Confessions of a Nutritionist in Training

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  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    I agree with you :drinker:

    we are supposed to enjoy food. I've stopped referring to food as "good" and "bad" you are right this is just giving food power over you. I look at food in terms of a) how much nutrition it's going to provide me with, and b) how much I'm going to enjoy it. and I focus on getting all the nutrients my body needs while enjoying all the food that I eat.

    and it's correct that many women don't make time for themselves while looking after everyone else... but I guess some men are like that too. We do need to make ourselves priority and a lot of people do need to hear that message, and the one saying it's okay to enjoy food, in fact you're supposed to enjoy it. So yeah, I agree with you :flowerforyou:
  • Shanzstar
    Shanzstar Posts: 197
    I agree with you :drinker:

    we are supposed to enjoy food. I've stopped referring to food as "good" and "bad" you are right this is just giving food power over you. I look at food in terms of a) how much nutrition it's going to provide me with, and b) how much I'm going to enjoy it. and I focus on getting all the nutrients my body needs while enjoying all the food that I eat.

    and it's correct that many women don't make time for themselves while looking after everyone else... but I guess some men are like that too. We do need to make ourselves priority and a lot of people do need to hear that message, and the one saying it's okay to enjoy food, in fact you're supposed to enjoy it. So yeah, I agree with you :flowerforyou:

    Thank you very much for summing up the points I was trying to make. I wish you well on your journey!
  • jen_zz
    jen_zz Posts: 1,011 Member
    Totally agree that food IS just food. It's not anything magical or threatening. It is just food. Some food sustains my body, some food sustains my mind and some food does nothing but taste good. But it's just food.

    I have lost 64kg (141 lbs) by eating out at restaurants that do not have nutritional information available at least once (sometimes twice) a week for the whole time I've been on mfp. I've made sure I have cheesecake at least once a month, chocolate every day, deep fried foods at least once a fortnight...all because I refuse to let food control me any more.

    I had a cr*p relationship with food and cooking (thanks to a lifetime of cr*p teaching from my family, from society, from myself) and it wasn't until I really got serious about it and spoke with my dietician/nutritionist and my partner to work out all the psychological bulldust I held onto that I really got my relationship with food, and ultimately myself, correct.

    In the past when I tried to lose weight, I followed diet plans religiously which were highly restrictive...and I always fell off the wagon when I "cracked" and had something that wasn't allowed and I then convinced myself that I'd stuffed up and threw it all out the window.

    It IS time to nurture ourselves. It IS time for us to put ourselves first, women, men, intersex people, everyone!

    (NB: For those who feel the post is sexist because the OP only mentions women, feel free to substitute the word for whatever gender identity you wish. I find it extremely refreshing to read a post where the female pronoun is put to the fore, rather than the usual male identity and pronoun that we read almost every day without batting an eyelid).

    :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:
  • Shanzstar
    Shanzstar Posts: 197
    Is this sexist and condescending, or am I reading it wrong?

    It is.

    The idea that food is food is one thing I've been saying for a while now. It's not a new idea. There is no such thing as good food and bad food. Food isn't capable of having those qualities. Those are human constructs. And, they are poor constructs based on myths.

    Yes exactly! You nailed it on the head :) ... Although, I seriously have no idea how this is sexist or condescending... I must be missing something.


    Maybe it's this...
    However, a vast majority of women today do not. It is time for women to learn how to say no. It is time for women to become a priority. It is time we realized that it is okay to help others, but we need to help ourselves first! It is time we start taking care of ourselves so we are better able to take care of others.

    I see, and I thank you for clearing that up for me. I did mention I wanted this to be about empowering women. Only because I am one and I talk to many women who struggle with this issue. I realize men have struggles as well, and I seriously was not trying to be sexist. I just know women do struggle with this, and I want to realize they are important too. I struggle with this as well. I work all day, I come home and cook dinner, and then I'm off to the gym for two hours. I leave my house feeling guilty (sometimes) because I should be home taking care of my family. If I want to be the best I can be, I have to put my health first.

    I hope this sums up what I was trying to get across. To the men: I appreciate everything you guys do also! I know you don't have it easy either. I'm sorry if I offended anyone.
  • jen_zz
    jen_zz Posts: 1,011 Member


    Now, back to what you should believe. I think you should believe in yourself. You will succeed if you truly believe it. I think we need to forget bad foods and good foods. Yes, we need to eat nutrient dense food, but when you call certain foods bad your giving food power. If you want a brownie, have a brownie but balance out your day. The bottom line is, food is just food. We eat food because we enjoy it, so lets enjoy food in moderation.

    Thanks for reading

    Thanks for sharing!
  • Shanzstar
    Shanzstar Posts: 197


    Now, back to what you should believe. I think you should believe in yourself. You will succeed if you truly believe it. I think we need to forget bad foods and good foods. Yes, we need to eat nutrient dense food, but when you call certain foods bad your giving food power. If you want a brownie, have a brownie but balance out your day. The bottom line is, food is just food. We eat food because we enjoy it, so lets enjoy food in moderation.

    Thanks for reading

    Thanks for sharing!

    You're welcome!
  • wendygjc
    wendygjc Posts: 45 Member
    Shanzstar, I liked your post and seriously don't know why people attack other people on here. It was great info to have and people should take or leave it. I totally agree that we need to be portion controlled but if I don't have something sweet everyday I will binge.

    Thanks for the post!!!
  • Shanzstar
    Shanzstar Posts: 197
    Shanzstar, I liked your post and seriously don't know why people attack other people on here. It was great info to have and people should take or leave it. I totally agree that we need to be portion controlled but if I don't have something sweet everyday I will binge.

    Thanks for the post!!!

    Thank you this means a lot! I was feeling awful for being a sexist (fill in the blank). However, I do know men have it equally as hard. I think once we all realize food is just food and stop this bad vs. good we will all be in a better place.

    I really want to empower women and I hope I did. Take care!
  • DefyGravity810
    DefyGravity810 Posts: 34 Member
    Well, since you're a soon-to-be nutritionist first, congrats! Second, can I ask what you think of vitamins or maybe how to get more nutrients without them? There seems to be conflicting reports. As I'm sure most people on here do, I try to eat a lot of fruits ,vegetables, healthy fats, protein, etc. but at the end of the day I'm often still low on the RDAs for various nutrients that it tells me on here. Especially iron (I don't eat red meat, pork, or seafood) and calcium which I know are important for women. Do you think vitamins are good? Or, better yet, do you have any suggestions on how to up the iron without them (I say that because I'm guessing calcium = more dairy?). Thanks and best of luck with the exam!
    ]

    Thanks for the kind words! Well in a perfect world, if you eat a healthy balanced diet you don't need to take a vitamin. However, some of us do fall short for some reason or another. Do you eat eggs, chicken, any fish (aside from seafood)? Eggs are a good source of iron especially if you fry them up in a cast iron skillet. This would be an excellent source for iron.

    Do you eat fortified cereals? This is like taking a multivitamin. Just combine the cereal with some vitamin C so the body can absorb the iron more easily. So cereal with sliced strawberries or a glass of OJ.

    You can eat plant based sources of iron. However, you will need to combine them with vitamin C so the body can easily absorb them. So spinach with sliced oranges, or Kale with oranges.

    If you like orange juice, you can buy fortified orange juice with calcium and vitamin D. The best way to get both is through Dairy. I do not like to drink milk, so I put it in oatmeal, lattes, or I eat yogurt. I also like almond milk and I make shakes or smoothies with it.
    I'm glad you know where you fall short and are trying ways to make nutrition a priority! Good for you! I'm not against vitamins in any form. Of course, I try to get mine through food. Good luck!

    Thanks! All good info. Appreciate it! :happy:
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
    I'm pretty sure I was built without that "nurturing" gene that people say women have. Or I am just very selfish.
  • Melissa22G
    Melissa22G Posts: 847 Member
    :flowerforyou: I didn't see anything wrong with this post. Good luck OP with passing and best of luck in this new career.
  • Shanzstar
    Shanzstar Posts: 197
    I'm pretty sure I was built without that "nurturing" gene that people say women have. Or I am just very selfish.

    I doubt you are selfish, you just know when to say no and put yourself first once in a while, and That is okay!
  • Shanzstar
    Shanzstar Posts: 197
    :flowerforyou: I didn't see anything wrong with this post. Good luck OP with passing and best of luck in this new career.

    Thank you!

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