LOCKED TOPIC

European Women Don't Count Calories.

I would know. I'm European. All this research about eating at least 1,000 calories a day and whatnot...I think it's just nonsense. When I lived back in Estonia, no one counted their calories. The women there that I knew (my mother's friends) would have maybe a fruit for breakfast, light salad for dinner, NO snacks, and maybe a piece of chicken or fish with some side vegetables.

They all seemed healthy, no one died or gained weight.

It is proven that America produces 5 times the amount of food that the people here actually need.

So all of this "you must eat this many calories too..." is just propaganda.

Sorry if I insulted anyone's beliefs. But honestly, it's just silly.

And you are here telling us this...why?

Because the topic is weight loss.

There are plenty of European men and women who use this site and this forum because counting calories works.

Its a fact that 3500 calories = one pound of fat. You can't dispute the math and science behind the basis of counting calories. A calorie is a unit of energy, and according to physics you have to do work to use up energy...or eat less energy to have less energy stored up. Dont blame us...blame Sir Isaac Newton :P

Im sure lots of cultures have healthier traditional foods than America and less Europeans need to count calories in the first place, but it still works.

By the way....no one in Estonia ever died or gained weight...?

oober_junkie ~ it's not a matter of offending people.  It is against the posting guidelines to promote starvation level dieting. 

What you have described is not sufficient to meet even the bare minimum calories for most adults (1,200 for women and 1,500 for men).  This is the bare minimum widely recommended by the medical community.  Many people need to eat more if they are larger or more active or younger. 

Eating less should only be done under the supervision of a healthcare provider who can check periodically for complications from undereating such as mal-nutrition, loss of bone density, kidney problems, kidney or gallstones, loss of hair, etc... 

Calorie-count is all about sustainable and healthy weight management; whether losing, gaining or maintaining.   And jmho, i think that understanding why the minimums are the minimums is crucial to really understanding how to eat appropriately.

Let us know if you have any questions... 

I have also lived in Europe.  In my experience, many europeans do not subsist on processed foods to the degree that many americans do. Our processed foods are often ridiculously high in sugars and fats.  Americans are also generally more sedentary than europeans ... part of our development patterns and being slaves to our cars.  So, in short, different cultures = different lifestyles = different weight control strategies. 

Seriously, don't feed the trolls, folks!

Europe is a very big continent to make such a broad statement!  ?European Women don?t count calories.? BTW I have seen many an overweight Italian and Greek ? (please - no offense anyone) ? but it is true!! I?d lighten up on the absolutes if I were you!

I've reported this thread.