Thank you!

It is a pity that the main subject is now in the war zone, the difference between weight or body composition is important, especially for beginners in a stall.

But OK, I see the thread has become too hot on the clean food issue.

Watcher16, I see what your point was meant to be, but I think that you misunderstand what the US version of some of the foods you condemn might be.

I think the most important thing I, as an American, would like for you to take home from this thread is that food and eating in America is different than YOU think it is. Just because the media says we all eat fast food doesn't mean we do, and we DO HAVE VERY HIGH QUALITY, EVEN HEALTHY versions of the "food" that is served in these fast food chains that we cook for ourselves at home and eat. Just because we call it the same thing, doesn't mean that it is the same food quality that you have seen in a European Fast Food export store.

The issue of hamburgers is an excellent case in point. In your country, ground beef is very low quality with questionable ingredients, so to eat a hamburger made from it is considered very unhealthy. In America, ground beef is very regulated in content, and can be bought at even higher quality in the form of ground sirloin, so to eat a hambruger made from this is much more healthy, and really equivalent to eating a steak. In addition, we make MANY more dishes using ground beef than just hamburgers, many of which actually include vegetables in the dish itself, and for low carbers, all of which include vegetables alongside...

There are many other examples of this, and I just wanted to make you aware that a culture gap can include a difference in what food is low versus high quality, and that can change the meaning of what you are suggesting. We eat ground beef dishes as part of our low carbing way of life because in America, that is part of a healthy and less expensive means of following this diet. I have learned from this thread, that to do so in Holland is not a good idea because ground beef in Holland is not healthy. I'm sure you have versions of foods we consider always unhealthy that are actually made differently in Holland and might be healthy when made your way.

You are right, I might add we also have better quality ground beef (depending on where you buy it) we use in other home made dishes. Only when you buy a hamburger you have the quality and health problem.

Thank you for your elaborate answer. I learned not to extend the way things are here to the US automatically!

I was in the process of writing a response, and by the time I posted it, I see it was already done by another!

So instead I'll just say...happy LCing to all!