What does 'normal eating' mean to you?

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  • asyrinsgirl
    asyrinsgirl Posts: 55 Member
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    Not here to start a debate (cue starting a debate), but I'm curious to see what everyone thinks. I'm not about to argue with anybody (unless they say something incredibly stupid).

    What do you think of as normal eating? The way you're eating now? Counting every last calorie and eating only whole grains, lean meats, low fat dairy, veggies, fruit, and the occasional treat? Proper food pyramid right there!! How about eating based on hunger? Or cravings? Nutrition? A combination of all three?

    Because I don't want to spend the rest of my life counting calories. My goal is to get to a point after I've reached my weight goal where I can eat intuitively, eat healthy because I like the taste of good-for-me food, satisfy a craving without guilt, etc.

    *Warning: some of these scenarios aren't to be enacted every day of course, but they're not to be planned either. They're not to be dangled above my head, taunting me because I've already had my treat for the week and I don't deserve another until next week or the next.)

    1.) I want to be able to go to a bakery, look in the display case, and pick something that looks delicious. I want to eat it without a single feeling of guilt or anxiety about calories and weight gain. And if I don't like it, I want to be able to throw it away without feeling like I NEED to eat the rest. I want to feel like one cupcake is enough to satisfy my sweet tooth, but hell, if it's not, there's no harm in having two.

    2.) I want to be able to go to the movie theater, order a small popcorn, and nibble mindlessly during the previews. I want to share a box of candy with a friend without counting how many pieces I've had or how many servings.

    3.) I want to stuff myself silly on Thanksgiving and laugh about how much I ate and how thankful I am. I don't want any guilt or any urges to restrict afterwards or before.

    4.) I want to sit down for dinner every night with my balanced meal and eat until I'm satisfied. I don't want to base my dinners solely on calorie content. I don't want to care that the tacos are less calories if I'm really dying to have pasta or that this soup is 20 less calories per serving than another. I want to eat food, not calories if that makes any sense.

    5.) I want to pick up a banana and not try to gauge if it's a 105 calorie banana or a 120 calorie banana. It's just a damn banana, and that's it.

    6.) I want to be able to have a healthy snack whenever I'm hungry, despite time or past meals. I don't want to spend the rest of my life waiting until 1:00pm when I'm "allowed" to eat lunch even though I'm starving at 12:30.

    7.) I want to be able to try a bite of somebody else's food instead of just asking if it tastes good.

    8.) I want to 'pig out' on junk food with friends on game night or watch a chick flick with my best friend, surrounded in tissues and chocolate wrappers.

    9.) I want to order a diet coke and not have everyone at the table taste it and make sure it's diet coke because I'm beyond paranoid that I got regular by mistake.

    10.) I want to eat cake at a birthday party (especially my own!!).

    11.) I want to eat a spoonful of peanut butter, close the lid, and walk away without imagining myself bingeing on the entire jar.

    12. ) I don't want to label foods as good and bad.

    13.) I want to say goodbye to MFP! Not because I don't love it, but because I don't need it anymore. :P

    I want to be normal. Is it too much to ask? Maybe. But I can strive for it. I can think of hundreds of other scenarios that I want to be able to face without fear and anxiety and guilt. I think it's kind of funny that most of the scenarios I post have to do with junk food; probably because it's been drilled into my head that it's the devil.

    ^^ All of This. My goal is to be more active in my regular life, continuing with healthful eating and working out, but not feeling like I have to be vigilant about everything. I'll have an outfit that, when it gets too tight, I know I need to step things up a little.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    What do you think of as normal eating? The way you're eating now? Counting every last calorie and eating only whole grains, lean meats, low fat dairy, veggies, fruit, and the occasional treat? How about eating based on hunger? Or cravings? Nutrition? A combination of all three?

    This ^^ description is pretty much how I eat, now and for the few decades. So, yeah, this is normal eating to me.

    I eat when hungry and most of the time stop when I'm full. If it's a holiday or occasion like a family reunion where I want to try a little of everything or Thanksgiving, I usually eat way past the full mark. I don't stress about these occasions.

    I stick to vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, and fruit for the bulk of my diet. I eat more fish than poultry and more poultry than mammals. I try to eat a variety of vegetables of various colors to ensure proper micronutrient consumption.

    I eat plenty of vegetable fats and limit animal fats, especially fat from dairy and red meat, and avoid trans fat when reasonably possible.

    I drink wine or beer most days and I occasionally have treats or days where I eat something not normal for me, and I don't stress about it.
  • RoadsterGirlie
    RoadsterGirlie Posts: 1,195 Member
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    I plan on tracking my calories for the rest of my life. It's really not that hard, and doesn't eat up too much of my time.
  • nklunk
    nklunk Posts: 149 Member
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    It will get easier.....at first I measured out everything now since I have been doing it for a long time I know what a serving size looks like. I also think the more you think out food the more you want to eat. If I plan what I'm eating for the whole day I never once have any cravings or let me mind think about food. You have to let yourself cheat alittle bit so dont beat yourself up about that. Good luck!

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