If eating trash makes us sick, why do we keep eating it?
Catsheep
Posts: 16
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.
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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.0 -
Moderation: the avoidance of excess or extremes, especially in one's behavior.-1
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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.0 -
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.0 -
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?0 -
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
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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...?
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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.0 -
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.0 -
TavistockToad 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.
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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.0
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the carbs and crap in the food actually make you crave more of it, it is a vicious cycle.1
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herrspoons 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.0 -
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.0 -
As others said, it's more about moderation. Have your junk but don't go overboard to the point of making yourself ill.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. SMH0 -
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.0 -
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.1
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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.1 -
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.0 -
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.
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Once you figure out the healthful foods can also be prepared in such a way as to be decadent and delicious, you will change your tune. "junk" food tastes pretty much like *kitten* to me these days.0
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cwolfman13 wrote: »Once you figure out the healthful foods can also be prepared in such a way as to be decadent and delicious, you will change your tune. "junk" food tastes pretty much like *kitten* to me these days.
Ditto. I don't generally crave junk foods at all. The idea of most of them kinda grosses me out now. And I lived on it.
For me, it was a matter of breaking the habit, going "cold turkey" for a few weeks, and introducing new, improved delicious snacks in their place.0 -
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Eating cherries and pomegranates also make me feel sick, I still eat them. Because I enjoy the food.
And as the first 3 posters said, my sickness from cherries and pomegranates is from eating too much of them. I actually only get sick from eating sugary food in excess. I can eat and eat savoury food no problem. So like... moderation.0 -
LOL, I can and have lost weight and it's not an excuse, it's a reason.
I was a kid, saw the advert, "eat this" I went to the shop, ate it. Simple
I then did it over and over all through my life till now.
And it's now I find out, maybe it wasn't such a good idea
OK, if it makes you feel better, yes, it was all my own fault, no one or nothing else it to blame but me. There, sorted.0 -
Once it's in the garbage can, why would I go back in to eat it?
Now, any of this "junk" you're talking about, what's the problem with eating it in moderation? I'm having fast food tonight, as I can't eat until 9:30, and it's something I look forward to every week. I've cut down on going any other time, though, such as after an early shift at my job when I get off at lunchtime. And I have ice cream 3-5 times a week, but smaller, weighed out servings than I used to.0 -
Trash food as you call it has existed for centuries. Humans discovered the joys of comfort and sugary foods ages ago. We're not living in an age of decadence and excess, we are living in an age of consumerism in general, and food is just one of the many outputs of that consumerism. It's not all one big conspiracy to make us eat more junk food - heck they don't care if we spend all our money on kale and quinoa instead. What they want is your buck.
Now - I'll be honest, I was for a long time just like you. Actually I was much worse - I ate junk food with no remorse whatsoever and gained 50kg. Then one day I woke up and lost it all (over 18 months that is).
These days I eat junk food reasonably. I generally have something sweet in the morning with coffee (in the form of a biscuit or two). After lunch I have another coffee with something similar. And after dinner I will keep some calories put aside for something nice and sweet. It accounts to maybe 20-30% of my daily intake. The rest is clean food to the best of my efforts. The key as everyone mentioned is finding something that works for you. Something that gives you a good feeling and yet doesn't make you feel like you are destroying yourself. Allocate yourself allowances and stick to them, but make them generous enough to actually give you the dopamine your brain is yearning.
I think its deceptively simple - I don't know why folks over complicate things. Cutting things out cold turkey never works. The solution is always personal - make it work for you. What worked for others almost never works for me - we are all different...1 -
I still remember those "part of this nutritious breakfast" ads for the sugary cereals. Where there's a bowl of oddly colored things called cereal, and then a grapefruit and a glass of milk. And of course, no one had the grapefruit and glass of milk with their cereal (and milk). They just had the bowl of colored sugar.LOL, I can and have lost weight and it's not an excuse, it's a reason.
I was a kid, saw the advert, "eat this" I went to the shop, ate it. Simple
I then did it over and over all through my life till now.
And it's now I find out, maybe it wasn't such a good idea
OK, if it makes you feel better, yes, it was all my own fault, no one or nothing else it to blame but me. There, sorted.0 -
I kind of agree with both sides.herrspoons 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.
Salt and sugar do have addictive properties, it has been proven. So that adds an element of difficulty to breaking the cycle. You can even see it with our pets - they crave the salty treats and foods we give them over the more nutritious kinds. I found a lot of pet owners have to mix the two together to get their dog/cat to eat healthier kibble. My cat even used to eat Pilsbury danishes or poptarts if we let him.
That being said, it's self inflicted - for many reasons some of which are possibly inattention, ignorance, lack of accountability. The addiction is not as hard as breaking other addictions such drug abuse. So it can be done, but it must be consciously done. A person simply has to take responsibility and just stop eating foods that make them feel sick.
I do know what you mean by fast food. I used to be able to eat maybe 2 chicken nuggets or half a hamburger or half of fries from any fast food establishment and my stomach would be in pain for a day. I stopped eating it for years... now I eat it and don't have nearly as bad problems. I question why I started eating it again. Probably because I moved out and got lazy.
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