This is why we shouldn't even have it in the house...

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Replies

  • tat2dmrsgrimm
    tat2dmrsgrimm Posts: 226 Member
    something that helped me realize i needed to look at food as fuel not a rewards was this saying. "Don't reward yourself with food, you are not a dog!"
    Can someone explain to me why rewarding yourself with food has ANYTHING to do with being a dog? I hate this phrase. Food is fun to eat. If it was just fuel we would all eat bland gruel loaded with vitamin pills. We should learn to enjoy food and fit that into a healthy lifestyle.

    THis mentality is why the majority is on MFP in the first place.. Food is just a fuel source, True fun is taking your shirt off and not feeling ashamed.... Thats ok though you can eat your ice cream, I will eat my fuel.
    I eat my ice cream and still maintain a healthy weight, but you have fun eating tasteless crap and thinking that food isn't for enjoyment.

    I am as confused as you are. I do not usually reward myself with food though. I usually get myself something... like 2 new pairs of capris (on clearance) cause all my clothes fell off. Food is because I WANT IT! If I want a candy bar and I have eaten fairly good that day, by the gods, I have it. I try to compromise and make my indulgences healthier, but I am with you. I don't understand the "dont reward yourself with food bit." If I worked really hard and I have the calories for something really insane, I have it. That is all. LOL
  • reese66
    reese66 Posts: 2,920 Member
    something that helped me realize i needed to look at food as fuel not a rewards was this saying. "Don't reward yourself with food, you are not a dog!"

    Love this, great way to look at it!
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
    something that helped me realize i needed to look at food as fuel not a rewards was this saying. "Don't reward yourself with food, you are not a dog!"
    Can someone explain to me why rewarding yourself with food has ANYTHING to do with being a dog? I hate this phrase. Food is fun to eat. If it was just fuel we would all eat bland gruel loaded with vitamin pills. We should learn to enjoy food and fit that into a healthy lifestyle.


    THis mentality is why the majority is on MFP in the first place.. Food is just a fuel source, True fun is taking your shirt off and not feeling ashamed.... Thats ok though you can eat your ice cream, I will eat my fuel.


    You know, it is possible to fuel your body deliciously. The nectarine I ate today was amazing!
  • amyLhuff
    amyLhuff Posts: 102
    I'm the same way once I start I can't stop so we don't have anything sweet in the house. I even was on my you know TOM and I was craving chocolate so bad I knew if I even had one taste I would go all willy wonka and eat the whole factory. So I resisted yay! We are addicts it's ok if you slip up as long as you recognize it and get back to doing what's best for you.
  • fritz_gomromper
    fritz_gomromper Posts: 12
    I have learned that I cannot have cheddar cheese in my house. So I don't buy it, which is how I avoid eating it. Really simple.

    p.s. Regarding some nasty-grams posted above (and you know who you are), BEING A NICE PERSON IS SEXY!!! Try it.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    something that helped me realize i needed to look at food as fuel not a rewards was this saying. "Don't reward yourself with food, you are not a dog!"
    Can someone explain to me why rewarding yourself with food has ANYTHING to do with being a dog? I hate this phrase. Food is fun to eat. If it was just fuel we would all eat bland gruel loaded with vitamin pills. We should learn to enjoy food and fit that into a healthy lifestyle.

    THis mentality is why the majority is on MFP in the first place.. Food is just a fuel source, True fun is taking your shirt off and not feeling ashamed.... Thats ok though you can eat your ice cream, I will eat my fuel.
    I eat my ice cream and still maintain a healthy weight, but you have fun eating tasteless crap and thinking that food isn't for enjoyment.

    Saying food is strictly fuel is like saying sex is strictly for procreation. I don't get those people. My goal here is to learn to eat ice cream in moderation, not ban it altogether. What a sad life that would be...

    Agreed. I eat whatever I want. I just eat reasonable portions. Food is a pleasure and having a good relationship with food is nothing to be ashamed of. But I am not a food addict, so I don't know what it feels like to be one. If it helps you control your addiction, then by all means put a ban on trigger foods. But I think putting yourself in the mindset of never enjoying - or even fearing - food is really sad.
  • gibsy
    gibsy Posts: 112
    something that helped me realize i needed to look at food as fuel not a rewards was this saying. "Don't reward yourself with food, you are not a dog!"
    Can someone explain to me why rewarding yourself with food has ANYTHING to do with being a dog? I hate this phrase. Food is fun to eat. If it was just fuel we would all eat bland gruel loaded with vitamin pills. We should learn to enjoy food and fit that into a healthy lifestyle.

    I completely agree. Food is fun and awesome and should be enjoyed for it's own sake as far as I'm concerned. The strict food = fuel thing does not work for me. It's cold and joyless. Food IS fuel but it's also a source of pleasure, and this is OK! Personally, I take pleasure in the tastes and textures and interesting combinations of "healthy" foods as much or more, if they're prepared well, as anything else. I will take a fresh peach over a twinkie any day. For me part of the pleasure of food comes from knowing it is nourishing me. When I eat well I feel a deeper pleasure than the kind of momentary buzz a donut offers. The trick for me is to figure out how to prepare foods that both excite and nourish me. This might involve retraining your taste buds, but healthier choices can be just as pleasureful and satisfying as junk foods.

    The dog thing, well, I think the point is that we give dogs food as a reward for good behaviour. If we think of food that way for ourselves we're setting ourselves up for self-sabotage because if a run earns you a cupcake, well, that can easily become a problem. If your relationship with food is oriented around transgression and guilt, eating junk as a reward than punishing yourself for it with a run, well it's hard to take care of yourself when that's how you frame things. You're always just bouncing back and forth between reward and punishment instead of sidestepping the whole mess and reframing how you relate to food in the first place. Treating your body with love and care and nourishing yourself with nutritious food you enjoy can a pleasure in itself, not a punishment.
  • lilacsun
    lilacsun Posts: 204 Member
    My other catch-phrase that helps me is from Ghostbusters II of all things "It's time to practice a little thing we big boys like to call, self-control."

    I think each individual needs to decide for themselves what their triggers are....much like you wouldn't give an alcoholic one glass of wine (because only one won't hurt), I personally can't have just one little softbaked cookie without wanting to eat the whole package. That's where the catchphrase comes in. Go ahead, have that cookie if it fits in your "budget" but the catchphrase could help "addicts" like me who have a hard time stopping. I'm hopeful that someday I'll be able to have this stuff in the house and enjoy a little something without over indulging, but for now it's all about understanding my limits.

    Thanks for the suggestions!

    Yes, this. If I buy any junk that I like, I have been making sure to have it when there are plenty other people around to share with. One piece for me, everyone else gets a piece and viola gone!
  • red051683
    red051683 Posts: 44 Member
    Just my opinion... and by no means does anyone have to adapt or take it on....


    I was surprised reading the words " tasteless crap" when referring to healthy choice foods. That really saddened me to see that. On MFP, there are people from all walks of life, we've all grown up differently, and many of our diets growing up and to the present have been detrimental to our health in some way or else we would not be here. (This does not apply to those who are fit and tracking).

    For myself, food is my fuel, and that is the truth. I eat Clean (cert.organic), Whole (one ingredient items, everything made from scratch so I know what is in it) Foods and my entire eating habits, cravings and life has been changed by doing this.

    I read above the comments about cup cakes, mountain dew, and dairy queen and all I can see is those are things that were hindering ME from true freedom. I had to cut out the processed, pre-packaged foods as much as possible.. and when I did, my cravings left me completely. I sat in front of fudge-O's today, my absolute fave cookie.... Not only did I not care (and no, I wasn't convincing myself, I genuinely didn't care) but I also couldn't wait to enjoy my own Clean Whole treats when I got home... Nothing was worth that cookie, my health & my family are not worth that stupid cookie. I am worth this good food, I eat like a queen, and I've never enjoyed such delicious wholesome food in my life.

    My name is Rachael and I am an addict. Sugar had a hold on me, and I had to kick it's Ace out the door.


    Remember, we all have our own opinions to everything and I respect yours just as I'd hope you respect what I did for ME. :)
  • kabirmasto
    kabirmasto Posts: 28
    Just my opinion... and by no means does anyone have to adapt or take it on....


    I was surprised reading the words " tasteless crap" when referring to healthy choice foods. That really saddened me to see that. On MFP, there are people from all walks of life, we've all grown up differently, and many of our diets growing up and to the present have been detrimental to our health in some way or else we would not be here. (This does not apply to those who are fit and tracking).

    For myself, food is my fuel, and that is the truth. I eat Clean (cert.organic), Whole (one ingredient items, everything made from scratch so I know what is in it) Foods and my entire eating habits, cravings and life has been changed by doing this.

    I read above the comments about cup cakes, mountain dew, and dairy queen and all I can see is those are things that were hindering ME from true freedom. I had to cut out the processed, pre-packaged foods as much as possible.. and when I did, my cravings left me completely. I sat in front of fudge-O's today, my absolute fave cookie.... Not only did I not care (and no, I wasn't convincing myself, I genuinely didn't care) but I also couldn't wait to enjoy my own Clean Whole treats when I got home... Nothing was worth that cookie, my health & my family are not worth that stupid cookie. I am worth this good food, I eat like a queen, and I've never enjoyed such delicious wholesome food in my life.

    My name is Rachael and I am an addict. Sugar had a hold on me, and I had to kick it's Ace out the door.


    Remember, we all have our own opinions to everything and I respect yours just as I'd hope you respect what I did for ME. :)

    Couldn't agree more. I still struggle with trigger foods, like peanut butter, but the healthier you eat, the less you feel like putting all that processed stuff inside you. One day at a time... :smile:
  • red051683
    red051683 Posts: 44 Member
    Always one day at a time :) We can do this!!!!
  • Jargarita
    Jargarita Posts: 20 Member
    This was me last week! I picked up some special treats for myself with the intention of having a little each day but it just didn't happen. It was like some freaky compulsion to eat it all asap so no one else could have any even though no one else would have had any anyways...
  • trixiemou
    trixiemou Posts: 554 Member
    I know that I can not have 'goodies' in the house. If they are there they are there to be eaten. If I buy them then I know I am going to eat them. So I enjoy the feeling then dont do it again until I absolutely must.

    I think it was a weight watchers lady that said ' you are eating the same amount of calories whether you eat it over one day or three'.

    Hope you are back on track and having a good day.
  • supertracylynn
    supertracylynn Posts: 1,338 Member
    Not in your grocery cart, not in your mouth. Literally.

    That being said...

    I have maintained this weight by avoiding only things that my body cannot tolerate (pasta and bread make me want to die). I'd been through phases of a Starbucks a day, popcorn 3x a day, peanuts in the shell, pudding, ridiculous amounts of coconuts, apples, oranges, grapefruits, TONS of rice, entire pounds of steak, wine, White Russians, and let's not talk about how much cake I ate during my birthday week. Or my daughter's birthday week. Or the ridiculous amount of cookies during my son's birthday week. Or the week of my older daughter's birthday... To put it lightly, I eat a LOT.
    The difference? I train hard and beat my body in to submission. Due to genetics, I'm not supposed to do the crazy things I do, like run up a hill, or endurance running, or hiking with a kid on my back. I worked HARD for this, I work HARD to maintain it.

    So I'm going to eat what I want, when I want it... even if it's a bunch of carrots, rice, peas, chicken, apples, oranges, steak, mangoes, grapefruits, pudding, yogurt, peanuts, and/or popcorn.
  • Whitezombiegirl
    Whitezombiegirl Posts: 1,042 Member
    [/quote]
    . Food is fun to eat. If it was just fuel we would all eat bland gruel loaded with vitamin pills. We should learn to enjoy food and fit that into a healthy lifestyle.
    [/quote]

    THis mentality is why the majority is on MFP in the first place.. Food is just a fuel source, True fun is taking your shirt off and not feeling ashamed.... Thats ok though you can eat your ice cream, I will eat my fuel.
    [/quote]

    Totally agree. Food is NOT entertainment, its fuel.
  • Julietecosse
    Julietecosse Posts: 165
    something that helped me realize i needed to look at food as fuel not a rewards was this saying. "Don't reward yourself with food, you are not a dog!"

    Loved that that image. Thanks.
  • shyeban
    shyeban Posts: 121 Member
    I have had to learn to throw food in the bin when I don't want to eat it and no one else will.
  • sho3girl
    sho3girl Posts: 10,799 Member
    something that helped me realize i needed to look at food as fuel not a rewards was this saying. "Don't reward yourself with food, you are not a dog!"

    **Like this comment *** and REALLY trying to do this for myself too
  • Tank_Girl
    Tank_Girl Posts: 372 Member
    How about replacing cookies with strawberrys as a treat? you will feel a lot less guilty after it.
  • BSchoberg
    BSchoberg Posts: 712 Member
    Totally with you... if it's in the house (my husband has the metabolism of a hummingbird, the pallet of a 5 year old and of course the cash on hand of a union driver so he brings in crap ALL THE TIME!) I can walk right past it 99 times, and then - WHAMO - I'm on it. But that's better --- it used to be only 49 times walking past, and before than, only 9 times. So, while I've gotten stronger physically through working out, I have gotten stronger mentally as well. Sure helps to have to log the crap - and then have your friends see it. Apparenly, for me anyway, peer pressure can be a very strong motivator... lol

    I just LOVE walking through the grocery store and finding NO CRAP in my cart when I hit the checkout! I walk to the car in such a good mood and a little strut in my step.

    You will get there - make a better choice today than yesterday; forgive (but log) your mistakes; move on and make a better choice tomorrow.
  • AidenT94
    AidenT94 Posts: 39 Member
    How about replacing cookies with strawberrys as a treat? you will feel a lot less guilty after it.

    This idea is great! Replacing most sweets, like cookies or cake, with something naturally sweet, like strawberries or watermelon, is definitely healthier, and you still get your sugar craving fulfilled. Granted, it may not be as fulfilling as a cookie or a slice of cake, but it's definitely lower in calories.
  • kazhowe
    kazhowe Posts: 340 Member
    food IS fun i agree, i love cooking up a delicious meal and enjoying it. obviously i didnt come up with the phrase so i cant tell you how it came about, but i do agree with it. i'm not telling the OP she HAS TO agree with it, but it was something that helped me personally overcome my binges. and trust me i love my cheat meals here and there they help keep me sane. but i dont bust my *kitten* in a workout and then "reward" myself with a cupcake or three afterwards because i think i earned it. i try to load up with a nutritious meal afterwards so i can feel good about what i just did instead of guilty later on for indulging probably more than i needed to.
    I asked if you could explain the phrase. You haven't.


    Pushy much!! :huh:

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