Do You Feel Guilty Enjoying Food?

T

Toddless

New member
I was watching No Reservations, a travel channel show starring Chef Anthony Bourdain, and he mentioned something that got me thinking; Americans see the enjoyment of food as some sort of sin that they should feel guilty about. It's as though enjoying your food (and I mean really enjoying it) will lead to other, more heinous acts, like sex.

I know that although I try to make sure everything is in moderation, I love my food cooked with butter and fat. I see a lot of people posting what seems to me like the most bland, boring, and wholly unsatisfying daily menus. Believe me, I understand wanting to cut calories, but sometimes I feel like it goes deeper than that. For instance, I avoid everything labeled low-fat or low-cal, and nothing is off my diet, but I still manage to come in under 2,000 cals a day. Frankly, I think it's the metaphorical secret to my success.

Thoughts?
 
Ok I'll bite? Why is sex heinous? LOL No I just had to ask that. But back to your question....>

I think its all tied into over indulgence. People that I have known that really, really, really, love food always over indulged. Not that I don't, in fact I do, but I’m not sure it is on the same level as some people.

I have heard of food being compared to an orgasm. To me that’s really crazy because I could never get tired of having an orgasm. But even my fav food will get me bored after a few days.

Also it's emotional too. For some people if they don't have the fatty foods in there home and they have a bad day (or they just get bored like me) they will make a bad choice.

I myself haven't found the perfect set of things that makes everything work for me, but I'm still trying. It really helps to have low cal snacks in my house, because when I get the need for a crisp salty something, I can go find something quick that will take care of it.
 
It's as though enjoying your food (and I mean really enjoying it) will lead to other, more heinous acts, like sex.
Click to expand...

Is that a personal quote, or something that somebody else said? Just out of curiousity, and to see if it's even worth answering....

Just in case though, I don't see anything wrong with enjoying your food. Food is not the enemy. I can have something and really, really liked it, and enjoy the heck out of it, and still not over-indulge.

To me, food is something to keep me going, something necessary, obviously. That doesn't mean it has to be bland or boring. Healthy food that supports my weight loss attempts can be really tasty as well.

In the end, it's all about portion control and self control. There is absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying your food, as long as you know when to stop.
 
For me I need a good breakfast and a good supper. I love "hot" food, and will not give it up. Growing up mom cooked breakfast everyday of the week: Homemade gravy, biscuits, syrup and most of the time fresh cow butter, bacon or ham if we raised and killed a hog. We went to the table and ate! Mom didn't keep snacks, except for dad's lunch box and we were not allowed to go to the refrigerator and snack. You ate what mom cooked and at the time she put it on the table or you didn't eat at all! We ate lunch at school, and in the summer we would have a bowel of fresh cooked pinto beans, fried potatoes, and cornbread fritters. Supper: pinto beans, potatoes every meal and a pone of corn bread, and what we raised in the garden and canned. Meat when we had it. I ate good and never was very big. At age 16, I weighed 98 pounds, but we had to do chores and I had to walk a lot.

Makes a big difference what you eat and the lifestyle you have growing up. I enjoyed reading this thread.
 
It's a Bourdain quote said with much sarcasm. (LOVEhim)

I don't feel guilty enjoying food, I try to eat slowly and enjoy everything I eat. I find it's helped me really...keeps me away from foods I would tend to scarf down and not enjoy or give much thought to.
 
Bourdain just makes crap up. When I accidentally click to his show I can literally feel the aura of self-satisfaction seeping through the airwaves. Basically what I'm trying to say here is he should have way more to say on pride rather than gluttony.
 
well i went to a indian restourent last night, the portions werent big but i eat nearlly all my naan bread. but becuase it didnt really fill me up i still felt good afterwards so i think anythin in moderation is ok now.

also when i cook somthing nice and is low cal it just makes me feel good, like i`m acomplition somthing by cooking well and looking after myself.
 
@San - The "quote" was more a paraphrase of what Bourdain said, or at least the way I understood it. I'd never say sex was heinous, but I think a lot of Americans would. I think the point he was making was that in other parts of the world, they've really learned to enjoy the food they create, and it's actually what keeps them from getting fat.

After a few years of cooking for myself and making sure I only go out to eat at good restaurants, I know that Taco Bell, Doritos, Frozen Burritos, Instant Mashed Potatoes, and Day-Old Pizza (a staple for some), just can't hold a candle to the amazing enjoyment I get from fresh fish, steak, rice, fruits, and veggies. It's the enjoyment that keeps me thin; it allows me to avoid counting calories or worrying about percentages of macronutrients in a meal.
 
I feel more guilty if I eat a bunch and don't enjoy it. I.e. that food was there, so I just mindlessly ate it down. And if I'm going to have something that's "a cheat" it better be a damned good tasting cheat. No crackers that taste like cardboard, or cake that doesn't taste awesome...

Interestingly, I was just reading an article that suggests that often people who eat more don't enjoy their food as much. That the pleasure sensors in their brain don't react as strongly, so they eat the whole gallon of ice cream trying to spur a dopamine response...
 
I think restriction = Failure. When people try to restrict themselves to bland foods all of the time and try to convince themselves that you should 'eat to live not live to eat' or whatever, only results in binging later.

I LOVE food. I love greasy foods, salty foods, sugary foods, I love foods that are downright awful for me...And I STILL eat them...Just not as much! Which is what made me successful so far.

I try not to associate food with my emotions anymore. If I want pizza I eat it because I want it and not because I'm upset, happy, bored, etc. If I made myself feel guilty after eating junk food once in awhile, I'd just sit there feeling sorry for myself until I went into a full fledged binge!

Good thread!
 
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