Living The Lifestyle - Monday 10/24/22

crewahl
crewahl Posts: 5,333 Member
edited October 2022 in Social Groups
This is a thread for everyone. If you're new to GoaD, or to weight loss, your questions and comments are always welcome. If you're maintaining, or a long-term loser, your thoughts on the topic may be just what someone else needs to hear. If you're reading this, join in the discussion!

Each weekday, a new topic is offered up for discussion.

Monday - crewahl (Charlie)
Tuesday – Flintwinch (Tim)
Wednesday - misterhub (Greg)
Thursday -imastar2 (Derrick)
Friday - Wildcard

Today's Topic: Like it or not . . .

Every weight management approach seems to steer you towards some specific types of foods. Rarely does Ben & Jerry’s make the list. Mostly, they’re things you’re pushed towards because “they’re good for you”. So today’s question is “are there foods you don’t care for but eat because they’re good for you or healthy?”

Replies

  • crewahl
    crewahl Posts: 5,333 Member
    Gotta go with yes.

    Lord knows I’m NOT living on rice cakes and tofu just because they’re good for you. Conversely, I’m not staying away from beer and steak because they’re less good for me.

    I eat broccoli or green beans because I can substitute it for fries in a restaurant and spend the points/calories on something I enjoy. I eat spinach instead of iceberg lettuce in my salads because it offers more iron and potassium. So I make tradeoffs to get more pleasure sometimes, and make some choices to provide an overall more nutritious eating pattern.

    Note - I’m making a conscious effort to use the phrase “eating pattern” instead of the noun “diet” because people confuse the noun with the verb.
  • steve0mania
    steve0mania Posts: 3,498 Member
    It depends on your definition of "good for you." If by "good for you," you mean high in particular vitamins or whatever, then no, I don't eat foods specifically because they're good for me.

    If, however, "good for you" can mean causing less damage than other choices, then for sure. Indeed, I'd argue that's what WWs is all about.

    I started WW during the Momentum program, and the books I received emphasized (what in retrospect turned out to be) a volumetric approach towards eating: figure out ways to eat as much volume with as few calories as possible, and also emphasize the filling nature of high-fiber foods. As such, I learned pretty quickly that I could streeeeetch my portions by putting in a lot of vegetables. I wasn't much of a veggie eater before, but suddenly I could have a heaping plate with a single serving of pasta and a couple of small meatballs, provided there was lots of broccoli, red peppers, onion, etc., in it.

    With all of that said, it turns out that there were many things that I thought I didn't care for, but over time, I now actually enjoy them. If WW hadn't forced me to rethink my intake, I might not have ever learned that I really do like fish, veggies, coffee without creamer, etc.
  • cakeman21k
    cakeman21k Posts: 7,170 Member
    yeah I am not a fruits & veggies guy, I would happily exclude them from my diet altogether unless they are used to make a sauce of some kind, like pizza sauce, or pasta sauce of think onion soup with lots of melted cheese. So having said that, it follows that when I am on plan I kind of force myself to consume things that are "good" for me and avoid things that are less "good" for me.
  • misterhub
    misterhub Posts: 7,202 Member
    I am more likely to stay away from something because it's bad for me than to embrace something because it is good for me.

    I like fruits and veggies a lot. So, that's not a big deal for me. I have discovered I am actually allergic to beer, so I drink very little of it because the results of my allergies are not worth the enjoyment of the taste - and I do like beer. I like meat, but I have chosen to minimize it for various reasons that are important only to me. There are a couple of specific foods that I don't like (e.g., anything with a licorice taste), but they are rare. I like the occasional sweet item, but I try to contain them for special occasions.
  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,599 Member
    I’m leaning no. I think my diet would rate as pretty healthy. But I was sort of “funneled” there by my shrinking points allowance.

    When I started, I had to make a conscious effort to eat oatmeal. But I was motivated primarily by my belief that it offered the most bang for the points. It came as a big surprise when I started turning down chances to go out for breakfast because I wanted to stay home to eat oatmeal.

    More recently I started trying to eat olive oil and avocado every day. But when I started tracking during a tough period, I dropped the olive oil because of the calories. I do eat avocado regularly now, but like oatmeal, I find that I really like it.

    Thinking that my choices are good for me is a significant added benefit but not my primary motivation.

    PS And recall when starting WW a regular discussion at the meeting would start with this question- Do you mean that I could take all my points, go to McDs, get a Big Mac, fries and a Coke and that would be OK?

    My take on that wasn’t that it wasn’t heathy but it wasn’t enough food to get me through the day.
  • Al_Howard
    Al_Howard Posts: 9,910 Member
    I like most vegetables. The big one I hate is Kale. Love spinach, Brussel's sprouts, broccoli, squashes, peas, corn, carrots, etc.
    I too eat less meat, and more chicken. Never ate liver, unless it was a home, when I was a kid. When out at a steak house I usually have the Filet Mignon, or NY Strip, often just with a big salad.
    I've dropped alcohol entirely, not for weight loss (did help me there though), but for a lot of reasons.
    Like a lot of fruit. Usually, a sweet and crunchy type of apple, most grapes, melons, and navel oranges. Love pears, but never seem to get them properly ripe, so depend on canned in syrup.
    Also love most nuts, and dried fruits, apricots and prunes.
    One thing I recently started drinking is "Sparkling" flavored water, NOT seltzer.