Is ignorance bliss?
LivingtheLeanDream
Posts: 13,342 Member
Time for a little rant!
Last night I was at a barbecue, it was a buffet style at my sister in laws - I stuck to the meats plus salads and for dessert I indulged in a small slice of birthday cake and some trifle....
That all came to 1500 calories!! For one meal! (My TDEE is approx 2200)
Anyway what I'm ranting about is that I noticed that everyone else in the room ate around 3 times what I did....! :-( and they didn't seem to care just how much either.
Is ignorance really bliss? ?
I sort of begrudge them for being able to be so care free!
And the thing is only a few if them were overweight.
Sighhhhh.
I ended up being 250 cals over my TDEE yesterday which is fine as during the week I eat at slight deficit since maintenance to allow for my weekend eating.
Sometimes I wish I could just eat without thinking of the calories.....but then I wouldn't be slim!! So needs must.
Anyone else care to rant about anything similar?
Ruth
Last night I was at a barbecue, it was a buffet style at my sister in laws - I stuck to the meats plus salads and for dessert I indulged in a small slice of birthday cake and some trifle....
That all came to 1500 calories!! For one meal! (My TDEE is approx 2200)
Anyway what I'm ranting about is that I noticed that everyone else in the room ate around 3 times what I did....! :-( and they didn't seem to care just how much either.
Is ignorance really bliss? ?
I sort of begrudge them for being able to be so care free!
And the thing is only a few if them were overweight.
Sighhhhh.
I ended up being 250 cals over my TDEE yesterday which is fine as during the week I eat at slight deficit since maintenance to allow for my weekend eating.
Sometimes I wish I could just eat without thinking of the calories.....but then I wouldn't be slim!! So needs must.
Anyone else care to rant about anything similar?
Ruth
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Replies
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But it was a barbecue you were supposed to enjoy. I would have enjoyed and resumed counting the next day. Also worrying about what others are doing will drive you crazy. Unless you are with them 24/7 you dont know how they eat all the time0
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RunRutheeRun wrote: »Time for a little rant!
Last night I was at a barbecue, it was a buffet style at my sister in laws - I stuck to the meats plus salads and for dessert I indulged in a small slice of birthday cake and some trifle....
That all came to 1500 calories!! For one meal! (My TDEE is approx 2200)
Anyway what I'm ranting about is that I noticed that everyone else in the room ate around 3 times what I did....! :-( and they didn't seem to care just how much either.
Is ignorance really bliss? ?
I sort of begrudge them for being able to be so care free!
And the thing is only a few if them were overweight.
Sighhhhh.
I ended up being 250 cals over my TDEE yesterday which is fine as during the week I eat at slight deficit since maintenance to allow for my weekend eating.
Sometimes I wish I could just eat without thinking of the calories.....but then I wouldn't be slim!! So needs must.
Anyone else care to rant about anything similar?
Ruth
If they are overeating at the bbq and not overwieght, then they are obviously making it up for it some other way. IN the book called French women don't get fat, you can see how this works.0 -
Totally understand Ruth! The whole time I was losing I lived with my husband and brother-in-law, both of whom are 6"3 and can put away huge amounts of food. At 5"1 I cannot eat even 1/2 their intake.
I would love to be able to eat that much - I like food! But you're right - if we want to stay slim...
For instance, I was recently at a memorial service for a dear friend and following was a potluck. Small town church ladies know how to put on a potluck - there was so much good, comfort food and no way I was going to not eat some of it. Small amounts of just about everything. My husband, on the other hand, had seconds and thirds of almost everything. Not fair!0 -
I don't think it's productive to worry about what other people are doing. Because you can never really know. How do you know all those people hadn't saved up tons of calories for the BBQ? Maybe they'd planned well for a total splurge meal. Or maybe some of them had plans to make up for it this coming week. Watching someone eat one meal is just a very, very small snapshot of what their total food intake is. Not to mention it tells you nothing about their exercise habits.
I know I've had sort of the reverse happen -- a special meal where I indulged and people made fun of how much I could eat for my (short, petite) size. What that didn't understand, what never seemed to occur to them, is that splurge meal was in no way representative of my normal way of eating.0 -
They are clearly not making a habit of it. Even when you are calorie counting, you can have a rare "care free" days where you can allow yourself to indulge. I obviously don't recommend many of these days while trying to lose weight but on maintenance, you will go crazy if you live all your life on a strict diet.0
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I have two different feelings about this...
I do notice some people piling things on their plate mindlessly. I did the same for many, many years and the weight piled on too. It took me a long time to learn moderation and balance with my eating.
At the same time people see me eat a lot and wonder how I haven't gained any weight back.
They might not know that I saved my calories for the day for that one big meal. Or maybe I hiked for 15 miles earlier that day and need the extra calories...not to mention I'm almost 6 feet tall and very active so my maintenance calories are quite high so I can eat a lot.
I guess you never know what people are doing the rest of the day. I just stay quiet and mind my business. I do get people asking me what do I do to stay fit and healthy. I start to explain a little then *cue the glazed eye* look. LOL
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I don't actually care what others do, but these are my family, they eat this way every day and think I'm over the top cos I exercise loads and count cals. Yes some of them are men and tall so I get why they get away with eating huge amounts.
I was more or less just making a point, that them being unaware of how much they're eating does seem to be bliss.
I eat over my TDEE every Saturday, always have done since i started my weight loss journey in 2012. Last night was no different and the rest of the week I am in deficit, that works for me.
I could easily have ate double what I did. But I wouldn't. Old me would have and not given it a second thought but then I'd moan about how fat I was!!
I want to stay slim so I'll do what it takes.0 -
Nah, the only thing I dislike is when everyone stops by and goes "that's all you're eating?!", lol. Many people are able to avoid food gluttony without calorie counting. You chose your path to a better relationship with food; enjoy it or change it.
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Therealobi1 wrote: »But it was a barbecue you were supposed to enjoy. I would have enjoyed and resumed counting the next day. Also worrying about what others are doing will drive you crazy. Unless you are with them 24/7 you dont know how they eat all the time
Totally agree.
I'd probably be one of those eating 3 times as much as well. Especially if alcohol is involved. Lol
When i go to a BBQ or eat out at a Restaurant, i make sure it's well worth it!
Obviously those slim people that were scoffing themselves, don't make a habit of doing that all the time.
Indulging once in a while won't hurt!
EXERCISE is key though.0 -
HappyCampr1 wrote: »Ignorance is bliss. Fortunately, we're no longer ignorant or fat. If I have to choose one, I'll take not being obese over not paying attention to what I eat. It just is what it is.
The thing is...carefree eating is wonderful. Before I learned, I never thought about calories so it never entered my mind to not eat what I wanted. Now that I do know, the only way I'm still able to eat good things guilt free is to make sure I can afford them. For example, this morning I'm having French toast for breakfast. If I weren't counting, I would feel a bit indulgent and guilty over that. Because I am counting, I know I can work it in and therefore any guilty feelings just go away. This, to me, is the benefit of having the knowledge of calories and knowing how to balance everything. That's something that many ignorant people aren't able to do. So while there are drawbacks, there are also many benefits too.
This is how I feel as well.
I mean, I still have some 'I don't care about calories' days but I STILL think about the calories I'm eating. Can't help it. And by now I know that even if I have a 4000 calories day, I can make up for it the rest of the week, but even knowing that I can, part of me will always worry that I won't be able to (that I'll just be too hungry).
So yes, ignorance is definitely bliss.
That being said, I'm that person who typically eats a lot at parties and people ask 'how do you stay so skinny' to. But as I said, I make up for it the rest of the time - I keep a 400 deficit. At maintenance. Just because I know that some days I'll eat more, and typically I end up with a 1000-1500 deficit a week, which basically makes up for all the extra calories I eat during PMS and the 'indulgence' days.0 -
I went out for a meal last night and ate loads. Others were being more reserved with their portions and eating healthy options (Strangely the overweight ones?). I ate about 2500 cals in one sitting. Everybody kept remarking about how much I ate. However, my TDEE is 3400 calories, I had been to the gym that day and had not eaten all day (apart from a 200 cal protein shake). The point is that you have to look at the bigger picture and concentrate on your own needs and not the perceptions that you might have about others and they might have about you.0
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I'm with HappyCampr. When I was overweight I used to feel guilt anytime I indulged even just a little. Every tasty treat or second helping was in the 'bad' category. But I didn't stop eating any of it, I just suffered nagging guilt all the time. Now, because I count calories, I never feel guilty. Not even last month when I ate 3700 calories for dinner. I enjoyed every delicious morsel. I'd take that over ignorance any day!
(For those wondering, I log everything. And when I have days where I go over either by a little or a lot, I eat at a small deficit again until I've made the calories up.)0 -
I dont think so.
Whether they know it or not that's how much they're eating. If anything, ignorance isn't bliss. It causes confusion (i.e. "I don't know HOW i gained the weight!"), frustration, and complacency.
Most of these people can eat that many calories in one meal and not even *feel* induglent, happy, or grateful for the amount that they are eating.
On the other hand, I'm able to maintain my weight and fitness level because i know what i'm eating. When i do eat meals like this i'm able to appreciate and enjoy it more because i KNOW how much it's going over my normal meal plan. I don't feel guilty or bad for eating an "unhealthy" or "bad" food anymore because i realize how to fit the foods i enjoy INTO my diet without going over on total calories. 0 -
I know. Life is not fair.......................but the alternative is no longer acceptable for me. I will NEVER go back to where I was 3-1/2 years ago. I like myself a lot better @ a normal weight vs: morbidly obese.
It is just the way it is for me. I will indulge for special events and holidays, but I no longer do it as an everyday practice.0 -
Ignorance is not bliss, it often leads to people needing to use this app!0
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HappyCampr1 wrote: »Ignorance is bliss. Fortunately, we're no longer ignorant or fat. If I have to choose one, I'll take not being obese over not paying attention to what I eat. It just is what it is.
The thing is...carefree eating is wonderful. Before I learned, I never thought about calories so it never entered my mind to not eat what I wanted. Now that I do know, the only way I'm still able to eat good things guilt free is to make sure I can afford them. For example, this morning I'm having French toast for breakfast. If I weren't counting, I would feel a bit indulgent and guilty over that. Because I am counting, I know I can work it in and therefore any guilty feelings just go away. This, to me, is the benefit of having the knowledge of calories and knowing how to balance everything. That's something that many ignorant people aren't able to do. So while there are drawbacks, there are also many benefits too.
Well put and so true 0 -
rainbowbow wrote: »I dont think so.
Whether they know it or not that's how much they're eating. If anything, ignorance isn't bliss. It causes confusion (i.e. "I don't know HOW i gained the weight!"), frustration, and complacency.
Most of these people can eat that many calories in one meal and not even *feel* induglent, happy, or grateful for the amount that they are eating.
On the other hand, I'm able to maintain my weight and fitness level because i know what i'm eating. When i do eat meals like this i'm able to appreciate and enjoy it more because i KNOW how much it's going over my normal meal plan. I don't feel guilty or bad for eating an "unhealthy" or "bad" food anymore because i realize how to fit the foods i enjoy INTO my diet without going over on total calories.
*like* 0 -
I'm with HappyCampr. When I was overweight I used to feel guilt anytime I indulged even just a little. Every tasty treat or second helping was in the 'bad' category. But I didn't stop eating any of it, I just suffered nagging guilt all the time. Now, because I count calories, I never feel guilty. Not even last month when I ate 3700 calories for dinner. I enjoyed every delicious morsel. I'd take that over ignorance any day!
(For those wondering, I log everything. And when I have days where I go over either by a little or a lot, I eat at a small deficit again until I've made the calories up.)
That's great that you no longer have guilt about eating 0 -
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@rainbow198
I guess you never know what people are doing the rest of the day. I just stay quiet and mind my business. I do get people asking me what do I do to stay fit and healthy. I start to explain a little then *cue the glazed eye* look. LOL
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I hear ya, this happens me too!
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No, I don't think ignorance is bliss. You made good choices. And I bet it was delicious. And frankly when I eat too much I feel crappy later. Smaller portions of delicious food make me really happy. And if I want more, I have another small portion and go for a walk. I always hit my goal for the week, because I pay attention to my body and I'm usually not that hungry the next day.
Pay attention to your body and you'll eat more delicious food, eat less crap, and feel better.0 -
True. LolAshtoretet wrote: »Ignorance is not bliss, it often leads to people needing to use this app!
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No, I don't think ignorance is bliss. You made good choices. And I bet it was delicious. And frankly when I eat too much I feel crappy later. Smaller portions of delicious food make me really happy. And if I want more, I have another small portion and go for a walk. I always hit my goal for the week, because I pay attention to my body and I'm usually not that hungry the next day.
Pay attention to your body and you'll eat more delicious food, eat less crap, and feel better.
You're so right! The overall weekly total is the main thing. And today I wasn't all that hungry at all, must have been all the protein 0 -
Therealobi1 wrote: »But it was a barbecue you were supposed to enjoy.
Is there a rule that states one has to over-indulge to enjoy a barbecue?
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I'm not going to compare to others. I can tell you from personal experience that for a long time I was happier eating whatever I wanted, however much I wanted, damn the consequences. Ignorance was bliss. For a while.
Until the consequences caught up to me. Weight gain that crept up by ten pounds at a time until I no longer could buy clothes that fit or recognize myself in the mirror. Difficulty even climbing a flight of stairs without getting out of breath. Worrisome health problems.
Now maybe I don't have the carefree "sure, I'll have more cake" attitude than I did before. But overall I'm much happier. I'm making informed decisions about what I eat, knowing that there's nothing in life that's consequence-free. And I'm healthy and enjoying life a lot more. And yes, if I plan for it, I still get to eat cake.0 -
Therealobi1 wrote: »But it was a barbecue you were supposed to enjoy.
Is there a rule that states one has to over-indulge to enjoy a barbecue?
i said enjoy.
Unless you have a barbecue/party every day why then cant you indulge?
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I'm not going to compare to others. I can tell you from personal experience that for a long time I was happier eating whatever I wanted, however much I wanted, damn the consequences. Ignorance was bliss. For a while.
Until the consequences caught up to me. Weight gain that crept up by ten pounds at a time until I no longer could buy clothes that fit or recognize myself in the mirror. Difficulty even climbing a flight of stairs without getting out of breath. Worrisome health problems.
Now maybe I don't have the carefree "sure, I'll have more cake" attitude than I did before. But overall I'm much happier. I'm making informed decisions about what I eat, knowing that there's nothing in life that's consequence-free. And I'm healthy and enjoying life a lot more. And yes, if I plan for it, I still get to eat cake.
exactly the whole thing about this story, is planning for it.0 -
In relations to this story OP told i am not sure where the ignorance is bliss comments is coming from, after all the OP stated not all of them were overweight. You know you have a party coming up, so some of them might of planned for it. Was that the first meal they had all day? Did they eat less all week to make up for it at the party? Are they going to make sure they work out later to make up for what they ate?
But outside of the story, yes I guess if people thought about how much they are eating more and the consequences of it there will be less weight problems0 -
Well the good thing for me about that over indulgence at that bbq, the next day I wasn't that hungry, ate only 1650 cals and wiped out the over indulgence of the Saturday night in one fell swoop... me likey!! and this is how I do it in general, thats what maintenance is about as far as I'm concerned - enjoying the odd splurge but eating that bit less at other times so it all balances out. Oh and I usually get moving more too.
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RunRutheeRun wrote: »Well the good thing for me about that over indulgence at that bbq, the next day I wasn't that hungry, ate only 1650 cals and wiped out the over indulgence of the Saturday night in one fell swoop... me likey!! and this is how I do it in general, thats what maintenance is about as far as I'm concerned - enjoying the odd splurge but eating that bit less at other times so it all balances out. Oh and I usually get moving more too.
ha see thats good
i agree.0 -
The way I look at my calorie counting is that a single, rare, over-indulgence is not going to break my weight loss overall. I enjoy food so if it's a special occasion (such as my birthday meal on Saturday) I may not be totally obsessed with counting calories so that I can enjoy that special occasion to it's fullest. Then get back to the calorie counting the next day.
It's when a rare over-indulgence becomes a routine over-indulgence that the issues start and the weight can sneak back on.
Total ignorance at the time may be bliss but being well-informed means you know how to not let calories control, or ruin, your routine.0
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