do you see dieting as a penance?

neandermagnon · March 2013

There seem to be some people who attach an almost moral value to eating and dieting, as though they see being fat and overeating as morally wrong, and they seem to view dieting as a penance for this "sin", and a form of self-punishment.

There are also some who have very puritanical attitudes towards food, like that it's bad to enjoy eating. Puritanism, when applied to sex, says that sex is for procreation only, and should not be enjoyed just for fun. Some people have this view with regards to food, i.e. it's wrong to eat food purely for enjoyment, that it should be for nutrition only.

Do you subscribe to any of these views? Is enjoying eating morally wrong (even if you stay within your calorie goals)? Is overeating morally wrong, or just unhealthy? Is being fat a moral failing? (BTW I, personally, do not believe there is anything morally wrong with being fat, but it's an attitude I've come across, hence why I'm hoping to hear other opinions on this). Should dieting be considered as penance or self punishment? Is the reason why some people choose unnecessarily strict and restrictive diets when they don't have to? Are they trying to punish themselves for the "sin" of overeating and getting fat? Or are their motives totally different? (I'm talking about subconscious motives here) Does excessive guilt cause people to fail at dieting, e.g. because it pushes them into a cycle of self punishment and self denial, followed by bingeing, followed by more self punishment and self denial, or does feeling guilty have no affect on someone's ability to succeed at dieting? Do you think that guilt may actually help someone to stay on track? What do you think about all this?

TimeForMe99 · March 2013

Absolutely not!!!!! Humans enjoy eating for the same reason we enjoy sex - it's necessary for our survival. Anyone who considers dieting to be a punishment will not be successful in the long term. That's why I'm not "on a diet". I have to eat this way for my health and well being.

Strict diets are usually chosen for the quick results they promise, or because it's fashionable. Some folks change eating plans as often as they change their wardrobe. Every new book or pill that comes out proclaims to be the easiest, fastest way to lose weight. Of course, once you stop the "diet" and go back to your old ways the weight comes right back.

hannah_ryann · March 2013

I used to feel this way, when I was eating 1200 calories a day. I would feel miserable all day long and think "you got this way by being 'bad,' now you have to pay for it."

However, through this journey, with the help of MFP and learning about my body and its needs, I definitely don't feel like this new lifestyle is a penance now. I approach every day with the mindset of "what delicious, healthy, filling foods do I get to CHOOSE to eat today?" I love the choices I make and even if I eat something that's considered "bad" (chocolate, fast food, rice-a-roni), I never feel guilty because I made the choice to eat it and it still fits into my balanced, healthy lifestyle.

This lifestyle isn't hard for me; I get excited when I find new recipes to try and discover new foods at the grocery to incorporate into my life (HUMMUS!!)

Also, by the same token, exercise is not a punishment to me. I was 7 weeks into my new lifestyle before I even considered adding exercise in, because I knew that if I started it with the wrong attitude, I wouldn't keep it in my life. I started out walking a couple of days a week, last week I started doing burpees and step ups in my house, and yesterday I ran/walked (mostly ran) 2 miles. It's a very gradual thing and if I'm not feeling it, I just don't do it. I've done the exercise so far because now, 22 pounds down, I CAN and I feel amazing afterwards.

I can very easily visualize this lifestyle for the rest of my life. I cannot, however, visualize "dieting" forever.

I'm not dieting; I'm living the healthy lifestyle I've always been meant to live.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics · March 2013

I've seen the mentality you're talking about here, although I don't subscribe to it.

Two examples come to mind. When going to bed hungry is discussed I've seen people say that they like to go to bed hungry because it reminds them why they're here and they even enjoy the sensation of hunger pangs. That sounds a lot like penance to me. Also when fasting comes up, or very low calorie diets, it is sometimes said that those who don't believe in going hungry are just too weak to be able to do it. That implies that going hungry is a virtue of some kind.

Personally I enjoy food. I've never gone hungry in the time I've been here. I believe giving my body enough food is part of treating myself with respect. I also try to nourish myself with as many healthy foods as possible, but treats are good for mental health and I'm not shy about including those.

LorinaLynn · March 2013

I think the mental shift I had this time around is one of the most important keys to my success. I didn't look at exercise and eating right as punishment, but as a reward... as a way of treating my body the way I always should. Like the meme I saw on FB that went something like, "I don't exercise because I hate my body, I do it because I love my body."

And the same goes for eating. I'm still eating delicious foods. I'm just making more of an effort to make delicious foods that are also healthy.

neandermagnon · March 2013

The above posts are pretty much what I'm getting at, and really great points made by all. And what seems quite tragic to me is that it really doesn't have to be self-punishment or an ordeal.

I enjoy my food very much, and also enjoy my workouts very much. I enjoy the challenge to just get stronger and stronger, and I enjoy feeding my body properly so it can actually grow stronger. I enjoy the taste of my foods. I don't deprive myself of anything, I just practice portion control and fit it into my macros. I feel great, have lots of energy and fuel my workouts properly, for maximum strength gains. I love my new lifestyle. Even when I was obese and going to a healthy body fat percentage, I preferred my new healthy lifestyle to the old one. Now I like it even more, as I'm focusing more on strength gains and slowly improving my body fat percentage (going from 22% to 18-20% is my current goal).

I love that quote, "I don't exercise because I hate my body, I do it because I love my body" - so true!!

I think someone's attitude towards food can make a big difference to how successful they are, in particular avoiding mindsets that lead to extreme behaviours like cycling between bingeing and extreme self-deprivation. I think that viewing dieting as self-punishment for the "sin" of being fat/overeating, is not a very helpful attitude, and I do wonder sometimes if it is underlying the choices of some who go for more extreme diets, although it can't possibly be the only reason, I'm sure there's loads of different reasons in different people. But when people see eating very few calories as more virtuous than eating more, even though eating more would still result in fat loss and most likely better health and better body composition too, you have to ask where that idea comes from.

Delicate · March 2013

Used to see food as treat or bad/good, but now i dont

food is fuel, it helps if you like it but with that thinking, over a while foods i used to love, i cant stand anymore seems over processed.

I simply love exercising and improving my body through fitness gains, lifting gains, looking better etc.

You only get one body.

majope · March 2013

Oh, yeah--I remember the days when dieting was about deprivation, suffering, and the clenched-jaw willpower to get through another day. 800, 1000, 1200 calorie days. Drinking shakes for breakfast and lunch, with a "sensible" meal for dinner. Disgusting "diet" foods. Fad diets.

I think that's why I stayed obese for so long--every diet I ever tried was an ordeal, and ultimately failed. I would lose weight, but it always came back later and I was less and less inclined to put myself through it again. It wasn't until two years ago when I discovered that all I had to do was track my calories, eat exercise calories back, and maintain a reasonable deficit that it really clicked. I lost 35 pounds, and stayed within 5 pounds of that for 2 years. Now back to lose some more, and fully enjoying the fact that I can do so without depriving myself of things I like.

Losing weight isn't an ordeal anymore. It's...sort of fun.

WendyTerry420 · March 2013

The only thing I regret is my ignorance. But rather than "penance," I chose to educate myself.

LoraF83 · March 2013

I used to think that I had to starve to be successful. That my stomach growling meant that I was doing it "right" - that I would eventually be skinny and everything that it was glorified to be. When I was fat, I was ashamed of myself and my eating habits. I pretended not to think about it, but when it came to mind, the guilt was overbearing.

This time, I've realized that food can be enjoyed. That weight loss is only one key to building the person I want to be. That fitness makes me feel good, so I'm going to invest in that - which means eating healthy as much as I can. But, I'll never feel guilty over a bowl of cereal or a cupcake. Life is too short.

neandermagnon · March 2013

Oh, yeah--I remember the days when dieting was about deprivation, suffering, and the clenched-jaw willpower to get through another day. 800, 1000, 1200 calorie days. Drinking shakes for breakfast and lunch, with a "sensible" meal for dinner. Disgusting "diet" foods. Fad diets.

I think that's why I stayed obese for so long--every diet I ever tried was an ordeal, and ultimately failed. I would lose weight, but it always came back later and I was less and less inclined to put myself through it again. It wasn't until two years ago when I discovered that all I had to do was track my calories, eat exercise calories back, and maintain a reasonable deficit that it really clicked. I lost 35 pounds, and stayed within 5 pounds of that for 2 years. Now back to lose some more, and fully enjoying the fact that I can do so without depriving myself of things I like.

Losing weight isn't an ordeal anymore. It's...sort of fun.

^^^ this is exactly what I mean. Thank you for sharing. I really hope it clicks for a few more people!

ETA ^^^ and for LoraF - same thing

and thanks everyone for the replies

fiberartist219 · March 2013

There is a sort of gluttony that occurs when I over eat and don't move for weeks at a time. Yeah, I'd probably feel some guilt over that.

I don't think overeating by a cookie here or there or relaxing on the couch is bad in anyway. It's the habits that form that are either bad or good...

I wouldn't exercise or restrict my food as a punishment though. I see it as a rehabilitation of sorts.

One day of anything isn't going to make or break you, but it's what you do for week after week that builds up and either makes you strong or makes you weak.

do you see dieting as a penance?

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