Why People in the 1970s were Leaner
Simpler Times, Tighter Waistlines
There are all sorts of fancy diets out there but I think if you look at history, the answer is much simpler. In the 1970s, people were much leaner than they are today. So what has changed?
In the 1970s, people used to eat three meals a day and that’s it. Now the average intake is about six or more eating occasions per day. Snacking and extra meals just because weren’t a thing back then. Food companies did an unbelievable job brainwashing people to believe they need to be constantly be eating.
People in the 1970s people still ate grains (bread, cereal, etc) but they ate about 200 calories less from grains per day. This means, you can still eat bread and cereal and be lean, you just can’t eat as much as modern Americans are eating.
People in the 1970s used about 250 fewer less calories per day from cooking oils and added fats. We seem to abuse dressings, cooking oils and added fats today. We dump olive oil on top of our salad thinking it will cause fat loss and we also eat a ton of processed packaged food, which usually has some sort of vegetable oil in it. We used to use cooking oils a little more sparingly. I think we should all get back to this habit.
In the 1970s, people ate less cheese but drank more milk. I can’t walk 10 feet without some woman talking to me about a cheeseboard. I don’t have a problem with cheese, but coming in at 1,825 calories per pound, you have way better options if fat loss is a goal. If you want some dairy, eat some non-fat or low-fat Greek yogurt, which is 268 to 348 calories per pound. A cup of milk is 90 to 150 calories depending on the fat content. Generally, people are content with one glass of milk (maybe two tops). On the other hand, your average woman can eat an endless amount of cheese at a cocktail party. But hold up before you eat any of it.. first we need to upload a picture of the caloric monstrosity to Instagram and let everyone know we are living the good life because we have the ability to sit around and eat cheese. Cheese eating and cheesifying meals has become “a thing”. Stop abusing cheese, thanks. It’s extremely dense and easy to overeat.
In the 1970s, people ate a little more beef and potatoes, and way less chicken. Goes to show you that maybe having that steak wasn’t so bad for your waistline after all. For whatever reason people see chicken as some superfood. However, most of us aren’t just eating plain chicken. We usually fry the chicken in oil or add mayo to it to make it tastier. Or the fan-favorite.. fry it in oil, add a bunch of tasty side sauces, drink a ton of beer and watch some football. I don’t have a problem with chicken but the way most of us eat is currently is a problem. It ends up being a vessel for oil and mayo, adding a ton of extra calories. Crispy chicken this, chicken cutlet that… with mayo and six other toppings.. it ends up just being a vessel for junk for a lot of us. Adding fat to chicken is the definition of negative satiety. As you dump oil and mayo on top of the chicken, it becomes denser and tastier, so you actually eat even more of it. Most of us would do better without these hyper-palatable chicken meals and instead of eating plain chicken or plain steak with potatoes. Said differently, drop the fried chicken with mayo sandwich and have some lean steak and potatoes instead.
In the 1970s, people watched less television and went for more walks or did more things outside. Do you know what the biggest determinant of daily step count is? It’s time outside. Think about it logically. Do you sit and watch TV outside or do you generally do active things? People used to open their doors and step outside more often in the 1970s. Getting outside is the ultimate catalyst for movement. On the contrary, coming inside, turning on the TV and sitting on a comfy couch is the ultimate catalyst for not moving. Get outside and good things happen.
RECAP:
~3 meals a day (and that’s it)
~Some grains, but not as much as today.
~A large reduction in cooking oils, dressings and added fats
~Have some steak and potatoes, stop abusing fried chicken
~Please stop it with the cheese boards and adding cheese to everything. Use cheese a little more sparingly. You’re better off with a cup of milk or greek yogurt (way less dense!)
~Spend more time outside and go for more random walks or play more games
Get Lean 1970s style,
As a small side note, it goes to show you how the current day health advice turned out to be if anything, fattening. “Eat six times a day”, “Eat less red meat”, “avoid dairy”, “potatoes are carbs and carbs are bad”, “eat more chicken”, “eat more grains and vegetable oils”, “make sure you put more healthy oil on your salad”
Everyone followed that advice and got fat. We were better off before we got any advice. 3 meals a day, steak is part of a healthy diet, so are potatoes and milk. STOP abusing cheese, grains, pastries, oils, eating six times a day, and spending your whole life inside watching TV, playing with your phone or computer. Get outside and have fun.
John