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How to not overeat in a world full of slobs
Replies
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If I might jump in, I wonder if folks get "processed foods are bad" confused with thinking folks that eat processed foods are eating donuts, pasta, twinkles all day every day? Exaggeration I know but you get the point, not getting balanced nutrition?
Considering the arguments against processed foods that get thrown out every single day on MFP, I'd imagine this is the case.
"Sure, I could lose weight eating 1200 calories of donuts, but why would I do that when I can eat fruits, vegetables, chicken, yogurt, nuts, kale, cottage cheese, etc."
Meanwhile the person making the argument has a donut in their diary for the day, along with various other foods, while I, too, have a donut in my diary along with various other foods.
Makes no sense.6 -
kiwiapplepear wrote: »Um I am back didn't see the barrage of response, quite funny. Never once did I say that I never ate processed foods or had a perfect plant based diet , I said that people are kidding themselves thinking certain processed foods are OK to eat...I am glad I helped you all define your own position on this matter. My food diary at the moment is a bit of a experiment I have just started a ketogenic eating plan, it's obvious that the term "processed" can be applied to any food! As soon as its pulled from the ground. My meaning I think was thinking about fast food type food. I seem to have hit a nerve... Pack mentality here.
The foods are okay to eat in moderation, and you can still eat a healthy overall diet and be healthy while enjoying those things in moderation.
Considering that you eat processed foods as a part of your overall diet, do you consider yourself "unhealthy" as a result? Does your doctor say you're "unhealthy"?
If you get all of your nutrients in 1200 calories, and you have 200 calories leftover, your body will not give you extra credit for filling those 200 calories with more micronutrients than your body needs. It will excrete the excess as waste. There is no harm in enjoying a "processed" treat within those leftover calories.4 -
]kiwiapplepear wrote: »Um I am back didn't see the barrage of response, quite funny. Never once did I say that I never ate processed foods or had a perfect plant based diet , I said that people are kidding themselves thinking certain processed foods are OK to eat...I am glad I helped you all define your own position on this matter. My food diary at the moment is a bit of a experiment I have just started a ketogenic eating plan, it's obvious that the term "processed" can be applied to any food! As soon as its pulled from the ground. My meaning I think was thinking about fast food type food. I seem to have hit a nerve... Pack mentality here.
Disagreeing with your dramatic previous post is not pack mentality.
No nerves hit here. I found your post amusing.6 -
Just eat the healthier options at McD (salads, those little wraps or whatever they have) most of the time and supplement with some cheap foods from the store for nutrition. Canned fruits and vegetables are usually pretty cheap. Peanut butter is cheap and nutritious, though very high calorie. Eggs are cheap, low calorie and nutritious.
I think it's good that you want to nip any weight gain in the bud. You are in the healthy BMI range but there is no reason to wait until you are overweight to start thinking about health and weight control. Just do what you can within your means.2 -
Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »
The foods are okay to eat in moderation, and you can still eat a healthy overall diet and be healthy while enjoying those things in moderation.
Considering that you eat processed foods as a part of your overall diet, do you consider yourself "unhealthy" as a result? Does your doctor say you're "unhealthy"?
If you get all of your nutrients in 1200 calories, and you have 200 calories leftover, your body will not give you extra credit for filling those 200 calories with more micronutrients than your body needs. It will excrete the excess as waste. There is no harm in enjoying a "processed" treat within those leftover calories.
Hi, I am no expert, and sorry for saying a word unless I can back up everything with immediate facts, the thing is I can go and cite any study I like to support any argument I have, and like wise for any other opinion.... I don't have time to write a thesis. I think its quote obvious where I was coming from, yes I demonise certain foods, do I still eat them... trying my best not to. But yeah I think I have exposed myself to many hidden chemicals that have affected my health adversely, ideally I want to trust that everything I buy that is processed is "safe". I deplore the use of synthetic pesticides and herbicides in our food, I cant afford to eat completely organic, I live in New Zealand and food is VERY expensive here... blah blah blah,..... you know the drill I am just a person trying to do and say the right things....0 -
Therealobi1 wrote: »]
Disagreeing with your dramatic previous post is not pack mentality.
No nerves hit here. I found your post amusing.
Sorry but I had a person comment that I had called people fat slobs... they hadn't read the thread and were jumping on the bandwagon .... if thats not "pack mentality" what is? Have a good day...1 -
kiwiapplepear wrote: »Um I am back didn't see the barrage of response, quite funny. Never once did I say that I never ate processed foods or had a perfect plant based diet , I said that people are kidding themselves thinking certain processed foods are OK to eat...I am glad I helped you all define your own position on this matter. My food diary at the moment is a bit of a experiment I have just started a ketogenic eating plan, it's obvious that the term "processed" can be applied to any food! As soon as its pulled from the ground. My meaning I think was thinking about fast food type food. I seem to have hit a nerve... Pack mentality here.
Just. Stop. They are okay to eat. It is called moderation, you know...what dietitians encourage?
*snort*4 -
Well, not sure why everyone suddenly defends McDonald's so much, and why kiwiapplepear is under so much criticism and ambush. Generally, she's correct, processed foods are not so good and healthy, we should try to avoid them, if possible, for our own good, supporting small businesses in your neighborhood is wonderful especially if they work hard to bring a good change, in our food choices, for instance. Also, she pointed out some healthy changes OP can make for herself and her family, including getting involved and helping out with cooking. All good things to try. I, myself, do not eat processed foods for years, a lot of home cooked meals, relatively inexpensive, and mostly organic too. I believe it's a good approach for me ans my family, although i won't be preaching foe everyone to do the same, but i think if i can cut back the unneeded chemicals and additives out of my diet, it can only benefit me.
Unless you take it directly from a plant and eat it without washing, your food is processed. The idea that milk processed to remove fat or that liquified nuts/legumes are somehow cleaner than whole milk is utterly silly.
Oh, you exercise enough if you are accurately representing what you are doing. At McDonald's you can eat a grilled chicken salad or oatmeal or a fruit and yogurt partition for "healthy" options. Or anything on the menu in moderation. If you are concerned about carb intake for a medical reason, eat a burger without a bun. Eggs are a great source of protein and fat. You can do this, you just have to think about it and be intentional. (And maybe not compare yourself to airbrushed celebrities and models.)5 -
kiwiapplepear wrote: »
Sorry but I had a person comment that I had called people fat slobs... they hadn't read the thread and were jumping on the bandwagon .... if thats not "pack mentality" what is? Have a good day...
No, that is incorrect. I have been in this thread from the beginning. I mistook you for the OP because when you rejoined the thread, and tried to clarify your points while insulting those of us with a pack mentality, you didn't quote any particular posts you were responding to. I incorrectly thought you were the OP, whom I also don't think has been back in the thread since the beginning, a point which I apologized for upthread.
What you perceived as pack mentality was about your fearmongering woo based claims that processed foods are bad, that chemicals in food are dangerous, and that anyone who eats these foods is kidding themselves. It's not pack mentality, it is a group of people who disagree with you but agree with each other, and science for that matter.13 -
kiwiapplepear wrote: »
Hi, I am no expert, and sorry for saying a word unless I can back up everything with immediate facts, the thing is I can go and cite any study I like to support any argument I have, and like wise for any other opinion.... I don't have time to write a thesis. I think its quote obvious where I was coming from, yes I demonise certain foods, do I still eat them... trying my best not to. But yeah I think I have exposed myself to many hidden chemicals that have affected my health adversely, ideally I want to trust that everything I buy that is processed is "safe". I deplore the use of synthetic pesticides and herbicides in our food, I cant afford to eat completely organic, I live in New Zealand and food is VERY expensive here... blah blah blah,..... you know the drill I am just a person trying to do and say the right things....
You are telling someone who gets free food from her workplace (McD's) and works for minimum wage to throw it out and buy more expensive food because you can. I'm a fan of helping people live within their needs when possible rather than soapboxing that they can't be healthy if they can't afford the good stuff.16 -
If I might jump in, I wonder if folks get "processed foods are bad" confused with thinking folks that eat processed foods are eating donuts, pasta, twinkles all day every day? Exaggeration I know but you get the point, not getting balanced nutrition?
If you stick around long enough, you will see that is exactly what people assume. There is a tendency to create extreme strawman arguments, where one person states that there is nothing wrong with eating sugar in moderation, and the follow up post says "sure ok for you if you want to eat nothing but donuts all day, but I happen to care about my health". I have often been perplexed if this is truly reading comprehension failure, someone so eager to argue that they look past the actual intent of the words, or if that person at some point used to eat nothing but donuts all day so they assume others are doing the same.
I've said this many times... if you took two diaries, one from someone on Team Clean Eating and one from someone on Team Moderation, without knowing which was which, I bet you'd have a hard time telling the difference. That people who advocate for all foods in moderation don't label themselves as "Clean Eaters" or "I avoid Processed Foods" doesn't mean they don't eat a plethora of nutrient dense whole foods, along with the occasional donut. The people who insist they are Clean Eaters often allow themselves a cookie or a Snickers, but they tend to focus on the fact that they "know that's bad for them but they eat it anyway" as some sort of justification and perhaps superiority to those of us who just don't believe that there is anything bad about eating a cookie or a Big Mac as part of an overall balanced diet...13 -
kiwiapplepear wrote: »
Sorry but I had a person comment that I had called people fat slobs... they hadn't read the thread and were jumping on the bandwagon .... if thats not "pack mentality" what is? Have a good day...
She misread and has since apologized for her mistake.kiwiapplepear wrote: »
Hi, I am no expert, and sorry for saying a word unless I can back up everything with immediate facts, the thing is I can go and cite any study I like to support any argument I have, and like wise for any other opinion.... I don't have time to write a thesis. I think its quote obvious where I was coming from, yes I demonise certain foods, do I still eat them... trying my best not to. But yeah I think I have exposed myself to many hidden chemicals that have affected my health adversely, ideally I want to trust that everything I buy that is processed is "safe". I deplore the use of synthetic pesticides and herbicides in our food, I cant afford to eat completely organic, I live in New Zealand and food is VERY expensive here... blah blah blah,..... you know the drill I am just a person trying to do and say the right things....
Okay, I never asked you to cite your claims with studies or write a thesis, I was explaining to you why I disagreed with what you wrote and trying to get you to think critically about what you were claiming. There is no reason to demonize foods or stress over what you may or may not have been exposed to.
Many healthy foods contain formaldehyde, arsenic, etc. naturally, you breathe air containing pollutants every single day, and even your beloved organic fruits and vegetables are often treated with chemical pesticides such as rotenone and pyrethrin, which can still impact the environment, especially aquatic life. Though most of these things in the correct context and dosage are fine, though obviously too much can have adverse effects.
Understanding context and dosage is vital to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. In the correct dosage, sodium is vital for nerve function and for maintaining blood volume; too much can cause water retention and can be detrimental over time. In the correct dosage, water is required to stay properly hydrated; too much can disrupt electrolyte balance and can be deadly if allowed to progress unchecked.10 -
diannethegeek wrote: »
You are telling someone who gets free food from her workplace (McD's) and works for minimum wage to throw it out and buy more expensive food because you can. I'm a fan of helping people live within their needs when possible rather than soapboxing that they can't be healthy if they can't afford the good stuff.
I never said that! woah I said supplement your diet and swap out things... can you guys just continue without me, go vote
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If you guys cant see that continuously commenting on my single post (which wasn't really that radical is mean... you need to let it go... gosh if everything we said was in black and white ) this actually upsetting me I didn't come here for an arguemnt and to defend myself to all these "EXPERTS" if you are dying to comment please don't because I am feeling really targeted... please attempt to control your urge to post directly to me.... what silly pleasure are you getting yes ! I am cornered... leave me alone... thanks. MOVE ON0
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kiwiapplepear wrote: »If you guys cant see that continuously commenting on my single post (which wasn't really that radical is mean... you need to let it go... gosh if everything we said was in black and white ) this actually upsetting me I didn't come here for an arguemnt and to defend myself to all these "EXPERTS" if you are dying to comment please don't because I am feeling really targeted... please attempt to control your urge to post directly to me.... what silly pleasure are you getting yes ! I am cornered... leave me alone... thanks. MOVE ON
You are on a public forum. People are free to post what they want (including yourself) within reason, and most of the time when people make wild claims and state them as blanket facts, those claims get challenged.
If the conversation on this thread have made you feel targeted and upset, perhaps you should just walk away. Everyone responding to you has been civil, and you're the only person here that has gotten angry and emotional. You are under no obligation to respond, but people are free to continue to respond to you or any of the other posters in this thread.9 -
A reminder?kiwiapplepear wrote: »If you guys cant see that continuously commenting on my single post (which wasn't really that radical is mean... you need to let it go... gosh if everything we said was in black and white ) this actually upsetting me I didn't come here for an arguemnt and to defend myself to all these "EXPERTS" if you are dying to comment please don't because I am feeling really targeted... please attempt to control your urge to post directly to me.... what silly pleasure are you getting yes ! I am cornered... leave me alone... thanks. MOVE ONkiwiapplepear wrote: »This reply is no so much to the poster of the questions but others of you who bang on that all food is ok...I find this attitude that there are no bad or unhealthy foods crazy, would you feed a baby processed cookies etc... (home made/whole foods fine) there are sooo many GMO, artificial synthetic food additives which ARE bad and unhealthy... and should be part of NO persons diet, all whole natural foods are healthy in moderation, but in this time we are not just dealing with "normal food" we are dealing with chemically altered ingredients, our cancer rates are insane compared to the past, you are lying to yourself if you think processed food is fine in moderation. Some times its a question of where we want to put our money... do i want to give McDonalds. my cash? no I would rather support the small business owners. to the poster... I would do things like buy a big bag of apples and nuts and really good yoghurts wouldn't cost a lot, and then work around what your folks are already eating, just supplement your diet with fresh fruit. take the fruit yogurt etc... to work. You could also try out new recipes with your family if they like eating fried foods, fries etc... you could make your own homemade sweet potatoes ships, fries, baked in olive oil see if they like them (they prob will), influence things gently.
You talked down to EVERYONE and were the only one who sounded argumentative. *shrug*
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kiwiapplepear wrote: »
I never said that! woah I said supplement your diet and swap out things... can you guys just continue without me, go vote
This is an international forum. The world really doesn't revolve around the USA, I'm afraid.
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snickerscharlie wrote: »
This is an international forum. The world really doesn't revolve around the USA, I'm afraid.
SInce I am in the US, I assumed it was a dig at me.7 -
If I might jump in, I wonder if folks get "processed foods are bad" confused with thinking folks that eat processed foods are eating donuts, pasta, twinkles all day every day? Exaggeration I know but you get the point, not getting balanced nutrition?
Yes, I think that people don't seem to understand what "processed foods" are, which is what I find frustrating. Now, of course it is okay to eat some donuts, etc. too -- eating them doesn't mean eating only them or them in excessive amounts, after all -- but it's especially odd to me that people proclaim they don't eat processed foods when they obviously do or act as if others saying they do eat processed foods means that they have poor nutrition, when plenty of processed foods are quite nutritious. If someone doesn't understand the terms that are commonly used in these discussions, I think that's on them.3 -
kiwiapplepear wrote: »If you guys cant see that continuously commenting on my single post (which wasn't really that radical is mean... you need to let it go...
People are only commenting because you came back and made another post arguing with people.
If you think we are misunderstanding you, say that.
If you agree that being "processed" doesn't make a food bad for you, and you just misunderstood what processed means, cool, I accept that clarification.
If you believe (even though you also eat some) that eating "junk food" like a homemade cookie means that someone can't have a nutritious diet, then I would disagree with you, but it's not an attack on you for me to say that.
If--getting back to OP's post--you think that anything one eats in a McD's is going to hurt one's health, and that one can't eat at McD's (even if there is reason to, as there may be here) and have a good diet, then again we disagree, but discussing that is not an attack on you. It's even about nutrition and potentially educational for OP and others.
IMO, if you really thought occasional fast food or junk food or whatever is going to be terrible for you, why would you eat them? I eat ice cream in moderation because I think it fits perfectly easily into a sensible nutrient-conscious diet.7 -
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nodiannethegeek wrote: »[
No one, not one single poster here, is trying to eat you alive. We are trying to reassure a vulnerable, upset teenager that eating the food she has available won't hurt her. When you say things like "should be part of no person's diet" or that these foods are not fine even in moderation (as you did) you may be doing more harm than good to the poor OP who hasn't come back since.
No but I have expressed that i feel really upset and just out of kindness people should give it a break, listen to what the issue is at hand... I cannot delete my post... and I never even directed that point I made in the post at the OP. Basically people interpret things how ever they want, but when somebody is upset people should just drop it as sensitive adults... nobody has any idea where people are at emotionally and how a thread like this can effect somebody I have been here for only three weeks, I don't automatically understand the culture here... lesson learnt for me I guess..
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::Jumping in late::
I haven't read the rest of the replies.
I worked at McDonalds for 5 years through high school and college. After initially gaining when I started working there (from about 155 to 185 at 5'9") I was to lose the extra weight able to maintain a healthy weight (155 to 165). You just have to watch what you eat. You can have a burger but not a double quarter pounder, and it's best to not eat a big burger with fries every night. Egg McMuffins are fine, salads are good, grilled chicken sandwiches are good, etc. It's possible.10 -
kiwiapplepear wrote: »no
No but I have expressed that i feel really upset and just out of kindness people should give it a break, listen to what the issue is at hand... I cannot delete my post... and I never even directed that point I made in the post at the OP. Basically people interpret things how ever they want, but when somebody is upset people should just drop it as sensitive adults... nobody has any idea where people are at emotionally and how a thread like this can effect somebody I have been here for only three weeks, I don't automatically understand the culture here... lesson learnt for me I guess..
That's why when you're new, it's a good idea to "lurk" for awhile and read the boards, become familiar with the topics, see what is the correct language to use, etc. That's what I did. Unfortunately you lept in with both feet, using words sure to inflame. The posters "correcting" you need to do so because there are so many lurkers on here, and many of them are new. If you are giving out wrong information as fact, then I think you can see the problem. Better to acknowlege your error and people will compliment you and let it slide. Continuing to post complaining about your treatment is the very worst thing to do. The OP, hopefully, got some useful information and will be able to find healthy options at her place of work.10 -
kiwiapplepear wrote: »no
No but I have expressed that i feel really upset and just out of kindness people should give it a break, listen to what the issue is at hand... I cannot delete my post... and I never even directed that point I made in the post at the OP. Basically people interpret things how ever they want, but when somebody is upset people should just drop it as sensitive adults... nobody has any idea where people are at emotionally and how a thread like this can effect somebody I have been here for only three weeks, I don't automatically understand the culture here... lesson learnt for me I guess..
Because OP is not included in " should be part of NO persons diet"?6 -
When I read "slobs" in the title I knew it would be incendiary, but I get the idea. When you are surrounded by people who are making an effort to look after their health and fitness (as I am in this online community of MFP), it's easier to make it your own priority too. When you are surrounded by people who are not making an effort at the moment, for whatever reason, it's harder to blaze your own trail. I'm not at all suggesting that every single person that eats at McDonald's is not making health and fitness a priority in their life. I eat at McDonalds. But overall, yes, I would agree that it's not really a health and fitness kind of community.
By contrast, a friend of mine started working at the daycare centre at a gym a couple years ago. She looks freaking amazing now.
Your environment can be a factor in your success. Just how much of a factor depends on you.
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I think the problem here is that everyone is a "genius".-1
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Two words: Portion control. I have to request no sides, or fruit side, at my work cafeteria to avoid exceeding my calorie budget. In your case: Cheeseburger + side salad with balsamic vinegar + water (300+50=350 Kcal) is OK for lunch. Big mac +fries+coke (540+390+220=1150Kcal) is not OK.5
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alma_stars wrote: »I think the problem here is that everyone is a "genius".
Thanks,
But people are just expressing oppinions.5
This discussion has been closed.
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