KFC/Chemical High

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  • Gamliela
    Gamliela Posts: 2,468 Member
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    My tum hurts from soy, it gets cramped. I was vegetarian for years but I struggled to get enough protien.

    KFC is not available where I live now, but those memories are easy to dig up. The crunch, smell and taste recall is fairly strong! Suprisingly strong!

    I kicked smokes 30 some years ago, so I think anything is possible, give it your best try if you want to be free.
  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
    edited October 2016
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    SLLRunner wrote: »
    Colorscheme wrote: »
    Salt, sugar and fat are the trifecta when it comes to why we love food that's so bad for us.

    But.........

    Bad for us is in the perception.

    KFC is not bad for us, it's just another food. Avoid it if it upsets your stomach. Otherwise, there is nothing wrong with it.

    While that is true, any doctor will tell you eating fast food on a regular basis, which is known for being high in salt and fat is not good for blood pressure or cholesterol. Common sense does dictate that eating it in moderation is totally ok but there are two issues:

    1. fast food is STILL designed to be addicting. That is what food scientists are for, among other reasons
    2. some people cannot eat in moderation. If we all had that power, we wouldn't be overweight or obese.
  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
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    magicpickles wrote: »
    endlessfall16 wrote: »
    You can test out your addiction theory by getting full everyday with non KFC foods and see if you still have to sneak out for a bite of KFC. I highly doubt it.

    The question is, can I get full without going over my calories? (something I struggle with). What I find is if I am not watching my calories, but eat some healthy stuff before I go to KFC I am satisfied with a smaller portion.



    That depends on how you manage your calorie intake.

    Your question is a very open ended one. You don't specify what time frame you stick to, like most counters do. 12, 24 hours, 48 hours? You can get very full consuming 2000 calories in one breakfast alone but not so much if you spread to 3 meals.

    This is why I don't artificially assign x calorie to x hours. I'm not gonna eat if I feel ok, then I eat full at the right meal, and everything works out in a weekly basis. (btw I don't pay attention to calorie number. Just go by the scale numbers)


  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    edited October 2016
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    Colorscheme wrote: »
    SLLRunner wrote: »
    Colorscheme wrote: »
    Salt, sugar and fat are the trifecta when it comes to why we love food that's so bad for us.

    But.........

    Bad for us is in the perception.

    KFC is not bad for us, it's just another food. Avoid it if it upsets your stomach. Otherwise, there is nothing wrong with it.

    While that is true, any doctor will tell you eating fast food on a regular basis, which is known for being high in salt and fat is not good for blood pressure or cholesterol. Common sense does dictate that eating it in moderation is totally ok but there are two issues:

    1. fast food is STILL designed to be addicting. That is what food scientists are for, among other reasons
    2. some people cannot eat in moderation. If we all had that power, we wouldn't be overweight or obese.

    Right, moderation is key.

    How is fast food designed to be addicting?

    Moderation is a tool that can be learned.

    ETA: By the way, I rarely eat fast food, maybe once a year (except for Chipotle once in a blue moon) just because I don't like it and I'm a tightwad.
  • magicpickles
    magicpickles Posts: 286 Member
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    endlessfall16 wrote: »
    magicpickles wrote: »
    endlessfall16 wrote: »
    You can test out your addiction theory by getting full everyday with non KFC foods and see if you still have to sneak out for a bite of KFC. I highly doubt it.

    The question is, can I get full without going over my calories? (something I struggle with). What I find is if I am not watching my calories, but eat some healthy stuff before I go to KFC I am satisfied with a smaller portion.



    That depends on how you manage your calorie intake.

    Your question is a very open ended one. You don't specify what time frame you stick to, like most counters do. 12, 24 hours, 48 hours? You can get very full consuming 2000 calories in one breakfast alone but not so much if you spread to 3 meals.

    This is why I don't artificially assign x calorie to x hours. I'm not gonna eat if I feel ok, then I eat full at the right meal, and everything works out in a weekly basis. (btw I don't pay attention to calorie number. Just go by the scale numbers)


    I'm debating whether to count calories or not. It has been doing my head in. Wondering if I should just practice some healthy habits for a while and once I'm used to those, count everything. I am still quite big so I would probably lose weight.
  • ronjsteele1
    ronjsteele1 Posts: 1,064 Member
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    @magicpickles I think because you have an interest in this that you would get a lot out of the book Excitotoxins the taste that kills written by dr. Russell blaylock. He's an MD that has done many years of research on what msg does to the body. I think it's worth your time and investment to look at it.

    As for everyone else that wants to lap this stuff into their mouths, I'm not recommending the book to you. You wouldn't accept or care what it says bc in your minds nothing is unhealthy for a person and if some government agency (fda) says it's fine then you're good with that.

    OP you have one body. Your heading in the right direction with your thinking on this. Dig a little deeper and you'll find some of those answers. Wishing you the best of health. I do recommend sticking with CICO if you need to lose weight but you can most certainly work to eat healthily within that if it's your desire.

  • ronjsteele1
    ronjsteele1 Posts: 1,064 Member
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    AnvilHead wrote: »
    ronjsteele1 wrote: »
    As for everyone else that wants to lap this stuff into their mouths, I'm not recommending the book to you. You wouldn't accept or care what it says bc in your minds nothing is most things aren't unhealthy for a person, taking moderation and dosage into consideration and if some government agency (fda) says it's fine then you're good with that.

    Fixed it for you.

    It did not need fixing, thank you. I believe I specifically said I wasn't talking to people like you.
  • Therealobi1
    Therealobi1 Posts: 3,262 Member
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    I don't think 1 day a week of KFC is an issue but if you think it is don't go there. That's all you have to do. Have you tried to recreate what you buy from there at home?
  • Therealobi1
    Therealobi1 Posts: 3,262 Member
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    magicpickles wrote: »
    endlessfall16 wrote: »
    magicpickles wrote: »
    endlessfall16 wrote: »
    You can test out your addiction theory by getting full everyday with non KFC foods and see if you still have to sneak out for a bite of KFC. I highly doubt it.

    The question is, can I get full without going over my calories? (something I struggle with). What I find is if I am not watching my calories, but eat some healthy stuff before I go to KFC I am satisfied with a smaller portion.



    That depends on how you manage your calorie intake.

    Your question is a very open ended one. You don't specify what time frame you stick to, like most counters do. 12, 24 hours, 48 hours? You can get very full consuming 2000 calories in one breakfast alone but not so much if you spread to 3 meals.

    This is why I don't artificially assign x calorie to x hours. I'm not gonna eat if I feel ok, then I eat full at the right meal, and everything works out in a weekly basis. (btw I don't pay attention to calorie number. Just go by the scale numbers)


    I'm debating whether to count calories or not. It has been doing my head in. Wondering if I should just practice some healthy habits for a while and once I'm used to those, count everything. I am still quite big so I would probably lose weight.

    Try it out and see. Many people lose weight without counting. If it doesn't work then get the scales out
  • magicpickles
    magicpickles Posts: 286 Member
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    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    Look, blaming things on chemicals is convenient. It takes away personal responsibility and provides a neat explanation for failure, wrapping the whole thing in a pretty bow. It's the least helpful thing you could do for yourself and your health, though. Treating a psychological issue as a physiological issue you have little control over will make the process more daunting and less likely to succeed.

    I had KFC often when I was in college. I don't like it, but it was the most convenient thing available to me during exams. My college apartment was right next to one and they did delivery. Because I did not enjoy the taste, and the only thing I found marginally acceptable were the tenders and "popcorn", I did not form any special bond with that food. It did not make me feel good, it was not attached to any self-comfort practices. As soon as I finished college, I stopped buying it and haven't had it since because I did not want to keep paying for something that I don't particularly like. It's been 13 years. The transition from daily KFC to zero KFC was absolutely effortless. I actually "quit" KFC every time exams were over with no ill effects or attachments either. Don't you think if there was some pleasure inducing chemical I would have been inclined to keep buying it?

    Now when I first started dieting, I discovered nuts were a major source of calories for me. Learning to control my intake was very hard because the habit of eating them was attached to several of my other habits. Every time I watched a movie I craved nuts. Every time I read a book I craved nuts. Every time I played a game I craved nuts. Every time I passed by the kitchen I missed the feeling of grabbing a handful. Not doing these things was torture at first. Even though it's much easier now, I still can't have them in the house in large quantities. Is there some man-made pleasure chemical in almonds that makes me lose control around them? Highly doubtful, because I often bought almonds in shells and roasted them myself because they tasted fresher. I was just emotionally and habitually attached to them. Now I have a rule: no nuts on their own unless it's a single serve packet, they have to be part of food like in oatmeal or cake and even that can't be a daily deal.

    I really hope you move away from this "chemically addicted and helpless" state of mind in order to successfully take control of your habits.

    I agree with most of what you are saying, but I still don't think foods like KFC are good for you. I mean, they provide some calories which is good because it gives you energy, and is a source of protein, but otherwise, its crap. And I guess one persons KFC is another persons nuts.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited October 2016
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    magicpickles wrote: »
    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    Look, blaming things on chemicals is convenient. It takes away personal responsibility and provides a neat explanation for failure, wrapping the whole thing in a pretty bow. It's the least helpful thing you could do for yourself and your health, though. Treating a psychological issue as a physiological issue you have little control over will make the process more daunting and less likely to succeed.

    I had KFC often when I was in college. I don't like it, but it was the most convenient thing available to me during exams. My college apartment was right next to one and they did delivery. Because I did not enjoy the taste, and the only thing I found marginally acceptable were the tenders and "popcorn", I did not form any special bond with that food. It did not make me feel good, it was not attached to any self-comfort practices. As soon as I finished college, I stopped buying it and haven't had it since because I did not want to keep paying for something that I don't particularly like. It's been 13 years. The transition from daily KFC to zero KFC was absolutely effortless. I actually "quit" KFC every time exams were over with no ill effects or attachments either. Don't you think if there was some pleasure inducing chemical I would have been inclined to keep buying it?

    Now when I first started dieting, I discovered nuts were a major source of calories for me. Learning to control my intake was very hard because the habit of eating them was attached to several of my other habits. Every time I watched a movie I craved nuts. Every time I read a book I craved nuts. Every time I played a game I craved nuts. Every time I passed by the kitchen I missed the feeling of grabbing a handful. Not doing these things was torture at first. Even though it's much easier now, I still can't have them in the house in large quantities. Is there some man-made pleasure chemical in almonds that makes me lose control around them? Highly doubtful, because I often bought almonds in shells and roasted them myself because they tasted fresher. I was just emotionally and habitually attached to them. Now I have a rule: no nuts on their own unless it's a single serve packet, they have to be part of food like in oatmeal or cake and even that can't be a daily deal.

    I really hope you move away from this "chemically addicted and helpless" state of mind in order to successfully take control of your habits.

    I agree with most of what you are saying, but I still don't think foods like KFC are good for you. I mean, they provide some calories which is good because it gives you energy, and is a source of protein, but otherwise, its crap. And I guess one persons KFC is another persons nuts.

    Whether you see is KFC as good or not is up to you, I personally don't consider it any better or worse than any other fried chicken (I dislike them equally too), but that's not the issue here. The issue is what you choose to do about something that has a grip on you and how you go about it. Do you have any foods you consider healthy that you really like? Do you think home-prepared fried chicken could be an acceptable occasional alternative? What strategies are you considering to self-comfort that don't include food? These are the questions you should ask, not questions that are of little consequence like whether or not KFC is good for you. So you decide KFC is bad, this does nothing for your attachment to it other than make you feel even worse when you happen to cave in (and you will have a few of these along the way as you learn to control it). It's best to shift focus to the process instead of the food.
  • Red_Pill
    Red_Pill Posts: 300 Member
    edited October 2016
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    Oh Lord. OK disclaimer *KFC is not addictive neither is any other food because if that were true, EVERYONE who ever ate KFC would be addicted to it. However, KFC chicken is designed with the ability to increase the likelihood of it becoming addictive to an individual, similar to McDonald's. If you don't believe these heavy weight international fast food chains don't have food scientist helping them reach a particular taste then you're either deluded or uneducated to even debate the matter. The information isn't a "conspiracy" or "top secret". A quick Google search and you'll find it. That being said KFC isn't "bad" nor is it "good" it's just food. It is what it is. You can still fit fast food into your macros. It can be done. But If you're one of those individuals who becomes addicted to KFC then unfortunately that's bad luck. And you should probably stay away from it if it's beginning to have adverse effects on your health. To the lady above me @tomteboda . Yes chicken, potatoes & beans are excellent foods. Made any which way *generally. However if you think KFC is 100% natural chicken then you probably believe McDonald's burgers are made from grass fed beef. I hope I'm wrong because it didn't know it was possible to be in 2016 and not know you're not getting 100% normal/organic food from those 2 food chains. The stuff is nice don't get me wrong but don't bury your head in the sand now. In summary, KFC isn't addictive.
  • Red_Pill
    Red_Pill Posts: 300 Member
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    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
    Red_Pill wrote: »
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    It's the evil sodium bicarbonate

    Someone's reaching out for understanding and you're being sarcastic. What are you 12? Add some value at least. And darling just because you can take a back shot of your muscles doesn't make you a world renowned dietician who's word is the gospel. Not saying you don't have good advice you probably do so share it without coming across like a 12 year old. In the words of the Hodge Twins: This is just advice, you can do whatever f**k you wanna do :smile:

    You haven't been around here very long.

    That sodium bicarbonate line was a reference to an old thread back in the day. An in joke for people who've been around a while.

    So just save your rant.

    Lol that's not a rant. I don't rant online.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    magicpickles wrote: »
    Sloth2016 wrote: »
    magicpickles wrote: »
    vingogly wrote: »
    By the way, the fingers I'm typing this with are 100% made up of chemicals. Everything organic is chemical -- as has been pointed out hundreds of times in this forum.

    I realise that, my parents are scientists/medical professionals. I kind of mean chemicals made in the lab to produce pleasure or cravings. Chemicals put in food that are unnatural and that the body doesn't agree with.

    While such things exist, it's pretty well universally illegal to put them in food for human consumption.

    6qlcyfip3vi8.jpeg

    Legal food additives include preservatives, dyes to improve color, flavorings and thickeners. Here is a list of European Union approved food additives: https://www.food.gov.uk/science/additives/enumberlist#toc-5

    I don't think its illegal. All kinds of stuff gets put into processed foods. They put corn syrup into foods under unidentifiable names and multiple other products with names that can't be pronounced or random numbers.

    I don't think adding food colouring to food is a good thing. Or things to enhance flavours if it makes it addictive.

    They used to make foods and leave the fat in, but in the 70s or 80s people wanted to lose weight, so they started selling products as low fat or fat free, and since the flavour from the fat was gone, they increased the amount of sugar and other chemicals. It has made us very unhealthy. I'm not saying we should eat lots of fat, but the foods should have been left as they were, we could have still eaten it in moderation and been alright.

    Anyway, I feel like this thread has gone off topic. I just want to know what it is about KFC that feels so good to me and why the cravings don't subside, even after weeks. Why do I want the KFC when something made at home tastes better to me? it has to be the chemicals.

    The things they put in food to make it crave-worthy is fat, sugar, and salt, under various names. For example, a lot more foods have cheese (or something cheese-like) in them than used to be the case. Salt and sugar are added to some things in greater proportion too, because people seem to enjoy it. This is not unlike how good restaurants will cook stuff in butter.

    The reason KFC tastes good to you is probably fat + salt, and perhaps cooking methods not available to you at home. (I don't really think KFC is particularly good fried chicken, though, so can't speak beyond that, and I think good fried chicken is hard to turn down (and homemade is wonderful), even though the calories make it a rare treat for me and I never make it for myself since I never learned to make really good fried chicken and hate frying things.)

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