Thoughts on my eating philosophy?
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Most of what I eat is derived from whole food nutrition. Some of what I eat is minimally processed. Very little of what I eat is highly processed. Mostly it just worked out for me this way because I'm a volume eater and I can eat a *kitten* ton of whole food nutrition and easily hit my calorie targets. I love potato chips and could easily down a bag at the expense of a couple thousand calories...I can't quite do that with an actual potato.
That said, I still like taking my boys out for pizza a couple times per month and I enjoy a cookie or ice cream or whatever for desert most nights...but in the big picture, those things make up very little of my diet.
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Nakeshia88 wrote: »My new philosophy for food is that if you can't grow it, catch it, kill it or make it yourself then don't eat it. For example: I can grow fruits/vegetables/legumes/grains and nuts so these are OK; I can fish and shoot so meat is OK; and I can/could easily learn to do things like grow/grind my own flour, salt and coffee, I can brew beer, make bread and pasta so these are OK - however, I couldn't make something like Coca Cola or anything containing artificial ingredients/additives so I won't eat these things.
So lately when I'm picking up food that's in a tin, bag or box I'll read the ingredients and ask myself, could I grow or kill these ingredients, process and mix them together myself to make this? If so, then I'll buy it, if not, back it goes! What do you think of this philosophy?
I think if you say you want to only eat whole foods/locally produced foods it is fine and dandy but your philosophy that it needs to be something you could grow, catch, kill or make is flawed since you don't intend to actually do those things or currently have the capability.
You could build a factory or laboratory and produce artificial ingredients or additives but you don't want to. Humans just like you do produce those foods/drinks. Everything you said you could do require certain things or expertise which you may not have at the moment but you "could" do them because people do those things somewhere on the planet.
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Nakeshia88 wrote: »Weight isn't the issue here, the issue is giving my body the best fuel possible. I guess I'm just starting to take a more hollistic view to health and wellbeing - I want to keep things as natural as I can most of the time that's all, and it's a theory, not a dead set rule.
If weight isn't the issue then why are you asking this question in the weight loss section of the forums?0 -
forgtmenot wrote: »Nakeshia88 wrote: »Weight isn't the issue here, the issue is giving my body the best fuel possible. I guess I'm just starting to take a more hollistic view to health and wellbeing - I want to keep things as natural as I can most of the time that's all, and it's a theory, not a dead set rule.
If weight isn't the issue then why are you asking this question in the weight loss section of the forums?
Let's see the forum is labelled "General diet and weight loss help"... is the first definition of diet not: the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats. Apologies if I misunderstood my English teachers, or if I didn't realise that this forum is exclusively for people that only want to lose weight!0 -
forgtmenot wrote: »
If weight isn't the issue then why are you asking this question in the weight loss section of the forums?
The title of this section of the forum is General Diet and Weight Loss Help...
Anyway, who actually cares?!?
Edit - post crossed over with the one above!0 -
Chrysalid2014 wrote: »forgtmenot wrote: »
If weight isn't the issue then why are you asking this question in the weight loss section of the forums?
The title of this section of the forum is General Diet and Weight Loss Help...
Anyway, who actually cares?!?
Right weight loss, and there is one for maintenance and weight gain also. There's also one for food and nutrition. I just assume that if someone posts here they are here for weight loss because this is the weight loss area of the forum. I really don't understand why people keep getting in a tizzy when members emphasize CICO instead of specifically healthy food and nutrition in the weight loss section of the forum.
If you don't care why are you responding to me? I wasn't replying to anything you said.0 -
forgtmenot wrote: »
Right weight loss, and there is one for maintenance and weight gain also. There's also one for food and nutrition. I just assume that if someone posts here they are here for weight loss because this is the weight loss area of the forum. I really don't understand why people keep getting in a tizzy when members emphasize CICO instead of specifically healthy food and nutrition in the weight loss section of the forum.
If you don't care why are you responding to me? I wasn't replying to anything you said.
"Diet" doesn't necessarily mean a weight loss plan.
And this is an open discussion, so I can reply to whomever I please.
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Chrysalid2014 wrote: »forgtmenot wrote: »
Right weight loss, and there is one for maintenance and weight gain also. There's also one for food and nutrition. I just assume that if someone posts here they are here for weight loss because this is the weight loss area of the forum. I really don't understand why people keep getting in a tizzy when members emphasize CICO instead of specifically healthy food and nutrition in the weight loss section of the forum.
If you don't care why are you responding to me? I wasn't replying to anything you said.
"Diet" doesn't necessarily mean a weight loss plan.
And this is an open discussion, so I can reply to whomever I please.
General DIET AND WEIGHT LOSS HELP: meaning it is a place for questions about "dieting" or trying to lose weight.
If you look back about 3 pages in the thread you will see the reason I replied to the OP asking why she posted it in the weight loss area of the forum: the comment I replied to was in reply to something I said. Because you know... That's what you do when you have a conversation. One person says something and the other person replies. I simply told her that just eating healthy won't make a person lose weight, because it won't. And her response to me was that she didn't care about weight loss. Then you just try to jump in for absolutely no reason other than to just get in an argument, as usual.
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MonsoonStorm wrote: »I think its great.
Over the past few years I have seen MFP slowly trend from accepting others food choices to becoming more militant about 'macros and calorie counts at the expense of everything else'. In my humble opinion it has gone too far that way.
I am a flexible dieter, and keeping my macros in check is my main focus, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to eat more natural foods and less processed stuff. Instead of applying your own experience and biases, just applaud people for wanting to improve their eating habits. Again, there are very few restrictions mentioned in the OP's post, it is all sensible and not very restrictive at all!
If she cant make it work and needs a more flexible eating plan, then let her come back and ask for that advice when its needed.
^ This.
It's *roughly* how I eat regardless. It's not "hard" I actually did it originally more from a standpoint of wanting to support local farmers rather than a "this will make me lose weight!" stand point.
At the end of the day the majority of this forum concentrates massively on CICO and generally neglects the "wellbeing" and philosophical/belief side of things. The thing is, sometimes that extra little bit of morality behind a reasoning can sometimes make it easier for that "system" to become part of your life rather than something you are just going to try because you've tried everything else and have nothing left to lose...
I guess I still haven't quite gotten used to the immediate negative reactions any time someone makes a post like OP.
"Hey! I wish to make some changes to improve my life and help out others!"... followed by "OMG why, CICO noob, you're an idiot"
Why can't people accept that changes like the one that OP stated aren't a big deal, and if OP decides it isn't working out due to time restrictions or whatever then she's hardly about to hurl herself into a vat of Coca Cola and attempt to drink it all until she explodes...
At the end of the day, you've no idea what OP's original habits are... perhaps the only significant difference will be coke, not exactly a massive deal to be replacing coke with something else.
Go for it OP. I hope it works well for you.
*runs off to find a shakeology person to demean to make up for the support given* that's how this works, right?
*edited to add* looks like this philosophy is an extension of a restricted diet you are already on. re: digestion issues... It's a roll of the dice. You keep trying things and once you find something that works, you stick to it. You stick to it because if you don't then life becomes thoroughly miserable. I hope you find your holy grail. Try what you like and give yourself whatever 'ideals' you like to try and figure it out. Whatever helps.
I think I can help you understand... see bolded - the OP didn't bring up this aspect, but most posts of that nature carry the 'morality' vibe. If you're being more moral in the choices you're making and I'm not making the same choices, that must make me...?0 -
I do not have a problem with that way of thinking. I have thought about only eating what I grow when I am older and have property. So what you are talking about makes sense to me and is probably something I will en up doing in the next several years.0
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bennettinfinity wrote: »MonsoonStorm wrote: »I think its great.
Over the past few years I have seen MFP slowly trend from accepting others food choices to becoming more militant about 'macros and calorie counts at the expense of everything else'. In my humble opinion it has gone too far that way.
I am a flexible dieter, and keeping my macros in check is my main focus, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to eat more natural foods and less processed stuff. Instead of applying your own experience and biases, just applaud people for wanting to improve their eating habits. Again, there are very few restrictions mentioned in the OP's post, it is all sensible and not very restrictive at all!
If she cant make it work and needs a more flexible eating plan, then let her come back and ask for that advice when its needed.
^ This.
It's *roughly* how I eat regardless. It's not "hard" I actually did it originally more from a standpoint of wanting to support local farmers rather than a "this will make me lose weight!" stand point.
At the end of the day the majority of this forum concentrates massively on CICO and generally neglects the "wellbeing" and philosophical/belief side of things. The thing is, sometimes that extra little bit of morality behind a reasoning can sometimes make it easier for that "system" to become part of your life rather than something you are just going to try because you've tried everything else and have nothing left to lose...
I guess I still haven't quite gotten used to the immediate negative reactions any time someone makes a post like OP.
"Hey! I wish to make some changes to improve my life and help out others!"... followed by "OMG why, CICO noob, you're an idiot"
Why can't people accept that changes like the one that OP stated aren't a big deal, and if OP decides it isn't working out due to time restrictions or whatever then she's hardly about to hurl herself into a vat of Coca Cola and attempt to drink it all until she explodes...
At the end of the day, you've no idea what OP's original habits are... perhaps the only significant difference will be coke, not exactly a massive deal to be replacing coke with something else.
Go for it OP. I hope it works well for you.
*runs off to find a shakeology person to demean to make up for the support given* that's how this works, right?
*edited to add* looks like this philosophy is an extension of a restricted diet you are already on. re: digestion issues... It's a roll of the dice. You keep trying things and once you find something that works, you stick to it. You stick to it because if you don't then life becomes thoroughly miserable. I hope you find your holy grail. Try what you like and give yourself whatever 'ideals' you like to try and figure it out. Whatever helps.
I think I can help you understand... see bolded - the OP didn't bring up this aspect, but most posts of that nature carry the 'morality' vibe. If you're being more moral in the choices you're making and I'm not making the same choices, that must make me...?
Comes across as offensive, doesn't it?0 -
bennettinfinity wrote: »MonsoonStorm wrote: »I think its great.
Over the past few years I have seen MFP slowly trend from accepting others food choices to becoming more militant about 'macros and calorie counts at the expense of everything else'. In my humble opinion it has gone too far that way.
I am a flexible dieter, and keeping my macros in check is my main focus, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to eat more natural foods and less processed stuff. Instead of applying your own experience and biases, just applaud people for wanting to improve their eating habits. Again, there are very few restrictions mentioned in the OP's post, it is all sensible and not very restrictive at all!
If she cant make it work and needs a more flexible eating plan, then let her come back and ask for that advice when its needed.
^ This.
It's *roughly* how I eat regardless. It's not "hard" I actually did it originally more from a standpoint of wanting to support local farmers rather than a "this will make me lose weight!" stand point.
At the end of the day the majority of this forum concentrates massively on CICO and generally neglects the "wellbeing" and philosophical/belief side of things. The thing is, sometimes that extra little bit of morality behind a reasoning can sometimes make it easier for that "system" to become part of your life rather than something you are just going to try because you've tried everything else and have nothing left to lose...
I guess I still haven't quite gotten used to the immediate negative reactions any time someone makes a post like OP.
"Hey! I wish to make some changes to improve my life and help out others!"... followed by "OMG why, CICO noob, you're an idiot"
Why can't people accept that changes like the one that OP stated aren't a big deal, and if OP decides it isn't working out due to time restrictions or whatever then she's hardly about to hurl herself into a vat of Coca Cola and attempt to drink it all until she explodes...
At the end of the day, you've no idea what OP's original habits are... perhaps the only significant difference will be coke, not exactly a massive deal to be replacing coke with something else.
Go for it OP. I hope it works well for you.
*runs off to find a shakeology person to demean to make up for the support given* that's how this works, right?
*edited to add* looks like this philosophy is an extension of a restricted diet you are already on. re: digestion issues... It's a roll of the dice. You keep trying things and once you find something that works, you stick to it. You stick to it because if you don't then life becomes thoroughly miserable. I hope you find your holy grail. Try what you like and give yourself whatever 'ideals' you like to try and figure it out. Whatever helps.
I think I can help you understand... see bolded - the OP didn't bring up this aspect, but most posts of that nature carry the 'morality' vibe. If you're being more moral in the choices you're making and I'm not making the same choices, that must make me...?
^Yup.
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bennettinfinity wrote: »[
I think I can help you understand... see bolded - the OP didn't bring up this aspect, but most posts of that nature carry the 'morality' vibe. If you're being more moral in the choices you're making and I'm not making the same choices, that must make me...?
To be fair, I think if everyone (including me) applied morality to their eating decisions no-one would be overweight (i.e applied the principle that it is wrong to over-consume). So perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad thing.
If someone else's stated principle makes another person feel bad, they must have some inner prompting already telling them they're behaving in an unprincipled manner, don't you think?
On a practical level it would be impossible for the majority of people in the world to grow/kill their own food, so for most of us there's no moral decision to be made on that front. Where I live it might be possible if I got good with a slingshot and developed a taste for urban gull meat and rats.0 -
I think it's a great idea and you should go for it. I know I could do without the snickers bar.0
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As a personal matter I rather enjoy focusing on whole foods and local foods when possible (i.e., things that I actually do grow or which I buy from those who grow or raise or shoot/catch). What I objected to is the mythology that this means that the food is inherently healthier than some other sort of food or that food that I personally don't know how to make isn't healthy for that reason. Plus, on occasion you have people who insist that this means the food one eats will be lower calorie or some such, as if I couldn't make cheese or bake a cake if I wanted.
I can feel the appeal of this way of thinking about foods--I used to be kind of extreme in my leanings this way, in fact--but for me it just makes more sense to look specifically at what a particular food item contains in terms of ingredients and nutrients and calories, etc., and not pretend there's something specially healthy about "natural food" (because realistically what we call natural is not that easy to agree on a consistent definition for) and specially unhealthy about "industrial" food or whatever.
If someone finds general principles like this easier for themselves, I support that--like I said, I have leanings that way, although I tend to go obsessive too easily, so I try to counter them with logic. But if someone claims it's a distinction that matters for health or nutrition, I think it's valid to question it, and something worth doing.
As I've said before, some of the more "processed" stuff I choose to include in my diet I do specifically because I think they have health benefits. It's not that it's too hard to give them up--it's a matter of why. I don't currently know how to make yogurt--does that really seem like a good reason that yogurt would be bad for me to buy?0 -
Chrysalid2014 wrote: »bennettinfinity wrote: »[
I think I can help you understand... see bolded - the OP didn't bring up this aspect, but most posts of that nature carry the 'morality' vibe. If you're being more moral in the choices you're making and I'm not making the same choices, that must make me...?
To be fair, I think if everyone (including me) applied morality to their eating decisions no-one would be overweight (i.e applied the principle that it is wrong to over-consume). So perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad thing.
If someone else's stated principle makes another person feel bad, they must have some inner prompting already telling them they're behaving in an unprincipled manner, don't you think?
On a practical level it would be impossible for the majority of people in the world to grow/kill their own food, so for most of us there's no moral decision to be made on that front. Where I live it might be possible if I got good with a slingshot and developed a taste for urban gull meat and rats.
Not seeing the morality-overweight connection; would you care to elaborate?
And no, it just makes me roll my eyes - morality is pretty subjective which is why it's fairly foolish to reference it as a broad means for populations to utilize in any kind of decision making.0 -
Chrysalid2014 wrote: »I think if everyone (including me) applied morality to their eating decisions no-one would be overweight (i.e applied the principle that it is wrong to over-consume).
Interesting.
We could get into a debate about gluttony--what it actually means and how it fits in here.
But assuming that one does not consume more calories than one needs (and again, what does that mean?) at the expense of someone else, why is it immoral to do so?
Especially since one can debate how "freely chosen" it is in many situations.
Making overeating a moral issue seems really unhelpful, IMO, and achieves rather the opposite of helping people think about their decisions logically. It seems to invite shame and guilt.
But then I do think there are many links between how people think about food/eating and how people think about sex too often (and in messed up ways in both cases).
Specifically, many people seem to attempt to address frustration with their eating by trying to convince themselves that the foods they are drawn to are disgusting and then hate themselves when they end up gorging on them.
IMO, getting over that kind of thing and normalizing--making rational--the relationship with food seems much more likely to help.0
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