No One Ever Wound Up at Weight Watchers by Eating Carrots

Bitchcakes has a really great post on portion sizes which you can read here: http://msbitchcakes.blogspot.com/2010/07/no-one-ended-up-at-weight-watchers.html#comment-form

It is indeed true that you can eat too much of a good thing.

Portion sizes in this country have gotten completely out of control. We need to shrink our expectations of just how much food we should be eating--even if its carrots.

But more importantly the food industry has got to start paying more attention to those of us who are trying to watch our weight.

I, myself, would like to see, among other things, muffins, sandwiches and bagels slimmed down significantly. I now feel that I can never eat a store bought muffin or sandwich anymore because the portion sizes have grown to the point that I pretty much blow a significant portion of my caloric "wad" for the day if I were to indulge.

As for bagels, I limit myself to "mini" bagels (which are the size of the regular bagels I ate as a kid.) The problem with this strategy, however, is that it pretty much limits me to plain bagels since that's the only flavor that mini bagels seem to come in.

Now, I understand that there are quite a few people in this country who feel that they're getting financially ripped off if their sandwich doesn't contain enough meat to keep a whole village in Africa alive for a week, but what I resent is that there are absolutely no options for those of us who want to keep our BMIs within acceptable, healthy levels.

Why is it that if I'm skiing with my children and want a turkey sandwich, I can't get half a sandwich with just a few slices of turkey and one slice of Swiss cheese? That's all I need to be completely filled up. Why is the only option available a whole sandwich with half a pound of turkey and a quarter pound of cheese that costs $9?

I resent the fact that I can't get a Poppy seed or onion bagel unless its some doughy behemoth. For Christ's sake, a bagel is supposed to be chewy with an actual hole in it.

Now when I make this complaint, the retort I always get is to just not eat the whole thing. But, why should I pay for these huge portions when I don't want them?

And, let's face it, often it's is just not convenient to wrap up something and take it with you. If you're not heading directly home, then what are you supposed to do--walk around with half bagel and cream cheese with lox all day?

Am I somehow supposed to fit into my ski jacket pocket the half of sandwich and quarter pound of meat I pulled out of the other half and hope that no wild animals are lurking close to the trails as I finish up my day skiing? What if I'm staying in a hotel with no refrigerator?

Why is it that portion sizes have grown so large that for those of us desiring to keep our weight at certain levels have to forgo foods we enjoy because their bulked up sizes mean too many calories.

The food industry is pushing food on us we don't need and don't want, and I'm just plain old sick of it.