Is it better to not eat??
halfbreed1246
Posts: 8 Member
I'll get right to the point and then I'll give some background info for those interested. Any and all advice welcomed please. Sometimes, because of my work, I do not have access to healthier choices in food. So my question is, is it better to skip eating? Do I choose the lesser or two evils (grilled chicken sandwich at a fast food joint...or salad) do I stop at gas station and grab some beef jerky? Now the background, I'm about 115lbs overweight, I quit smoking 5 weeks ago after 15+ years of smoking, I've been soda free for 2+ weeks, and I've been making a conscious effort to eat better and at least walk or shoot some hoops in the evening to work up a sweat for about 5 days. Today I couldn't find anything to eat for lunch (mainly due to being in a hurry and not educated in what foods to eat) so I skipped a meal after driving around in circles. The emotional reaction I had to skipping a meal was intense and depressing and I do not want to feel this again.(I'm not sure a 36 year old man should be crying out of frustration from 1 meal) Did I make the right choice? I'm to scared to eat anything that I'm not 100% confident in for fear of falling off the "wagon". please help!!
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Replies
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halfbreed1246 wrote: »I'll get right to the point and then I'll give some background info for those interested. Any and all advice welcomed please. Sometimes, because of my work, I do not have access to healthier choices in food. So my question is, is it better to skip eating? Do I choose the lesser or two evils (grilled chicken sandwich at a fast food joint...or salad) do I stop at gas station and grab some beef jerky? Now the background, I'm about 115lbs overweight, I quit smoking 5 weeks ago after 15+ years of smoking, I've been soda free for 2+ weeks, and I've been making a conscious effort to eat better and at least walk or shoot some hoops in the evening to work up a sweat. Today I couldn't find anything to eat for lunch (mainly due to being in a hurry and not educated in what foods to eat) so I skipped a meal after driving around in circles. The emotion reaction I had to skipping a meal was intense and depressing and I do not want to feel this again. Did I make the right choice? I'm to scared to eat anything that I'm not 100% confident in for fear of falling off the "wagon" please help
you can eat what you want just smaller portions. you could have a salad and some jerky or even the chicken sandwich with the salad.its all about balance. and you should only skip a meal if not hungry.if you are hungry eat. or if its a fast food place get a kids meal and a side salad.but eat something if you are hungry14 -
Don't be scared of food.
A grilled chicken sandwich from a fast food isn't a horrible option. Sodium will be a little high, but generally they aren't loaded with calories. I will get burgers without the bun sometimes. Not because of carbs, but because the bun can be 200+ calories that I would rather use for something else.
Another option is to make snack packs to put in your purse. Little baggies with nuts/seeds/dried fruit/ect so that you always have something on hand.
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Intermittent fasting: postponing the meal. Alot of people have success doing this to lose weight and help maintain calorie deficit.
other option: pack a lunch1 -
I pack my lunch. Wraps, salads, leftovers... It doesn't matter as long as you're within your calories. I enjoy Wendy's salads on a pinch. Zaxbys salads are massive and their calories are listed. As long as you're not drowning salads in tons of dressing they're okay enough. Grilled chicken sandwiches from a local fast food place is seriously fine. I imagine your situation was very stressful. Don't put yourself through that. Get food, eat it, and log it. Be more concerned with your weekly calorie deficit as opposed to if you go over your goal every once in awhile.6
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I recommend getting in the habit of packing snacks and a lunch in the morning, or the night before. Its cheaper than eating out too and then you are in control of your portions and can weigh everything accuratly with a food scale! And as far as convenience store, do you think that you would be too tempted with the candy and sodas there in these early stages? I would keep that in mind. If you don't have a binging problem, than you're probably ok to to that.
Its ok to have treats in moderation if you can figure them in to your diet, I personally like to eat more whole foods so that I get more volume of food for the calories I'm allotted, but I definitely enjoy little treats on occasion. Good luck! You've got this
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So some of the 'healthier options' are just as bad.. .The chili is often a happy surprise calorie wise. Which fast food place are you looking at?0
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Little story here; point is it is better to eat something (even if it's not very healthy. Here's the story: I was in the A.F. Reserves and had a very busy Saturday; missed lunch @ the dinning hall. We had a short break so I went to the base exchange and got a Polish sausage (on a bun). Got back to the office and ate it (along w/some water). Anyway, my supervisor (a dedicated bodybuilder) ask the other woman what she had for lunch (he saw what I ate); she said nothing. He commented what I did was better than what she did--eating nothing. Eat as healthy as you can; intermittent fasting is fine as long as it's part of your overall plan (and you don't do it more than recommended).1
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You can keep a small cooler in the back seat of your car, put a salad and some fruit and a drink and yogurt in there (don't forget to pack a spoon!). Have a couple lunch sacks of nuts or granola bars,too. It takes a little planning on your part, but you'll be in control of what your choices are.
I can't function when I skip lunch, I just feel so low energy. You need the fuel to do your job, I bet, and for your sanity.2 -
There's nothing wrong with fast food in moderation. I would have gone with that, because the jerky wouldn't have been enough for me.2
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My advice is to stop narrowly defining your food choices as healthy and have more options in mind. Remember weight loss is about calories not type of food. You don't have to be perfect every day to lose weight.
A healthy diet is not a specific list of food but everything you consume working together to meet your body's needs. You need to look at nutrients of foods you eat and how they fit your whole day. There are a lot of ways to "eat healthy".
Not eating provides your body zero nutrition or calories. A chicken sandwich or a salad provides nutrients and calories.
You can look up nutritional info for restaurants near where you work in advance and note which choices fit your goals best so you don't have to decide on the spot. If you don't want to eat fast food head to the closest grocery store. Get a yogurt, cottage cheese, fruit, vegetables, tuna, nuts or other ready to eat foods.
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if you are forced to go into a fast food place, ask for their nutrition information ( if you are inside) or see if they have calories posted beside the menu items on the drive through. Depending on your targets, you probably want to aim for something that is in the neighborhood of 5-600 calories for a single meal. This often means at a burger joint getting just the burger ( no pop and fries). Its ok. its a decent choice given the options and no SINGLE meal is going to ruin your journey. Just exercise portion control. Remember that soda/pop and fries will almost always double the meal calories ( a 600 burger is suddenly a 1200 meal).
So dont feel bad about having a single slice of pizza or a burger or a few tacos whatever your choices are forced into. Portion control and avoid the sides unless you have planned for it. And even if you do go over, you can adjust the rest of your day to manage it.
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I'm not worried about the binging, it's more of failing by accidently eating the wrong thing that freaks me out.0
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halfbreed1246 wrote: »I'm not worried about the binging, it's more of failing by accidently eating the wrong thing that freaks me out.
Unless certain foods cause you to become ill or uncomfortable, there are no "wrong" foods14 -
No, it's not better to not eat, but I definitely understand the mental gymnastics you went through today. If you are like me, you have probably realized that this "fast food" is somewhat addicting. It is very, very hard for me to eat those types of meals, even in small portions, and not go crazy with it. It draws me in, even though I can say, it's not very good. I am afraid of setting food in there after days and days of healthy eating and have that "kid's meal" suck me back into it's feeling of comfort. But...I think you should do it. Don't not eat. A McDonald's hamburger, small fries even, and some water is pretty low cal. Drop the fries and get a side salad, even better. I haven't tried it out yet, but Wendy's is supposed to have some very diet friendly options: chili, simple baked potato or salad.
Since you know your lifestyle, I suggest a little homework. Go on all the fast food sites and find some meals that fit your lunch calorie goal and memorize them. Since you're a man, you probably get a good amount (maybe 600 calories for lunch??). Right down every place and what to order and keep it in your car. You have options: Wendy's, McDonald's, Subway, Panera.. plenty of people have lost weight having to eat out. Just make sure you are prepared and you are strict with what you order.2 -
Skipping a meal once in a while is fine. Some people do it all the time.
For me personally? It wouldn't work. I would be miserable and extremely hungry, and probably lose control and binge as soon as I had access to food. No good.
In my case, I'd rather get a less than ideal meal at a fast food joint and go a little over on calories, than skip the meal entirely knowing the probable fallout.6 -
It's okay to shed a few, at 46 I cried at some points. Give yourself some time to learn about nutrition and also learn to listen to your body. Nothing really works well without fuel, even if for a time its not optimal fuel
Whatever you would have eaten before MFP, eat less. You can lose weight eating what works for you and your lifestyle, it might change later but right now small steps in the right direction are where you are at.
Be kind to yourself, this is a game changer - but one of the greatest you'll be part of.3 -
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halfbreed1246 wrote: »
My son used to work for ChickFilA--get the chicken wrap. The other good choice is Chicken Noodle Soup with the side garden salad. Look up their most diet friendly dressing--I forget which one it is. Not sure how you feel about artificial sweeteners but they have their Splenda Lemonade. Their lowest calorie meal is the grilled chicken nuggets and fruit cup. I ate that a few times but I will say it's not overly satisfying.2 -
shadow2soul wrote: »Another option is to make snack packs to put in your purse. Little baggies with nuts/seeds/dried fruit/ect so that you always have something on hand.
Beware of this option. Nuts and seeds are incredibly high in fat calories and not very satisfying overall. Protein bars or beef jerky is a far better option here.
If you want to stop being afraid of food then take charge right now. You can make the choice to eat a certain number of calories, a certain amount of protein and log your food. Use MFP. That's what it's for. It is a great tool for taking charge of what you eat. Make it your new way of life and you will never have to stress out again. It's actual simple. Log everything you eat. Over time you will learn what calories a lot of foods have and be able to make educated decisions. Take the time to learn. It is a great investment and well worth it. It will change your life forever. I can now go to a buffet and pick food and estimate and know truly how many calories I am eating but I had to work hard for a few years logging all my food and learning how many calories things have. I feel so free now. I still log my food but occasionally I can confidently take a day off and still do ok. Do research ahead of time on the fast food restaurants around your work and learn what your best options are. I know Taco Bell mini quesadillas on the value meal are high in protein and fairly low in calories so that's what I order there. McDs has a lot of crap food and salad doesn't do it for me so I don't go there unless I have to. But when I do grilled chicken without the bun is the way to go. Wendy's chili is pretty solid. Starbucks skinny vanilla latte vente is Perfect at 150 calories and 15g of protein plus a caffeine boost.
The key is to invest time educating yourself. This is knowledge worth taking time to learn. It's truly too bad they don't teach it in schools. It's far more valuable than some of the other things they do teach! It would have saved me a lot of heartache. lol Of course I probably wouldn't have listened back then.
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Thank you to everyone who replied here. With so many "opinions" out there it can be overwhelming. A few of you have some solid points and good tips. It's much appreciated. (:1
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halfbreed1246 wrote: »Thank you to everyone who replied here. With so many "opinions" out there it can be overwhelming. A few of you have some solid points and good tips. It's much appreciated. (:
You can do this, dont be too hard on yourself. Not every situation you will find yourself in will be ideal. Just make the best choice for you at that time! And remember you obviously ARE trying and care about your goals, you came here for help so give yourself some credit 0 -
halfbreed1246 wrote: »
ARGH! We have no chick fila in Canada...i've heard it's awesome. I have half a kind to go out of my way this summer to find one.0 -
Most important-- it's awesome that you quit smoking!! That right there will buy you years of healthier living and save $$. Use that money for a meal delivery service until you have the hang of it. Remember, all baby steps are incremental in adding up to a healthier lifestyle, you don't need to change everything at once.1
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Sometime when you have some time and aren't starving, go into a gas station mini-mart and see how many options there are for quick healthy food. Obviously, some are better than others, but usually you can find some fruit, some yogurt, cheese sticks, hard boiled eggs, even a hot dog. Even just eating an ice cream bar might be better than eating nothing. A real grocery is even better. Go to the deli and see what you can find that fits your diet.
When I was a long distance hiker, I would sometimes go into a minimart to see if I could find enough food to live on for several days. I was amazed at how many options there were when I really looked. Now we mostly just do road trips, but there have been many times that lunch was whatever we could find at the mini-mart.2 -
Plan ahead. Of course, there are usually healthy(er) options at fast food. Try salad and/or grilled chicken. I always have an emergency stash of low-cal energy drink mix, Propel, protein and meal bars, 100 cal microwave popcorn, etc. in a Ziploc bag at work.1
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I had a similar problem when I quit smoking and have found mindfulness to be a great help. See, I was using the smokes to self soothe, I had no idea how to do it otherwise (I didn't have a spectacular childhood). Once the physical addiction was under control, I started to really see how incapable I was of regulating my own mood. A small frustration like a missed meal would overwhelm me.
Obviously, I have no idea if that's your issue but it's something to consider.2 -
Taco Bell! 3 Crunchy Taco Supremes (with beef) are less than 500 calories in an emergency or snack attack.
Jerky would be fine. I live on it half the time to get fast, easy protein. Just look for the organic styles in the "natural foods" aisle at your area grocery stores. I'm bad at taking food with me and often eat a large breakfast....then nothing until dinner 12 hours later. I'm not a daytime eater.
So If you're not good at packing snacks and lunches like me...cruise down the "natural" aisle sometime and grab up things like raw walnuts in a can/bag, a box of protein bars, some jerky, and keep a shaker bottle with protein powder in your car or gym bag (or whatever) and don't add water until you need to drink it. I wouldnt recommend it daily...but keeping dried, bagged stuff around means fast and easy access to something to hold you over until you can chill out and plan what to eat/avoid fast food or starvation.
And I hate yogurt, but Fage tastes like dessert and is full of protein, too. Grab a few of those and add walnuts....then calm down and wait 10 minutes and rethink your panic and potential choices.
I keep squeeze pouches of fruit with chia seeds loaded with omega 3s and a protein bar in my gym locker forf exactly these emergencies as I'm often there all day. I almost had a small binge today from stress overload when I got home, but a bit of jerky actually saved me from myself.1 -
I asked a trucker who successfully lost a freak-load of weight and he has great ideas.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10557545/as-a-truck-driver-i-lost-189-pounds-using-the-app
After bariatric surgery I had to be careful to eat on time so I made sure I had something with me at all times. A protein bar is about perfect.
Once I was very much in the same boat as you; had under-ate, it was after work and I was going directly to the gym. Instead of weeping afraid to eat, I circled the convenience store trying to figure out what my best option was. I read the macros on the Muscle Milk and it was about perfect.2 -
I second the recommendation of chili. When I'm in a crunch, the chili from Wendy's is delicious, completely satisfying, and wonderfully light on the calories.1
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I did this for longer than was good for me (for different reasons, depression resulted in me not bothering to care to eat). My metabolism slowed right down and I packed on a lot of weight. I echo what everyone else says, something is better than nothing.0
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