Do you eat it just because it's free??

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  • Lili0817
    Lili0817 Posts: 109 Member
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    No, totally not worth your health! I don't think your friend is working out, otherwise she would think twice about what she puts in her mouth. It's soo not worth it to me anymore. 1 slurpee is like 15 minutes on the treadmill or something close to that..... Or like 100 burbees lol
    Nevertheless, she does sound like a fun friend :))
  • AnaCoffee
    AnaCoffee Posts: 95 Member
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    I don't give up free taste tests at Whole Foods, but do only try it if it's vegetarian, not too high in sodium, and something that I may actually consider purchasing. The closest WF is 45 minutes away and my bestie and I make a day of it once every few months. It's all part of the fun.

    As for free Slurpee day, I had hub bring me one on his way home from work, but it was mostly melted by the time he arrived. It's currently sitting in my freezer and I doubt I'll actually consume it. I had a few sips yesterday and that was it.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    Most people who talk a lot about wanting to be healthy really have no concept of what that means. Your friend is one of those...she has no concept nor is she even remotely committed to even trying to live a healthier lifestyle. Sure...a slurpee now and then, whatevs....some free fried chicken here and there, no biggie. But it sounds like those things are front and center in her lifestyle.

    Going for free Chick-fil-a and Slurpees does not = those things being front and center in life. Nor does it = not committed to being healthy.

    Healthy does not mean that you can not enjoy these thing once in a while.

    this. so long as it fits your macros and/or eating foods that make you go over your calories doesn't happen so often or to the extent that it stops you achieving or maintaining a healthy body composition.

    regarding free stuff... if it's free stuff that I'd actually want if it wasn't free, I'll go for it. If it's free stuff that I wouldn't normally eat, I'd ignore it. The supermarkets round here often have people giving out free samples of stuff that's on sale, I quite often have some of that, however I'm eating for strength/muscle gains right now so I can "afford" it (in terms of calories, of course we can all afford free food financially speaking lol), if I was cutting I'd be more careful about that kind of thing though, and only take the free stuff that I really *really* wanted, and keep it within my macros.

    As to the examples in the OP... I'd leave the slurpees, but I probably would dress up as a cow to get a free meal at a chicken restaurant. Sounds like a laugh :drinker:
  • Jlopez201
    Jlopez201 Posts: 61
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    Nope. Never.. In fact I am constantly getting free food at work.. (or they will give me extra in the cafeteria) which I would either trash or give it away to someone who needs it more.

    The Chic-fil-a thing is a bit much btw o_O
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    No, totally not worth your health! I don't think your friend is working out, otherwise she would think twice about what she puts in her mouth. It's soo not worth it to me anymore. 1 slurpee is like 15 minutes on the treadmill or something close to that..... Or like 100 burbees lol
    Nevertheless, she does sound like a fun friend :))

    You are just making assumptions. I work out and I eat free stuff. But what really struck me about your post is your exercise examples. What are you doing on a treadmill that burns as many calories in 15 min as 100 burpees?
  • blueimp
    blueimp Posts: 230 Member
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    I work at a place where there is constantly free food -- not just snacks (although there is a lot of that) but free appetisers, free meals -- I now just ignore the emails. Seldom are they having food that I want to eat without editing it.
  • cleotherio
    cleotherio Posts: 712 Member
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    I never miss free cone day at Ben & Jerry's. And on national doughnut day earlier this year (happened to be on my birthday!) I went to two different Dunkin Donut's and got free donuts.
  • crystalflame
    crystalflame Posts: 1,049 Member
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    Yeah, kinda. In our office, there are breakfast tacos on Wednesdays, bagels and ice cream on Thursdays, and occasionally more bagels on Fridays. I know these things will be there, so I usually find a way to work it in. Free breakfast, and ice cream is amazing. Occasionally there will be sandwiches from lunch meetings, so I'll take a reasonable portion and save the lunch I brought for tomorrow. It's easier on my wallet, and as long as I plan for it, there's no issue.

    I also try every sample Central Market has to offer because yum.
  • hels4397
    hels4397 Posts: 100 Member
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    Free is my favorite price! I love bagel Friday at work!
    If I can keep it within my calorie goal then I eat it. If I can't well...... sometimes I still eat it and sometimes I don't :laugh: .

    I'm with you jadermary! :) Been a student way too many times, and for too long. So I'll take free stuff whenever it's available and appealing. Slupees, not so much.
  • claritarejoice
    claritarejoice Posts: 461 Member
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    This thread is a good reminder to me to stop eating the free food at work so often. The truth is that often I can't tell accurately whether it fits in my calories or macros or not. I think I'm taking a small piece of cake and I estimate and log it, but my estimate might be way under. That's how I gained weight before. I am all for moderation and I don't think I need to cut out treats completely, but I do need to do it a lot less often.

    Another problem I have is with leftovers at dinner. I need to only eat one portion and be willing to throw extra food away if needed. In the past I didn't want to "waste" food. But throwing it in my stomach is worse than throwing it away because I don't need it and it hurts my health.
  • jogglesngoggles
    jogglesngoggles Posts: 362 Member
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    I believe "Eyes on our own plates" would apply. Why do we feel moral superiority when someone makes different food choices than we do? Food is amoral. Eating certain foods or not eating certain foods does not make you a better person. It doesn't even necessarily make you a healthier person either. Maybe for this person going and getting 5 slurpees and dressing up like a cow is fun for her. Good for her for enjoying herself.

    I actually do agree with you on the eyes on our own plate! However, when you have to hear people complain about their health/wanting to be healthy and then you see them eating in mass qty's for the sole purpose of it being free, it does bring concern to mind! If you could see my journal you would see I do not eat perfect all the time...BUT I also don't complain about wanting to be healthy while I'm not eating perfect!! I personally won't pay for that crap, so I'm certainly not going to eat it just because it's free, but that's just me!
  • MercedesV
    MercedesV Posts: 70 Member
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    Free Food??? Darn it. My Cow suit is at the cleaners.

    Just kidding! :)

    I'm glad I didn't know about the free slurpies. I might have gotten one.

    Yes, I'm a sucker for free food. When I worked at an office, I loved free food and hated it after I ate it.
  • aliciarose511
    aliciarose511 Posts: 37 Member
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    This was a HUGE challenge for me when I was a new college grad and moved out on my own. My work place would buy lunch for the team A LOT, and since people new I was a new grad, just moved out, was the admin (and was paid less), a lot of times people would box up the leftovers for me and another fellow grad, which was very sweet, but a lot of times the food was very heavy/fatning.

    Plus there was cake. Lots of cake from a fancy Cuban bakery.

    This was one of the hardest challenges I have overcome, but I FINALLY can move past it. Granted, I am no longer a new grad and can afford my healthy snacks now.

    The other problem is turning down home made food when colleagues bring it in. My trick? I never say "I can't eat that because I am eating healthy" because there are all sorts of issues revolving that. I always try it. Thank the colleague for bringing it in and sharing, and leave it at that. Or sometimes I take my portion (when they hand it to me without asking if I want any) and throw it away and thank them and tell them how good it was. Awful, I know, but it helps me.
  • stonel94
    stonel94 Posts: 550 Member
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    I think if it was just 1 slurpee you can treat it like a special occasion ya know like well it's the only day to get it free and I like them so I'll have one, having 1 isn't going to ruin your health, if she like LOVES slurpees then maybe get 5 and freeze the other 4 and have like a free slurpee day for 5 days in a row, because again while it's not "healthy" 1 small sized slurpee a day isn't going to kill you if it's not every single day, even if it was.
    Same goes for chik-fil-a, it's free, why not, but go get 1 sandwich or something and have it as your meal don't just eat there all day cause it's free. That's what I said.
  • _crafty_
    _crafty_ Posts: 1,682 Member
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    My boyfriend doesn't charge me for sausage so hell yeah I'm gonna get as much as I can.
  • HypersonicFitNess
    HypersonicFitNess Posts: 1,219 Member
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    I don't care if it's free...if I don't eat it normally, I'm not eating it because it's free
  • K_Serz
    K_Serz Posts: 1,299 Member
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    I apologize ahead of time for this rant, but I just can't understand!!! I have a friend who is constantly talking about trying to be healthy, yet yesterday was 7/11 so she got free slurpees....5 yes 5 free slurpees to be exact!! Then today is dress like a cow day at Chick Fil E, so sure enough, she is putting spots all over her body, so she can visit every chick fil e in the valley and eat free all day!

    Free is always nice, but is it really worth your health??

    edited to say: I realize I should just worry about myself and I have the choice NOT to partake. sorry for the rant!! Have a healthy day everyone!!

    Not for nothing but ...

    Usually the people who flock to the free samples at grocery stores look like they could use an MFP account. Just sayin
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    OMG OP you're friend sounds like so much fun! I remember one time me and hubby went to all the jack in the boxes for free taco day and ate so much tacos. then we did free kfc day by oprah but she or kfc renegged so pollo loco honored those coupons so it was a blast and a half.

    I remember free cone day at baskin robbins was fun. and free donuts for a radio station with sticker pimps was fun too. If there was a free something I like day right now. I'd go do it, count my cals and even out the week shaving off cals here and there.
  • helenw32
    helenw32 Posts: 11 Member
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    I look at it like this, myfitnesspal has a phone app, so put the food in the app and if you genuinely think you can burn those calories before the end of the day, then have the treat, if not, DON'T EAT IT!!! X
  • chancock6
    chancock6 Posts: 87
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    Maybe if I were ravenous, but 5 slurpees is a lot of sugary crap to put in your body. Portion control is key. I just ignore it. There's no chance I'd go out of my way to dress like a cow for free chicken all day. Your friend isn't going to be losing anything and might end up with diabetes or something at this rate. :ohwell:

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