Do you have a healthy relationship with food?

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UponThisRock
UponThisRock Posts: 4,522 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Clearly the world of fitness/nutrition is a breeding ground for obsessive behavior. I actually never followed most of the meticulous dieting myths, and I've long stopped following the few I did believe in.

I've never had an eating disorder or anything close to it, but I'm not sure my relationship with food is completely healthy. But this I mean that I really, really love eating. I look forward to all my meals, but like any other material pleasure, eating doesn't leave me with a sense of "satisfaction" like I think it will when I'm thinking about my next meal. I suppose this is the kind of thing that goes through the mind of a binge eater, but again, I've never binged once in my life (not that I haven't wanted to).

I guess what I'm saying is that larger meals are "fun," but I don't get the enjoyment out of them that I think I will. I'm thinking about switching to more frequent, smaller meals to get over this mindset (I don't really want to, because the "grazing method" made me more hungry in the past).
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Replies

  • gemiwing
    gemiwing Posts: 1,525 Member
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    The hardest part about my personal relationship with food is sorting through the BS that (mainly) women get fed about how to eat, what to eat and not eat. Best example is diet food- I have so much trouble eating my calories that diet food is in NO way helpful for me, yet I still find my mind saying 'Hey Tubby get the fat free dressing'. In reality I need the whole hog real dressing for it's lower sugar and higher fat content.

    I harken it to being a smoker and dating the president of the National Lung Association. Just doesn't fit right.

    So for me- it's about reclaiming the power of real food- and as a woman reclaiming my 'right' to eat real food.
  • PercivalHackworth
    PercivalHackworth Posts: 1,437 Member
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    Yup totally, I can relate to this - I totally can say mine isn't healthy at all - most people eat, go back to their stuff/ hobby/ work, and when the Ghrelin kicks in - they eat. I agree on the "but I don't get the enjoyment out of them that I think I will. " I'm 24/7 thinking about food, about the next meal to come, about eating. It's a total obsession - that might be related to the fact it's a critical factor in the perception we can have on ourselves since eating plays a major role. I guess violinists are obsessed by their violins...
    Maybe one day we'll be pissed off about being so binded to food and will quit, dunno...
  • hope516
    hope516 Posts: 1,133 Member
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    No I do not have a healthy relationship with food. Before I was obsessed with eating way too much and now having to count every single calorie that touches my lips has taken my obsession to a whole new level. I like you am always THINKING about my next meal. I feel guilty, I feel happy, I feel confused about each meal. It can control my mood...I think this makes it unhealthy!
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,522 Member
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    Yup totally, I can relate to this - I totally can say mine isn't healthy at all - most people eat, go back to their stuff/ hobby/ work, and when the Ghrelin kicks in - they eat. I agree on the "but I don't get the enjoyment out of them that I think I will. " I'm 24/7 thinking about food, about the next meal to come, about eating. It's a total obsession - that might be related to the fact it's a critical factor in the perception we can have on ourselves since eating plays a major role. I guess violinists are obsessed by their violins...
    Maybe one day we'll be pissed off about being so binded to food and will quit, dunno...

    I guess it's a a double-edged sword, the obsessive tendencies are actually the key to success, but it's still an obsession. Even though I'm happy with my body, and my current goal is really just putting on the "finishing touches," I can't imagine a day when I no longer count my calories.
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,522 Member
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    No I do not have a healthy relationship with food. Before I was obsessed with eating way too much and now having to count every single calorie that touches my lips has taken my obsession to a whole new level. I like you am always THINKING about my next meal. I feel guilty, I feel happy, I feel confused about each meal. It can control my mood...I think this makes it unhealthy!

    Being on MFP and talking about food all day probably doesn't help, lol.
  • LJC44
    LJC44 Posts: 221
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    Clearly the world of fitness/nutrition is a breeding ground for obsessive behavior. I actually never followed most of the meticulous dieting myths, and I've long stopped following the few I did believe in.

    I've never had an eating disorder or anything close to it, but I'm not sure my relationship with food is completely healthy. But this I mean that I really, really love eating. I look forward to all my meals, but like any other material pleasure, eating doesn't leave me with a sense of "satisfaction" like I think it will when I'm thinking about my next meal. I suppose this is the kind of thing that goes through the mind of a binge eater, but again, I've never binged once in my life (not that I haven't wanted to).

    I guess what I'm saying is that larger meals are "fun," but I don't get the enjoyment out of them that I think I will. I'm thinking about switching to more frequent, smaller meals to get over this mindset (I don't really want to, because the "grazing method" made me more hungry in the past).

    I completely know what you are saying. I am satisfied with my breakfast because it is my biggest (and I am talking BIG) meal of the day. My other meals are smaller and not extremely satisfying. I try not to have bad cheat days like I used to because the taste of that food is SO GOOD and it does remind of a binge eater. I have not had the eating problems either (although some cheat days I stuff myself and feel sick ha!). I am not the best at explaining my thoughts but I do get what you mean! Some days all I think about right after I eat a meal is "when is the next meal!".
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,229 Member
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    As you consider more meals, I'm thinking about going the other way. I seem to eat the most calories at dinner (family influence I think) so I was seriously considering IF to regulate that. LOL! I like eating more often, but I can't seem to resist the temptation to indulge around others.
  • DragonflyF15
    DragonflyF15 Posts: 437 Member
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    I'm a foodie...I love to eat a variety of foods, cuisines and I love to cook. I still do. I just treat them as occasional indulgences, and I have learned to be creative with healthy cooking and coming up with new lighter versions of favorite dishes, without it being bland and boring. When I eat now, I savor it. Turn off the TV, light a candle, eat at the dining room table and just be in the moment. I find that helps with the romantic part of eating without having to eat the foods I used to associate with it (heavy pastas, cheesy dishes and rich desserts). Congrats on just having to put on the finishing touches...I'm 4lbs away from my goal weight, so I'm just behind you :)
  • LJC44
    LJC44 Posts: 221
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    No I do not have a healthy relationship with food. Before I was obsessed with eating way too much and now having to count every single calorie that touches my lips has taken my obsession to a whole new level. I like you am always THINKING about my next meal. I feel guilty, I feel happy, I feel confused about each meal. It can control my mood...I think this makes it unhealthy!

    I can't believe how much you sound like me with this issue. ALWAYS THINKING is what sums it up!
  • lovemydrmartens
    lovemydrmartens Posts: 144 Member
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    my Mum and my husband were both children during rationing here in the UK and both are mortified if i do not clean my plate (my husband does most of the cooking) and have seconds as well if there is anything left... 'don't you like it? what's wrong? and my favourite.. 'you don't eat enough to keep a mouse alive! I can assure you I do...:laugh:

    I think everyone's relationship with food is as complex as our relationships with each other... I used to count my peas... so did all my sisters... :blushing:
  • PercivalHackworth
    PercivalHackworth Posts: 1,437 Member
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    I can't imagine a day when I no longer count my calories.


    Same here - I quit the whole fantasy "When this will be over, etc..." for the moment since it's more of an idea of an hypothetical day when I'll be less obsessed.
    By extension - I keep seeing myself, eating normally (I mean not being food maniac), and buying something randomly, as most people do. It's sad because I totally let the fantasty taking place into my head, as a movie that would loop again again (I mean I'm really seeing me buying random stuff and eat it, no questions asked). That picture of me doing such is the exact opposite of what I'm living : I'm seeing myself, while in real life, I can't do it anymore. I mean - LITTERALY, I just can't buy some pleasure food, I'm no longer able to do it. As far as I'm concerned, it went way over my physical changes, since I've a nice (but too low BF) body since the Summer; while I'm into a deep hole with Food.
    In my blog I ended a post by "Will I be able one day to buy a pizza, and enjoy it ?" - I definitely can do it mentally, not IRL - I guess we just do the weird stuff :happy:
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,522 Member
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    I'm a foodie...I love to eat a variety of foods, cuisines and I love to cook. I still do. I just treat them as occasional indulgences, and I have learned to be creative with healthy cooking and coming up with new lighter versions of favorite dishes, without it being bland and boring. When I eat now, I savor it. Turn off the TV, light a candle, eat at the dining room table and just be in the moment. I find that helps with the romantic part of eating without having to eat the foods I used to associate with it (heavy pastas, cheesy dishes and rich desserts). Congrats on just having to put on the finishing touches...I'm 4lbs away from my goal weight, so I'm just behind you :)

    Thanks for the advice, I probably do need to savor my food a bit more. I'm a volume eater, I always have been (that's kinda how I got fat), I have the ability to put down A LOT of food at once, and still want more.
  • LJC44
    LJC44 Posts: 221
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    I have been the same way as you all forever now. This is a thread I have been waiting for. I will stand there sometimes and think "Am I crazy over my lifestyle? Can I ever eat something bad and not want to smack myself?" SO MANY THOUGHTS! I am sick of the thinking process!
  • ItsMeRebekah
    ItsMeRebekah Posts: 910 Member
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    Not really i dont think. When you are constantly thinking abt this and that regarding food its hard to. I feel like i think abt food 24/7 and sometimes that just makes me sad LOL
  • LJC44
    LJC44 Posts: 221
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    Not really i dont think. When you are constantly thinking abt this and that regarding food its hard to. I feel like i think abt food 24/7 and sometimes that just makes me sad LOL

    Haha yes I hear you. I also feel this weird down feeling when I realize how much I think about. Not only food but exercise!
  • PercivalHackworth
    PercivalHackworth Posts: 1,437 Member
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    I'm a foodie...I love to eat a variety of foods, cuisines and I love to cook. I still do. I just treat them as occasional indulgences, and I have learned to be creative with healthy cooking and coming up with new lighter versions of favorite dishes, without it being bland and boring. When I eat now, I savor it. Turn off the TV, light a candle, eat at the dining room table and just be in the moment. I find that helps with the romantic part of eating without having to eat the foods I used to associate with it (heavy pastas, cheesy dishes and rich desserts). Congrats on just having to put on the finishing touches...I'm 4lbs away from my goal weight, so I'm just behind you :)

    Thanks for the advice, I probably do need to savor my food a bit more. I'm a volume eater, I always have been (that's kinda how I got fat), I have the ability to put down A LOT of food at once, and still want more.

    You may call me party-breaker, but I don't think DragonflyF15 here is as deep as we are :laugh:
    In fact making dinners, lunch more sexy, romantic, pleasant to see,to savor might helps to learn to eat in proportion - but won't untie the weird relation we have to food. Every of my meals are cool, well prepared, perfect sized, smell good, are a pleasure to eat - but the sado-masochist relation is there - no matter how material I'd put around to complete the endless process of eating. That complex relation goes WAY beyond what you perceive, since like uponthisrock said - the mental projection goes further that the moment itself :drinker:
  • Bpothik13
    Bpothik13 Posts: 135 Member
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    For the most part, yes...Ive stopped saying "What the hell..." when I make my food choices (well, most of the time...). I think that "ignorance is bliss" has affected my relationship with food...especially since when I was in my 20s, I could eat whatever and how much I wanted...sadly, that caught up with me as I got older.

    I think my biggest problem right now is aligning other healthy choices with my eating/exercising. I will go out on weekends and have a few drinks, then I want a cigarette (I am not a day-to-day habitual smoker--only when I drink) which leaves me feeling crappy and guilty the next day...anyway, have rambled on enough and gotten off topic! Sorry!
  • LJC44
    LJC44 Posts: 221
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    I'm a foodie...I love to eat a variety of foods, cuisines and I love to cook. I still do. I just treat them as occasional indulgences, and I have learned to be creative with healthy cooking and coming up with new lighter versions of favorite dishes, without it being bland and boring. When I eat now, I savor it. Turn off the TV, light a candle, eat at the dining room table and just be in the moment. I find that helps with the romantic part of eating without having to eat the foods I used to associate with it (heavy pastas, cheesy dishes and rich desserts). Congrats on just having to put on the finishing touches...I'm 4lbs away from my goal weight, so I'm just behind you :)

    Thanks for the advice, I probably do need to savor my food a bit more. I'm a volume eater, I always have been (that's kinda how I got fat), I have the ability to put down A LOT of food at once, and still want more.

    You may call me party-breaker, but I don't think DragonflyF15 here is as deep as we are :laugh:
    In fact making dinners, lunch more sexy, romantic, pleasant to see,to savor might helps to learn to eat in proportion - but won't untie the weird relation we have to food. Every of my meals are cool, well prepared, perfect sized, smell good, are a pleasure to eat - but the sado-masochist relation is there - no matter how material I'd put around to complete the endless process of eating. That complex relation goes WAY beyond what you perceive, since like uponthisrock said - the mental projection goes further that the moment itself :drinker:

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  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
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    No, I don't have a healthy relationship with food. It is my comfort, my pain, my best friend and my worst enemy. When I was little, I used to steal food out of the refrigerator. All the good stuff in the house was my dad's. So I snuck things. That habit has stuck with me my entire life. I still do it to this day, even though they are my groceries purchased with my paycheck!
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
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    Yes - I absolutely have a healthy relationship with food.

    I didn't always. I had to work at it. I was never a binge eater or emotional eater. I just ate too much - too many calories in my super-sized portions. I labeled foods as 'good' and 'bad' and thought of myself as good or bad based on what I ate.

    I've managed to fix that over the past year, and I feel like things have finally clicked for me.

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