Not eating for pleasure

I eat to fuel myself, but I'll be damned if I'm going to eat something I hate to do that. I enjoy all the food I eat, but I don't eat just whatever I want.

I still really enjoy good food. I try to stick with the 80/20 rule. 80% of the time - eat for nourishment; 20% of the time - eat for pleasure.

feisty_bucket wrote: »

Is food really that interesting? I think foodies are ridiculous. The reason anybody is overweight is because they get so excited about stimulating their taste buds. You see it all over the Thanksgiving threads here: "I ate 8000 calories today, YOLO!!" On a weight-loss forum. WTF.

Indeed food is that interesting to some people. Clearly you don't feel that way or you wouldn't have to ask that question. But to some people it just isn't all that great, and that's just how they are. Foodies might be ridiculous to you, but sports enthusiasts are ridiculous to me. But because I don't care about sports doesn't make any difference in how much other people love them. I just have to accept they feel that way.

In regards to the forum excitement on eating ridiculous amounts on Thanksgiving: This isn't just a weight-loss forum, but a fitness site. I will always love eating, and most of my friends list will too. This site is a great way to still eat foods you love, be ridiculous sometimes, but stay focused on health as a long-term goal.

feisty_bucket wrote: »

Is food really that interesting? I think foodies are ridiculous. The reason anybody is overweight is because they get so excited about stimulating their taste buds. You see it all over the Thanksgiving threads here: "I ate 8000 calories today, YOLO!!" On a weight-loss forum. WTF.

If food was not interesting or enjoyable, why don't you just take a slab of meat, microwave it and eat it without any additions? Would you be equally happy if you had all your nutrients in pill form or through a tube? The answer is simple: because food IS supposed to be enjoyable. That's how our bodies are built. If food was not innately enjoyable, the art of cooking would not have evolved.

Now there may be some kind of misunderstanding. Some people prefer to eat only when hungry, but that is actually the exact opposite of "eating only to fuel", since the first few bites of food after hunger sits in are the most enjoyable.

There is also the distinction between the feeling of pleasure derived from food and artificially attaching certain feelings to food, like feeling good about yourself when you eat salad, or consider sugar to be the devil that will cause you to instantly gain 15 pounds. Now that I'm against. Once you attach terms like good, bad, guilty, fattening, superfood, comforting.. etc to food, it stops being the simple pleasure it is and moves into the territory of obsession, stress, self-worth measure, and emotional eating.

In my case, eating for joy has helped my weight loss tremendously. In the past I used to eat food just because it's there, even if I didn't care much for it. When someone offered me a doughnut, for example, I used to eat it all without thinking twice, just for the sake of the act of eating. Now when that happens, I simply say "no, thank you". Not because doughnuts are some kind of deadly diet sin, but because I don't like them enough to warrant spending calories on them. Now everything that goes into my mouth, including higher calorie "evil" foods, has to be something I really like and derive pleasure from, since my calorie budget has a limit. And the moment something stops being enjoyable and turns into a mere act of stuffing yet another piece of chips in my mouth, my meal ends there.

feisty_bucket wrote: »

Is food really that interesting? I think foodies are ridiculous. The reason anybody is overweight is because they get so excited about stimulating their taste buds. You see it all over the Thanksgiving threads here: "I ate 8000 calories today, YOLO!!" On a weight-loss forum. WTF.

No, the reason people are overweight is because they eat too much. People seem to enjoy junk like dominoes, McDonald's, crappy American chocolate etc. I'd hardly call that stimulating your taste buds.

There's no reason you can't enjoy tasty food. When food is really good you don't have to have huge portions of it.

There are plenty of chefs who aren't overweight. There's a show here called The Great British Bake-Off. The woman, Mary Berry, on that is slim and she can still make yummy food.

I'd much rather make myself a stir fry with ginger, chilli etc that shove some tasteless crap in the microwave.

Personally I eat when I'm hungry, but I make sure it's foods I enjoy.

[quote
In my case, eating for joy has helped my weight loss tremendously. In the past I used to eat food just because it's there, even if I didn't care much for it. When someone offered me a doughnut, for example, I used to eat it all without thinking twice, just for the sake of the act of eating. Now when that happens, I simply say "no, thank you". Not because doughnuts are some kind of deadly diet sin, but because I don't like them enough to warrant spending calories on them. Now everything that goes into my mouth, including higher calorie "evil" foods, has to be something I really like and derive pleasure from, since my calorie budget has a limit. And the moment something stops being enjoyable and turns into a mere act of stuffing yet another piece of chips in my mouth, my meal ends there.[/quote]

HALLELUJAH, SISTER, my sentiments exactly! You have nailed it.

I have a similar system: I ask myself if the food I'm about to eat is more important to me than another pair of size 6 super-skinny jeans (my new size). It's all a matter of choices. Don't get me wrong-- I love to eat! However, the way I use food has changed. I look forward to my meals not so I can stuff myself to the gills, but because I know that I'm being responsible to myself and doing something to help my body. The healthier foods taste better and make me feel great. Surprisingly, what some people call "bad foods" don't seem all that tempting to me anymore. They're just "there". Makes me wonder whether I actually even liked the junk I used to eat, or if it was just mindless consumption...

feisty_bucket wrote: »

Is food really that interesting? I think foodies are ridiculous. The reason anybody is overweight is because they get so excited about stimulating their taste buds. You see it all over the Thanksgiving threads here: "I ate 8000 calories today, YOLO!!" On a weight-loss forum. WTF.

To make your argument valid, I shall peer-review this, and make some annotations.

"Is food really that interesting? Yes. I think foodies are ridiculously on point with this. One of the reasons anybody is overweight is because he/she goes over their daily calorie intake often. Enjoying foods in moderation is the way to go. You can enjoy food, live to eat, and still achieve your goals. You see it all over the Thanksgiving threads here: "I ate 8000 calories today, YOLO!!" On a public forum that not only discusses weight loss issues, but also weight gain, weight maintenance, offers support, and so on. FTW!"

All done!

47Jacqueline wrote: »

feisty_bucket wrote: »

Is food really that interesting? I think foodies are ridiculous. The reason anybody is overweight is because they get so excited about stimulating their taste buds. You see it all over the Thanksgiving threads here: "I ate 8000 calories today, YOLO!!" On a weight-loss forum. WTF.

This.

^^Really? Seriously, I do not understand the "eat to live" thing. How can you become overweight if you just eat to live? I am not trying to be a smart a**, I just don't get this.

I love food! I love to cook and bake and I am good at both, and I have been doing both for most of my life. I have lost a lot of weight on MFP (160# +) and have been maintain for 1 year now, but, I will always love to eat and, I will always struggle, to stay a normal weight.