When peoples health obsessions interfere with my life.

[jim]

You people really don't like fat free salad dressing. Maybe, MAYBE you have gotten used to it. But you don't like it. It's not likeable.

If you like it you wouldn't be human. Ants like it. Not humans. Flies maybe. Not humans.

Your used to it. And it probably has something that will kill you in 10 years in it.

[haltz]

The people that need everything-free pretzels are the same people that need fat-free dressing. Can't help but eat the entire box of pretzels or drown a wedge of lettuce in a bathtub of ranch dressing. Seems easier to just enjoy real food but not gorge yourself at every opportunity. Maybe not, who knows. I like food a lot.

Which reminds me of a Patton Oswalt bit that might have been linked around here recently. "And bend over Ellie May, 'cause here comes the gravy pipe!" I'm going to try and find that on youtube.

[docellis]

I've never purchased any type of pretzel. Pretzels are not appealing to me.

But I can't tell the difference between low cal (or whatever, fat free, etc) dressing and regular dressing so why not pick the one that is trying harder?

If I am making salad at home I don't even use salad dressing. I use salsa or humus.

[EastonBlues22]

Seems easier to just enjoy real food but not gorge yourself at every opportunity. Maybe not, who knows.

It just depends on the person. Some people have the ability to exhibit portion control all the time...when they feel fine, sick, stressed, hungry, etc. Some people have a real problem controlling their portions...either once they've begun eating, or in the presence of a particular trigger like stress. These are the people that really need to regulate what they buy at the grocery store...it's simply their most reliable defense against their own compulsions until they condition themselves to behave differently.

[Cronos]

Seems easier to just enjoy real food but not gorge yourself at every opportunity. Maybe not, who knows.

It just depends on the person. Some people have the ability to exhibit portion control all the time...when they feel fine, sick, stressed, hungry, etc. Some people have a real problem controlling their portions...either once they've begun eating, or in the presence of a particular trigger like stress. These are the people that really need to regulate what they buy at the grocery store...it's simply their most reliable defense against their own compulsions until they condition themselves to behave differently.

Extrapolate it out to a character/emotional flaw if you like, but I'm probably one of these people. One of the reasons I always used to struggle with weight control through most of my earlier life was because of portion sizes. I really never ate too unhealthy of foods, it's just that when I ate, I ate a lot of it. I never had access to much junk food, either candy, baked goods, or stuff like that throughout my life, but of the healthier(not totally healthy, but fresh foods, not processed) foods, I'd eat quite a bit and I wasn't all that active.

So when I found a diet system that worked for me, it was one that allowed me to eat as much as I could possibly want, it was just of the right foods that wouldn't hurt me: vegetables, fruits, diet soda instead of regular, etc. And yes, I know all of the recent talk on the board against diet soda, but let the record show that during this period I drank(and still do) somewhere around 3-5 diet sodas a day and still managed to lose around 70 pounds over almost a year, so it couldn't have hurt me that much in my quest.

I eat a lot, and like to eat. So if I'm going to eat and if I want to be eating healthy, I just make sure I eat the right things. And that includes things like fat free(more important than anything else: low calorie) dressings, snacks, etc. Does that show a deep problem with portion control, or some emotional issue? I don't think so; it's just my metabolism and it's just the eating habits I have. Whether it's a problem or character flaw or not, I'm glad there are low-cal solutions to older, high cal foods that at least come close to approximating old favorite tastes.

[clement]

"Mmmmm... card..board... <gurgle gurgle>"

[jim]

I've never purchased any type of pretzel. Pretzels are not appealing to me.

But I can't tell the difference between low cal (or whatever, fat free, etc) dressing and regular dressing so why not pick the one that is trying harder?

If I am making salad at home I don't even use salad dressing. I use salsa or humus.

Maybe your taste buds have just adjusted, but I still find that hard to believe doc. To me, one taste like salad dressing and the other like puke.

[cardinalkarp]

I've never purchased any type of pretzel. Pretzels are not appealing to me.

But I can't tell the difference between low cal (or whatever, fat free, etc) dressing and regular dressing so why not pick the one that is trying harder?

If I am making salad at home I don't even use salad dressing. I use salsa or humus.

Maybe your taste buds have just adjusted, but I still find that hard to believe doc. To me, one taste like salad dressing and the other like puke.

I'm not sure how you couldn't tell a difference between the regular and NO fat stuff. The reduced fat salad dressings are where its at, no its not quite as good as the regular but its worth knocking out the 10g of fat and about 60 to 70 calories per serving.

[jim]

I've never purchased any type of pretzel. Pretzels are not appealing to me.

But I can't tell the difference between low cal (or whatever, fat free, etc) dressing and regular dressing so why not pick the one that is trying harder?

If I am making salad at home I don't even use salad dressing. I use salsa or humus.

Maybe your taste buds have just adjusted, but I still find that hard to believe doc. To me, one taste like salad dressing and the other like puke.

I'm not sure how you couldn't tell a difference between the regular and NO fat stuff. The reduced fat salad dressings are where its at, no its not quite as good as the regular but its worth knocking out the 10g of fat and about 60 to 70 calories per serving.

I don't care that much for the creamy dressings to begin with - Ranch/French/Thousand Isle etc... But those are the ones that are just nasty fat free. My favorite "dressing" is actually just a spritz of vinegar and olive oil over the lettuce, otherwise it's Italian or Newman's Parmesan and Garlic.

[cardinalkarp]

Yeah, the creamy dressings are terrible fat free. I've tried and don't even bother anymore.

I've been trying those new spray salad dressings (basically just your vinegrettes and Italian dressings). Its only 2 calories per spray and your salads pretty covered after about 10 sprays.