If eating trash makes us sick, why do we keep eating it?

Catsheep

So I have been having this thought quite frequently lately. I eat a bunch of junk (ie. fast food, candy, sweets, fried foods, etc.) and I feel really crappy afterwards. I feel sick to my stomach and lethargic and I swear that I will make sure that I don't feel this way ever again because it is so horrid. But then comes the next day and it's back to the desire of having all the junk again despite the knowledge of what the result will entail. So how does one break this cycle? I truly have a desire to live a healthy and active lifestyle but I feel like I am self sabotaging and trying to fulfill my subconscious self prophecy that I will fail. What are y'alls thoughts on this subject? If you have had any experiences dealing with this issue I'd love to hear about it.

paperpudding

My thoughts are that 'trash food' is fine in moderation and your issue is portion control rather than the actual foods.

However if any specific foods actually make you feel sick, even in sensible portion sizes, then I suggest you avoid those foods altogether.

Liftng4Lis

Moderation: the avoidance of excess or extremes, especially in one's behavior.

TavistockToad

Catsheep wrote: »

So I have been having this thought quite frequently lately. I eat a bunch of junk (ie. fast food, candy, sweets, fried foods, etc.) and I feel really crappy afterwards. I feel sick to my stomach and lethargic and I swear that I will make sure that I don't feel this way ever again because it is so horrid. But then comes the next day and it's back to the desire of having all the junk again despite the knowledge of what the result will entail. So how does one break this cycle? I truly have a desire to live a healthy and active lifestyle but I feel like I am self sabotaging and trying to fulfill my subconscious self prophecy that I will fail. What are y'alls thoughts on this subject? If you have had any experiences dealing with this issue I'd love to hear about it.

whether you think you will, or you think you wont, you're right....

to be honest i have never felt ill from eating 'junk'. you dont have to never eat any 'junk' to be healthy you know.

Mudler

Moderation is the big word to stick to but there is science to it as well
Food companies are selling us drugs, sugar and salt.
They know that they can sell more and more.
The whole world is getting fat and ill as a result.
We crave them and we crave foods that contain them

I'm the worst, i love those foods and give me them all the time. I'm trying desperately to break the cycle but struggling and do give in to it occasionally.

eldamiano

I ask a similar question about reality TV.....

If watching reality makes us have the IQ of a 5 year old, then why do people watch it?

Mudler

And it's not your fault, it's the way you've been programmed, we've all been programmed. You could go even further and not blame the food companies, after all, they're doing what every company wants to do, grow, expand, push up profits and pay the shareholders more but I won't go there, I'm already in enough trouble writing this and will die in flames

TavistockToad

Mudler wrote: »

And it's not your fault, it's the way you've been programmed, we've all been programmed. You could go even further and not blame the food companies, after all, they're doing what every company wants to do, grow, expand, push up profits and pay the shareholders more but I won't go there, I'm already in enough trouble writing this and will die in flames

the way we've 'all' been programmed...?

ASG_21

Catsheep wrote: »

So I have been having this thought quite frequently lately. I eat a bunch of junk (ie. fast food, candy, sweets, fried foods, etc.) and I feel really crappy afterwards. I feel sick to my stomach and lethargic and I swear that I will make sure that I don't feel this way ever again because it is so horrid. But then comes the next day and it's back to the desire of having all the junk again despite the knowledge of what the result will entail. So how does one break this cycle? I truly have a desire to live a healthy and active lifestyle but I feel like I am self sabotaging and trying to fulfill my subconscious self prophecy that I will fail. What are y'alls thoughts on this subject? If you have had any experiences dealing with this issue I'd love to hear about it.

I don't know about you, but I don't make it a habit to eat out of my garbage can, much less do it repetitively!

On a more serious note; no food is trash. Food is simply a source of energy, with some being less nutrient dense and more calorie dense than others. Eating food with little nutritional value doesn't mean you're eating trash, and it's more likely that overeating is what is causing you to feel sick, not the foods themselves.

If you can't control your intake when you eat these specific foods, maybe you need to cut them out of your diet (temporarily) until you learn to eat them in moderate amounts. The only solution I've found to break a cycle is to stop making excuses for yourself and JUST DO IT. Otherwise, it will just keep happening, because nobody can "fix" you except you.

redpandora56

because it tastes good? and maybe there's something about the caloric density of those foods that makes us crave them on a biological level as a good source of energy in the form of calories, but that's me speculating out of boredom and i have no desire to research whether there's any science for or against that.
I vote for all the comments above that say something about moderation.

psuLemon

TavistockToad wrote: »

Mudler wrote: »

And it's not your fault, it's the way you've been programmed, we've all been programmed. You could go even further and not blame the food companies, after all, they're doing what every company wants to do, grow, expand, push up profits and pay the shareholders more but I won't go there, I'm already in enough trouble writing this and will die in flames

the way we've 'all' been programmed...?

I am guessing personal accountability has gone out the window. Simply I am shocked. I haven't been programmed to eat any way.


BTW, I eat fast food frequently, but my fast food is Chipotle and it's delicious. No one takes my Chipotle away.

Once I stopped labeling foods as good or bad and started to focus on what my real goals where, things were easier for me. I eat candy, i eat fast food, but in the end, i make sure I eat to my goals.

Chaotic_Weevil

Eh, too much of anything will make you feel crappy. I know I generally feel great after a small slice of cheesecake or some hot chips.

andreavan28

the carbs and crap in the food actually make you crave more of it, it is a vicious cycle.

Chaotic_Weevil

herrspoons wrote: »

Mudler wrote: »

Moderation is the big word to stick to but there is science to it as well
Food companies are selling us drugs, sugar and salt.
They know that they can sell more and more.
The whole world is getting fat and ill as a result.
We crave them and we crave foods that contain them

I'm the worst, i love those foods and give me them all the time. I'm trying desperately to break the cycle but struggling and do give in to it occasionally.

No. People get fat and ill because they don't pay attention to what they're eating, are largely ignorant of their calorie limits and nutritional needs, and lack the personal accountability to ensure they don't go massively overboard.

Until people stop blaming external factors and accept that it's their own problem then things will not change.

Exactly this. Obesity is on the rise because people eat too much and move too little, and at the end of the day the decision to do that is made by you. It's very easy to make a villain out of the convenience food providers and producers, but at the end of the day you are the one making yourself fat. Not them.

leggup

I've been eating a piece or two of Halloween candy every night for the past 2 weeks. I feel great, I look forward to my evening treat, and I can't imagine you'd feel crappy if you only ate a serving of "junk" instead of a pile of it.

As I've lost weight and gotten healthier, I have noticed that I can't eat like I used to. Before I could tuck away an entire wawa sub (10 inches) with double cheese and loaded with veggies and still have room for a side of mac and cheese and a soda. Nowadays I eat a shortie sub (I think it's 6 inches?) and that's it. Done. No more food needed (or wanted!). I imagine I would feel sick now if I ate a whole sub.

MinnieInMaine

As others said, it's more about moderation. Have your junk but don't go overboard to the point of making yourself ill.

Mudler wrote: »

And it's not your fault, it's the way you've been programmed, we've all been programmed. You could go even further and not blame the food companies, after all, they're doing what every company wants to do, grow, expand, push up profits and pay the shareholders more but I won't go there, I'm already in enough trouble writing this and will die in flames

I'm sorry...what?! So if it was the food companies' fault that I got obese, whose fault is it that I lost weight then? Couldn't have to do with the fact that I wasn't accountable for my own actions before and then actually became aware of portion control, moderation, etc. SMH

GiveMeCoffee

Mudler wrote: »

And it's not your fault, it's the way you've been programmed, we've all been programmed. You could go even further and not blame the food companies, after all, they're doing what every company wants to do, grow, expand, push up profits and pay the shareholders more but I won't go there, I'm already in enough trouble writing this and will die in flames

What? We've all been programmed????

Where is personal responsibility in this?

No one is to blame but myself for getting fat, I made a decision not to give a damn, eat too much, drink too much and sit on my butt too much. That's why I was fat.

Now I eat all the same things, but smaller amounts and I am much more active because it is my choice and my responsibility for what I do.

TheBeerRunner

All that ****ty food activates the pleasure center of the brain, and it triggers addictive tendencies, a lot like cocaine or other hard drugs. Lots of people obviously have a hard time dealing with it and go nuts all the time on it, hence why we're a nation of ticking obese diabetic time bombs.

Laura732

Well, I believe there are a few things going on that contribute to this. The way we're wired biologically, and additives/chemicals in foods. As one previous poster said, food is fuel, we need to eat. But, the food manufacturer's don't make it easy for us. Many foods have additives that can have a metabolic impact (read Master Your Metabolism/ Jillian Michaels, or any of Joel Fuhrman's books). Not only do you have the sugar content going against you but when you figure additives into the mix, it becomes more apparent as to why its so hard to back away from the table.

Based on what I went through, the more natural my diet became, the more the cravings subsided. There is a certain degree of gutting it out involved too. Sometimes you have to consciously decide not to eat the donut, cereal, or piece of candy. Correcting bad habits isn't a fast process. If you're increasing the time between lapses, you're headed in the right direction. Don't beat yourself up for not immediately correcting the problem. Just keep chipping away at it.

asdowe13

TheBeerRunner wrote: »

All that ****ty food activates the pleasure center of the brain, and it triggers addictive tendencies, a lot like cocaine or other hard drugs. Lots of people obviously have a hard time dealing with it and go nuts all the time on it, hence why we're a nation of ticking obese diabetic time bombs.

Food and cocaine (hard drugs) are not comparable.

Mudler

Poor food, poor health, poor diet is killing more people than Cocaine

But my 'We're programmed" point. Apologies to the ones who escaped all the advertising over the years. Nice one, not me, they got me.

When I was a kid, the adverts on TV, never liked them but now 40+ years later I can still remember the taglines...

"A Mars a day helps you work, rest and play" ......Never liked Mars but I remember it
"MilkyWay, the sweet you CAN eat between meals without ruining your appetite"

Brilliant and not blaming the companies, they're just doing there jobs.

And yeah, ultimately it is down to the individual to take the blame but they (we) need better educating from day one.

Go to the supermarket, Apples or Chocolate cookies, which looks best, which looks most fun and nicest.
Poor old apple, LOL, he's got no chance

Not saying, don't eat food that is less nutritious. I love the fast foods, Chocolate, potatoes chips (my personal favourite) and Cola. Don't sit there eating Apples all day like Billynomates, But yeah, original point, In Moderation.