everything in moderation? i respectfully disagree

writtenINthestars

i'm not saying everyone should cut out desserts or treats, not at all. you can absolutely indulge in chocolate, cookies, pancakes, etc in moderation.

What?

Haha!

Seriously.....I think this is why the original post annoyed me so much...

writtenINthestars

woah, 13 pages?? alright well, i didn't read a lot of the comments - sorry, i was trying to be really conscious to read what everyone had to say, since (i'm assuming) you read my post in full if you commented here. i did skim pages 11-13 and was delightfully shocked to see some positive comments! but based on what i read i want to address 2 things:

a lot of people seem to be insinuating that i don't enjoy food, that i am probably choking down raw kale and wheat grass all day in an attempt to be healthy, getting no enjoyment whatsoever from what i eat. so not true. i LOVE food. really really love it. that's why i spend hours in the kitchen prepping my veggies, i take the time to make them taste amazing. this is going to sound weird but whatever: one of my favorite foods on earth is brussels sprouts. it's not because i like the taste, they taste like *kitten*! but i cook them in such a way that makes them really, seriously delicious. i roast them with unrefined coconut oil, oregano, rosemary, salt and cinnamon, and sometimes if i'm feeling crazy i'll toss them with maple glazed pecans. i almost died when i tried one. i realize some of you are dry-heaving right now but hear me out. healthy food can taste good if you prepare it right! everyone seems to think that a life without snickers would be a hellhole. and they'd rather die than eat brownies made with barley flour. but the thing about your taste buds is they are extraordinarily adaptable, as is your entire body. if you cut sugar out of your diet, you will crave it less. if you start eating clean, and get your sweet fix from bananas, or barley brownies, or coconut date rolls instead of twinkies and candy, your body will start to recognize these healthy alternatives as sweet. eventually (it does take time) these foods will be too sweet for you! look, if sugar rules your life, if you are ADDICTED to it, then my advice (not that you asked) is no, i don't think it's a good idea to enjoy those trigger foods in moderation. you are keeping them constantly in your system, and you're never going to break that addiction. if you don't want sugar ruling your life anymore, if you're sick of obsessing over food and yo-yoing with your weight, then you should consider eliminating all junk from your diet. but hey, if you can enjoy that snickers "in moderation" and it doesn't screw up your entire life, then go for it. this post isn't for you and i'm not going to argue with you. but to a lot of people, these foods are dangerous.

i noticed a lot of excuses as to why a lifestyle like this wouldn't work for everyone, time and money being the main ones. i get it, we're all busy and poor. especially me! i'm a freaking preschool teacher, i barely make above minimum wage. i have to go to the free clinic at the hospital for routine checkups and such because i make so little money and my job doesn't offer insurance. but i make it work, i just choose to spend less on things like clothes, entertainment, getting my nails done, etc. and i make my own cleaning products, which saves a ton of money. and as for time, i understand that too, believe me. including my commute i work 8 am - 7 pm everyday, then i go to the gym on my way home for 1.5 - 2 hrs. i get home around 9 - 9:30 pm each night. i just choose to spend my free time cooking, as opposed to watching TV, or whatever it is other people do in their free time. to me it's worth it, the food i cook makes me feel so, so good. so i make sacrifices for it.

i'm not at all saying this is the only way to live, i never said that. this is what has worked for me, worked exceedingly well, so why wouldn't i share it on a site where people are supposedly trying to make healthier choices in their lives? and i mean... junk food IS bad for you! i can't apologize for saying that - but i will absolutely apologize if anyone felt like i was attacking them, or if i came off as condescending. it doesn't bother me if people want to attack my lifestyle, the drink in my hand, my past issues with food, or any of that. but i do find it odd that telling you something you already know caused such an uproar.

and will you all stop knocking the barley brownies already, they are really good. i based my recipe off this one if anyone is BRAVE ENOUGH to try them:
http://edibleperspective.com/2010/07/hungry/

I'm totally going to make them and then post a review because just the name makes me want to gag lol....but I'm always a good sport for being proven wrong

writtenINthestars

Babies are totally natural and organic. So...that's what I eat. I eat babies.

You know there are some ppl who do eat the placenta.................................:sick:

:sick: oh my god I knew this was true but just seeing it written down is making me want to puke. BLEH!

But hey! To each his own!! :drinker:

dad106

I read most of these posts before it got too out of hand.. and now its going off in like a thousand different tangents.

But all I gotta say is, today I'm going out to lunch with a friend to a burger joint.. is the best thing for me? No. Am I going to eat the darn burger and try and make it as healthy as possible? Yes! Will I continue to eat out every day this week? No. There is a point to moderation.. and it does work. Just because you eat crap one day, doesn't mean that you will the rest of the week. It's all about feeding your body what it wants when it wants in my eyes.

MissKim

While I agree that eating whole clean foods is the best thing. We are all starting at different places. I think trying at all is a big step up for some people. It's a learning process.

Katrob9

I read this when it was first posted and it got my hackles up but I decided to ignore it, but now I just have to throw my tuppence in. The OP doesn't seem to 'respectfully' disagree with anything. Your posts come across as preachy, disrespectful and just plain rude! If you really wanted to spark debate on this issue then you have missed the mark by screeching it from your pedestal like an annoying harpie. Maybe if you had been less judgemental then people would be more likely to see your argument.

Swing and a miss it seems.

NYGoddess77

i keep seeing this phrase thrown around all over the place. "it's ok if you ate a quarter pounder from McDonalds last night, everything in moderation!" "don't feel guilty about eating that Snickers bar, everything in moderation right?" i don't really understand this frame of mind - why would anyone want to put anything unhealthy into their body, ever? i mean is it ok to poison yourself in moderation? because that's what junk food does to you. especially genetically modified, heavily preserved or artificially sweetened junk food.

to indulge is one thing. i make some seriously delicious and indulgent dark chocolate brownies from time to time. but they're made out of whole grain barley flour, 100% dark chocolate, and sweetened with applesauce or dates. if i'm in the mood for pancakes i make buckwheat pancakes. i'm not saying everyone should cut out desserts or treats, not at all. you can absolutely indulge in chocolate, cookies, pancakes, etc in moderation. but people, there are healthier versions of these foods that taste just as good and won't kill you!

it is never ok to drink soda, regular or diet. it's never ok to consume snacks that contain more chemicals than real food. it is NEVER ok to consume BHT, hydrogenated oils, artificial colors like yellow 6 and red 3, high fructose corn syrup, sodium nitrite, or aspartame. check your favorite "cheat treats" - if it contains any of those ingredients, please don't eat it. i wish people would get out of this "everything in moderation" mind frame, and start asking themselves "what is this food going to do for my body?" instead. if there is nothing at all beneficial in the food you're about to eat, why are you eating it? food is meant to be fuel for our bodies, stop catering to your taste buds. your taste buds make up like .001% of your body, what about the other 99.999%? if you think you're satisfying your taste buds by eating that Twinkie, doesn't it bother you that you're hurting the other 99% of your body?

i understand cravings, and that if you deprive yourself of something you'll likely binge out on it at some point. i don't condone deprivation, i just think you can find a perfectly natural substitute. if you NEED a cheeseburger, make your own out of organic beef, please don't eat that artificially flavored chemical smorgasbord from McDonalds. if you need cookies, make your own, don't reach for a box of Entenmann's. every food in its natural state can be consumed in moderation, absolutely. but when you enter into the world of freaky genetically modified lab experiment foods/additives/preservatives, there is absolutely no reason to go near it, even in moderation.

your body is a temple, treat it with respect :flowerforyou:

I make all my treats Grain/Gluten free. It tastes wonderful. All the food I consume are whole, fresh and completely homemade.
If you are the type to eat out...make the best informed decisions for yourself but we want you to be well informed about whats out there.
I Agree with you 100%. I don't think you came out preachy, You are being informative to people. All we can do is inform them. If they decide to take the reigns then hooray for them. If people would watch the movie FOOD INC., as well as a few more, and see how these big Food corps TYSON, CARGILL, SMITHFIELD, CON AGRA, PERDUE etc...create those "so-called" wonderful tasting nuggets, buffalo chicken, popcorn chicken, soft baked cookies or any other processed crap, you will understand what she is trying to "preach". Don't take what she is saying as a " MY WAY IS BEST" type of thing. Alot of people don't know what type of crap 90% of the foods sold in supermarkets and all FF joints are made of and that are harmful to our bodies. If u see those types of movies and learn what those chemical loaded foods do to your body..maybe people would see the light. But, if u can watch that movie and could care less about what you've learned...then to each his own. I will continue to inform people what i've learned and have the proof to back it up.I make all my treats Grain/Gluten free. It tastes wonderful. All the food I consume are whole, fresh and completely homemade and my Aunt no longer takes Insulin for her diabetes on a daily basis because of it. She has kidney disease and goes to dialysis 3 times a week. Her doctor is baffled that her kidneys are HEALING....here's to your health people :drinker:

sweetsarahj

***sings***

This is the thread that never ends.... yes it goes on and on my friends....

pittielover23

I think what bugs me most about this post and some of the responses is the "hollier than thou" attitude that I see. Those that strongly disagree must do so because we know we are wrong. Or we just don't really know what is best for us yet. Yep, the OP hit a nerve, but it has nothing to do with knowing she is right.

It is condescending and rude. Guess what? THAT is what bothers me. Not the fact that the OP does not believe in moderation. If not eating any crap ever works for you, then that is great. Truly. It is just not what I want or am comfortable with for my life.

RNewton4269

Sounded pretty preachy to me and disreceptful of everyone's individual journeys. I think you can eat in moderation. You just have to be careful in your choices. Everyone is different.

JMO!

Lpfeifer419

I think what bugs me most about this post and some of the responses is the "hollier than thou" attitude that I see. Those that strongly disagree must do so because we know we are wrong. Or we just don't really know what is best for us yet. Yep, the OP hit a nerve, but it has nothing to do with knowing she is right.

It is condescending and rude. Guess what? THAT is what bothers me. Not the fact that the OP does not believe in moderation. If not eating any crap ever works for you, then that is great. Truly. It is just not what I want or am comfortable with for my life.

This and then some! I understand some of the things the OP posted shouldn't be put into our bodies, but I am not going to preach to someone because they don't eat like me. OP, you don't know me or my struggles. To place us all in a single category will never work. What works for me isn't going to work for others and vice versa. It's not that the OP has a different opinion, it's that she has a "I'm better than you" attitude.

FearAnLoathing

BflSaberfan

Is the horse dead yet? No? good I'll add my 2 cents.

I had a cheeseburger and french fries from McDonalds on Saturday and I loved every minute of it.

yummy♥

i'm just following now for the nun porn

_SusieQ_

but don't you guys realize it's the american mindset to worry about consequences only after the damage has been done? (i don't mean to sound ethnocentric either, but the majority of people with diet-related illness live in america). since when is information so offensive? how about research for yourselves what the adverse effects of these substances are, then. and if it doesn't concern you, then by all means don't. but don't get offended because i told you twinkies are bad for you. if a smoker was told it would be in his/her best interest to quit smoking, would you all be up in arms about that? why is junk food such a sensitive issue?

I read through the whole thread. This is just my opinion; I don't believe most of the people were offended by the content. You (the OP) are correct that we Americans are some of the worst offenders on the planet when it comes to excess of any kind. I don't think anything in your original post was necessarily incorrect, and could have been deemed helpful to some. EXCEPT FOR the delivery of it. Again, my opinion, but I believe most people were offended by the tone. I know that for me, when someone tells me NEVER do this or NEVER do that, you bet your sweet @ss that's the first thing I WANT to do. You have a good message to sell, just maybe a slight re-wording or change in tone next time might actually get people to read the message instead of focusing on the delivery. Everyone on here (MFP) is on some kind of journey, and we are looking for help along the way, otherwise why be on a public site? It makes me a little sad that you could have truly helped someone with some great information, but turned them off b/c of the way you said it.

Katrob9

I think what bugs me most about this post and some of the responses is the "hollier than thou" attitude that I see. Those that strongly disagree must do so because we know we are wrong. Or we just don't really know what is best for us yet. Yep, the OP hit a nerve, but it has nothing to do with knowing she is right.

It is condescending and rude. Guess what? THAT is what bothers me. Not the fact that the OP does not believe in moderation. If not eating any crap ever works for you, then that is great. Truly. It is just not what I want or am comfortable with for my life.

This and then some! I understand some of the things the OP posted shouldn't be put into our bodies, but I am not going to preach to someone because they don't eat like me. OP, you don't know me or my struggles. To place us all in a single category will never work. What works for me isn't going to work for others and vice versa. It's not that the OP has a different opinion, it's that she has a "I'm better than you" attitude.

Absolutely agree!! If it works for you, great, but I'm not going to bad mouth someone else's decisions. We're supposed to support each other not pull the holier than though cr@p.

angryguy77

To the OP, live a little. You know what happens to people who eat nothing but "natural" they die just everyone else. My sister and mother are big on the all natural no sugar or yeast diets. And they are the most unhealthy people in my family. Constantly sick, but they still lecture us in the same tone as your first post.
Just because you get your fixes from veggies, doesn't mean everyone else can.
There is nothing wrong with having a burger every now and then, or dare I say a Snickers. As long as you eat healthy and exercise, your body can handle a treat now and then. I'm sure most doctors would agree.

You may have time to prepare the weeds you eat and make them delicious, some of us however have to balance our time between kids, work etc. We don't have hours to spend each day trying to make a piece of tree bark taste like cherry pie. Hell, it's hard enough to plan out what you are going to eat let alone sit and cook it all day. But many of us do eat healthy and treat our body with care. I'm not an obese person, I have few pounds to lose, but nothing big. And I still enjoy pizza once a week. I let it go on Saturdays, and I feel great and I have even lost weight. All this without eating roots.

You say that you didn't mean to sound condescending, as a teacher, you should know that proof reading is essential before submitting your work.

_SusieQ_

Fear, you totally rock and I'm glad you're my friend!

Still_Sossy

I ate crap food until a few months ago and I can honestly say people with your attitude kind of kept me eating that way. So judgemental and condescending with the fake air of concern.

I have a cheat day once a week that consists of pizza, doughnuts, chocolate and sugary drinks. Why? Because I enjoy food and taste. It's not the enemy. Lack of self control is. Your wonderful brownies probably could make people fat, too.

*Going to his house for pizza and sugary treats!* LOL! :bigsmile:

No seriously, I tried to cut out EVERYTHING bad, all preservatives, colors, refined sugars, refined carbs, chemically altered, non organic ect ect...... PERFECTLY CLEAN eating. While it was nice and I enjoyed it, it was also unrealistic for daily day to day life, unless you plan to lock yourself in and NEVER eat another thing prepared by someone else again. I travel a lot for work and had to lighten up. While I do not eat a lot of these things still, if there is REAL sugar in it, I will no longer have an anxiety attack and I just also gave in and ate REAL pizza.....no whole wheat crust......and ya know what...........I LIVED!!!!!!!!

ka_42

Moderation is a different thing for everyone.. it's all about finding what works for you. I truly believe the occasional burger and coke aren't going to greatly hinder your health. The artificial flavors/sugars in diet coke have been proven to be harmful and I believe the lower your consumption the better. One a week isn't going to kill you though!

In regards to the time/money dilemma.. Most people get done working all day and prefer to come home and spend time with their significant other / family. Not in the kitchen. I can't imagine getting done with my day at 9:30 and not wanting to come home to lounge and snuggle my bf! I choose to spend a little extra money on better for you/fewer ingredient foods and less time in the kitchen. I also eat a lot of raw fruits and veggies that take little prep. I'm under the poverty line and can still afford to eat fairly healthy.