Mom & Dad were from the south (Georgia), and they pretty much did the same thing.
But when we were kids, we had no other choice but to eat it! It was either; "Eat what is on your plate, or you'll get nothing else!!', they would tell us. That was the norm back then.
Mom was short and overweight, but dad was pretty much tall & thin. And yes Rick, we ate a lot of greasy & fried foods! She would use lard to fry. But we were just kids, and we did not know any better. We even grew up still eating those same fatty foods.
Mom's genes got passed down to some of us, whereas, for instance, she developed high blood pressure, cardiac heart disease, hardening of the arteries, sleep apnea, battled obesity for many years, became a diabetic and she wouldn't change. In light of all of the heath awareness programs having come out that the media badmouthing certain fatty and chemically laden foods, we began to take a serious looks at mom, went on a mission to try to change our lifestyle, thinking that if we took the first step, that she would try to change hers. Sadly, she had three strokes, the last one being the final curtain! We lost her in '89, but we lost dad in '86 to cancer!
Sadly, I'M one of the ones who inherited her same health problems!! Several years ago, and I didn't know it at the time, I was having breathing problems. Thought that it was just a passing thing. But in time, it became worst! Went to the emergency room. I was almost immediately worked on. The final outcome was that I was diagnosed with heart failure!!
The question that I asked the doctors was can I go home. They said; "No, you can't go home, we have to keep you until your heartbeat returns to normal." My heart went crazy until they were able to restore it back to its normal beat!! About a week later, I was let go, but three weeks later, there was a relapse!! Had to go back, this time in an ambulance because it became a life & death matter! It was around THAT time that one of my sisters told me that mom also was diagnosed with heart failure as well!
Same thing. I was treated for about a week, but I was put on stronger medicine to keep those problems at bay. I was drained and weak, and walking up 3 flights of stairs didn't make things any better! Had to wait slowly until my strength came back.
I'm on at least nine types of meds a day, most of it is heart medicine. I can't skip, or the heart will go back into palpitations again!! I'm also a diabetic.
I strongly commend you in your effort to keep away from fatty and fried foods. My doc, cardiologist and nutritionist DID say that fatty, fried and starchy foods should only be eaten about every great once-in-a-while.
I HAVE modified my diet, I'm eating less and the weight is slowly coming off. I'm down to 282 pounds from 305 pounds. But anyone who says that it is easy to lose weight, they don't know what it's like until they've walked in MY shoes!!
Lost one of my brothers in '04 to alcoholism, diabetes and obesity! Learning from his mistakes. My oldest brother is also obese, and has diabetes. One of my younger brothers just told me a few weeks ago that he was diagnosed with high blood pressure. He's on medicine for it. he also picked up some weight, to which I hope that he can work off.