Eating whatever I want

Muana1005

Just because something is classed as junk food doesn't mean it has no nutrients. A beef burger from McD for example has a decent amount of protein, fat, carbs, vitamin B (from the bread). Pizzas are a complete nutritious meal when done properly with fresh veg and cheese & can often have a good amount of vitamin c and calcium.


The problems starts when you use the whatever I want mantra to over-eat or to not balance your meals.

kommodevaran

natashab61 wrote: »

Hey guys
I have read over and over on this forum that hey if it fits your calories you are good to eat whatever you want. I don't buy into this. I know micronutrients are important which you get from the good foods. I also feel like there is other problems associated with eat whatever you want mentality. Why do you believe it and what is your evidence?

I am asking because I ate a ton of fruit today and an ice cream. I know fruit is fine but my body doesn't do good with carbs from fruits. Anyway I'd love to hear from you all.

natashab61 wrote: »

WinoGelato wrote: »

natashab61 wrote: »

Other problems mean clogged arteries,High BP etc.

And do you think that eating a balanced and varied diet that also includes some ice cream is going to lead to clogged arteries and high blood pressure?

No not necessarily. I just don't like to have too many fruits in my diet or sugars because it is in everything and I want to be healthy. Also I lovveeeee sugar. So when I have binged in the past it is all sugary things. Which kinda scares me lol

A healthy body starts with a healthy mindset. Sometimes we get hangups. Some of them are harmless misconceptions that can easily be cleared up. But if they persist, despite all the new evidence, and clearly impact your life negatively, I think it's time to seek professional help. We on the forum can't do anything for you or make you do anything, though, we can only offer suggestions.

What is said (I have read otherwise just once), is that for weight loss, sticking to a calorie deficit is all that matters. But of course nutrition matters for health and wellbeing. If you aren't feeling well, you won't be able to stick to a calorie deficit. (And most people want to lose weight to improve their health, so there is no either-or.) I think this is a liberating thought. It takes away the need to divide foods into good and bad, it takes away the negative associations with food, and food becomes just food. This also means that I'm not a bad person for liking the "wrong" foods. When I started out with MFP, I decided to let myself eat anything I wanted. This was scary! I was so used to believing that foods and food choices had to be restricted in order to manage weight and health. But then I read, experimented, discussed, analyzed, and came to the other conclusion: Over-restricting leads to disinhibition. Not just if you're "unlucky". Always. For a while I had "I can eat anything I want, but not everything at once, and not all the time" as my mantra, but as I'm getting more and more used to eat freely, and a the same time stick to regular meals, all those "rules" are getting more and more redundant. What I want, and how I define "want", has gone through a transformation. I no longer eat just because of the taste or to stop the nag from the food/my brain. I eat to nourish my body, AND to satisfy my senses.

Of course I want to be healthy, of course I don't want to be overweight. So I tried to follow the guidelines, eat my vegetables, whole grains, limit fat, avoid the chocolate and chips. But I can't. I have to make my own decisions, myself, or I will rebel. I would protest by eating too much, unbalanced, erratically, as much as I could of everything I was told I shouldn't eat. What happened when I stopped listening to the "good advice"? I am now eating just like they told me to. But I'm doing it in a way that suits me, in a way that I will stick to because it's how I want and like to eat, and my own choice.

I can understand why you are confused, maybe scared, even angry (most people get angry when what they believe in gets challenged. I resisted this fiercely too, for decades). Almost every other plan concerning health and weight is full of rules. MFP is fundamentally different. In my opinion, MFP provides support to making your own decisions. I also believe that making your own decisions is an essential part of being a healthy, independent adult.

jennifer_417

Honestly, I find that, when I eat what I want with a calorie deficit, I actually eat a pretty good balance of foods. I genuinely like fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and a variety of other foods. I wouldn't even enjoy a diet consisting wholly of junk food.