Do you guys view food like this...

starvinkevin
starvinkevin Posts: 331
in Health and Weight Loss
If I eat that I'll gain weight - is that a healthy way to view food IYO or is it unhealthy.

Replies

  • Skeebee
    Skeebee Posts: 740 Member
    If I eat that I'll gain weight - is that a healthy way to view food IYO or is it unhealthy.

    Simply put, yes...it's unhealthy.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,420 Member
    Well, if you eat too much of anything you'll gain weight. But that could be too much chicken breast and vegetables, or too much pizza and ice cream.

    So, don't demonize any food. It's how much of it you eat. Stay under your calorie use for the day, and you'll lose. Eat over it and you'll gain.
  • starvinkevin
    starvinkevin Posts: 331
    True - but there are foods that will easily sabotage your diet - like one cheeseburger is like 450 calories.... vs eating 450 calories of something healthy.
  • stephaniemejia1671
    stephaniemejia1671 Posts: 482 Member
    Hee, I've done that from time to time. I also tell myself that cutting out completely is just as bad, because the cravings kick in for whatever food you enjoyed pigging out on(no offense to any pig). Be mindful of how much of it you eat, and how often, I still eat cheeseburgers which are my thing and french fries too. I know that I have to earn it by going to the gym the whole week though to earn the calories to eat said foods. Food isn't the devil, it's the devil that makes one think that food is evil.
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
    The cheeseburger itself isn't the issue, it's how much after that cheeseburger you'll be eating. Junk foods tend to be high calorie, eating up more of your calorie allowance faster. I can stretch a 400 calorie turkey sandwich a lot further in how it'll fill me up versus a 400 calorie doughnut.

    Not to say I can't have the doughnut, but only if I have the cals left over and I don't need them for ready fuel throughout the day.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    I view food as fuel, I don't care if it's from a cheeseburger (which I love and ate today) or from chicken. Both serve their purposes and as long as it's in your calorie goal, it doesn't matter. YOu do not need to eat 100% clean.
  • gennafer731
    gennafer731 Posts: 27 Member
    When I look at foods I think how many calories is that and how much of it can I eat and still be on target. Sometimes when I see something that looks good and think how many calories it has it stops looking good. It really works on my husband. He will want a certain fast food sandwich and I will tell him to look up the calories for me, 5 mins later he doesn't want to eat there anymore, LOL!
  • etoiles_argentees
    etoiles_argentees Posts: 2,827 Member
    I view food as fuel, I don't care if it's from a cheeseburger (which I love and ate today) or from chicken. Both serve their purposes and as long as it's in your calorie goal, it doesn't matter. YOu do not need to eat 100% clean.

    Precisely. Food is food, nourishing body and soul. I will never think of it as something bad for me. Enjoy.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    If I eat that I'll gain weight - is that a healthy way to view food IYO or is it unhealthy.

    Simply put, yes...it's unhealthy.

    It just demonstrates a downright ignorance of how weight gain works. Look at the people who eat ice cream every day and lose weight....
  • CoraGregoryCPA
    CoraGregoryCPA Posts: 1,087 Member
    unhealthy because it's slightly untrue.
  • mareeee1234
    mareeee1234 Posts: 674 Member
    Not anymore, I'm VERY proud to say :tongue:

    Food is fuel - everything in moderation, and within your goal.
  • thatjulesgirl
    thatjulesgirl Posts: 200 Member
    Um... no.

    My usual view is "If I eat that...... what is it doing for or to my body. Helping? Yes. Eat. Not helping? No. Want. Have just a little."

    I try to care more about the nutritional value of the food than the caloric content. If it's not nutritionally valuable, I'm less inclined to spend a bunch of calories on it. :)
  • starvinkevin
    starvinkevin Posts: 331
    The issue I have is that if I don't view food as the enemy, I can't lose weight - whenever I view it as fuel, I go overboard and think I need it to have energy when the opposite is often true.
  • sunsnstatheart
    sunsnstatheart Posts: 2,544 Member
    True - but there are foods that will easily sabotage your diet - like one cheeseburger is like 450 calories.... vs eating 450 calories of something healthy.

    What exactly is unhealthy about a cheeseburger?
  • iAMsmiling
    iAMsmiling Posts: 2,394 Member
    True - but there are foods that will easily sabotage your diet - like one cheeseburger is like 450 calories.... vs eating 450 calories of something healthy.

    What exactly is unhealthy about a cheeseburger?

    The large side of fries I can't pass on. Other than that, not a thing.
  • starvinkevin
    starvinkevin Posts: 331
    High calories, high carbs, relatively unfilling,
    True - but there are foods that will easily sabotage your diet - like one cheeseburger is like 450 calories.... vs eating 450 calories of something healthy.

    What exactly is unhealthy about a cheeseburger?
  • 970Mikaela1
    970Mikaela1 Posts: 2,013 Member
    depends on if this is in front of me and it is all MINE

    th?id=H.4556501645787662&pid=1.7&w=177&h=118&c=7&rs=1
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    True - but there are foods that will easily sabotage your diet - like one cheeseburger is like 450 calories.... vs eating 450 calories of something healthy.

    If it fits into my day then how is sabotaging my diet?

    <
    Eats cheeseburgers, burritos, pizza, ice cream, etc. and had no problem losing weight and keeping it off.
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,820 Member
    That is the sort of thing that people say when they know they are eating "bad" food. It is unhealthy to continue to junk out and try to get fit and healthy.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    True - but there are foods that will easily sabotage your diet - like one cheeseburger is like 450 calories.... vs eating 450 calories of something healthy.

    cheeseburgers are good clean food.
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,069 Member
    True - but there are foods that will easily sabotage your diet - like one cheeseburger is like 450 calories.... vs eating 450 calories of something healthy.

    I used 840 cals today on a quarter pounder meal. Yes I could have eaten 840 of 'healthy calories' but I have been doing that all week. I had the cals - don't see the problem.

    "Everything in moderation, including moderation"
  • coffee_rocks
    coffee_rocks Posts: 275 Member
    Nope, more like:

    If I eat that, I won't be hungry any more.
  • tmt2003
    tmt2003 Posts: 176 Member
    Not anymore, I'm VERY proud to say :tongue:

    Food is fuel - everything in moderation, and within your goal.

    Me too. HUGE achievement for someone like me. Getting rid of emotion associated with food. I do not think of food as "good or bad" . Healthy or not healthy? yes. Too many calories? Yes. Triggers to overheating? Yes. Delicious? Of course :)
  • 970Mikaela1
    970Mikaela1 Posts: 2,013 Member
    True - but there are foods that will easily sabotage your diet - like one cheeseburger is like 450 calories.... vs eating 450 calories of something healthy.

    cheeseburgers are good clean food.

    th?id=H.4653142707208448&pid=1.7&w=213&h=154&c=7&rs=1
  • RobinvdM
    RobinvdM Posts: 634 Member
    Good thing I am not on a diet, nothing to sabotage :laugh:

    When I look at food I see alternatives. Yep. I could spend 140cals on a favorite greek yogurt, or an extra 50 and have that klondike bar. If it fits into my calories it isn't going to make me fat. What makes me fat is having that 2nd double quarter pounder after having breakfast at Dunkin Donuts (sucker for the bagel, with sausage egg and cheese) and then not working out to "earn back" all those gnarly calories I just inhaled.

    I think its sad if you look at "junk" food and all you see is "IT WILL MAKE ME FAT" cause it won't unless you gorb it all down like a half starved pig.
  • NewCaddy
    NewCaddy Posts: 845 Member
    If you love it and its a "bad" food...eat it in moderation. If I tried to cut out all the foods that are "bad" for me, then I would get frustrated and quit. I just work it into my day.
  • HMVOL7409
    HMVOL7409 Posts: 1,588 Member
    At one time, sure. Now, food is fuel. I also believe in moderation and go by the 80/20 mindset.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    I look at it like this will this act like a trigger food for me and put me into a binge cycle.
  • Skeebee
    Skeebee Posts: 740 Member
    If I eat that I'll gain weight - is that a healthy way to view food IYO or is it unhealthy.

    Simply put, yes...it's unhealthy.

    It just demonstrates a downright ignorance of how weight gain works. Look at the people who eat ice cream every day and lose weight....

    I meant it's unhealthy to view food that way...NOT that eating things are unhealthy..in case that was misunderstood. Btw, I eat ice cream and am still losing. ;-)

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