Food as Fuel

smolmaus

amy19355 wrote: »

As I see it, Balance is a defined condition or state of being, and , any mechanism that exists to maintain the balance is a type of control.

They coexist as mutually beneficial partners in a planned endeavor.

Sorry to get all Engineer-y but if a system requires an external applied force it isn't really in balance. If you think of it like a suspension bridge, you want the cables to be taking as little force as possible (or at least equal forces) so they don't eventually snap. If applying control is one side of the bridge having to be constantly pulled over to keep things in a straight line you're increasing the risk that one day the whole thing falls down.

That's a bit meta, but I think ideally you should be using as little willpower/ self control/ effort as possible day to day. Just a little nudge here and there when things get windy. That's what I would think of as balance.

neugebauer52

I eat what I enjoy - lots of salads, (summer starting here) and vegetables, meat, eggs, fish, cottage cheese but stay away from bread (trigger food!) and take it easy on heavy carbs. I follow the MFP calculation on calories and macros and do as much exercise I manage to do with my huge weight.

msf74

This has been an interesting discussion and because I just have to be different I am seeking neither control nor balance.

I am seeking non-attachment, a "I can take it or leave it" attitude even if I desire something in a very true sense.

So, if someone asked me "could you live without x food" for the rest of your life I can say "sure, I might not want to but I can."

There are certain things that I would never want to be without - the love of my friends and family, music, books etc but a piece of cake? Get outta here...

Packerjohn

msf74 wrote: »

This has been an interesting discussion and because I just have to be different I am seeking neither control nor balance.

I am seeking non-attachment, a "I can take it or leave it" attitude even if I desire something in a very true sense.

So, if someone asked me "could you live without x food" for the rest of your life I can say "sure, I might not want to but I can."

There are certain things that I would never want to be without - the love of my friends and family, music, books etc but a piece of cake? Get outta here...

I'm with you.

msf74

Packerjohn wrote: »

msf74 wrote: »

This has been an interesting discussion and because I just have to be different I am seeking neither control nor balance.

I am seeking non-attachment, a "I can take it or leave it" attitude even if I desire something in a very true sense.

So, if someone asked me "could you live without x food" for the rest of your life I can say "sure, I might not want to but I can."

There are certain things that I would never want to be without - the love of my friends and family, music, books etc but a piece of cake? Get outta here...

I'm with you.

Have you ever seen the episode of Seinfeld where George can't have sex? As he is unable to partake in the thing he really desires it frees up his mental energy to concentrate on other areas so he gets smarter, more well read and so on.

I have had a life long battle to keep my weight in check. I've been successful but the amount of mental and emotional resources I have had to devote to this part of my life, if I take a step back, has been staggering as is the opportunity cost of what could have been achieved if I didn't have to do so.

I'd like to reach a point in my life where it's not even something that I consider to any degree and it just is what it is.

kshama2001

Birthday cake makes me feel sick too. But so does a glass of apple juice or a sufficient quantity of dates. I'd be fine with one date though, and could probably stop at one. It takes more than two servings of Ben & Jerry's ice cream to make me feel sick. Probably because the fat helps balance out the sugar. However, when I have an open pint of ice cream, it's really hard to stop before I finish it, despite feeling sick as I'm eating it. I can safely have dates in the house since last winter, but if a pint of full fat and sugar ice cream lasts two days, I'm doing good.

I experimented with Halo Top, etc., but it just tastes wrong to me. Now that ice cream season is over, I got rid of two open pints of this type of "ice cream."

I can moderate Klondike bars. I don't like them as much, but they do satisfy the ice cream itch when I have that in the summer, and I can stop at one, and only have a few a week. I'd prefer B&J, but have but trying unsuccessfully to moderate it for years.

dewd2

amy19355 wrote: »

happymom221 wrote: »

My meals have a pattern of foods which I eat frequently. For example a protein and two veggies or a big salad or eggs and fixings. Most people would think it’s super boring
However, I only eat food that I love.
When I bite into my food I go mmmmm

YES! I too only eat food I love the taste of.

I'm not looking for sympathy from those here who enjoy their "fun food", and, i'm clearly failing to express my satisfaction with this plan for myself. I don't feel deprived at all, and, I guess that was my biggest eye-opener about the results of this program in my own life.

My idea of fun food is just different from others. A date stuffed with almond butter for me is like a chocolate sundae for others. I choose fruit for my sweet fix; sugars have a role in good nutrition, and I'm choosing natural over not.

BTW -someone asked how long I've been doing this, and the answer is almost two months, this time around. Beside the positive impact on my weight loss goals is the extra money in my food budget. Making my own meal-starters in two-week batches and freezing them ahead of time is really economical.

Will I never eat cake or ice cream again? i'm not going to be silly and say never again, because I almost certainly will have some. The way my body feels, internally, when I consume sugar is almost unpleasant now; it's like ants running through my bloodstream for about five minutes.

But, I will say that the older I get (I'm 62) the more interesting it is to me that I get the portion and moderation aspect of this under control; the biggest expense in retirement is medical care, and so much of that is related to poor food and exercise choices.

So you've done this before? What happened?

IMO, you should strive to change your habits for life. If your way of eating causes you stress and makes you 'fall off of the wagon' because it is too restrictive, then you get in this cycle of yo yo dieting and do even more harm to your health.

Good luck. I personally would never do this. I enjoy food and often look forward to it - Not because I have a problem with it - but because it can taste great and fit my overall plan. Nothing is completely avoided.

Lounmoun

I think many of us who start calorie counting or watching our intake of something start to make "is it worth it?" choices even if we don't frame our thinking as our food is fuel and our bodies are machines.
I think of food and calories more like money than fuel. I have to pay certain nutritional bills from my calorie budget before using my precious calories to buy less nutritious things. Because I enjoy food and don't like being hungry, I really want to use my calorie budget on the things I enjoy the most and that will be satisfying. If I get enough protein I feel more satisfied usually. I don't want to blow my whole calorie budget for the day on cake that will leave me hungry and make me want to overeat.

nvmomketo

I think everyone is making choices on what they eat. The food as fuel approach is about making food choices that affect your health. The food is fun approach is about deciding which foods give the most pleasure. I imagine everyone is a combination of the two.

For me, leaning too heavily towards food is fun equals poor health and weight gain. I try to rely mostly on food is fuel choices but within that I choose foods I prefer. I'd rather eat burger patties rather than a chuck roast, so I rarely eat that. I'd rather eat pork roast than a pork chop so I choose the food I like better. I'd rather eat cake, jelly beans or icecream over meatloaf, but I choose meatloaf, with a small and infrequent treat every month or so.

I think this partially comes down to whether someone is a moderator or abstainer. Telling a moderator that they should avoid certain foods won't work - they'll say it is joyless and maybe binge after feeling deprived. Telling an abstainer that they should include certain foods to have more food joy in their life is pointless - they are happy with how they eat and may have their health or diet set back. calling an abstainer's relationship with food unhealthy is egocentric; it is simply a different effective approach from that of a moderator. JMO

I am an abstainer who mostly makes my food choices from the food as fuel approach, and have for a number of years, with the only slip ups (weight gain or declining health) coming when I eat for pleasure more than for fuel. I am quite happy with my food choices and its consequences. Ymmv.