Grocery store nightmare
melifairy
Posts: 19 Member
Is the grocery store a nightmare for you too? Its not surprising at all that so many people are overweight. Every corner you look around is designed to lure you into buying something unhealthy! All of the junk food is cheap and easy to cook. You actually have to search out the healthy options. The more I discover about what's in the food we eat is just crazy. I feel like I have to force myself into tunnel vision just to get through the store. Don't look around too much or you might see something calling to you. O.O Anyone else have this problem or realization?
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Nope. But then again I eat all of these "bad" foods and I've lost 27 lbs, because food doesn't make people fat. Eating too much of ANY food makes people fat.
And "healthy" is subjective and changes throughout history, as well as general physical health being based on diet context and not the individual foods you eat.-2 -
I'm glad you can eat all these bad foods and still lose weight. I hope to be able to do that someday too.
I guess my main point was, all the advertisements and the way they position things in the store is to get you to buy the unhealthy stuff. Why don't they make it harder to find the "bad" stuff and easier to find the good stuff? 0 -
Nope. But then again I eat all of these "bad" foods and I've lost 27 lbs, because food doesn't make people fat. Eating too much of ANY food makes people fat.
And "healthy" is subjective and changes throughout history, as well as general physical health being based on diet context and not the individual foods you eat.
It doesn't matter how much vegetables and fruit you eat..it won't make you fat at all. Eating processed chemical junk, excess oil and dairy can however make you fat!-3 -
Hm. I have a pretty good idea of what is "healthy" (in the stereotypical sense) and what is "not." I don't have trouble finding the good options. A general guide is "shop around the outside of the store"--produce, meats, dairy--instead of up and down the aisles. Nutrition data is right there on the products even if I didn't know.
However.
I have several trigger foods, by which I means foods that I cannot keep in the house or I will eat the whole thing in <12 hours. Sometimes the entire thing in the car on the way home. These foods are very yummy and I like them very much. Every time, it is a struggle not to buy them.
Sometimes I let myself buy ONE thing. That keeps me going on the days I don't buy any of them. Sort of. I spend most of my shopping trips debating with myself whether I can have anything, what I can have.
Every now and then I test it out to see whether I can keep any of them in the house. I'm not there yet.
Shopping is stressful.0 -
I'm glad you can eat all these bad foods and still lose weight. I hope to be able to do that someday too. I guess my main point was, all the advertisements and the way they position things in the store is to get you to buy the unhealthy stuff. Why don't they make it harder to find the "bad" stuff and easier to find the good stuff?
It is done that way to make money. It can be cheaper to buy some junk food just like it can be cheaper to buy some healthy food. However, most of the healthy food that I like is the most expensive stuff in the store. I like candy, I used to buy a lot of it. I found that eating or drinking something sweet right before I go to the store or while I am on my way to the store, like a soda, a slushy (frozen soda), a donut, or ice-cream helped me not to buy every delicious high sugared food people call unhealthy I came across in the store. Kind of like the don't go to the store when you are hungry thing.
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KitkatcuteNYC wrote: »Nope. But then again I eat all of these "bad" foods and I've lost 27 lbs, because food doesn't make people fat. Eating too much of ANY food makes people fat.
And "healthy" is subjective and changes throughout history, as well as general physical health being based on diet context and not the individual foods you eat.
It doesn't matter how much vegetables and fruit you eat..it won't make you fat at all. Eating processed chemical junk, excess oil and dairy can however make you fat!
So I haven't lost 27lbs despite eating "junk" food this entire time? Damn!
Seriously. You need to stop.
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I'm glad you can eat all these bad foods and still lose weight. I hope to be able to do that someday too. I guess my main point was, all the advertisements and the way they position things in the store is to get you to buy the unhealthy stuff. Why don't they make it harder to find the "bad" stuff and easier to find the good stuff?
Why bother hiding it and making it more difficult to find food that is perfectly fine to eat? You can also eat all these "bad" foods because CICO. Although you will probably have an easier time practicing true moderation if you stop looking at food as being good or bad, based on the many experiences of lots of users here who have been successful in their goals.0 -
No. Variety is good.
You use a lot of conspiratorial language.0 -
As long as I don't go shopping when I am hungry (this is so very bad for me) I do really good at not buying things that aren't on my list. I personally don't use it, but two of my local stores have where you can grocery shop online, then at the designated time, pull up to a pick up section and get your groceries without ever having to step foot in the store. If you find that shopping is to stressful or you can't seem to avoid buying things you don't want to buy, see if your local store offers that type of service.0
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Nightmare?
How dramatic.
Now, my grocery store is just a repository of items I may choose to purchase, or not.0 -
KitkatcuteNYC wrote: »Nope. But then again I eat all of these "bad" foods and I've lost 27 lbs, because food doesn't make people fat. Eating too much of ANY food makes people fat.
And "healthy" is subjective and changes throughout history, as well as general physical health being based on diet context and not the individual foods you eat.
It doesn't matter how much vegetables and fruit you eat..it won't make you fat at all. Eating processed chemical junk, excess oil and dairy can however make you fat!
lulz. You have some learnin' to do.
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KitkatcuteNYC wrote: »Nope. But then again I eat all of these "bad" foods and I've lost 27 lbs, because food doesn't make people fat. Eating too much of ANY food makes people fat.
And "healthy" is subjective and changes throughout history, as well as general physical health being based on diet context and not the individual foods you eat.
It doesn't matter how much vegetables and fruit you eat..it won't make you fat at all. Eating processed chemical junk, excess oil and dairy can however make you fat!
Couldn't be more wrong. Health is complicated, weight loss is not. Weight loss is just physics. If you burn more calories than you take in, you will lose weight. If you fewer calories than you take in, you will gain weight. That is literally the only factor in weight loss.0 -
KitkatcuteNYC wrote: »Nope. But then again I eat all of these "bad" foods and I've lost 27 lbs, because food doesn't make people fat. Eating too much of ANY food makes people fat.
And "healthy" is subjective and changes throughout history, as well as general physical health being based on diet context and not the individual foods you eat.
It doesn't matter how much vegetables and fruit you eat..it won't make you fat at all. Eating processed chemical junk, excess oil and dairy can however make you fat!
^ You have a long way to go, and a lot to learn.
There is no BAD food. Food is food - it is time to start breaking that fad diet mentality and look at food for what it is. There will always be someone who has an opinion on anything you eat, next year - I bet protein will be the next "evil culprit to all of our fat problems".
Grocery stores do not care about your health - they care about your money. They also should not have to spell it out for you...you might have to reach a little higher on the shelf...or spend more time in the produce section...but eventually, if you put focus and determination you will find the "healthy" stuff (no they are not hiding it all behind the "bad foods")
I have lost 90lbs - No fads, no eliminations...I LOVE CARBS, SUGAR AND OMG....GLUTEN!! (drool!)
ETA - Dr. Oz can shove it!0 -
I am losing weight, although I'm mostly consuming junk. I believe that what's meant by the terminology of bad foods, is that because it's so high in Calories, etc., it requires extra restriction unlike broccoli; in order to not gain weight from it. Like it isn't typically satisfying to for me to eat just one cookie in 2 bites, when it actually takes me consuming 4 cookies in 8 bites; to be content.0
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Not for me. I always go when I'm not hungry and I had a satisfying meal, that's the main thing. I actually like looking at new products.
Tip = stick to the outside of the store, that's where the non packaged stuff is. You don't HAVE to go through the isles of cookies or chips.0 -
To OP,
No, I can't say I feel the same. When I go to the grocery store, I'm in control, not the advertisements. It's just a place to buy groceries.0 -
Not for me. I always go when I'm not hungry and I had a satisfying meal, that's the main thing. I actually like looking at new products.
Tip = stick to the outside of the store, that's where the non packaged stuff is. You don't HAVE to go through the isles of cookies or chips.
This. Good tips. And I agree that it is possible to lose weight eating whatever, but if there are trigger foods for you you may need to limit them until you learn to eat them on moderation?
And the store is a nightmare for me, but for different reasons. I end up with anxiety attacks from all the people, and there are times I just have to leave. Honestly, I'd rather have your problem...0 -
Is the grocery store a nightmare for you too? Its not surprising at all that so many people are overweight. Every corner you look around is designed to lure you into buying something unhealthy! All of the junk food is cheap and easy to cook. You actually have to search out the healthy options. The more I discover about what's in the food we eat is just crazy. I feel like I have to force myself into tunnel vision just to get through the store. Don't look around too much or you might see something calling to you. O.O Anyone else have this problem or realization?
Not at all. I guess the "junk food" if I am correct in what you are calling that mostly doesn't appeal to me that much. I do like that they have better brands of ice cream than they used to and especially like that WF has Jeni's (as well as all kinds of silly stuff I don't buy and plenty of delicious stuff I do), but when people claim it's hard to find the healthy stuff in their groceries I wonder if theirs are really so different from mine. I mean, obviously the WF is overpriced and tries to make their expensive veggies and fruit and fish and so on look delicious (and I fall for it from time to time), but even my mainstream grocery that I go to more often than not opens into the produce section and has beautifully arranged produce clearly designed to appeal, and a perfectly convenient and nice looking meat and dairy section (although I have personal issues about a lot of supermarket meat). Even before I was trying to lose weight it was easy enough to walk past the aisles I wasn't interested in (cereal and chips and candy and such, or anything frozen other than berries, veggies, and ice cream) to grab the few things I wanted (oil, vinegar, oatmeal, dried pasta, dried beans, baking stuff if so inclined, so on) and go to the drug store section which in mine is part of the grocery store on the other side of this stuff.
The supermarket really has no power to make people buy anything they don't want to, any more than WF has the power to make me buy silly supplements or their version of convenience foods.0 -
Going when not hungry is really excellent advice, however.0
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I used to have a harder time food shopping until I changed how I thought about it. Instead of rushing into the store to get what I need and get out I made more time to browse the aisles. I found that shopping with my kids to be a very bad idea (on so many levels). And instead of focusing on all of the things I shouldn't eat I tried to get excited to find new things that I could. It takes more time, and admittedly I am a total geek, but it's worked for me. After a while the displays and ads become like tv commercials... Just background noise.0
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I make a list at home and stick to it. It's just a note on my phone where I add things as we start to run out. But I never go and just browse at the store. That would lead to a lot of extra and unplanned stuff added to the cart. This way the advertising doesn't really impact me.0
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Yes, it can be tricky to shop in the grocery store - to not overspend and to get the things you initially came for or really want to buy in the first place. The store is laid out with consumer psychology in mind. You're right, you almost have to have tunnel vision to get through the store to buy the foods that are better for you. I've been shifting my "diet" over the years as I learn more about nutrition. I have just started with myfitnesspal and have appreciated the different nutrients I can keep track of like potassium - an important nutrient for heart health. As far as the grocery store trip goes, here are some tips I've learned over the years:
The key is to be purposeful. Make a list before you go (knowing my store's layout, I group the items on the list by location in the store). Eat first or have a big drink of water at least. When you get there grab the small cart (unless you're shopping for a family). Start in the produce and then use the list to know where to go next. Stick to the list as much as possible and get done. No meandering - the longer you're there the more you'll find, the more you'll spend. There are foods that I avoid because like the others mentioned in this post, I will eat it all in <12 hours. It's ok NOT to buy it. There is so much more out there that satisfies and that my body would work better consuming anyway.
Thank you sharing your thoughts melifairy 0 -
KitkatcuteNYC wrote: »It doesn't matter how much vegetables and fruit you eat..it won't make you fat at all. Eating processed chemical junk, excess oil and dairy can however make you fat!
Lol really? I've been consistently eaten at a deficit for 45 days now, dropping weight every week. Ate much less than average this week and I had chicken finger subs, cheesecake, cupcakes. I eat cheese every day.
To OP: I think once you begin to develop a normalized view of food you'll find the store much less intimidating. If I'm in a bad state and hungry, then yes it can be bad. I know for me, lists help a ton. I know /exactly/ what I need and want that way. Having any food, no matter the calorie/fat content, in my house can be something I overeat of if I let myself fall prey to a bout of emotional eating or binging, so I'm just trying to learn to see all foods as equal nothing as bad or good.
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Basic Plan for Grocery store - stick to the outer ring. Produce, Meat, Dairy. I avoid the frozen section and visit the rice, noodles, ethic isle occasionally. Most of my cart is fresh produce. I have a large freezer at home so I stock up on meat when it's on sale. The rest is cheese, almond milk, yogurt and cottage cheese EVERY trip. I realize there will be things you will need in the inner part, but if you do 75% of your shopping on the outer ring you will find groceries are much easier.0
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I used to get anxiety while food shopping. After I stopped banning certain foods from my life and telling myself I could have them, the anxiety went away. Nothing is off limits. I now have biscoff spread, ice cream, and some others foods that I used to have trouble having in moderation. That's not to say that's all I eat, because I also have a large variety of other foods that I've always been able to eat in moderation (vegetables, pomegranate, chobani yogurts).0
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Grocery shopping for me is exciting, it's an excursion that I look forward to every time.0
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I know what you're talking about OP. If it's not the grocery store, it's potluck at work or family get togethers. It would be nice to be able to eat a tiny portion of whatever and still be healthy but I, personally, cannot. As far as the store goes try to shop after a meal and if possible at a time that isn't so busy. You might also try a smaller store. One of the reasons I prefer Aldis is because a smaller store equals fewer options. That said my Aldis has a great selection of healthy foods. It's hard and no one is perfect. If you overindulge or buy something you know you can't portion out just track, forgive yourself, and move on. If it were easy I think MFP wouldn't be so active.0
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I don't find the grocery store daunting, but I do find I shop very differently.
A friend of mine is doing a different plan, but some of his maxims work: no food with a television commercial or from a place with a drive thru. There are exceptions (milk, eggs, etc.)
But that made me more aware of the choices I was making.
It also helps that my roommate, who is following a different diet plan than I am, is lactose intolerant and has a negative response to wheat based foods.
Now, I shop the outside aisle of the store - mostly produce and meats, and a brief venture to the dairy section.
I buy some crackers (water crackers and Wasa crackers), and one cereal (it's one of my treat foods), and soups. As well as simmer and dipping sauces. Other than that, I skip the baking, cereal, snack, bakery and "prepared food" aisles.
It's not cheaper, but I shop much healthier now.0 -
I love the grocery store! I love food!!!0
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