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Is counting calories/macros destroying our enjoyment of food?
Replies
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Bry_Lander wrote: »If tracking calories is destroying your enjoyment of food then I think you are approaching it with the wrong mindset. If you are eating something that is going to tank your calories and/or macros for the day, life goes on. Log it, enjoy it, review your day, and figure out what you could have done differently to stay within your limits, and do a better job tomorrow.
Good words, my dude!1 -
I think every time I try to lose weight I learn something and shift my mindset a bit. The biggest thing that's helped me is regular mindfulness sessions, that are just helpful in life overall. Even 5 minutes a day helps me center myself and re-evaluate WHY I'm doing something. I was mindless in the other direction before MFP; before, I'd tune out my body's fullness signals, and with MFP sometimes I tune out my body's hunger signals. It's important to listen to all of those. Over time I learned that some foods aren't worth it; I can eat way less dessert now than I could before. I still eat it, but I know how i'll feel when the insulin spike hits, so I eat less of it. But yes the first few times I tried MFP before mindfulness stuff, I stopped enjoying food.2
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I think "calorie counts are ruining enjoyment of food" could be rephrased "things I like to eat are less-than healthy choices". Calorie counts are a reinforcement that choices have consequences and people don't like that. Be an adult, don't eat junk. Food is fuel, it doesn't have to taste bad, but it's not going to taste like a cinnamon roll.4
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I think "calorie counts are ruining enjoyment of food" could be rephrased "things I like to eat are less-than healthy choices". Calorie counts are a reinforcement that choices have consequences and people don't like that. Be an adult, don't eat junk. Food is fuel, it doesn't have to taste bad, but it's not going to taste like a cinnamon roll.
I personally find the exact opposite to be true. Food is not just fuel, it's much more than that, and it can taste like a cinnamon roll sometimes. Counting calories allows me to achieve exactly that; eat all the foods I love and pick the best tasting meals. I can have anything I want, whenever I want, in whatever quantity I want, just not all three at once. I would argue that calories ruin enjoyment of food for people who approach it from a neurotic place where stressing about the process itself dominates their lives instead of using it as a tool to enjoy food while still achieving their goals.5 -
Someone stated in a recent debate "there are no solutions, only trade offs". This really struck a chord with me and one of those incredibly simplistic, yet profound universal statements that connects with virtually everything in life.
Every decision is a trade off. Do you want the extra fries or do you want visible abs? Calorie counting simply enables you to make an informed decision. Without this tool many would simply go to an overly restrictive diet and eliminate fries. Knowing the calorie content enables me to have fries and adjust the amount so that I can fuel my workout and have control over the trade off.9 -
I enjoy it very much because I'm diabetic. I still have to see how many carbs are in everything but knowing the calorie count is available to everyone makes me not feel like such a freak.4
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Well, I have two options.
1) Continue to eat what ever the hell I want & die early because I'm a fat *kitten*.
2) Keep track of what I eat, lose weight so I can actually enjoy everything else rather than living a fat miserable existence in life, other than just enjoying the scarfing of everything in sight. I can also enjoy an occasional splurge on whatever I like this way.
So, No. Not knowing actually keeps me from being able to go out & enjoy it with family or friends, because I have no idea what or how much I am consuming. I am working too damn hard to go back to living like I used to with option #1. If nutritional info was available everywhere, I could always find an option that I liked & that was doable.7 -
Counting calories doesn't destroy mine. I don't even count calories that much anymore, anyways.0
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Periodically.
Sometimes when I look at what is "left over" macro wise I get discouraged. On other days that actually does help me come up with nice dinner ideas.
But I am only starting out and I started this out because I figured that I was slipping into having a bad relationship with food. Meaning, eating too little, punishing myself mentally for wanting something "unhealthy", when eating out not choosing what I want but I what I perceived to be high protein and low carb. And I am still there somewhat. MFP has this thing about subconsciously praising you for staying under your goals. But I set up my protein and calorie goal to actually reach it. Stil, I feel encouraged to stay under rather than risking getting "in the red". I am not sure that is good for me, but I am for now continuing to log food as much as I can.
I will be without a (reasonable) internet connection and without a choice of what I get to eat from Monday to Thursday next week. Maybe that will have a de-stress and de-load effect on my mind.2 -
skymningen wrote: »MFP has this thing about subconsciously praising you for staying under your goals. But I set up my protein and calorie goal to actually reach it.
Yeah -- I wish there was an option to have a green zone, within 5% of goals in either direction, maybe, and it would praise you for that. I think that would be a healthier approach.
It's a personal mental thing anyway, but for lots of people I think this would be helpful.8 -
Definitely not. Instead, it's made me really look at what I eat to see if it's "worth it." For instance, do you realize how tasteless pasta is? No flavor at all. What's good about it is the sauce. Well, put the sauce on something else that tastes good, bingo, you've got something great.2
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It depends on the day. Some days it does impede my enjoyment of going out to eat because I feel guilty when I eat a high calorie item. At the same time, I try to control what I can when I can and to keep in mind that what ever I am doing must be working because I am still losing weight,2
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lemurcat12 wrote: »skymningen wrote: »MFP has this thing about subconsciously praising you for staying under your goals. But I set up my protein and calorie goal to actually reach it.
Yeah -- I wish there was an option to have a green zone, within 5% of goals in either direction, maybe, and it would praise you for that. I think that would be a healthier approach.
It's a personal mental thing anyway, but for lots of people I think this would be helpful.
Strongly agree with this. As a newbie coming in, you see green for under and assume that's what you are supposed to do. No, stuff like micronutrient, protein, and fiber should be ABOVE your goal for the most part (barring doing something extreme which which result in a toxic level of intake of a vitamin). And your calories should be close to goal to reach your goal. Being 5% above your calorie goal is better than being 40% below.5 -
Going back to the financial budget analogy does knowing you have a balanced checkbook, increasing IRA/401k, and future plan diminish enjoyment of what money enables us to do?
Being exposed to this process I'm increasingly convinced that counting is simply a necessary exercise for the successful.
Clue: Before humans developed hieroglyphics or cuneiform writing of words, they developed systems of counting and recording for commercial exchange.1 -
leanitup123 wrote: »Love reading everyone's opinions on the subject. Though many of you are saying that counting calories has no negative influence on your enjoyment of food, do you think it has had an effect on your relationship with food (example: looking at 2 choices on a menu and seeing only numbers, choosing the lower calorie option, etc.)?
Yes!...going to Red Lobster & thinking about having the Shrimp Alfredo dish (which I've had before & really like) but after seeing the large # of calories on it's menu for such a small dish of it (WTF!), I chose the Shrimp Scampi and a skewer of Sea Scallops instead that, when combined, had a much lower calorie amount (& a lot less carbs too so I could now have a baked potato with my meal) and more filling since it was more food. At the time I had no idea why the Alfredo dish was so high in calories (actually thought it was a misprint) until I got home and did some "research" on what Alfredo sauce is made of since I know the high calories didn't come from the shrimp or the noodles in the Shrimp Alfredo dish. That Shrimp Alfredo dish has lost its former appeal (due to its high calories) when I think about how I can have something like 3 other Red Lobster dishes (Shrimp Scampi, Skewer of Sea Scallops, and fish stuffed with crab meat) for less calories that would give me a more enjoyed meal experience due to the variety of seafood dishes I'm having when dining out (which I rarely do--so I want to really enjoy it when I do).
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BarneyRubbleMD wrote: »leanitup123 wrote: »Love reading everyone's opinions on the subject. Though many of you are saying that counting calories has no negative influence on your enjoyment of food, do you think it has had an effect on your relationship with food (example: looking at 2 choices on a menu and seeing only numbers, choosing the lower calorie option, etc.)?
Yes!...going to Red Lobster & thinking about having the Shrimp Alfredo dish (which I've had before & really like) but after seeing the large # of calories on it's menu for such a small dish of it (WTF!), I chose the Shrimp Scampi and a skewer of Sea Scallops instead that, when combined, had a much lower calorie amount (& a lot less carbs too so I could now have a baked potato with my meal) and more filling since it was more food. At the time I had no idea why the Alfredo dish was so high in calories (actually thought it was a misprint) until I got home and did some "research" on what Alfredo sauce is made of since I know the high calories didn't come from the shrimp or the noodles in the Shrimp Alfredo dish. That Shrimp Alfredo dish has lost its former appeal (due to its high calories) when I think about how I can have something like 3 other Red Lobster dishes (Shrimp Scampi, Skewer of Sea Scallops, and fish stuffed with crab meat) for less calories that would give me a more enjoyed meal experience due to the variety of seafood dishes I'm having when dining out (which I rarely do--so I want to really enjoy it when I do).
I tend to operate in the exact opposite way. Going to the restaurant is not a frequent occurrence for me, so it's kind of special. I make damn sure that I enjoy the absolute tastiest dish on the menu regardless of calories. If I'm spending my calories and my money (sit down restaurants are disproportionately expensive here) I'm going to milk it for enjoyment value. Calories are a cheap currency. I can earn them later (or bank them in advance) whenever I want. Time spent worrying about my calories when I should be enjoying it, that I will never get back. I don't order the most calorific dish on purpose because "since I'm blowing it I better really blow it", a thing I've seen some of my friends do, but if one of the dishes I'm ordering happens to be high in calories then so be it.3 -
It can only destroy the idea in our minds that we have built in from birth from the media that fast food and other awesome foods are supposed to be eaten in the amounts that they give us. Ever go to a restaurant and measure the food they give you on your plate? Probably not. But I assure you that it's way more than you need in one meal. The portion sizes they give you in any restaurant or fast food is always enough for two or more people. I actually like knowing I finally know how to eat the right portions of ALL the same foods I always ate. I don't go overboard with the amount of food I eat so nothing has been ruined or destroyed for me.
I can still eat whatever I want. 6 -
The deeper you get; macros, keto, etc - the more obsessive you get, the more you're robbed of enjoying it. When you get into a routine I imagine that passes (for the most part). I get tired of counting everything from time to time too, particularly if I'm not seeing the results I want.1
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musicfan68 wrote: »Hungry_Shopgirl wrote: »Eating dinner with my husband I watched him pick a cherry tomato from the tray and pop it straight into his mouth. I felt genuinely jealous because I don't get to do that. The tomato goes on the scale first, then into my mouth. There was something so simple and straightforward about the way he enjoyed that tomato that I don't get to have.
So yeah, I think for me counting calories does detract from the pleasure of eating.
This is how I feel. You just can't eat a bite of something and just enjoy it. I have low enough calories that for 1 week I tried to fit in a hamburger patty - not the bun - just the patty - and I finally gave up because with only about 1400 calories a day, it just didn't work, so I ate chicken instead of what I really wanted. I'm constantly having to swap out what I really want for something I don't want as much, or "nope, can't have that snack because it would put me over my calories". I also have learned that I can't eat foods I "love". I have to eat foods I "like" otherwise I won't stop eating the things I love.
To me, this sounds like a good learning process though.4 -
Not at all - in fact I think it can enhance the enjoyment of food. Nutritional information is just the "cost" of a meal. A high cost doesn't mean I won't "pay", but it means I will demand more value - I won't waste the calories on something that isn't very good.2
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perkymommy wrote: »It can only destroy the idea in our minds that we have built in from birth from the media that fast food and other awesome foods are supposed to be eaten in the amounts that they give us. Ever go to a restaurant and measure the food they give you on your plate? Probably not. But I assure you that it's way more than you need in one meal. The portion sizes they give you in any restaurant or fast food is always enough for two or more people. I actually like knowing I finally know how to eat the right portions of ALL the same foods I always ate. I don't go overboard with the amount of food I eat so nothing has been ruined or destroyed for me. I can still eat whatever I want.
This is certainly not true for me. But then I give myself most of my food so what "they give us" isn't something I think about much. But logging did ruin cooking my own meals from scratch for me. I hate to measure anything when I'm cooking.2 -
Not really because now I'm not just doing mindless eating and stuffing my face out of habit and not need.
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Need2Exerc1se wrote: »This is certainly not true for me. But then I give myself most of my food so what "they give us" isn't something I think about much. But logging did ruin cooking my own meals from scratch for me. I hate to measure anything when I'm cooking.
If you cook a lot of similar meals, measure the first three times, take an average, and log that for all future times. It doesn't need absolute precision, it needs to be good enough. If you do a lot of very different meals, just weigh the high calorie stuff and estimate the rest. For example, a bell pepper has about 20 calories, so measuring exact bell pepper usage doesn't matter, a couple calories are just rounding error, but things like nuts or oil probably should be measured.
I just assemble ingredients onto a cutting board atop a scale and just tare & record.
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rankinsect wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »This is certainly not true for me. But then I give myself most of my food so what "they give us" isn't something I think about much. But logging did ruin cooking my own meals from scratch for me. I hate to measure anything when I'm cooking.
If you cook a lot of similar meals, measure the first three times, take an average, and log that for all future times. It doesn't need absolute precision, it needs to be good enough. If you do a lot of very different meals, just weigh the high calorie stuff and estimate the rest. For example, a bell pepper has about 20 calories, so measuring exact bell pepper usage doesn't matter, a couple calories are just rounding error, but things like nuts or oil probably should be measured.
I just assemble ingredients onto a cutting board atop a scale and just tare & record.
I've been in maintenance for about 1.5 years now. Didn't log to lose or for those 1.5 years. It's just not my thing.1 -
Not for me. In fact it has enhanced my enjoyment of food (if that was possible lol) because I'm trying all kinds of new recipes that i never even thought of before.
This is a great attitude. Since I've become aware of calories in calorie counting I played around with a lot of recipes and have experienced a whole new taste and varation of food. It's actually become a game to me what can I make or invent that meets my calorie goals.
It only becomes an enjoyable when it controls you. You have to make the decision to control it. Yes there are days I blow my calorie limit and some days I blow it real good but I understand the consequences and I get back on track2 -
leanitup123 wrote: »Love reading everyone's opinions on the subject. Though many of you are saying that counting calories has no negative influence on your enjoyment of food, do you think it has had an effect on your relationship with food (example: looking at 2 choices on a menu and seeing only numbers, choosing the lower calorie option, etc.)?
Not really. I order what I want, eat the amount that fits into my calorie goal and take the rest home.
But how do you know the calories to the point you know it fits? This is what I struggle with
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leanitup123 wrote: »Love reading everyone's opinions on the subject. Though many of you are saying that counting calories has no negative influence on your enjoyment of food, do you think it has had an effect on your relationship with food (example: looking at 2 choices on a menu and seeing only numbers, choosing the lower calorie option, etc.)?
Not really. I order what I want, eat the amount that fits into my calorie goal and take the rest home.
But how do you know the calories to the point you know it fits? This is what I struggle with
Good question. If calories are available on the menu or website I start there, knowing it's an estimate. If not I break the food down into component parts and use the opportunity to practice eyeballing portions in the serving, i.e. ~4 oz salmon, ~1/2 c veg, ~1/2 c rice and so on. I add calories for sauce/oil/butter (anywhere from 1 tsp to 1/4c depending on if it's a touch of olive oil on the veg or something swimming in butter sauce). From this I decide how much I can eat and fit in my calories. It's all approximate, but I also know that underestimating one restaurant meal won't do anything to undermine my weight-loss goals, as long as I'm being honest as I can with my estimates. After that I dig into my food stress-free and enjoy another meal with the leftovers.
BTW, it may sound complicated but this takes me about 20 seconds in real life because I've been doing this for so long it's pretty automatic.3 -
leanitup123 wrote: »Love reading everyone's opinions on the subject. Though many of you are saying that counting calories has no negative influence on your enjoyment of food, do you think it has had an effect on your relationship with food (example: looking at 2 choices on a menu and seeing only numbers, choosing the lower calorie option, etc.)?
Not really. I order what I want, eat the amount that fits into my calorie goal and take the rest home.
But how do you know the calories to the point you know it fits? This is what I struggle with
It gets easier to guess better. As you gain experience weighing out your portions and logging, it gets easier to eyeball the food someone else puts on your plate. I always guess the best I can, and will often log a tablespoon of butter or oil if something tastes really rich or extra yummy and I can't figure out why! 2 -
I have found that counting calories/knowing the content of the food that I am eating or about to eat actually helps me be less anxious about it. I have anxiety almost every time I eat something. I think this is something ingrained into me that food=fat and in the past I just wouldn't eat at all because I just *knew* whatever I ate would contribute to my obesity. Which as you all know - starvation is not the answer.
Now when I eat, I usually (when I can) log, or at least look up the content of the foods before I consume them. It makes my anxiety much better because I know what I can have that's within my daily goals. And I am not sitting there thinking the whole time I am eating "I wonder how much this is going to set me back?" or "How much of this can I eat before I am really going overboard?" Because once it is in front of me, I know how hard it is to stop. It always makes me feel good when I can come out of a potentially "bad" situation knowing I didn't overdo it. Hopefully the anxiety with food will subside at some point, as it is still pretty bad.
I have been tracking for about 5 months and it does get easier. I also think it is kind of "fun" to go into MFP and log my food/exercise. Like a previous poster said, I like to think of it almost like a game.
I have joked with my husband before that it would be so much easier if we didn't have to eat, but just hook up an IV of nutrients or something. SOOO much of my eating is fueled by emotion and cravings, and not nutritional value.1 -
fatnomoreplz wrote: »I have joked with my husband before that it would be so much easier if we didn't have to eat, but just hook up an IV of nutrients or something. SOOO much of my eating is fueled by emotion and cravings, and not nutritional value.
You don't want IV feed, that carries a very high risk of infection. But they do now install g-tubes to suck food out of the stomach for weight loss so you could get that and just put the food in instead of pump it out.*
*joking0
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