Grocery store nightmare
Replies
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melimomTARDIS wrote: »I love the grocery store! I love food!!!
Yeah I'm excited every time I go now. Can't wait to see all the new yummy stuff they come up with.0 -
Nope, I love grocery shopping! I have always loved the supermarket for some reason...I just think it's really peaceful...or something. I have the Buy Mode music from the Sims stuck in my head when I go there...LOL.
As for being tempted by stuff, that's why you make a list. I buy one or maybe maximum two of junk food items per week. I already eat most of the foods I love regularly, so I don't really get tempted by anything in there that's not on my list. If I'm really in a rush, I can get the shopping done in about twenty minutes.0 -
I think the grocery store is heaven, personally. At least the food part. I hate the peoples.
And I don't think of them as putting advertisements for "unhealthy" food right in our path. I don't even know what that means. They advertise delicious food I suppose but not unhealthy. Sometimes I can go for that tempting new cookie or chocolate, sometimes I'm a hot mess that week/day and have to pick a substitute.0 -
Sticking to the outer ring of a store can help avoid the less nutritious choices, but I know the stores here are wise to that and the ice cream and chips are now right next to milk and cheese LOL. A lot of frozen processed foods are on end caps now of that outer ring.
I tend to hit up the fresh produce pretty hard first and load the cart, then go for meats and dairy, eggs, always lots of eggs, frozen veggies because I'm not fond of the taste of canned, then I go back and get maybe some pickles or olives, beans, whole grains, cereals, nuts, any oil or spices I need...by that point my budget is mostly blown and I have little left for the higher calorie less "healthy" choices.
I always make sure I do include little something snacks like maybe dark chocolate for now or later just because my goal is long term loss then maintenance and not deprivation then bingeing. I still eat anything I want SOME of the time and definitely much less of it than I used to.
As far as junk pre-prepared being easy to cook, I have to eat more of it to stay full, so it's mostly off my list now. My cooking tastes way better than any of that stuff anyway. I portion meats and keep some raw, some cooked and freeze, and chop peppers and onions and freeze those too for convenience. Many of the more elaborate meals I try to make extra and freeze extra portions, label them with contents and weight/calories, then I have my "fast food".0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »Going when not hungry is really excellent advice, however.
I honestly love going when hungry because that's when I"m more likely to buy new and never-tried snacks/foods or buy snacks in bulk. Like in the summer I wound up buying about 5 boxes of popsicles. I think those lasted until like... November or December lol.0 -
I grocery shop at least twice a wk because we prefer fresh produce & bread.Early morn suits me.....I take only the amount of money I plan to spend & no credit cards.
Produce 1st,looking for salad fixins & fruit for smoothies.Then to dairy for eggs,cheese,milk & cottage cheese.....plus yogurt.Next is frozen veggies & a couple goodies for my husband.My list changes with what we have,what is needed. Sometimes I want deli sliced turkey,or maybe tuna.
Having a 3 C smoothie before leaving works for me.Good luck,you will work it out.0 -
I'm glad you can eat all these bad foods and still lose weight. I hope to be able to do that someday too.
I guess my main point was, all the advertisements and the way they position things in the store is to get you to buy the unhealthy stuff. Why don't they make it harder to find the "bad" stuff and easier to find the good stuff?
I'm very sorry if this sounds harsh, but please consider it tough love: sometimes you need a stranger to tell you the hard truth that your loved ones won't because they can't afford the confrontation with you.
You need to drop the victim mentality and take control of your own life. Pointing the finger at the grocery store, acting like they have some sort of conspiracy going on to keep you fat, or that it's their job to nanny you into fitness because you can't make good decisions on your own, is not constructive. It's not helping you. It's never going to help you.
I'm not one of those people who thinks that people are fat because they have no willpower, or self-control, or character. I used to be fat people (I've lost 160 pounds) and honestly I could become one again, because the reason people get fat is priorities. It's easy to let other things seem more important: eating too much food is pleasurable and easy. I hope my priorities don't change again, but if they do, it won't be anyone's fault but my own, even if they shift because my job becomes more demanding or unreasonable or whatever.
I laugh when people ask me what my "secret" is but hey maybe it's this: I never asked "them" to make it easy for me. It's work. It takes effort and focus. What I buy at the supermarket is /my/ responsibility, not "theirs." And "they" can't stop me.
You can't resist advertising? how do you function in the real world at all? Forget the grocery store, because you must eat fast food all the time given the ubiquity of fast food advertising, right? Do you give in to every ad and billboard telling you what shoes to buy, what car to drive, what clothes to wear, what gadgets to use? You must be perennially cash poor, since you can't resist advertising at all.
You complained that the grocery store sells unhealthy food that is "easy to cook." like that's their fault. /You/ choose foods that you think are "easy to cook" (by the way: subjective! Fresh fruit is easy. Veggies are easy. Lean meat is easy. Eggs are easy.) I don't see AT ALL how it's the grocery store's fault and not yours if you're buying calorie dense foods instead and you can't control your portion amounts.
Oh and by the way? The grocery store would love for you to buy more fruits and veggies, actually. Their margins on those foods are really high, actually, compared to stuff in boxes and cans, and they end up throwing a lot of it out because of spoilage. The issue is that the people who make stuff sold in boxes and cans are often big companies and they actually pay the grocery store for premium shelf space, promotional displays, etc. Fruits and vegetables are sold by farmers (sometimes big agribusiness farmers, but still, it's a different thing!) and those cooperatives don't have the same promotional operatives that the processed food manufacturers have, so the grocery store is "on their own" to promote that stuff, and they don't know how.
I'm tempted to correct you too on the idea that foods fall into two categories: "healthy" and "unhealthy." Foods are neither of these things. Your diet is "healthy" or "unhealthy": meaning either you're getting a calorie-appropriate amount of food that contains a good balance of nutrients, or you're eating calorie-inappropriate amount of foods and/or nutrient imbalances. Foods are a tool (they are also delicious) that contain nutrients and calories. Some foods are rich in some nutrients and poor in others. Some foods are poor in nutrients in general but delicious (helloooooo white rice!). Some foods are calorie-dense. Some foods are nutrient-dense. No single "superfood" is going to make your diet healthy if you eat too many calories or otherwise are messing up your nutrient intake. No single demon food is going to kill you if you are eating that food as a small part of a balanced, calorie-appropriate diet. I eat a lot of veggies and beans and lean meat and dairy. I also indulge in reasonable amounts of pizza and booze and nutella on a pretty regular basis: but those foods don't form the foundation of my diet. They are indulgences and I'm responsible for controlling their place in my diet.
And if I can't control their place in my diet? Blaming the grocery store that sells them to me is weak sauce, lady. Woman up. Take responsibility for your own choices. It's empowering.0 -
Good post.
I do wonder also what kind of 'junk foods' are easier to cook than dropping steak/chicken/pork on the foreman grill and microwaving a bag of frozen veggies (or dropping fresh veggies in the water for 5 minutes).0 -
Nope. Then again, I've worked in a supercenter for the past fifteen years, and I eat the foods I like in moderation.0
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KitkatcuteNYC wrote: »Nope. But then again I eat all of these "bad" foods and I've lost 27 lbs, because food doesn't make people fat. Eating too much of ANY food makes people fat.
And "healthy" is subjective and changes throughout history, as well as general physical health being based on diet context and not the individual foods you eat.
It doesn't matter how much vegetables and fruit you eat..it won't make you fat at all. Eating processed chemical junk, excess oil and dairy can however make you fat!
Actually, it does matter. You will gain weight eating ANY food in excess regardless of the type of food. A calorie surplus makes you gain weight, not a certain type of food.
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What are these "bad foods"? The only bad foods for me personally are overly processed foods and foods that purport to be healthy options when in fact, they aren't.
It's true that shopping the outer aisle of a grocery store results in a healthier cart full of food and ingredients to make your own meals. But I shop the aisles too, and I often chuckle sanctimoniously at a lot of the stuff -- and especially at the prices of the foods that promise to be the healthiest and most slimming.
An avocado is very calorie dense and I need to limit my intake of them. Does that mean avocadoes are "bad"? Is a Snickers bar bad? Karamel Sutra ice cream? (OMG, that is SO not bad!) I really dislike the words "bad" and "cheat" when I'm losing weight. "I was so bad today, I cheated today.." -- no no no no, don't say those things!
Those foods aren't bad; they're just not going to move you toward your goal. They are bad choices when they're not incorporated sensibly into your daily meal plan. Sure, have a half a Snickers bar if you are passionately craving it and nothing can turn your mind off it. Try to avoid the temptation, and know that sometimes, you can't. Compensate for it somewhere else, and don't feel guilty afterwards and feel defeatist. That is what the deceptive part of your brain WANTS you to think -- that you're a failure.
Well, you're not.0 -
Is the grocery store a nightmare for you too? Its not surprising at all that so many people are overweight. Every corner you look around is designed to lure you into buying something unhealthy! All of the junk food is cheap and easy to cook. You actually have to search out the healthy options. The more I discover about what's in the food we eat is just crazy. I feel like I have to force myself into tunnel vision just to get through the store. Don't look around too much or you might see something calling to you. O.O Anyone else have this problem or realization?
:huh:0 -
There are things I won't buy if I realize I'm not ready to eat them in moderation. I was at the store and I saw red velvet oreos with cream cheese flavored frosting. I looked at the package and I saw that 2 cookies was 140 calories. I didn't buy them because I thought they were "bad" I just didn't buy them because I know myself and I am not ready to stop myself after eating just 2 oreos. I will eventually try those oreos though, I promise you that
What makes the grocery store cause me anxiety is that I never did any grocery shopping for myself until very recently, and I am just now starting to learn to cook at age 26. I never really know what to buy, and I'm always freaking out because I don't know how much I should buy for a 2 week supply. Currently I go shopping every other weekend, but it's always with my best friend or with my mom. Eventually I will be comfortable shopping on my own once I get the hang of it.0 -
The only store I find a nightmare is Wegman's- that store STRESSES ME THE EFF OUT.
Not sure why- just the lay out- and the packed- yet weird open feeling it has- I just- i hate it.
but otherwise no.
Easy
Veggies
meat
dairy.
done
The advice to not shop when hungry is true.
The advice it shop the permiter of the store is actually pretty solid.
The advice to realize that the store lays things out purely to make money and to catch your eye.
Use your big hooman logic to recognize that and then stick to the man and buy what you need for YOUR needs and what fits in your budget- not what's been splashed in front of your eyes.
At some point you need to move past being a wide eyed 5 year old who gets starstruck with EVER advert in the store. Seriously- why do you think they put kid foods at kid eye level???0 -
Is the grocery store a nightmare for you too? Its not surprising at all that so many people are overweight. Every corner you look around is designed to lure you into buying something unhealthy! All of the junk food is cheap and easy to cook. You actually have to search out the healthy options. The more I discover about what's in the food we eat is just crazy. I feel like I have to force myself into tunnel vision just to get through the store. Don't look around too much or you might see something calling to you. O.O Anyone else have this problem or realization?
It isn't really a problem for me. I write a grocery list and stick to it. I group like items together on my list so shopping is easier and faster.
My goal is to stick to my grocery budget and get out of the store quickly because I want to do other things. My purchases are mostly carefully considered.
Some stores offer online shopping for a small fee where you can pick up or have your groceries delivered. You might check to see if any stores in your area have that if it would cut down on your impulse buys.0 -
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No, it's not difficult for me. I don't demonize food, and I don't demonize the grocery store for trying to make money, that's just how capitalism works. If I can't learn how to eat all foods in moderation than as soon as I stop using MFP I will baloon back up. And I'm not going to deprive my family of the foods they love, just because I havn't learned how to control myself.
Personally I love walking up and down every single aisle, whether I need to or not, in order to add to my daily steps.0 -
Nope.
I actually enjoy grocery shopping! Sure the sweets look tempting but I am able to walk right by them without feeling the need to put them in my cart. Plus I perimeter shop so that saves me from having to go down the pre-packaged food aisles.0 -
It's really easy for me now. I know most of what I want to buy before I go. I skip entire sections of the store since I don't buy all the boxed processed stuff. Most of my items are staples I buy almost every week...chicken, eggs, yogurt, fruit, veggies, peanut butter. I am in and out very quickly and efficiently. I don't waste my time in there.
If you find yourself being tempted by things you don't want to purchase, perhaps making a shopping list before you go and sticking to it might help...at least it is worth a try. Think about what you want to have for meals that week and plan accordingly. If you have a plan, it is much easier.0 -
I agree that modern grocery stores are a nightmare. I am very grateful to my local market for being a small space with produce, meat counter, dairy, and a very small dry goods section. For those of you reading this that feel they should leave me a critical reply, I'm not listening.0
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I think when you just start your diet and really learn about nutrition your eyes are opened a bit and you realize just how much fat, calories, and sugar are in food, even in some "healthy" foods. It can seem overwhelming and a bit horrifying. As you get used to buying healthy food you will feel more in control and will feel less bombarded by all the crap that is out there. Maybe you will buy some foods that aren't exactly healthy and learn to have them fit into your calories. Maybe you will avoid them all together. Whatever works for YOU is the most important thing to do. Good luck!0
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Never. Always hit the ice cream aisle to see if they came out with a new kind of ice cream or poptarts. Moderation is what got me to lose 121 pounds!!0
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KitkatcuteNYC wrote: »Nope. But then again I eat all of these "bad" foods and I've lost 27 lbs, because food doesn't make people fat. Eating too much of ANY food makes people fat.
And "healthy" is subjective and changes throughout history, as well as general physical health being based on diet context and not the individual foods you eat.
It doesn't matter how much vegetables and fruit you eat..it won't make you fat at all. Eating processed chemical junk, excess oil and dairy can however make you fat!
This the dumbest thing I ever heard of!!! LOL0 -
The grocery is not a nightmare for me. I plan my meals ahead of time and make a list. I then go to the store and shop my list. I don't need to look at things I am not planning to get. The only things I "shop" are fruit and cheese and maybe meat. I have them on my list but I wait until I get to the store to make my final decision based on what looks good and/or is on sale.0
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The only time grocery shopping is a nightmare for me is when it's too crowded, like if I make the mistake of going on Senior Citizen's Discount Day, or before a holiday or snowstorm. Somehow it's an anxiety attack trigger for me.
But the food is never a problem. Unless their out of my favorite chocolate milk.0 -
There are things I won't buy if I realize I'm not ready to eat them in moderation. I was at the store and I saw red velvet oreos with cream cheese flavored frosting. I looked at the package and I saw that 2 cookies was 140 calories. I didn't buy them because I thought they were "bad" I just didn't buy them because I know myself and I am not ready to stop myself after eating just 2 oreos. I will eventually try those oreos though, I promise you that
What makes the grocery store cause me anxiety is that I never did any grocery shopping for myself until very recently, and I am just now starting to learn to cook at age 26. I never really know what to buy, and I'm always freaking out because I don't know how much I should buy for a 2 week supply. Currently I go shopping every other weekend, but it's always with my best friend or with my mom. Eventually I will be comfortable shopping on my own once I get the hang of it.
Do you menu plan? Try making a menu plan for the week or two between shopping. Write down the foods you need for your menu and don't forget breakfast and lunch. For some reason menu plans only ever seem to include dinner. This really helps to make sure you're getting enough food and it can save you money as we'll.
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KitkatcuteNYC wrote: »Nope. But then again I eat all of these "bad" foods and I've lost 27 lbs, because food doesn't make people fat. Eating too much of ANY food makes people fat.
And "healthy" is subjective and changes throughout history, as well as general physical health being based on diet context and not the individual foods you eat.
It doesn't matter how much vegetables and fruit you eat..it won't make you fat at all. Eating processed chemical junk, excess oil and dairy can however make you fat!
Not sure if serious....
It's all about consuming less calories than your body is burning...
On topic- The only time I hate going to to the grocery story is when its the day before a snowstorm and people act like its the end of the world. Like come on people..we live in the northeast.. it's going to snow at some point.
Make a list before you go to the store and keep yourself to that list. That helps me keep in budget.0 -
OP: Shop primarily around the edges of the store. They lay them out so that the produce is to one side and the dairy is to the other, and the meat is on the back wall. Of course when I buy sugar/flour/oil/yeast etc to make bread, that's on one of the aisles closer to the center; I'm not saying totally avoid anything there but just primarily when you're choosing most of your staples that principle should help you keep to the types of foods you've indicated you prefer.0
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