I don't think I started the comparison but yes I did spend 3 years at a regional and I carried a large cooler filled with food every single trip. The good thing was that I lost 40 pounds doing it.

Since you asked for a comparison:

I wasn't defending either path. Pretty much any entry level pilot job sucks. There really isn't a "best" path to you ultimate career position. Some people made up their minds a long time ago that they would never work for a regional and that's ok. Others have long had a dream to fly for an airline and typically the regionals are the place to go. If i was starting all over again in this job market I would go to a regional. Upgrade times are looking better than ever at the regionals and compared to EAS, you will have almost 2x as much time off. At a regional you can be in control of your schedule by swapping trips or days, droppping trips or days, or picking up trips if you are looking for more money or flight time. Plus you will always be guaranteed 10-13 days off a month and a regional with the ability to manipulate the schedule for more. EAS can only guarantee 6 days off in a month; and on those 6 days you'll probably be asked to fly for bonus. I was fortunate enough to enjoy the flight benefits too and on several occasions i could work my schedule to get 2-3 weeks off in a row without using a single vacation day. At EAS you have absolutely no control over your schedule. You willbe put on a 12-3 without the ability to move your hard days around and if you need just 1 day off for sonething like a birthday you will be using a vacation day to guarantee it off.

For me QOL is more important when I am at home than it is while on the road. With that said; EAS has the best pilot group around which truly does make being on the road for extended periods a lot more bearable, I couldn't say the same about the regionals. Also, I don't do as many 4am wake ups at EAS as I did at the regionals.