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?
Replies
-
My unpopular opinion is that I love food. And not crappy frankenfood like chips, fast food and most stuff that comes in a box. But rather creative and perfectly-executed dishes featuring nuanced flavors and cooking techniques.
People that share their diaries while losing, but show that they eat protein/nutrient bars, frozen meals and other pre-packaged foods make me sad, because that kind of food is just so unsatisfying to me. I want to lose while eating well (not high-calorie food, but elevated food.)
I hate chain restaurants and never go there. (This makes calculating calories when I go out to eat really hard, though.)
I'm a foodie. I love great food beyond measure. I also love "trashy" food too. It scratches a different sort of itch. I also rarely eat at chains and there are hardly any where I live. But I'm not averse to a McDs hash brown or a ready meal (more likely from the fridge and they happen to be pretty good quality here in the UK).
Don't feel sad for me. I'm not. Because I'm not a food snob and I eat what I like.8 -
VintageFeline wrote: »My unpopular opinion is that I love food. And not crappy frankenfood like chips, fast food and most stuff that comes in a box. But rather creative and perfectly-executed dishes featuring nuanced flavors and cooking techniques.
People that share their diaries while losing, but show that they eat protein/nutrient bars, frozen meals and other pre-packaged foods make me sad, because that kind of food is just so unsatisfying to me. I want to lose while eating well (not high-calorie food, but elevated food.)
I hate chain restaurants and never go there. (This makes calculating calories when I go out to eat really hard, though.)
I'm a foodie. I love great food beyond measure. I also love "trashy" food too. It scratches a different sort of itch. I also rarely eat at chains and there are hardly any where I live. But I'm not averse to a McDs hash brown or a ready meal (more likely from the fridge and they happen to be pretty good quality here in the UK).
Don't feel sad for me. I'm not. Because I'm not a food snob and I eat what I like.
This. I make a lot of my own food, but you'll also find me enjoying premade or purchased food like tortilla chips, Tater Tots, or Taco Bell burritos.4 -
agreed
I cook a lot...but my diary has protein bars and frozen meals and prepackaged foods...
sometimes I don't have time but want to eat macro appropriate foods...nothing wrong with that or anything sad about it...esp considering...
it's all relative and about perspective2 -
I love food. I also love lots of local restaurants with interesting food that are impossible to log accurately (I'm in Chicago, we have a pretty good and wide-ranging food scene, and when we were recently visiting my mom near Portland we made sure to get at least one dinner out in Portland for the same reason; I also enjoy cooking, green markets, blah, blah).
I suppose other people thinking they cannot eat food they love but must only eat diet food or food with calories on the box even though they didn't enjoy it would make me a bit sad for them (but eh, there are a lot more significant things to feel sad about).
Other people enjoying foods I don't particularly enjoy does not make me sad. Why would it?
Also, I'm sure I eat some weird stuff or otherwise stuff that you might not enjoy. That does not mean I did not enjoy it, so please don't feel sad about my possibly deplorable taste, there are many actually sad things in the world.4 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »My unpopular opinion is that I love food. And not crappy frankenfood like chips, fast food and most stuff that comes in a box. But rather creative and perfectly-executed dishes featuring nuanced flavors and cooking techniques.
People that share their diaries while losing, but show that they eat protein/nutrient bars, frozen meals and other pre-packaged foods make me sad, because that kind of food is just so unsatisfying to me. I want to lose while eating well (not high-calorie food, but elevated food.)
I hate chain restaurants and never go there. (This makes calculating calories when I go out to eat really hard, though.)
Not sure why or how you loving food would be an unpopular opinion. How would anyone but you even know whether you loved food or not?
I love food too. But I'm no food snob. I don't think food is automatically less tasty because it's mass produced or popular. Maybe that's my unpopular opinion, though I doubt it actually is unpopular.
Ah, those are the words I was searching for! In my opinion that's a good description of people who judge other people's food choices.4 -
I am a total food tragic. I would make people gasp with the amount of money I've spent on a single meal. I will spend all day cooking an 8 course degustation for a half dozen people. I spend the kind of money on food that some women spend on Jimmy Choos.
I still LOVE a cheeseburger, a hot dog, party pies, dinosaur shaped tempura nuggets, and 2 minute noodles.12 -
My unpopular opinion is that I love food. And not crappy frankenfood like chips, fast food and most stuff that comes in a box. But rather creative and perfectly-executed dishes featuring nuanced flavors and cooking techniques.
People that share their diaries while losing, but show that they eat protein/nutrient bars, frozen meals and other pre-packaged foods make me sad, because that kind of food is just so unsatisfying to me. I want to lose while eating well (not high-calorie food, but elevated food.)
I hate chain restaurants and never go there. (This makes calculating calories when I go out to eat really hard, though.)
If you have the time and resources to regularly make or be served "creative and perfectly-executed dishes featuring nuanced flavors and cooking techniques" you have made lifestyle choices drastically different than mine. My priorities are family, fitness, and career, and these generally burn about 98% of my waking hours. Therefore, I am constantly eating protein bars, frozen meals, prepackaged food, and fast food or else I will be going hungry. If I'm warming up a frozen dinner it is because I just walked in from work and have to pick a kid up from sports in 20 minutes or I skipped my lunch to exercise and will be eating at my desk, not because I have all this time on my hands and I lack the motivation or imagination to eat something better.
Don't let this make you sad - I'm not complaining, I wouldn't change any of my choices, and being a practicing foodie is extremely far down my list of priorities.10 -
Bry_Lander wrote: »My unpopular opinion is that I love food. And not crappy frankenfood like chips, fast food and most stuff that comes in a box. But rather creative and perfectly-executed dishes featuring nuanced flavors and cooking techniques.
People that share their diaries while losing, but show that they eat protein/nutrient bars, frozen meals and other pre-packaged foods make me sad, because that kind of food is just so unsatisfying to me. I want to lose while eating well (not high-calorie food, but elevated food.)
I hate chain restaurants and never go there. (This makes calculating calories when I go out to eat really hard, though.)
If you have the time and resources to regularly make or be served "creative and perfectly-executed dishes featuring nuanced flavors and cooking techniques" you have made lifestyle choices drastically different than mine. My priorities are family, fitness, and career, and these generally burn about 98% of my waking hours. Therefore, I am constantly eating protein bars, frozen meals, prepackaged food, and fast food or else I will be going hungry. If I'm warming up a frozen dinner it is because I just walked in from work and have to pick a kid up from sports in 20 minutes or I skipped my lunch to exercise and will be eating at my desk, not because I have all this time on my hands and I lack the motivation or imagination to eat something better.
Don't let this make you sad - I'm not complaining, I wouldn't change any of my choices, and being a practicing foodie is extremely far down my list of priorities.
Exactly. Someone who is regularly choosing premade/easier to prepare foods may be making a deliberate choice to prioritize other things or achieve other goals and I consider that to be a completely rational choice that may lead to fulfillment. Why would I feel sad for them?
Some people may enjoy spending more time selecting and preparing their food, others don't. And people may switch back and forth between styles in their life as their priorities and lifestyles change.
Regularly eating a "perfectly-executed" meal isn't some universal good that everyone is obligated to go after at the expense of other obligations and goals. It's just one of many things that can make life good and honestly, very few of us are maximizing every single opportunity for happiness that is out there for us. We're choosing to go after the ones that we think will make us happiest or lead to the best chance of future rewards.4 -
Aaron_K123 wrote: »My most unpopular idea about fitness tends to be that I am right and you are wrong. Typically you don't like being wrong, especially when I am right.
Yeah, I've been meaning to message you and tell you how much you suck when you're right, but that would be wrong of me and contrary to what you think I'm the one who's never wrong.3 -
janejellyroll wrote: »Bry_Lander wrote: »My unpopular opinion is that I love food. And not crappy frankenfood like chips, fast food and most stuff that comes in a box. But rather creative and perfectly-executed dishes featuring nuanced flavors and cooking techniques.
People that share their diaries while losing, but show that they eat protein/nutrient bars, frozen meals and other pre-packaged foods make me sad, because that kind of food is just so unsatisfying to me. I want to lose while eating well (not high-calorie food, but elevated food.)
I hate chain restaurants and never go there. (This makes calculating calories when I go out to eat really hard, though.)
If you have the time and resources to regularly make or be served "creative and perfectly-executed dishes featuring nuanced flavors and cooking techniques" you have made lifestyle choices drastically different than mine. My priorities are family, fitness, and career, and these generally burn about 98% of my waking hours. Therefore, I am constantly eating protein bars, frozen meals, prepackaged food, and fast food or else I will be going hungry. If I'm warming up a frozen dinner it is because I just walked in from work and have to pick a kid up from sports in 20 minutes or I skipped my lunch to exercise and will be eating at my desk, not because I have all this time on my hands and I lack the motivation or imagination to eat something better.
Don't let this make you sad - I'm not complaining, I wouldn't change any of my choices, and being a practicing foodie is extremely far down my list of priorities.
Exactly. Someone who is regularly choosing premade/easier to prepare foods may be making a deliberate choice to prioritize other things or achieve other goals and I consider that to be a completely rational choice that may lead to fulfillment. Why would I feel sad for them?
Some people may enjoy spending more time selecting and preparing their food, others don't. And people may switch back and forth between styles in their life as their priorities and lifestyles change.
Regularly eating a "perfectly-executed" meal isn't some universal good that everyone is obligated to go after at the expense of other obligations and goals. It's just one of many things that can make life good and honestly, very few of us are maximizing every single opportunity for happiness that is out there for us. We're choosing to go after the ones that we think will make us happiest or lead to the best chance of future rewards.
It's also for other reasons too. I am a genuine fire risk a lot of the time if I attempt to actually cook because of cognitive/dissociation stuff. So excuse me for trying not burn down my flat and those around me. I'll whack a macro happy ready meal in the microwave over cooking from scratch because that's actually the best choice. And there can be others with health issues and disabilities who absolutely love "fine dining" but just can't do it at home for themselves.12 -
I do feel a little sad for people who post that they are finding healthy eating challenging or low-calorie eating unsatisfying, but don't even begin to know how to cook (i.e., time or priority are not the problem, knowledge is).
Obviously, they can learn, but I can see how it would seem daunting, especially if you don't have a social context that fosters that learning. Besides, internalizing it, to the point that it seems easy, can take a while.
There are quite a few things I learned kind of gradually and organically, starting as a child, that it's hard for me to imagine living without (cooking, utility sewing, basic carpentry/tool use, gardening, canning/freezing, etc.). I feel lucky/grateful about those, even though I don't do them every day.3 -
I don’t care about calorie counting. I don’t care about portion control. I don’t care about frequency of workouts. I just try to not eat like an acehole all the time and get workouts in when I can.4
-
@AnnPT77 i agree - in my experience, it seems like home cooking in general has gone to the wayside for a majority of people because they have never had that experience or been taught how1
-
janejellyroll wrote: »My unpopular opinion is that I love food. And not crappy frankenfood like chips, fast food and most stuff that comes in a box. But rather creative and perfectly-executed dishes featuring nuanced flavors and cooking techniques.
People that share their diaries while losing, but show that they eat protein/nutrient bars, frozen meals and other pre-packaged foods make me sad, because that kind of food is just so unsatisfying to me. I want to lose while eating well (not high-calorie food, but elevated food.)
I hate chain restaurants and never go there. (This makes calculating calories when I go out to eat really hard, though.)
But the people who are eating those things either find them satisfying or find the time saved by choosing those options helps them enjoy other priorities in life.
I just can't imagine someone else's food diary making *me* sad. Taste is so subjective. The foods that thrill me might leave you unhappy, but as long as we're both eating what we want and meeting our goals, it's a good thing . . . right?
I agree with the exception that I'm sometimes saddened by how little food some people seem to eat in a day especially when it's over a period of time and not just 1 low day here and there.3 -
cahubbard6421 wrote: »I don’t care about calorie counting. I don’t care about portion control. I don’t care about frequency of workouts. I just try to not eat like an acehole all the time and get workouts in when I can.
Seems odd that you are on a calorie counting site then.8 -
I do feel a little sad for people who post that they are finding healthy eating challenging or low-calorie eating unsatisfying, but don't even begin to know how to cook (i.e., time or priority are not the problem, knowledge is).
Obviously, they can learn, but I can see how it would seem daunting, especially if you don't have a social context that fosters that learning. Besides, internalizing it, to the point that it seems easy, can take a while.
There are quite a few things I learned kind of gradually and organically, starting as a child, that it's hard for me to imagine living without (cooking, utility sewing, basic carpentry/tool use, gardening, canning/freezing, etc.). I feel lucky/grateful about those, even though I don't do them every day.
My parents both cooked, but it was mostly "comfort food", with a lot of grease, breading, butter, sugar, and salt. It was delicious, but when I was in my early teens (an age where I think most people embrace cooking for themselves) they had steadily gained weight and started developing high cholesterol and high blood pressure issues, and I didn't have any interest in cooking like this for myself. I ate whatever they made and I could absorb this type of diet without any health issues because I was young and active, but I didn't eat like that once I left home as an adult, and I never learned to cook (beyond the basics).3 -
cahubbard6421 wrote: »I don’t care about calorie counting. I don’t care about portion control. I don’t care about frequency of workouts. I just try to not eat like an acehole all the time and get workouts in when I can.
So are you gaining/losing/maintaining?1 -
cahubbard6421 wrote: »I don’t care about calorie counting. I don’t care about portion control. I don’t care about frequency of workouts. I just try to not eat like an acehole all the time and get workouts in when I can.
Seems odd that you are on a calorie counting site then.
It's a fitness site. A lot of people on here don't count calories.5 -
janejellyroll wrote: »Bry_Lander wrote: »My unpopular opinion is that I love food. And not crappy frankenfood like chips, fast food and most stuff that comes in a box. But rather creative and perfectly-executed dishes featuring nuanced flavors and cooking techniques.
People that share their diaries while losing, but show that they eat protein/nutrient bars, frozen meals and other pre-packaged foods make me sad, because that kind of food is just so unsatisfying to me. I want to lose while eating well (not high-calorie food, but elevated food.)
I hate chain restaurants and never go there. (This makes calculating calories when I go out to eat really hard, though.)
If you have the time and resources to regularly make or be served "creative and perfectly-executed dishes featuring nuanced flavors and cooking techniques" you have made lifestyle choices drastically different than mine. My priorities are family, fitness, and career, and these generally burn about 98% of my waking hours. Therefore, I am constantly eating protein bars, frozen meals, prepackaged food, and fast food or else I will be going hungry. If I'm warming up a frozen dinner it is because I just walked in from work and have to pick a kid up from sports in 20 minutes or I skipped my lunch to exercise and will be eating at my desk, not because I have all this time on my hands and I lack the motivation or imagination to eat something better.
Don't let this make you sad - I'm not complaining, I wouldn't change any of my choices, and being a practicing foodie is extremely far down my list of priorities.
Exactly. Someone who is regularly choosing premade/easier to prepare foods may be making a deliberate choice to prioritize other things or achieve other goals and I consider that to be a completely rational choice that may lead to fulfillment. Why would I feel sad for them?
Some people may enjoy spending more time selecting and preparing their food, others don't. And people may switch back and forth between styles in their life as their priorities and lifestyles change.
Regularly eating a "perfectly-executed" meal isn't some universal good that everyone is obligated to go after at the expense of other obligations and goals. It's just one of many things that can make life good and honestly, very few of us are maximizing every single opportunity for happiness that is out there for us. We're choosing to go after the ones that we think will make us happiest or lead to the best chance of future rewards.
I tend not to eat many packaged foods (except breakfast cereal, I love the stuff) for a variety of reasons (mostly food intolerance related), but I find this whole idea of the dichotomy of "perfectly executed meals" and people not having an appreciation for food rather odd.
I love food. I adore the simple pleasure AND convenience of a well-roasted butternut squash. Or a serving of cottage cheese. My family likes a simple green tossed salad with dinner every night with very little dressing so that the vegetables stay nice and crisp and the flavor of them shines through.
This idea that food needs to be complicated to be enjoyed? Don't be sad for people enjoying food in different ways. I'm pretty sure most people enjoy, at the very least, no longer feeling hungry, once they eat.
For my part, I enjoy basic ingredients cooked simply. Not perfectly executed feats of culinary wizardry. I don't have the time or inclination for that and frankly it wouldn't make me enjoy my food more than I already do.7
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.3K 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
- 388 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
- 96.4K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 909 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.2K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions