew slowly, do not drink with the meal - only after, and there were no second helpings until the first was done.  So I couldn't grab another piece of chicken if all the mashed potatoes and vegetables weren't gone, too.  I really do think that not drinking with a meal is key to preventing hunger and snacking later.  When I was a kid, I can specifically remember one time drinking with my lunch and not being able to finish my sandwich.  I think a lot of people drink so much throughout the meal that they are full of liquid, and when the natural body process eliminates the liquid two hours later, people are hungry again.  I'm not a snacker.
 
The other problem is that people and families are so busy they grab what is fast and often eat on the run.  I seldom eat out - it is a treat, not the norm.  And I avoid pre-packaged foods like the plague!
 
Sorry I went slightly OT here.  You have my permission to go[sm=backtotopic.gif].
 

I lived in Germany for 3 months...and they eat smaller aside from the big meal of the day...and I was always hungry there

 
I lived there 4 years and man, I remember some of those dinners being super-sized schnitzels with gravy, mushrooms and so many fries, they were falling off the plate.  The "fast food" place we sometimes went gave you a brochen (hard roll) with every sausage and again, a huge portion of fries WITH mayo to dip it in.  I knew an awful lot of GIs who put on a few lbs while there, altho some of that was likely due to the beer consumption [].
 
Gina - I'm with you in regards to the cost vs. the portion size.  There's a great italian restaurant here and the food is yummy, but when you can quickly count only 5 ravioli on your plate, it's a bit depressing [8|]

Italian leftovers are the BEST! Personally I'd be sorely disappointed if the portion were such that I could finish it in one sitting...wah no leftovers for tomorrow! Now some cuisine...to me, like most Asian and seafood...are 'that day or no way'...but Italian...Mexican...a lot of 'American classic' things? Come along with me for lunchee!
 
Yes the big ,meal of the day was BIG! But in between? pfft...I need a good breakfast or I have no energy....piece of bread ain't gonna cut it! But I am wired oddly...we all know that LOL! Of the 3 meals I think lunch would be the easiest for me to forget or not "do"...but I'd regret it right about 3pm...I crash and burn really easily when it comes to needing food.

ORIGINAL: sharismom

ORIGINAL: jjsmom06

Portion size is one of the leading contributors to obesity in this country.  We have lost ALL CONCEPT of what normal even is.   I had no idea how much I was eating until I started really changing my eating habits about 5 months ago.  Now I am shocked at how little it takes me to be full and I am actually sickened when I look at an over abundance of food.  It takes time and a lot of work though to change our bad habits and unfortunately the food service industry doesn't help us along.  

Shelly, it is true that changing eating habits and even keeping a food diary really is an eye-opener.

And, this is not to be argumentative because I do work in the food service industry, but...people have some responsibility in all of this - what they eat and how much.  When I was growing up, I was taught not to automatically salt my food, chew slowly, do not drink with the meal - only after, and there were no second helpings until the first was done.  So I couldn't grab another piece of chicken if all the mashed potatoes and vegetables weren't gone, too.  I really do think that not drinking with a meal is key to preventing hunger and snacking later.  When I was a kid, I can specifically remember one time drinking with my lunch and not being able to finish my sandwich.  I think a lot of people drink so much throughout the meal that they are full of liquid, and when the natural body process eliminates the liquid two hours later, people are hungry again.  I'm not a snacker.

The other problem is that people and families are so busy they grab what is fast and often eat on the run.  I seldom eat out - it is a treat, not the norm.  And I avoid pre-packaged foods like the plague!

Sorry I went slightly OT here.  You have my permission to go[sm=backtotopic.gif].

Oh totally Tina… and I apologize if my post came across as slamming the food industry… that wasn't my intent. The bottom line for them is "bigger portion sell” so for them, there are reasons for them to say "bigger is better” []   but like Gina said, we don't have to eat it all.. or we can take part of it home.  I am with you on the salt.. I grew up in a family that salted everything, but I make the choice to not salt anything, I make the choice to drink tea or diet soda instead of higher calorie stuff, or to get sauces and dressings on the side.   Everyone has a choice, but as American, we often don't make the best ones for our health because of what we have normalized.    

Oh.. and don't worry about going OT.. it is my thread and I could care less what you all talk about! []

My DH has parent programming to overcome as to portions. He MUST eat what's on his plate....it has taken me a lot of nagging to just tell him...'get less or leave it" and now, he can. But before this he said he literally feels a compulsion to eat what's on his plate due to early constant "there are kids starving in Africa" type programming.
 
I got the same deal...but it obviously didn't stick LOL. I am not like him...a people pleaser so that's likely why. I please myself first which is bad I know. The way we eat IMO has a lot more to do with our inner personality and the way we are raised to think about food.

Ah, yes, the order to eat everything on your plate.  When my son was little, I realized that it was pointless to try to force that on him because I was dishing out his portions.  If I put a scoop of something on his plate that would be enough for me, it was hardly fair to make him eat it.  And with microwaves, it's soooo easy to reheat something, not like doing it the old-fashioned way.  Why not just save it for later?

I can't stand the taste of any artificial sweeteners like Splenda, sweet & low, etc and diet soda tastes disgusting to me. [:'(] But about 2 years ago I drank diet sodas for awhile trying to lose a few pounds. My anxiety went SKY HIGH and I started having panic attacks again. [&:] I'm hypoglycemic and what I read in this thread about artificial sweeteners causing a rise in insulin makes perfect sense. One of the symptoms of low blood sugar is nervousness. It also explains why I was STARVING during that time and could never get enough to eat.

I've also read about aspartame causing depression. That could explain why during that time I would cry for almost no reason. I never had that before or after that time of drinking 1 or 2 diet sodas a day.

He MUST eat what's on his plate....it has taken me a lot of nagging to just tell him...'get less or leave it" and now, he can. But before this he said he literally feels a compulsion to eat what's on his plate due to early constant "there are kids starving in Africa" type programming.

 
My husband's the same way.  What's good for me (bad for him) is that he'll finish what's on my plate when I get full [8|]

My almost-4 y/o son eats MORE than I do portion wise. Then he gets up and begs more food off the rest of us, lmbo.

ORIGINAL: sharismom

Ah, yes, the order to eat everything on your plate. 

 
My dad was one of those "clean your plate because people are starving in China" people. When I was older I asked him to explain how my eating all my green beans would prevent anyone in China from starving. [] The only rule I ever had for my kids was if they didn't like what was on the table, to fix themselves whatever they wanted.  The could make a sandwich, open a can of soup or chili, etc., but if they didn't eat something that could be considered somewhat nutritious, then they had to keep their little fingers out of the cookie jar.
 
Joyce