Welcome to Debate Club! Please be aware that this is a space for respectful debate, and that your ideas will be challenged here. Please remember to critique the argument, not the author.
What are your unpopular opinions about health / fitness?
Options
Replies
-
Packerjohn wrote: »Bry_Lander wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Bry_Lander wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »Dessert after meals is unnecessary and does nothing good for your health.
Unnecessary, true. Does nothing good for your health, that depends. If you really like having dessert after a meal and having it helps you moderate your calories and reduce your stress level, then it can be very healthy.
Is eating to reduce stress, dessert or anything else for that matter, really a good way to cope with stress?
Food is fuel, first and foremost. Ideally, it is the fuel that tastes good. Any type of emotional importance attached to food (aside from ceremonies (like birthdays, holidays) or food that has religious or ethnic meaning ) is of no benefit.
Oh I so disagree with that last sentence. I spend a lot of time and money on food and derive great pleasure from it. Pleasure is beneficial.
I think I'm just wired differently when it comes to food, perhaps that is why I have never really been overweight. I enjoy expensive food out occasionally - but if plans change and I have to eat something ordinary, life goes on. I have other outlets for pleasure that aren't oriented around food, lol.
I think I'm in your camp. I enjoy "good" food, but as long as I can get my nutritional needs taken care of I'm fine. I enjoy holidays like Thanksgiving for the fellowship. I enjoy the traditional Thanksgiving meal, a nice turkey with all the fixings and fine wine, but if the host said we were having Dominio's Pizza and PRB, I'd be fine.
I'm the exact opposite, I think of enjoyment and hunger first, then try to wrap my nutrition around it. This doesn't mean that if something doesn't pan out I'm devastated, I simply find something else I enjoy (Domino's fits the bill in this case). The first thing I did when I started dieting was let go of any foods I didn't enjoy much that I used to eat mindlessly. That saved a lot of calories.
Example today:
For breakfast, I was slightly hungry but not much. I wasn't wanting anything in particular so I just made a greek yogurt sandwich (which I love). Oddly, hunger intensified for some reason so my line of thinking went like this: what is something I really really enjoy but is usually filling to me? The answer was semolina pudding. I made that and enjoyed the hell out of it.
Lunch: thought about having a falafel sandwich for dinner and it has a lot of calories, so decided on a light lunch. The cantaloupe looked juicy and delicious and it's usually filling to me, so I had that plus a couple of apricots for lunch.
Falafel sandwich didn't pan out, so I was left with plenty of calories and wasn't really hungry. Popcorn sounded nice, so I made popcorn purely for pleasure.
Dinner: was too lazy to cook something time consuming and I needed some protein so I made an omelet with smoked turkey. I love smoked turkey. It was filling, but I was feeling like ice cream, so I had ice cream purely for pleasure.
I still had nearly 300 calories left and I could have left it at that and banked them for another day, but I got a sudden urge for dates with a glass of milk, and I had the calories for that so why not? I enjoyed the hell out of it and ended the day within my planned intake.
My eating was stress-free and very pleasurable. On a different day I might have decided banking those calories would provide me with another anticipated and planned food pleasure that I rank higher than dates and milk, but that wasn't the case today. Operating like this has taken me far without having to change something that has been a part of me since I was a child and has taken quite a bit of stress out of the process of dieting.5 -
Is a Greek yoghurt sandwich exactly what it sounds like?0
-
VintageFeline wrote: »Is a Greek yoghurt sandwich exactly what it sounds like?
I'm thinking it's like an iced cream sandwich, but with frozen Greek yogurt instead of iced cream. I, obviously, could be mistaken.
edit: Yep, I was mistaken, per the below.0 -
VintageFeline wrote: »Is a Greek yoghurt sandwich exactly what it sounds like?
Oh it's how we've always traditionally eaten greek yogurt: plain, full fat, savory, salted and with bread. More like a spread or a dip than something you eat with a spoon. Usually with olive oil and sometimes with deli and tomato or some other enhancers in the sandwich.
ETA: Google "Labneh".3 -
myNeed2Exerc1se wrote: »Bry_Lander wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »Bry_Lander wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Bry_Lander wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »Dessert after meals is unnecessary and does nothing good for your health.
Unnecessary, true. Does nothing good for your health, that depends. If you really like having dessert after a meal and having it helps you moderate your calories and reduce your stress level, then it can be very healthy.
Is eating to reduce stress, dessert or anything else for that matter, really a good way to cope with stress?
Food is fuel, first and foremost. Ideally, it is the fuel that tastes good. Any type of emotional importance attached to food (aside from ceremonies (like birthdays, holidays) or food that has religious or ethnic meaning ) is of no benefit.
Oh I so disagree with that last sentence. I spend a lot of time and money on food and derive great pleasure from it. Pleasure is beneficial.
I think I'm just wired differently when it comes to food, perhaps that is why I have never really been overweight. I enjoy expensive food out occasionally - but if plans change and I have to eat something ordinary, life goes on. I have other outlets for pleasure that aren't oriented around food, lol.
I get pleasure from food and I've never been over BMI 23 and am 18.7 now. You can get pleasure from food and not overeat.
I get that - but the almost 70% of the people in the US who are obese don't.
I understand that my "food is fuel first and pleasure second" policy is unpopular, which makes this particular thread the perfect place to share it
'pleasure second' isn't exactly what you said though. You said "Any type of emotional importance attached to food (aside from ceremonies (like birthdays, holidays) or food that has religious or ethnic meaning ) is of no benefit."
Pleasure itself is a benefit.
I guess to put it a different way: the pleasure derived from eating food that I consider "healthy" is greater than the pleasure I derive from eating something that is sort of a "cheat" food (I know this will trigger some, but that is how I reference it ).
The other day I had some calories left and a chance to eat a piece of my son's birthday ice cream cake. I decided instead to have a Greek yogurt with a half scoop of protein powder in it (he is six and does not care if I eat his cake or not, so it isn't a matter of etiquette). It gave me more pleasure to eat that because the yogurt was high protein and low fat while the cake was high carb / high fat / high sugar. I'm in pretty good shape and could have withstood eating the cake without a problem, but I chose something that was more oriented toward "fuel". To me, that is more pleasurable and more of a stress reliever than eating the dessert.0 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »VintageFeline wrote: »Is a Greek yoghurt sandwich exactly what it sounds like?
Oh it's how we've always traditionally eaten greek yogurt: plain, full fat, savory, salted and with bread. More like a spread or a dip than something you eat with a spoon. Usually with olive oil and sometimes with deli and tomato or some other enhancers in the sandwich.
ETA: Google "Labneh".
i love labneh! with some sliced cucumbers and red onions and black pepper that sounds amazing.2 -
I am extremely confused by purposely making food not taste good because "it's fuel". Or maybe the argument is the old parent argument of "poor children in Africa can't enjoy their food so you aren't allowed to either"?11
-
jessiferrrb wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »VintageFeline wrote: »Is a Greek yoghurt sandwich exactly what it sounds like?
Oh it's how we've always traditionally eaten greek yogurt: plain, full fat, savory, salted and with bread. More like a spread or a dip than something you eat with a spoon. Usually with olive oil and sometimes with deli and tomato or some other enhancers in the sandwich.
ETA: Google "Labneh".
i love labneh! with some sliced cucumbers and red onions and black pepper that sounds amazing.
Yeah, it's amazing. Before the term "Greek yogurt" became mainstream I used to explain it to others as "lightly salted yogurt cheese, like a softer tangy cream cheese" because that's closer to how it's used than what comes to mind when someone says "Greek yogurt".2 -
Bry_Lander wrote: »myNeed2Exerc1se wrote: »Bry_Lander wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »Bry_Lander wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Bry_Lander wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »Dessert after meals is unnecessary and does nothing good for your health.
Unnecessary, true. Does nothing good for your health, that depends. If you really like having dessert after a meal and having it helps you moderate your calories and reduce your stress level, then it can be very healthy.
Is eating to reduce stress, dessert or anything else for that matter, really a good way to cope with stress?
Food is fuel, first and foremost. Ideally, it is the fuel that tastes good. Any type of emotional importance attached to food (aside from ceremonies (like birthdays, holidays) or food that has religious or ethnic meaning ) is of no benefit.
Oh I so disagree with that last sentence. I spend a lot of time and money on food and derive great pleasure from it. Pleasure is beneficial.
I think I'm just wired differently when it comes to food, perhaps that is why I have never really been overweight. I enjoy expensive food out occasionally - but if plans change and I have to eat something ordinary, life goes on. I have other outlets for pleasure that aren't oriented around food, lol.
I get pleasure from food and I've never been over BMI 23 and am 18.7 now. You can get pleasure from food and not overeat.
I get that - but the almost 70% of the people in the US who are obese don't.
I understand that my "food is fuel first and pleasure second" policy is unpopular, which makes this particular thread the perfect place to share it
'pleasure second' isn't exactly what you said though. You said "Any type of emotional importance attached to food (aside from ceremonies (like birthdays, holidays) or food that has religious or ethnic meaning ) is of no benefit."
Pleasure itself is a benefit.
I guess to put it a different way: the pleasure derived from eating food that I consider "healthy" is greater than the pleasure I derive from eating something that is sort of a "cheat" food (I know this will trigger some, but that is how I reference it ).
The other day I had some calories left and a chance to eat a piece of my son's birthday ice cream cake. I decided instead to have a Greek yogurt with a half scoop of protein powder in it (he is six and does not care if I eat his cake or not, so it isn't a matter of etiquette). It gave me more pleasure to eat that because the yogurt was high protein and low fat while the cake was high carb / high fat / high sugar. I'm in pretty good shape and could have withstood eating the cake without a problem, but I chose something that was more oriented toward "fuel". To me, that is more pleasurable and more of a stress reliever than eating the dessert.
All this and he's thinking more for me .3 -
stevencloser wrote: »I am extremely confused by purposely making food not taste good because "it's fuel". Or maybe the argument is the old parent argument of "poor children in Africa can't enjoy their food so you aren't allowed to either"?
So am I, who stated that?
4 -
Packerjohn wrote: »Bry_Lander wrote: »myNeed2Exerc1se wrote: »Bry_Lander wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »Bry_Lander wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Bry_Lander wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »Dessert after meals is unnecessary and does nothing good for your health.
Unnecessary, true. Does nothing good for your health, that depends. If you really like having dessert after a meal and having it helps you moderate your calories and reduce your stress level, then it can be very healthy.
Is eating to reduce stress, dessert or anything else for that matter, really a good way to cope with stress?
Food is fuel, first and foremost. Ideally, it is the fuel that tastes good. Any type of emotional importance attached to food (aside from ceremonies (like birthdays, holidays) or food that has religious or ethnic meaning ) is of no benefit.
Oh I so disagree with that last sentence. I spend a lot of time and money on food and derive great pleasure from it. Pleasure is beneficial.
I think I'm just wired differently when it comes to food, perhaps that is why I have never really been overweight. I enjoy expensive food out occasionally - but if plans change and I have to eat something ordinary, life goes on. I have other outlets for pleasure that aren't oriented around food, lol.
I get pleasure from food and I've never been over BMI 23 and am 18.7 now. You can get pleasure from food and not overeat.
I get that - but the almost 70% of the people in the US who are obese don't.
I understand that my "food is fuel first and pleasure second" policy is unpopular, which makes this particular thread the perfect place to share it
'pleasure second' isn't exactly what you said though. You said "Any type of emotional importance attached to food (aside from ceremonies (like birthdays, holidays) or food that has religious or ethnic meaning ) is of no benefit."
Pleasure itself is a benefit.
I guess to put it a different way: the pleasure derived from eating food that I consider "healthy" is greater than the pleasure I derive from eating something that is sort of a "cheat" food (I know this will trigger some, but that is how I reference it ).
The other day I had some calories left and a chance to eat a piece of my son's birthday ice cream cake. I decided instead to have a Greek yogurt with a half scoop of protein powder in it (he is six and does not care if I eat his cake or not, so it isn't a matter of etiquette). It gave me more pleasure to eat that because the yogurt was high protein and low fat while the cake was high carb / high fat / high sugar. I'm in pretty good shape and could have withstood eating the cake without a problem, but I chose something that was more oriented toward "fuel". To me, that is more pleasurable and more of a stress reliever than eating the dessert.
All this and he's thinking more for me .
In my case it would be: what sounds more pleasurable to me now? Cake or Greek yogurt with protein powder? If it's cake, then I have cake, if it's not then I don't have cake. I usually opt for the cake simply because I like the social aspect and the ritual of eating it with family and friends if it's a birthday, but you would be surprised how many times something seemingly "healthy" appealed to me more than something that is not not usually considered so. When I say I eat for pleasure people imagine someone stuffing donuts down their throat all day (which I don't like by the way) when in reality I get just as excited about barley soup or roasted cauliflower.3 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »French_Peasant wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »French_Peasant wrote: »(Was it this thread where someone mentioned gazpacho? THANK YOU!!!)
Gazpacho is one of my favorite parts of summer.
I was thinking it was you that had mentioned it...I have the cukes, tomatoes and garlic lined up and ready to go! Unfortunately I have a countertop cuke-to-tomato ratio of about 10:1.
Everyone I know who plants cucumbers seems to be over run with them this year. This seems to be the 'year of the cuke'. IDK what the heck I am going to do with all the pickles.
The cooler, wetter weather has been great for them...and of course, this is the year we had to plant 10 hills (and netted them against critters) for 4-H. In the past, either the heat or the deer have gotten them before they go too crazy. We planted Marketmores and Burpless, and I am now wishing I had planted some pickling varieties. I will still pickle the slicers, but they aren't as crisp as a good pickler. Lesson learned.
All the tomatoes, peppers, squashes, eggplants, and okra are just sitting there, in various stages of development, just not progressing. We had about a week of good hot weather, and now a couple of weeks in the low 80s/high 70s with nights in the 50s and 60s. My habaneros especially have been horribly blighted.3 -
jessiferrrb wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »VintageFeline wrote: »Is a Greek yoghurt sandwich exactly what it sounds like?
Oh it's how we've always traditionally eaten greek yogurt: plain, full fat, savory, salted and with bread. More like a spread or a dip than something you eat with a spoon. Usually with olive oil and sometimes with deli and tomato or some other enhancers in the sandwich.
ETA: Google "Labneh".
i love labneh! with some sliced cucumbers and red onions and black pepper that sounds amazing.
Duly noted for my cuke issues...:)1 -
French_Peasant wrote: »jessiferrrb wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »VintageFeline wrote: »Is a Greek yoghurt sandwich exactly what it sounds like?
Oh it's how we've always traditionally eaten greek yogurt: plain, full fat, savory, salted and with bread. More like a spread or a dip than something you eat with a spoon. Usually with olive oil and sometimes with deli and tomato or some other enhancers in the sandwich.
ETA: Google "Labneh".
i love labneh! with some sliced cucumbers and red onions and black pepper that sounds amazing.
Duly noted for my cuke issues...:)
Mom used to make me "cucumber boats" with it. Slice in half lengthwise, spoon out some of the center, fill with a mix of labneh and mint.7 -
French_Peasant wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »French_Peasant wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »French_Peasant wrote: »(Was it this thread where someone mentioned gazpacho? THANK YOU!!!)
Gazpacho is one of my favorite parts of summer.
I was thinking it was you that had mentioned it...I have the cukes, tomatoes and garlic lined up and ready to go! Unfortunately I have a countertop cuke-to-tomato ratio of about 10:1.
Everyone I know who plants cucumbers seems to be over run with them this year. This seems to be the 'year of the cuke'. IDK what the heck I am going to do with all the pickles.
The cooler, wetter weather has been great for them...and of course, this is the year we had to plant 10 hills (and netted them against critters) for 4-H. In the past, either the heat or the deer have gotten them before they go too crazy. We planted Marketmores and Burpless, and I am now wishing I had planted some pickling varieties. I will still pickle the slicers, but they aren't as crisp as a good pickler. Lesson learned.
All the tomatoes, peppers, squashes, eggplants, and okra are just sitting there, in various stages of development, just not progressing. We had about a week of good hot weather, and now a couple of weeks in the low 80s/high 70s with nights in the 50s and 60s. My habaneros especially have been horribly blighted.
I can't even imagine. We planted 4 plants, 2 regular (can't remember what type now but a basic slicing cucumber) and 2 pickling. I've already put up 21 quarts of pickles, eaten cucumbers until I'm almost sick of them, and taken several bags of them to the homeless shelter and they just keep coming.
It wouldn't be so bad but neither my husband or I eat a lot of pickles.3 -
Bry_Lander wrote: »myNeed2Exerc1se wrote: »Bry_Lander wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »Bry_Lander wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Bry_Lander wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »Dessert after meals is unnecessary and does nothing good for your health.
Unnecessary, true. Does nothing good for your health, that depends. If you really like having dessert after a meal and having it helps you moderate your calories and reduce your stress level, then it can be very healthy.
Is eating to reduce stress, dessert or anything else for that matter, really a good way to cope with stress?
Food is fuel, first and foremost. Ideally, it is the fuel that tastes good. Any type of emotional importance attached to food (aside from ceremonies (like birthdays, holidays) or food that has religious or ethnic meaning ) is of no benefit.
Oh I so disagree with that last sentence. I spend a lot of time and money on food and derive great pleasure from it. Pleasure is beneficial.
I think I'm just wired differently when it comes to food, perhaps that is why I have never really been overweight. I enjoy expensive food out occasionally - but if plans change and I have to eat something ordinary, life goes on. I have other outlets for pleasure that aren't oriented around food, lol.
I get pleasure from food and I've never been over BMI 23 and am 18.7 now. You can get pleasure from food and not overeat.
I get that - but the almost 70% of the people in the US who are obese don't.
I understand that my "food is fuel first and pleasure second" policy is unpopular, which makes this particular thread the perfect place to share it
'pleasure second' isn't exactly what you said though. You said "Any type of emotional importance attached to food (aside from ceremonies (like birthdays, holidays) or food that has religious or ethnic meaning ) is of no benefit."
Pleasure itself is a benefit.
I guess to put it a different way: the pleasure derived from eating food that I consider "healthy" is greater than the pleasure I derive from eating something that is sort of a "cheat" food (I know this will trigger some, but that is how I reference it ).
The other day I had some calories left and a chance to eat a piece of my son's birthday ice cream cake. I decided instead to have a Greek yogurt with a half scoop of protein powder in it (he is six and does not care if I eat his cake or not, so it isn't a matter of etiquette). It gave me more pleasure to eat that because the yogurt was high protein and low fat while the cake was high carb / high fat / high sugar. I'm in pretty good shape and could have withstood eating the cake without a problem, but I chose something that was more oriented toward "fuel". To me, that is more pleasurable and more of a stress reliever than eating the dessert.
You are considering long term risk/reward in making this decision rather than immediate gratification, which is where the majority of the population is at.
Bringing up the financial analogy this is akin to depositing your tuppence into an investment account to further a larger goal such as saving for a home.4 -
Bry_Lander wrote: »stevencloser wrote: »I am extremely confused by purposely making food not taste good because "it's fuel". Or maybe the argument is the old parent argument of "poor children in Africa can't enjoy their food so you aren't allowed to either"?
So am I, who stated that?
I dunno. Cause I have no idea what your point is. You appear to think food tasting good is a bad thing.5 -
Bry_Lander wrote: »stevencloser wrote: »I am extremely confused by purposely making food not taste good because "it's fuel". Or maybe the argument is the old parent argument of "poor children in Africa can't enjoy their food so you aren't allowed to either"?
So am I, who stated that?
What is your point?
I will agree that you're not explicitly against food tasting good, but you seem to have an issue with people enjoying it. It would follow, logically, that part of enjoying food is enjoying how it tastes.
You seem to have very black or white thinking on this issue. Reading between the lines of what you posted, it's almost as if it's not okay in your books for fat people to enjoy food for pleasure because they're fat.
Why?
Why can't food be good, and pleasurable and still within the realm of someone's correct energy balance?
I think your cut-and-dried, rather dull "food is fuel" and your initial point was that maybe fat people should remove emotions from eating as... what? Punishment for being fat? OR is that your solution to the obesity crisis?
Whatever you're doing, I don't think people who ignore the nuances of humankind's relationship with food have a balanced relationship with it. Food as fuel is just one aspect.
You might want to do some soul searching.15 -
GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »Bry_Lander wrote: »stevencloser wrote: »I am extremely confused by purposely making food not taste good because "it's fuel". Or maybe the argument is the old parent argument of "poor children in Africa can't enjoy their food so you aren't allowed to either"?
So am I, who stated that?
What is your point?
I will agree that you're not explicitly against food tasting good, but you seem to have an issue with people enjoying it. It would follow, logically, that part of enjoying food is enjoying how it tastes.
You seem to have very black or white thinking on this issue. Reading between the lines of what you posted, it's almost as if it's not okay in your books for fat people to enjoy food for pleasure because they're fat.
Why?
Why can't food be good, and pleasurable and still within the realm of someone's correct energy balance?
I think your cut-and-dried, rather dull "food is fuel" and your initial point was that maybe fat people should remove emotions from eating as... what? Punishment for being fat? OR is that your solution to the obesity crisis?
Whatever you're doing, I don't think people who ignore the nuances of humankind's relationship with food have a balanced relationship with it. Food as fuel is just one aspect.
You might want to do some soul searching.
Once again I agree with a post from @GottaBurnEmAll. Extremes of any kind lead to disordered eating, disordered living, and ultimately failure. Moderation wins the race as the hare learned all too clearly.10 -
This is the food for pleasure discussion, in brief:Dessert after meals is unnecessary and does nothing good for your health.amusedmonkey wrote: »Unnecessary, true. Does nothing good for your health, that depends. If you really like having dessert after a meal and having it helps you moderate your calories and reduce your stress level, then it can be very healthy.estherdragonbat wrote: »Agreed. It also depends on the dessert and the context. Granita or sorbet in hot weather may help you cool off and stay hydrated. Low calorie desserts—at least, the ones I make—often contain a decent amount of fruit. (And the fruit may mean less added sugar). And some of them have a small but respectable 4g protein per serving.livingleanlivingclean wrote: »What if my dessert is fruit, natural yoghurt, protein powder, nuts and fits my calories and macros? Maybe not necessary, but probably contributing to micronutrients/vitamins/minerals I'd otherwise not get.
Mental health is also important - if a small treat after dinner makes me feel good, happy, satisfied etc, is that a bad thing?
My addition: dessert just means eating a little something after a meal. Since what it is varies so greatly, in saying dessert "does nothing good for health" the assumption seems to be that eating something just for enjoyment (even if it ALSO has nutritional benefits -- like the desserts mentioned above) is somehow bad. I'm not sure how a dessert is different from a planned snack, but whatever.
Anyway, the discussion continued with some questioning about whether emotional health/enjoyment/stress release is worth considering in determining whether dessert may do something, and as I read it, Bry comes down against that:Bry_Lander wrote: »With almost 70% of the US considered obese, I think we can safely conclude that people are utilizing food as something more than a means to fuel themselves. Emotional/psychological eating is an epidemic and diminishing the prevalence of this type of relationship with food is crucial to reducing destructive eating habits. If you are in control of your eating and at a healthy weight, I don't think you really need to be concerned if you are occasionally eating "emotionally"
So he seems to be asserting that being concerned with having a pleasurable diet is somehow unhealthy, although I admit I found this post confusing, as it seems to contradict itself.
I am not at all sure that obesity in the US is connected with someone saving room for a pleasurable dessert or eating something special that they really savor (which is what I think of as a planned dessert).
I think there are tons of reasons for obesity in the US, but I would not be surprised if a lot of it is fast consumption of food that isn't seen as that special, but just happens to be around, or someone is grabbing for convenience.
As for the birthday cake vs. protein powder yogurt (if I am remembering correctly) concept, I don't see one or the other as more about pleasure or more "dessert." I might well find yogurt with some nut butter (I'm not a big fan of protein powder) more enjoyable as a dessert than a kid's b-day cake (I'm not that into cake, and am quite picky about the cake I want to eat). That's especially true since I get pleasure from meeting my nutrition goals (although the idea that one is high carb and one high protein wouldn't concern me unless I were trying to meet low carb goals (which I often do), I see no particular value/virtue to going over on protein, and if I had a good many vegetables and enough protein and healthy fats in my day I wouldn't think the protein powder and yogurt added anything the cake did not.
On the other hand, I would probably prefer (on average) the amount I could get for the same calories with the yogurt and nut butter (even though that's high cal too).
But might I plan for a dessert after a special dinner or if going to book club with a friend who likes baking plan for having some of whatever her new creation is, and I would see no reason to feel bad or guilty or like I was undermining my health by having some. I would find it less healthy -- for me -- to make a big thing about how I don't eat baked goods, since I eat only for fuel.
Mostly I think this discussion is weird since the yogurt is as much a dessert as the cake is. The idea seems to be that if you care at all about enjoying food that's bad.
I guess I'm glad that to me it's not all the same to go to Domino's vs. a lovely local Italian place where I love the food. Not that there's anything wrong with enjoying Domino's if you do, but I do find the specific food matters to me (not that I need high cal food every night or even most, and I'm a simple cook much of the time). I also find the environment matters to me, and that's part of food being more than just fuel -- it's social and ritual and about the creation and appreciation, to me.
And yes, I'm sure that makes it harder not to overeat in many cases than for someone who doesn't care much about food, that's life, I don't think I'd trade it. And from what I see on MFP, a surprisingly high number of people who are overweight or obese seem to hate food or be so picky as to have a very narrow experience of it. I also know lots of foodies who are thin (and thin athletic sorts who are really into food), so I'm inclined to think enjoying food and taking pleasure in it doesn't have much to do with whether you will be fat or not. There's more to it.13
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.5K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 392 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 927 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions