I don't remember what it was like pre-MFP...
Francl27
Posts: 26,372 Member
I'm wondering if I'm alone in this?
I've been on MFP for about 3 years (well, my anniversary is next week, lol). And I cannot for the life of me remember what I used to eat before.
I remember skipping breakfast, and eating whatever I wanted all day (mostly junk food, and cheese), and eating out a lot (well until we got kids). I can't even remember what I used to eat for lunch or dinner. It's so weird.
Is anyone else in the same boat?
I've been on MFP for about 3 years (well, my anniversary is next week, lol). And I cannot for the life of me remember what I used to eat before.
I remember skipping breakfast, and eating whatever I wanted all day (mostly junk food, and cheese), and eating out a lot (well until we got kids). I can't even remember what I used to eat for lunch or dinner. It's so weird.
Is anyone else in the same boat?
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I remember the things I used to eat, as I still eat a lot of the same things... what I really don't remember is why I thought the amount I was eating was ok, given that I was basically inactive!0
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I sometimes think about the kinds of things (and the amounts) I'd eat daily. Knowing how sedentary I was before, and how much I was eating in comparison, I'm not surprised I got 100+ lbs overweight. Like you, I would eat out a lot, and have a lot of calorie dense foods (pizza[because of the cheese and all the meat toppings I'd put on the pie]; cheese with crackers and deli meats; fatty cuts of meat; ribs; steaks; burgers; fries.)
Of course, I still eat these things now, in moderation.
If you're talking about ways I'd eat to manage weight before mfp? I remember eating a lot of salads with protein for a while, instead of rice bowls with protein. I remember giving up soda, but I was never a huge fan anyway. I remember giving up products that had high fructose corn syrup. I'm glad for having been introduced to calorie counting and being able to better moderate, now. No need to give up things I enjoy eating, I just need to have less of it in a week than I used to.0 -
I eat all the same things (7 months 1 week on MFP), so no problem remembering what it was like before. I sometimes wonder how I gained the weight, and then realize I always ate 3 slices of pizza instead of 2. I had a snack every night instead of half of the nights. I drank 500 calories/day of tea instead of diet soda or unsweetened tea.
Granted, now with the extra activity I can probably pull off eating 3 slices of pizza and a snack at night and maintain my weight, so long as I stick to the calorie free drinks.0 -
What a great post!
I've been at my changed lifestyle for about 14 years. I remember breakfast was a frozen burrito. Lunch was McDonalds or Pizza Hut or the like. Krispy Kreme or a snickers mid day, and then something really atrocious nutrient wise for dinner. With several 20oz Dr. Peppers. I don't remember my dinners, other than that I didn't cook them, since I didn't know how.0 -
^^ilovesweeties wrote: »I remember the things I used to eat, as I still eat a lot of the same things... what I really don't remember is why I thought the amount I was eating was ok, given that I was basically inactive!
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I ate whatever I wanted in the largest quantities I could get away with, limited mostly by decorum, available funds, and indigestion. I'd eat cheeseburgers and snack cakes in the car on the way home and then eat a full meal with my family. I'd pack a breakfast and then stop for a second fast food breakfast on the way into work, usually with two sandwiches and two hash browns. I'd get huge takeout lunches -- footlong subs, big burritos, bacon cheeseburgers, full orders of Chinese food, etc. Every trip to the grocery store was a chance to get snacks.
There's a part of me ("Fat Jruzer") who still wants to eat this way, and very occasionally I indulge him. Oddly enough it doesn't make me happier or more satisfied - just sick to my stomach and blase.
Unlike many people, I never wondered why I was fat. In retrospect I'm lucky I wasn't much fatter. Tracking calories and macros has been a godsend for the quality of my life, and I bristle when people suggest that I should stop doing it or that it's disordered.0 -
I ate whatever I wanted in the largest quantities I could get away with, limited mostly by decorum, available funds, and indigestion. I'd eat cheeseburgers and snack cakes in the car on the way home and then eat a full meal with my family. I'd pack a breakfast and then stop for a second fast food breakfast on the way into work, usually with two sandwiches and two hash browns. I'd get huge takeout lunches -- footlong subs, big burritos, bacon cheeseburgers, full orders of Chinese food, etc. Every trip to the grocery store was a chance to get snacks.
There's a part of me ("Fat Jruzer") who still wants to eat this way, and very occasionally I indulge him. Oddly enough it doesn't make me happier or more satisfied - just sick to my stomach and blase.
Unlike many people, I never wondered why I was fat. In retrospect I'm lucky I wasn't much fatter. Tracking calories and macros has been a godsend for the quality of my life, and I bristle when people suggest that I should stop doing it or that it's disordered.
Yeah that's the thing, I'm surprised I didn't get fatter, but I'm actually wondering if I DID eat lunch or if I was just grazing on stuff all day (I never really ate huge amount of food at a time unless we ate out). I know I didn't have breakfast.
It's funny I guess because I remember very well what I used to eat when I worked before I moved here, because I ate out all the time, but I can't remember for the life of me what I ate when I stopped working and moved to the US!0 -
Yeah. I would really only ate ice cream when I bought a pint or when I stopped by a Marble Slab. As for veggies, it was basically just broccoli and fried okra.vinegar_husbands wrote: »I ate a lot more bread, juice, beer, and wine. I didn't eat nearly as much ice cream or vegetables. Ate out a lot. I don't really remember what I ate for lunch and dinner either. I guess I ate "healthier", but not really.
I still wonder how I got up to my highest weight sometimes, but then realize that I feel more satiated when I eat meat and eggs.
My diet was always really boring. I just ate Pop Tarts for breakfast, chicken tenders or Hot Pockets for lunch, and whatever my mom made for dinner. I'd sneak in extra Pop Tarts here or there and eat the largest fast food meals a couple of times a week, everyday some weeks.
For most of the year, I'd gorge myself on Wedensday and sometimes Thursdays.0 -
I ate whatever I wanted in the largest quantities I could get away with, limited mostly by decorum, available funds, and indigestion. I'd eat cheeseburgers and snack cakes in the car on the way home and then eat a full meal with my family. I'd pack a breakfast and then stop for a second fast food breakfast on the way into work, usually with two sandwiches and two hash browns. I'd get huge takeout lunches -- footlong subs, big burritos, bacon cheeseburgers, full orders of Chinese food, etc. Every trip to the grocery store was a chance to get snacks.
There's a part of me ("Fat Jruzer") who still wants to eat this way, and very occasionally I indulge him. Oddly enough it doesn't make me happier or more satisfied - just sick to my stomach and blase.
Unlike many people, I never wondered why I was fat. In retrospect I'm lucky I wasn't much fatter. Tracking calories and macros has been a godsend for the quality of my life, and I bristle when people suggest that I should stop doing it or that it's disordered.
I could have written this exactly.... but you did it first... :-)
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My pre MFP life is clear. MUCH bigger portions of pasta, multiple cans/bottles of pop per day. Also comfort food like pizza burgers and fries were bought outside the house instead of inside where I can control ingredients and cooking methods and log them.0
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I remember and I am shocked that I was not larger. I skipped breakfast and had pizza for lunch several times a week....an entire pizza. Meat, potatoes and rolls for dinner...every night. I ate a pound of Peanut M&Ms, a pound of Reese Cups and 2 large bark Hershey with Almonds every week. That's not to mention the chips, ice cream and peanuts I also snacked on. I enjoyed every bite but I have zero desire to do that to myself again. I actually enjoy eating healthy now. Prior to MFP I had not consumed a vegetable in years. Now my food choices are fruit and vegetables daily. I still allow myself "treats" but they no longer are desired as much. I still have pizza several times a week but I make a healthy pizza and load it with vegetables. I have never felt better and I really do not even miss most of the junk I use to eat.0
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Before MFP I was a typical gym goer who went to the gym and thought that's all I needed to start looking like someone you would see on a fitness magazine. HA! Wrong! I bought in to the concept of eating HUGE meals post workout with the impression that the more protein and carbs I consumed here, the more growth I would get. While I soon found out that it was true, it wasn't at all the type of growth I thought it would be. Then came MFP and a changed me. Instead of focusing solely on the gym, I focused on efficiency inside AND outside the gym. MFP is what brought me to where I am now - a side career in fitness and nutrition because I've developed a great passion for the industry!0
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sjohnson__1 wrote: »Before MFP I was a typical gym goer who went to the gym and thought that's all I needed to start looking like someone you would see on a fitness magazine. HA! Wrong! I bought in to the concept of eating HUGE meals post workout with the impression that the more protein and carbs I consumed here, the more growth I would get. While I soon found out that it was true, it wasn't at all the type of growth I thought it would be. Then came MFP and a changed me. Instead of focusing solely on the gym, I focused on efficiency inside AND outside the gym. MFP is what brought me to where I am now - a side career in fitness and nutrition because I've developed a great passion for the industry!
That reminds me of my attempt to lose weight 10 years ago... Did 20 minutes on the treadmill and I was so hungry I stopped at Burger King on the way back... I did get fitter though (until my nose got perma-clogged the whole Winter after that and I had to stop). But obviously didn't lose any weight.
I remember eating half a big chocolate bar, a ton of cheese and bread, 2/3 ice cream cones, a pint of ice cream... but I guess I just didn't eat that much apart from that because I just don't remember meals...0 -
I used to eat pasta and pasta sauce. And... um... restaurant food... usually pasta. Pretty much sums my diet up for 2 years.
My biggest problem was I never bothered learning to cook. And learning to cook was the hardest part of adjusting to healthy eating. It's still up there.
Well... that and my love for pasta. And blaming my gas/bloating on my dairy allergy instead of the exorbitant amount of carbs I was eating.0 -
The biggest thing for me is quantity, and discovering how much more I've been eating than I should have.
For example, I went to pour myself a normal bowl of quinoa the other day, and when I weighed out the amount I used to eat the serving size and calories in the serving were preposterous! Or how many calories are in a normal sized banana, especially compared to other fruits. They're both food I've always eaten, just way too much.
That's why you have to weigh everything, even the food deemed healthy, because too much of a good thing is still too much.0 -
I ate whatever I wanted in the largest quantities I could get away with, limited mostly by decorum, available funds, and indigestion. I'd eat cheeseburgers and snack cakes in the car on the way home and then eat a full meal with my family. I'd pack a breakfast and then stop for a second fast food breakfast on the way into work, usually with two sandwiches and two hash browns. I'd get huge takeout lunches -- footlong subs, big burritos, bacon cheeseburgers, full orders of Chinese food, etc. Every trip to the grocery store was a chance to get snacks.
There's a part of me ("Fat Jruzer") who still wants to eat this way, and very occasionally I indulge him. Oddly enough it doesn't make me happier or more satisfied - just sick to my stomach and blase.
Unlike many people, I never wondered why I was fat. In retrospect I'm lucky I wasn't much fatter. Tracking calories and macros has been a godsend for the quality of my life, and I bristle when people suggest that I should stop doing it or that it's disordered.
I could have written this exactly.... but you did it first... :-)
Cheers. I suspect there are many of us.
Edited: There's an epic thread on reddit's /r/loseit about people's awful eating secrets. It's amusing reading. It's good to see that you're not alone.
https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/comments/vp3hh/the_great_and_embarassing_sins_of_fatness_what/0 -
I remember eating the same stuff but in huge amounts. I would eat a salad and assume it was so healthy that I "earned" eating over half a pizza.
I also assumed rice and pasta were healthy, so I'd eat a large serving. Little did I know how calorie laden these things were...the amount of rice I'd eat would be like 600 cals!
I felt as though I could eat whatever I wanted, and just throw in some veggies and fruit for health value.
I have to say I feel different now. I realize I can still have goodies but in moderation.
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I ate the same way as I do now, maybe I have more ice cream and treats now since I don't have the guilt I used to have with certain foods. I was around the same weight too but usually lost and gained the same 5lbs. However now my body composition is different. I mean, I looked OK before but since incorporating lifting and using MFP to track my cals during bulk/cut cycles it is much better
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Portions, portions, portions. I used to (and still can if I'm not eating mindfully), put away enormous amounts of food in a sitting. I ate very healthily in terms of wholesome, nutrient dense foods; it was just I ate so bloody much. Now, smaller portions and let my stomach actually empty itself every now and then instead of the constant full feeling I used to think I needed to have.0
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