Home Cooks: Does intuitive eating work for you?
Replies
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(Snipped from the OP)I've seen people mention before that intuitive eating just doesn't work for some people, but I do wonder if it's because their diets rely on a lot of prepackaged, ready-to-eat convenience food and restaurant/takeaway meals. Almost half of my friends don't cook and eat every meal out of the house, so I wonder if maybe that's why they have a hard time "feeling out" how much to eat and when to stop eating.
What is it about pre-packaged or takeaway food that you think would interrupt hunger/satiety cues? Portion sizes for many pre-packaged frozen dinners are reasonable (I often eat them for lunch), and I'm just as capable of putting down my fork in a restaurant as at home. If anything, homemade food tastes better and is available in more quantities (cooking for a family) than takeout. If I have a takeout burger, when it's gone, it's gone. There are no seconds.
I’m not sure WHAT it is about them but I’ve noticed a fair number of them are much higher in calories than their homemade equivalent and I’m not sure why. If you go to a gas station and get a chicken sandwich or a burger it’s like 770 calories and it doesn’t taste very good either. I can make a similar sized burger at home for much less than that and it tastes better. I don’t know where they’re putting the extra calories because it’s sure not in taste.
That being said, nowadays there’s such a variety of prepackaged food that it’s not necessarily a given that it’s worse for you or higher in calories, but I think more than anything it’s the work of it that can make a difference. Like I said, I have a rule for myself — if I want pie, I have to make it from scratch. This means that I need to really want that pie to get it, because there’s more input than just ripping open a packaged snack pie. It’s time, it’s effort, and it’s maybe a trip to the store. If I want cinnamon buns, okay, but there’s no popping open a can, baking for 20 minutes and there’s my cinnamon buns. It’s at least 90 minutes and a bit of work to get them, so frequently I’ll just go “I don’t want them enough to work for it, maybe this weekend”. If I want pizza, there’s more to it than just picking up a phone. I think it makes a difference for me, personally. Harder to give in to fleeting impulses.
I get your point and I made these kinds of qualifiers for myself too.
I stopped buying things that were ready to eat for the most part. I don't use my microwave. I don't even buy crackers or cereal other than make-it-in-the-pan oatmeal because it's too easy to over eat them. I rarely go out to eat unless I'm craving something I can't easily make like fried chicken or fish and chips because my own food is better and I don't use palm oil (that's an ethics thing, not flavor.) So I tend to not get into binge eating very often unless I do buy some of my favorite snacky foods. I haven't had a frozen pizza or frozen meal in over a decade. The taste isn't appealing to me and I don't like to waste calories.
I don't try to intuitively eat, though. If I can't see the numbers on a regular basis I start getting portion creep and/or "forget" about foods I've eaten. I have to stay below the amount of food I instinctively want to eat in order to stay at my maintenance weight and if I didn't track my food I'd start gaining.
Ask me how I know.
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I think similar dishes being prepared for fewer calories at home vs in a restaurant is a separate issue from intuitive eating, but maybe that's splitting hairs. For most people, it probably is easier to stay within their calorie goals preparing and eating the majority of their meals at home.
I intuitively eat at a maintenance level 50 pounds heavier than I should be, though, so I'll continue some form of tracking (not necessarily full on logging and weighing, but I need accountability) for the foreseeable future.1 -
I believe I lost the ability to eat intuitively when I was a small child as a result of growing up in a household with poor nutrition values. I cook most of my meals from scratch and have for a long time- I don't believe I would ever be able to get to the point where I don't count calories but maintain my weight long-term. My hunger meter is very much broken.
That being said, there's definitely a difference living in a household with ready access to snacks and excess food and one where only what is needed is kept in the fridge/cupboard. When I lost most of my 100 lbs of weight, I was living alone and only bought what I knew I was going to eat/cook with. There were no extra snacks, and I was not tempted. I have been living with my parents for the past couple of years while I work to pay off student loans and gained 25 lbs. They stock their house like they are expecting the apocalypse. It's really a ridiculous amount of food, but that is unfortunately the culture we live in and they are not going to change at this point, and it's not my place to lecture them in their own home.3 -
I know lots of scratch cooks who got fat eating their home cooked meals - so the assumption that Home cooked meals somehow makes it easier to eat intuitively and maintain a healthy weight effortlessly doesn’t really jive for me.
I also know plenty of people who eat in restaurants and/or eat prepackaged foods and are able to fairly easily maintain their weight.
I fit in between - I enjoy cooking, enjoy eating in nice restaurants, but rely on convenience foods and sometimes fast foods to fit my busy life. I log but don’t weigh foods, I lost weight with this approach and am now maintaining for several years. I wouldn’t consider myself an intuitive eater, but I’ve never been a volume eater or binge eater. I became overweight because I ate a little too much of too many foods, and I had become far less active.
I think trying to connect your success with intuitive eating, with your home cooking preference, and tracing that back to previous generations is not a solid connection. There may be some correlation, but I even think that’s shaky at best.
Congrats on your success in maintenance!8 -
I cook at home, mostly from scratch. The only pre-packaged stuff that I use is ready-made chicken stock or every once in a rare moon, I use bouillon cubes. I have two friends who are obese, and they eat nothing but home-cooked meals, except that their portions are so much bigger than what I’m used to. Eating to maintain weight became intuitive to me when I started calorie counting. I’ve been at this for about 12 years now. After my initial weight loss, my weight would creep back up because I wasn’t mindful of portion control. I know what my maintenance calories are supposed to be and so I would just dial my portions back to size.factor "if you didn't like what was on the dinner table that night, well that was just too bad" worked the other way when I was growing up - you were expected to clear your plate. We had some epic battles of will over vegetables!
That's becoming an issue in my household. I want to make sure that my kids are eating enough so I always tell them to clear their plate. My 9-year son is getting a little heavy for his size so I'm giving him smaller portions and clearing plates is no longer a requirement. My 6-year old daughter though is such a finicky eater. I want her to grow up with a positive relationship with food and a good body image.1 -
It never worked for me. If I don't count calories I will slowly gain over time or on vacations/holidays.2
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No. Doesn't work for me at all. I eat out one meal a week and otherwise make all the meals for everyone in the house from scratch. It is very, very easy for me to over eat anything, including broccoli (acquiescing that a broccoli binge has less caloric consequence than overeating raw almonds, for example).
I have read that being involved in all aspects of food prep -- meal planning, shopping, prep & cooking -- is more satisfying than just eating, and hence people involved in the prep might feel satisfied sooner and ultimately eat less. Not sure about that. What helps at home is I will have weighed all ingredients and know exactly how much I should serve myself. So I'm more likely to be over-served in a restaurant than at home. But if I were intuitively serving myself at home, I suspect I'd be equally likely to overeat at home as when dining out.2 -
I cook all of my meals from scratch. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. If I stuck to only eating what I cook, I could maintain pretty effortlessly. But I get totally tripped up (still) by “outside” foods, 99% of which i encounter in the break room at work. It’s the perpetual dumping ground of crap food. Therefore, I log. I can’t wait to retire some day.0
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I cook 21 meals a week at home, mostly from scratch. We have a large garden and apple orchard, and I even grind the wheat to make flour for bread. If I would eat intuitively, I am sure I'd gain back the weight I've lost.2
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I cook all my food from scratch.. I have not been in the inside isle of a grocery store to buy anything..just to take a short cut to the other side of the store.
I don't use any bottled salty sodium laden dressings or sauces either.. I use vinegar, spices, wine, and no salt added canned tomatoes and tomato paste to flavor most of my dishes.
so.. with that said...I don't count calories or log my food. only once in a while out of interest. I believe that my whole foods diet is what finally made me successful at losing all my weight this year. It has been amazing and I weigh less than I ever have after counting calories for YEARS.
But to answer your question.. I eat intuitively... just because my diet is so clean.. I know what is what because I've made a real change in my nutrition and the way I eat and view food.
When you count calories and eat chips, cookies, coke and other junk and decide as long as it fits a calorie goal.... you never really change the habits that got you fat In that case, one needs the ball and chain of logging to keep in check.10 -
WinoGelato wrote: »I know lots of scratch cooks who got fat eating their home cooked meals - so the assumption that Home cooked meals somehow makes it easier to eat intuitively and maintain a healthy weight effortlessly doesn’t really jive for me.
I also know plenty of people who eat in restaurants and/or eat prepackaged foods and are able to fairly easily maintain their weight.
I fit in between - I enjoy cooking, enjoy eating in nice restaurants, but rely on convenience foods and sometimes fast foods to fit my busy life. I log but don’t weigh foods, I lost weight with this approach and am now maintaining for several years. I wouldn’t consider myself an intuitive eater, but I’ve never been a volume eater or binge eater. I became overweight because I ate a little too much of too many foods, and I had become far less active.
I think trying to connect your success with intuitive eating, with your home cooking preference, and tracing that back to previous generations is not a solid connection. There may be some correlation, but I even think that’s shaky at best.
Congrats on your success in maintenance!
I think a lot depends on what there is in the house to cook or eat. I see some meal descriptions which I would have to label as "gourmet", compared to my very simple upbringing and even my current lifestyle. So "intuitive" might be a difficult notion to apply in a generalized way.0 -
elisa123gal wrote: »I cook all my food from scratch.. I have not been in the inside isle of a grocery store to buy anything..just to take a short cut to the other side of the store.
I don't use any bottled salty sodium laden dressings or sauces either.. I use vinegar, spices, wine, and no salt added canned tomatoes and tomato paste to flavor most of my dishes.
so.. with that said...I don't count calories or log my food. only once in a while out of interest. I believe that my whole foods diet is what finally made me successful at losing all my weight this year. It has been amazing and I weigh less than I ever have after counting calories for YEARS.
But to answer your question.. I eat intuitively... just because my diet is so clean.. I know what is what because I've made a real change in my nutrition and the way I eat and view food.
When you count calories and eat chips, cookies, coke and other junk and decide as long as it fits a calorie goal.... you never really change the habits that got you fat In that case, one needs the ball and chain of logging to keep in check.
Serious question - where (or do) you buy your dried legumes? Rice? Quinoa? Vinegar, spices, and canned tomatoes are all on the inside aisles of most grocery stores. It's not all cookies and chips. The doughnuts, cakes, and deli/fried chicken/prepared grab and go foods are on the outskirts of my local store, however.8 -
elisa123gal wrote: »I cook all my food from scratch.. I have not been in the inside isle of a grocery store to buy anything..just to take a short cut to the other side of the store.
I don't use any bottled salty sodium laden dressings or sauces either.. I use vinegar, spices, wine, and no salt added canned tomatoes and tomato paste to flavor most of my dishes.
so.. with that said...I don't count calories or log my food. only once in a while out of interest. I believe that my whole foods diet is what finally made me successful at losing all my weight this year. It has been amazing and I weigh less than I ever have after counting calories for YEARS.
But to answer your question.. I eat intuitively... just because my diet is so clean.. I know what is what because I've made a real change in my nutrition and the way I eat and view food.
When you count calories and eat chips, cookies, coke and other junk and decide as long as it fits a calorie goal.... you never really change the habits that got you fat In that case, one needs the ball and chain of logging to keep in check.
Serious question - where (or do) you buy your dried legumes? Rice? Quinoa? Vinegar, spices, and canned tomatoes are all on the inside aisles of most grocery stores. It's not all cookies and chips. The doughnuts, cakes, and deli/fried chicken/prepared grab and go foods are on the outskirts of my local store, however.
haha. I know you didn't ask me but when did that ever stop me?
At my monster Fred Meyer they have a bulk food section where I buy my beans and nuts and they also have flour, pasta, quinoa, legumes, all other grains, nuts, spices, fresh ground peanut butter, chocolate covered pretzels and all manner of delicious bulk treats. It's essentially in the produce area, right on the edge. It's pretty great. This image shows maybe a third of it.
I am not the dedicated cook that @elisa123gal is, but I want to be when I grow up.
I know we're splitting hairs here, but it is MFP.
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cmriverside wrote: »elisa123gal wrote: »I cook all my food from scratch.. I have not been in the inside isle of a grocery store to buy anything..just to take a short cut to the other side of the store.
I don't use any bottled salty sodium laden dressings or sauces either.. I use vinegar, spices, wine, and no salt added canned tomatoes and tomato paste to flavor most of my dishes.
so.. with that said...I don't count calories or log my food. only once in a while out of interest. I believe that my whole foods diet is what finally made me successful at losing all my weight this year. It has been amazing and I weigh less than I ever have after counting calories for YEARS.
But to answer your question.. I eat intuitively... just because my diet is so clean.. I know what is what because I've made a real change in my nutrition and the way I eat and view food.
When you count calories and eat chips, cookies, coke and other junk and decide as long as it fits a calorie goal.... you never really change the habits that got you fat In that case, one needs the ball and chain of logging to keep in check.
Serious question - where (or do) you buy your dried legumes? Rice? Quinoa? Vinegar, spices, and canned tomatoes are all on the inside aisles of most grocery stores. It's not all cookies and chips. The doughnuts, cakes, and deli/fried chicken/prepared grab and go foods are on the outskirts of my local store, however.
haha.
At my monster Fred Meyer they have a bulk food section where I buy my beans and nuts and they also have flour, all other grains, nuts, spices, fresh ground peanut butter, chocolate covered pretzels and all manner of delicious bulk treats. It's essentially in the produce area, right on the edge. I know we're splitting hairs here, but it is MFP.
What fun is MFP if we can't split hairs?
I've seen those, although that isn't how most stores where I live are arranged unless you visit the infamous Whole Foods. Do they also have canned tomatoes and vinegar on the outskirts? 
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elisa123gal wrote: »I cook all my food from scratch.. I have not been in the inside isle of a grocery store to buy anything..just to take a short cut to the other side of the store.
I don't use any bottled salty sodium laden dressings or sauces either.. I use vinegar, spices, wine, and no salt added canned tomatoes and tomato paste to flavor most of my dishes.
so.. with that said...I don't count calories or log my food. only once in a while out of interest. I believe that my whole foods diet is what finally made me successful at losing all my weight this year. It has been amazing and I weigh less than I ever have after counting calories for YEARS.
But to answer your question.. I eat intuitively... just because my diet is so clean.. I know what is what because I've made a real change in my nutrition and the way I eat and view food.
When you count calories and eat chips, cookies, coke and other junk and decide as long as it fits a calorie goal.... you never really change the habits that got you fat In that case, one needs the ball and chain of logging to keep in check.
Serious question - where (or do) you buy your dried legumes? Rice? Quinoa? Vinegar, spices, and canned tomatoes are all on the inside aisles of most grocery stores. It's not all cookies and chips. The doughnuts, cakes, and deli/fried chicken/prepared grab and go foods are on the outskirts of my local store, however.
Same here - and I am suspicious of anyone who says they never have to go on interior aisles - yet refer to cooking with canned tomatoes, spices, even wine.... flour? Rice? Quinoa? Oats? These are all on the exterior? Is this a circular grocery store that only has an outer ring with all pristine clean foods and then an inner ring of doom where all the junk food is kept?12 -
cmriverside wrote: »elisa123gal wrote: »I cook all my food from scratch.. I have not been in the inside isle of a grocery store to buy anything..just to take a short cut to the other side of the store.
I don't use any bottled salty sodium laden dressings or sauces either.. I use vinegar, spices, wine, and no salt added canned tomatoes and tomato paste to flavor most of my dishes.
so.. with that said...I don't count calories or log my food. only once in a while out of interest. I believe that my whole foods diet is what finally made me successful at losing all my weight this year. It has been amazing and I weigh less than I ever have after counting calories for YEARS.
But to answer your question.. I eat intuitively... just because my diet is so clean.. I know what is what because I've made a real change in my nutrition and the way I eat and view food.
When you count calories and eat chips, cookies, coke and other junk and decide as long as it fits a calorie goal.... you never really change the habits that got you fat In that case, one needs the ball and chain of logging to keep in check.
Serious question - where (or do) you buy your dried legumes? Rice? Quinoa? Vinegar, spices, and canned tomatoes are all on the inside aisles of most grocery stores. It's not all cookies and chips. The doughnuts, cakes, and deli/fried chicken/prepared grab and go foods are on the outskirts of my local store, however.
haha.
At my monster Fred Meyer they have a bulk food section where I buy my beans and nuts and they also have flour, all other grains, nuts, spices, fresh ground peanut butter, chocolate covered pretzels and all manner of delicious bulk treats. It's essentially in the produce area, right on the edge. I know we're splitting hairs here, but it is MFP.
What fun is MFP if we can't split hairs? I've seen those, although that isn't how most stores where I live are arranged unless you visit the infamous Whole Foods. Do they also have canned tomatoes and vinegar on the outskirts?
I would bet that poster doesn't use canned tomatoes. She said "No salt added tomatoes" so I bet that meant "none." She probably makes her own vinegar.
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WinoGelato wrote: »elisa123gal wrote: »I cook all my food from scratch.. I have not been in the inside isle of a grocery store to buy anything..just to take a short cut to the other side of the store.
I don't use any bottled salty sodium laden dressings or sauces either.. I use vinegar, spices, wine, and no salt added canned tomatoes and tomato paste to flavor most of my dishes.
so.. with that said...I don't count calories or log my food. only once in a while out of interest. I believe that my whole foods diet is what finally made me successful at losing all my weight this year. It has been amazing and I weigh less than I ever have after counting calories for YEARS.
But to answer your question.. I eat intuitively... just because my diet is so clean.. I know what is what because I've made a real change in my nutrition and the way I eat and view food.
When you count calories and eat chips, cookies, coke and other junk and decide as long as it fits a calorie goal.... you never really change the habits that got you fat In that case, one needs the ball and chain of logging to keep in check.
Serious question - where (or do) you buy your dried legumes? Rice? Quinoa? Vinegar, spices, and canned tomatoes are all on the inside aisles of most grocery stores. It's not all cookies and chips. The doughnuts, cakes, and deli/fried chicken/prepared grab and go foods are on the outskirts of my local store, however.
Same here - and I am suspicious of anyone who says they never have to go on interior aisles - yet refer to cooking with canned tomatoes, spices, even wine.... flour? Rice? Quinoa? Oats? These are all on the exterior? Is this a circular grocery store that only has an outer ring with all pristine clean foods and then an inner ring of doom where all the junk food is kept?
The easier to judge your fellow shoppers with, my dear!4 -
spices, even wine.... flour? Rice? Quinoa? Oats?
...all in the bulk foods. Pretty sure she makes her own wine.1 -
cmriverside wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »elisa123gal wrote: »I cook all my food from scratch.. I have not been in the inside isle of a grocery store to buy anything..just to take a short cut to the other side of the store.
I don't use any bottled salty sodium laden dressings or sauces either.. I use vinegar, spices, wine, and no salt added canned tomatoes and tomato paste to flavor most of my dishes.
so.. with that said...I don't count calories or log my food. only once in a while out of interest. I believe that my whole foods diet is what finally made me successful at losing all my weight this year. It has been amazing and I weigh less than I ever have after counting calories for YEARS.
But to answer your question.. I eat intuitively... just because my diet is so clean.. I know what is what because I've made a real change in my nutrition and the way I eat and view food.
When you count calories and eat chips, cookies, coke and other junk and decide as long as it fits a calorie goal.... you never really change the habits that got you fat In that case, one needs the ball and chain of logging to keep in check.
Serious question - where (or do) you buy your dried legumes? Rice? Quinoa? Vinegar, spices, and canned tomatoes are all on the inside aisles of most grocery stores. It's not all cookies and chips. The doughnuts, cakes, and deli/fried chicken/prepared grab and go foods are on the outskirts of my local store, however.
haha.
At my monster Fred Meyer they have a bulk food section where I buy my beans and nuts and they also have flour, all other grains, nuts, spices, fresh ground peanut butter, chocolate covered pretzels and all manner of delicious bulk treats. It's essentially in the produce area, right on the edge. I know we're splitting hairs here, but it is MFP.
What fun is MFP if we can't split hairs? I've seen those, although that isn't how most stores where I live are arranged unless you visit the infamous Whole Foods. Do they also have canned tomatoes and vinegar on the outskirts?
I would bet that poster doesn't use canned tomatoes. She said "No salt added tomatoes" so I bet that meant "none." She probably makes her own vinegar.
She specifically said 'no salt added canned tomatoes.' I'll refrain from pointing out the irony if she adds any salt to her recipes...
I'm sure I'm about to be accused of attempting to lose weight on a diet of Twinkies and Spaghetti-ohs anyway. Nevermind the spinach and grilled chicken salad I had for dinner last night. The (perfectly calorie-appropriate though sodium-laden at a jaw dropping 180mg) Caesar dressing came from an inner aisle, so I'm still doomed.1 -
Wait. (yes I saw "no salt added canned tomatoes") - Is there such a thing as canned tomatoes that don't have salt?
I thought she meant, no canned tomatoes (because salt) but whatever, I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt that she was just stating her way of cooking. I could really not care any less whether or not someone stretches the truth or whether she just mistyped. ::shrug:: Maybe she's canning them herself. Some people called cooked/jarred tomatoes "canned."
We could stretch this "discussion" to page 25 on just this one point.
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