"I've never regretted NOT eating something."

lightenup2016

I just wanted to share this awesome quote I read on another forum (I'm sorry that I can't find the original source.).

This really applied to me this past weekend. My family and I went out of town and stayed in a hotel. Now, I don't usually eat breakfast--I do IF, and if I do happen to eat in the morning I find myself hungrier throughout the day. But when a hotel breakfast has sausage or bacon, I usually can't resist. Only this time, when we went downstairs for the hotel breakfast, there was no sausage or bacon, only ham which I can pass on. And I found it interesting that instead of feeling like I was missing out, I found myself feeling so relieved that there was no sausage or bacon! If there had been I would've eaten it and felt worse afterwards, psychologically AND hunger-wise. Instead I had my usual coffee and enjoyed my regular morning routine. That's when I recalled this quote I had read which I completely agree with: "I've never regretted not eating something." When I first read this, I realized there really never has been a time that I've regretted passing on food. There have, however, been many times that I've regretted EATING a particular food.

What about you – – have you ever regretted NOT eating something? Would this quote help you to pass on eating something when faced with
a tempting food that you hadn't planned on, or that you don't normally eat?

RoxieDawn

Had to think about this for a second.... but no never regretted NOT eating something.. First, I am sure what ever that was, it will come around again and allow me to go through the same thought processes and I may or may not react the same way..I may eat it the next time..

Secondly, I really do not have any regrets when it comes to eating, I am fully aware at all times what I am choosing at the moment, how it will affect me now and even later on.

cmriverside

I understand this totally.

Good realization.

besaro

oh i have. not often cause i have very little impulse control. i have regretted eating things in far greater numbers though. yesterday i had a grilled cheese pita at a bar. it was terrible but i ate it anyway cause i was hungry.

ald783

amyrebeccah wrote: »

I'm glad this quote works for you, but there have been plenty of times I've passed on something and regretted it later. Sometimes it was out of a misguided demonizing of certain foods, which is something I've worked on.

The only time I do regret eating something is if it doesn't agree with me later (digestion-wise) or if it didn't taste good.

I agree with you. There have definitely been times I regretted not eating something like at a street festival or whatever else and then they're out later or I end up having something else instead that isn't as good. Food is definitely an experience for me so I've had times I'm bummed to miss out on something awesome. But, it's not like I regret EVERY thing I don't eat.

I try not to regret things I did eat but it happens. I mostly just try to move on. Having guilt over what I ate or overate can really cause some negative feelings for me, and it's not productive.

KyleGrace8

I have regretted not eating certain things but it's just the fat/unhealthy part of me that regrets it. At the same time the "healthy" me is happy about it. Like a silver lining. Just yesterday I wanted some sweetfrog sugary goodness and I regretted it the whole tine I was grocery shopping but later when I added my calories for the day I stopped regretting it!

singingflutelady

I totally have when I was anorexic. There were so many things I wanted that I denies myself of having.

cwolfman13

Yesterday I went out for breakfast and I regret not having the breakfast burrito because the pancakes were just ok...

goldthistime

I have regretted not eating things. It's just so much easier when tempting delicious low nutrient high calorie treats aren't around to begin with. Otherwise I have to sit in front of it and try to figure out which I'm going to regret more, eating it or not eating it. If I can manage it, having a small amount is often the solution.

extra_medium

Definitely have regretted not eating things.

lightenup2016

OP here--I can definitely see where skipping eating something as an anorexic is certainly not something you should do. I guess I take this quote to mean, in a normal situation, when simply faced with the decision to eat or not eat something tempting, if you chose NOT to eat it, would you regret not having taken in those particular calories? I can honestly say that later, when looking back, there has never been a time that I've regretted skipping those calories (usually something calorie dense and nutrient lacking). Therefore, this is something I try to think about when deciding whether or not to eat say, a particular chocolate chip cookie, when it's not something I had planned on.

Francl27

cwolfman13 wrote: »

Yesterday I went out for breakfast and I regret not having the breakfast burrito because the pancakes were just ok...

Yeah that's often how it works for me too.. but it's more about being annoyed about wasting calories on mediocre food (which totally pisses me off now).

And no, I never regret not eating something... but it's because I have it if I want it badly enough. If I passed on it in the first place, I just didn't want it that much, so of course I won't have any regret for not eating it.

jemhh

cwolfman13 wrote: »

Yesterday I went out for breakfast and I regret not having the breakfast burrito because the pancakes were just ok...

This is what keeps me from ordering new things once I've found one I like at a restaurant.

SusanMFindlay

I can't think of a specific case, but I would regret *not* eating something if it was a rare opportunity to try it (and an opportunity not likely to be repeated any time soon).

e.g. We went to a really fancy restaurant once and they had duck (which I had never tried before). If I had not ordered the duck, I would have regretted it. I try not to set myself up for regrets like that.

GottaBurnEmAll

Yes, actually I do. I used to love Cinnabons. We always meant to get over to the mall when I was pregnant with my daughter and get Cinnabons, but never did. At first it was because I was horribly sick with morning sickness for a large part of my pregnancy, and then it was because I had mad cravings for mashed potatoes rather than Cinnabons.

She was born and I started not to feel well, and life got in the way. I never did get that Cinnabon. Two years after she was born, I was diagnosed with celiac disease.

I wish I'd had taken the chance to have had that stuff one last time.

novio50

I had a 28oz porterhouse this Thursday and it damn near killed me! I had it medium with a little homemade steak sauce and it was delish. That night, I couldn't sleep! I was de-hydrated, stomach was hurting, so much physical discomfort, and lots of sweating. I haven't eaten much since that day. I've been eating soft foods and trying my hands at non-soft foods. Nothing fried, only baked, and the thought of steak makes my stomach ache. It's like me and tequila, the smell of it reminds my body about the last encounter I had with it. Not pretty, but entertaining for most! I won't really be eating much until a lot later on in the week. But I think I'm done with fried food and steak for quite some time....everything else, in time will be fair game...

WinoGelato

Actually yes - when I was actively losing weight and a little more paranoid about going over my calorie goal, derailing progress, etc - there were many times when I would pass on walking to an ice cream shop after dinner, say no to going out to eat with friends if I didn't think I could fit it into my week, or even turn down baking cookies with my kids because I didn't want to be tempted to eat the foods. I definitely regret those times - not only because of the food I missed out on but because I missed out on the experience as well. There were also times over the holidays when I would be so stressed out about all the eating I thought I was doing that I would pass on things that looked really yummy - only to finally gain the perspective later that even with indulging a few days a year, it was the choices made over time that really mattered. There were definitely moments when I thought I'd see a spike on the scale after a vacation and either it wasn't there, or it wasn't as big as I thought it would be, where I have thought, "man, I should have hit that buffet at the resort a second time each day I totally left calories on the table!"

The perspective that it isn't the choices that you make at a single meal, on a single day, in a single week or even a few of those strung together that matters. It is about the habits we form and the decisions we make over extended periods of time that determine the results we see...

laur357

I have. I really like food, cooking, and restaurants to the point where it's a hobby. I like to feed my family and friends.
I've regretted passing on unique foods that I don't often get to eat or try. We had a renowned baker in the city who up and moved to Brooklyn, and I kept putting off trying his bread (I love bread). I regret not visiting my friend's husband's restaurant that sounded amazing before he closed it to open a new restaurant.

clicketykeys

Francl27 wrote: »

cwolfman13 wrote: »

Yesterday I went out for breakfast and I regret not having the breakfast burrito because the pancakes were just ok...

And no, I never regret not eating something... but it's because I have it if I want it badly enough.

This.

Along a similar line, I pay pretty close attention to my body. So even if, later on, I feel bloated or the scale doesn't move the direction I want, I can think back to my overindulgence without regret. You dam' right I ate that second helping of "Southern Style Eggs Benedict." It was 100% worth it.

Rebecca0224

I binge eat, I went hungry alot as a child and now because of that I binge eat, not just on unhealthy food either I have binged on celery til I was sick. Now I go through periods were food disgust me and I physically can not eat, just the smell f food makes me sick. This has caused me to deny myself food often and regret it later. Last night I wasn't feeling well and my boyfriend offered me dairy queen I've been wanting to try the apple pie blizzard but said no I reqret it now.

VioletRojo

I was at a cocktail party the other night. I really regret not eating the bacon wrapped scallops before they ran out. They looked delicious!

amusedmonkey

I did regret not eating something several times

One of my earliest memories was when the whole family went swimming. I was playing in the baby pool (a special nonslip padded "pool" for toddlers with barely 10 inches of water) and refused to get out for refreshments and snacks. There was this street vendor who pushed a cart selling ice cream. All the kids in our family bought ice cream and I just wanted to keep playing. When I finally got tired and was all pruney, I had one of my earliest regrets ever. Sure, I made my parents buy me ice cream, but that street vendor ice cream had this special richness to it, homemade and very flavorful.

Another event I remember was in college, around the end of the second semester of my second year. My roommate's friend was an exchange students from Greece, and she decided to throw a small farewell party for her. I didn't want to go because I had an exam and needed to study. When she came back she brought me some leftover food from the party. There was this tiny piece of moussaka, the best I have ever had in my life. Had I known, it would have probably been worth sacrificing a couple of marks to eat more of that.

I have several similar stories. Now if you mean while dieting, yes, I do have food regrets too. Like this one time when I ordered a salad to save calories and it wasn't very good but I didn't have enough money on me to order a second dish. I should have gone with the hot dogs that I initially wanted. Then there is this other time where I was saving calories for an event and chose to skip the shish kebab on a family gathering then the event got cancelled and I ended up with extra calories that I spent on various odds and ends that don't even remotely compare to my uncle's kebab. Several other stories too numerous to list..

Yes, there are times when I regret eating something, but it's not nearly as often as I savor the foods I like with zero regrets. I don't know, tasty food is a whole new level of pleasure for me that it ends up worth every single calorie spent and missing on it feels like a loss. Think those chocolate commercials where the model is enjoying it so much it's almost arousing.. well, that's me without the facial expressions and suggestive sultry voice.

tomteboda

The philosophy "I've never regretted not eating something" sounds dangerously like a proANA slogan, similar to "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels" I think there are healthier ways to approach caloric awareness.

I regret choosing a brutal 1200 calorie slim fast regimen over a delicious varied diet when I lost weight at 19. It worked, but I was so miserable the experience made me terrified of weight loss and played significantly into my resistance to controlling my weight when it crept back up.

I have serious allergies to soy and peanuts, and I miss out in social experiences and new food a lot. It's not an option for me because many foods could be fatal, but there is no way I'd choose this lifestyle for the sake of my weight loss efforts. I'd make the calories work, like I do with many things I enjoy (such as my homemade cookies and pies).

I don't regret cutting calories and getting down to 166 from 270 over the last two years. That was an excellent decision and well worth the effort. This time I've generally allowed myself to eat what I desire; just not in the quantities I once consumed.

elisa123gal

I think it is a shame to pass on food at a special occasion or holiday. I think if I didn't enjoy my Christmas day meal or Thanksgiving I would regret it. Those times are special and food is part of the celebration. However, those times aside.. you just have to learn to pass on every single urge to eat whatever you want. I don't regret those decisions.. in fact that make me stronger.

I think the quote the represents me best is "I never regret exercising" that's how i'm able to eat what I want.

Francl27

elisa123gal wrote: »

I think it is a shame to pass on food at a special occasion or holiday. I think if I didn't enjoy my Christmas day meal or Thanksgiving I would regret it. Those times are special and food is part of the celebration. However, those times aside.. you just have to learn to pass on every single urge to eat whatever you want. I don't regret those decisions.. in fact that make me stronger.

I think the quote the represents me best is "I never regret exercising" that's how i'm able to eat what I want.

I tell myself 'just 15 more minutes' to finish my workouts and just tell myself that I'd just be sitting on the couch otherwise anyway... same reason I often end up going for walks when I have nothing to do for an hour. But I'm with you - I'd never have lost the weight without exercise.

But I've definitely regretted exercising a couple times (when I pushed too hard and had to stop working out for a couple days or something)!

Red_Pill

I tend to not regret it too. Mainly because I didn't want it lol. I get what you mean though.

rainbowbow

Yes and no. I regret the times that i chose to isolate myself and not go out with friends and family because i was on a diet. I don't regret not having that extra bite of ice cream at 2AM.

Darcy0316

I agree! I have never regretted not eating something afterward. Maybe I'm regretting it while other people are eating it but not afterward. :-)

lightenup2016

tomteboda wrote: »

The philosophy "I've never regretted not eating something" sounds dangerously like a proANA slogan, similar to "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels" I think there are healthier ways to approach caloric awareness.

I regret choosing a brutal 1200 calorie slim fast regimen over a delicious varied diet when I lost weight at 19. It worked, but I was so miserable the experience made me terrified of weight loss and played significantly into my resistance to controlling my weight when it crept back up.

I have serious allergies to soy and peanuts, and I miss out in social experiences and new food a lot. It's not an option for me because many foods could be fatal, but there is no way I'd choose this lifestyle for the sake of my weight loss efforts. I'd make the calories work, like I do with many things I enjoy (such as my homemade cookies and pies).

I don't regret cutting calories and getting down to 166 from 270 over the last two years. That was an excellent decision and well worth the effort. This time I've generally allowed myself to eat what I desire; just not in the quantities I once consumed.

As I said before, I'm not in any way promoting anorexia, anymore than any of us here are by trying to lose weight! I didn't post this quote to say "I've never regretted starving myself." I'm just saying that when faced with a choice to eat something particular that is high-calorie or "unhealthy" that might derail my weight loss goal, I don't later regret the choice not to. In the meantime I might have eaten something healthy and in line with my daily calorie goals--I'm not just avoiding food altogether, and I'm not suggesting that!

Please don't interject hidden (dangerous) meaning into something when I've already clearly stated that is NOT what I meant.

Lounmoun

Well, I don't usually pass up things I want but I don't feel I have to eat things just because they are there. I don't think I have iron willpower but I plan my choices and stick to them pretty easily. If I knew bacon was on the menu I would plan for it.

Yes, I regret not eating something. I absolutely regret not eating breakfast or lunch every school day when I was 12- 17 years. I was hungry most of the day but didn't eat until I got home. I was underweight, tired and sick a lot. Eating more and getting better nutrition probably would have helped immensely. If I could go back in time and change that situation I would. Looking back I'm surprised that no adult in my life said anything. My peers didn't say anything. It wasn't a secret I wasn't eating much.

Gamliela

Oh yes, I do regret not eating some things.

Many times in europe on trips I would be mor interestd in keeping my calories down by eaing the veg and meat, fish route, I passed up many a local fat filled, yummy dish or bread or desert or ice cream and yes, I do regret it.