Does Anyone Here Ever Eat For Pleasure?

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deevatude
deevatude Posts: 322 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
i wish i could go back to eating the way i ate before i started this weight loss thing, but, i would gain back every pound i loss.

do u guys constantly worry abt calories, sodium, carbs, etc in everything u eat?
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  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
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    'worry' i s not the right word. I don't worry about food. It is just somewhat important to me to eat somewhat healthy, so I just try to make it happen. No Worries though.

    and I rarely eat for pleasure, never have. Only time I do that is when on my hot date wants to have a snack or treat... or SmirnoffIce...LOL. Or my son offers makes homemade soft pretzels for me! ((or whatever deliciousness he concocts in the kitchen to share)

    but, I also have never had a weight problem. I just have a few vanity pounds to lose.. and my MAIN goal is to be FIT and Strong- more than lose weight.
  • Arrabindi
    Arrabindi Posts: 169 Member
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    I definitely eat for pleasure! Food tastes soooo good - good food, that is. I used to love junk food, but I don't really find any pleasure in it anymore. But I love cooking and put a lot of effort into making great quality food that makes me feel good as well. And of course I have the occasional piece of cake, but I don't buy a big bag of some factory made stuff anymore, I always go to a local bakery and get the really good buttery goods or bake something myself. Eating for pleasure does not equal large amounts of junk!
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
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    I eat for pleasure all the time. I love food. I grew in a house where stuff like cheddar souffle, asian stir fry, and clafouti were meal standards and things like casserole and spaghetti were out of the norm. My mom actually spent time in France working in a kitchen there for a few weeks...just for fun. I only eat foods that I truly enjoy eating, even as I watch what I eat and always look forward to the times that I go out someplace nice and get to have something truly decadent.

    I actually gained the weight that I did when I moved out of my parents house and was eating crap food in place of all of the amazing home made goodness I had growing up. I switched over to fast food, junk food, and whatever just happened to be cheapest at the grocery store that week (usually sodas, chips, hot dogs, etc). None of which I ever at growing up. Heck, I didn't even consume my first Twinkie until I was well into my teens. Even our cereal as kids was stuff like Grape Nuts or Shredded Wheat - but not the little bite sized pieces, the big ones that filled the entire bowl with just one huge log of shredded wheat. My sister and I would jump for joy the one week each summer we stayed at my grandparents because we got Cap'n Crunch that week. lol

    Once I joined MFP, started cooking for myself at home, and stopped eating fast food all time, I actually started gaining an even deeper appreciation of really good food. Moreso than I had ever had before. Now I can't wait to try new restaurants of any kind, hit up local food trucks to see what they've come up with, and splurge on amazing meals like the Farewell to Fois Gras menu the hubby and I enjoyed before the foie gras ban locked down in California.

    So yes, food is always about pleasure for me. What's the point of eating something if it's not pleasing to the taste buds and/or the soul? :)
  • Gramps251
    Gramps251 Posts: 738 Member
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    I really enjoy eating as clean as I can. It's the end of harvest season and produce is amazing. It's still warm enough to grill protien. How could it be better?

    Note: Ok, I'd like more beer, wine, ice cream, etc..........but it's not a chore for me to eat well. If I go a bit over my cal limit I don't worry. I just note that I have to plan better tomorrow or accept that I'm having a "hungry" day.
  • nickyrobinson
    nickyrobinson Posts: 161 Member
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    Most of the time I eat for pleasure. Still do, even while losing weight. I log what I eat, try to meet my calorie goal and don't worry about the macros too much. They tend to work out for themselves, especially over a week (one day I eat a lot of sodium, the next day not so much, same with fat.)
  • melsmith612
    melsmith612 Posts: 727 Member
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    I eat for pleasure just about every night, I've just changed the things that I'm eating. I've always been a snacker at night and I've simply learned to embrace that as a meal of its own. Instead of a pint of ice cream, a bag of skittles and most of a box of cookies (yes this is how I really used to eat) now I snack on apples, almonds, cheeses, pickles, popcorn, cottage cheese or (recently) no pudge brownies that I make with plain Greek yogurt and vanilla extract 1 serving at a time in the microwave (so there's no temptation to eat half the pan straight out of the oven).
  • smilesback
    smilesback Posts: 327 Member
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    Heaven help me, cuz I really like to eat, and I really like to sit, put the two together and I am stressed to exercise and hard pressed to cut back on calories. Do you?
  • DrMAvDPhD
    DrMAvDPhD Posts: 2,097 Member
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    I'm a foodie. I don't eat ANYTHING just to fill myself up. Everything I eat tastes delicious. I just eat a little less of it now. What's the point otherwise??
  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
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    . What's the point of eating something if it's not pleasing to the taste buds and/or the soul? :)

    I'm Odd Man Out here. the only point is nourishment, I guess. I wish I didn't have to spend time eating, preparing foods, etc. I'd be happy with popping a nutrition pill and having the ocassional Starbucks or Sugar Cookie. But I do like gardening, so that could be a problem if I wasn't eating.
  • hopsywopsy
    hopsywopsy Posts: 47
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    Oh yes, I love food and I love cooking. I couldn't diet if I thought I had to deprive myself, so for me losing weight is about seeking out the most delicious but low calorie meals, controlling my portions (and NOT going back for seconds) and ensuring I build in some treats in my calorie allowance or making sure I have a work out on days where, for example, I am going to a party / out to a restaurant. I also see a lot of people have "cheat days" where they have a higher calorie intake, which might be worth considering say once a week or every time you reach a milestone.

    What do you miss most? Is it specific food or just eating without care?
  • cr8zyamy
    cr8zyamy Posts: 46 Member
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    Well, for me keeping track of my calorie consumption is part of my pleasure. It has become rather addictive for me. I enjoy eating, and figuring out what to eat and what is the actual serving size.
  • ZugTheMegasaurus
    ZugTheMegasaurus Posts: 801 Member
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    To quote my mom (when I was a kid and saying I didn't want her "gross" dinner): "I don't eat things that taste bad."

    In other words, if pleasure isn't involved, I'm not eating whatever it is. Everything I eat is enjoyable. It's when I was hurting and punishing myself with food--pizza, chips, soda, candy, things that people tend to say are oh-so-good--that it wasn't pleasurable. Not when I knew it was killing me (since that was the whole point, really).

    So I realized that I don't want food that tastes bad or that I choke down because it's "healthy" and for no other reason. But that doesn't mean junk food. When I make tostadas with chicken, cheese, beans, sour cream, avocado, and homemade salsa, that's healthy and it's certainly pleasurable. Or a buttery baked potato with a heaping pile of garlic- and pepper-seasoned broccoli and meat (of some kind), that's incredibly enjoyable. Not only is the flavor much better than any I've ever experienced while downing a bag of Doritos, but I feel good about eating it because I know it's healthy as well.

    I think that developing a healthier lifestyle definitely includes redefining what we think of as good or bad, pleasurable or a chore, desirable or obligatory. It's not a matter of figuring out what tastes good v. what's healthy; it's a matter of finding those foods that you would gladly eat for both reasons.
  • dsexton1
    dsexton1 Posts: 2
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    I want your no pudge brownie recipe please! Sounds good :)
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
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    I have always eaten for pleasure, and that's part of why I've been fat since I was 12.

    However, I take more pleasure now in more healthful foods, and have learned to make somewhat better choices about what I choose to enjoy and stop eating when I've extracted sufficient enjoyment from the food I'm eating.

    I've had a lot of fun finding new foods to enjoy on this journey, and adapting the foods I have always enjoyed to be a little healthier.

    But every now and again I extract great enjoyment by demolishing a cheeseburger and a load of french fries and a big beer. And I enjoy it all the more because I've planned for it, I've prepared for it, and I don't have to feel guilty about eating it any more, and it's all the more enjoyable because I don't do it every day any more.
  • deevatude
    deevatude Posts: 322 Member
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    vegetables, grilled chicken, brown rice, water etc isnt pleasurable to me. i want to eat fried foods, chips, and candy. I want to eat candy all day like i used to.

    i miss those days
  • weird_me2
    weird_me2 Posts: 716 Member
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    vegetables, grilled chicken, brown rice, water etc isnt pleasurable to me. i want to eat fried foods, chips, and candy. I want to eat candy all day like i used to.

    i miss those days

    Well, no, you can't eat candy all day like you used to and still accomplish your weight loss goals, but you can still eat the foods you enjoy. I don't eat a lot of plain veggies, grilled chicken, brown rice, etc. Sometimes I eat those things, sometimes I eat meals that are healthy but a lot more flavorful, and sometimes I eat unhealthy things. I had the red velvet cake cheesecake from cheesecake factory last weekend. I made it fit my macros for the day and ate only 1/2 of it one day and 1/2 the next. Granted, I didn't have fried food and chips and greasy stuff that day, too, but I had what I really wanted, plus I had tacos for lunch (one of my favorite foods ever) and homemade buffalo chicken pizza for dinner the other.

    Did eating fried foods, chips and candy all day really give you pleasure? Or did it just make you feel happier for a moment? If it really gave you pleasure, I don't think you'd be here trying to lose weight.
  • IveLanded
    IveLanded Posts: 797 Member
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    I absolutely NEVER want to eat like I ate before. And I NEVER want to be at a place where FOOD is what makes me happy.

    Occasionally I have pizza or fried food and I always feel like crap the next day. SO NOT WORTH IT!

    I'm having a toasted turkey sandwich as I type this and it's super yummy without being fried and making me feel and look like garbage. And honestly, I love being thin. No amount of any food is worth feeling as crappy about myself as I used to.

    I eat for pleasure all the time. Every day. I never put food in my mouth I don't like.

    And you know what? If you keep telling yourself you hate how you eat, you're setting yourself up to fail and it'll never work. It's all mental. It's only as hard and miserable as you make it. Keep telling yourself your so unhappy with eating like this and you'll never succeed.
  • heddy90
    heddy90 Posts: 144 Member
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    Of course. My top priority is always that my food tastes good. I don't want to eat food that doesn't taste good.
    And on saturdays I eat snacks and such that has no benefits regarding health whatsoever, but I don't care. It's my snack day. I still lose weight, and I still get the nutrition I need.
  • tomomatic
    tomomatic Posts: 1,794 Member
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    (This headline has trouble written all over it)

    Absolutely. Comfort foods feel good. Burgers, Chilli dogs, pizza, Cheese steaks.... I'm gonna stop myself now before I start drooling at my desk.

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