Ladies, how do you think about food?

[Lil' Kitsune]

Wasn't exactly sure where to share, but this seemed like a good spot. Stumbled across this earlier tonight: http://rookiemag.com/2012/07/eating-a-manifesto/

 

A bit of a wake up call for realizing how I think about food. I've been guilty of this sort of behavior more than once. Making all sort of good changed physically, but a good reminder that some mental changes are needed too.

 

Anyone else have any thoughts?

[Laureleye]

This whole article is great.  Real women eat.  We deserve to eat things we enjoy and we shouldn't make ourselves feel guilty about it.  Thanks for the link.

[girljen]

If a person hears something enough times, he or she is going to think it's true.  Or normal. 

 

About ten years ago, I had the pleasure of working at an amusement park that hired international students as part of a work exchange program.  Most of the girls I worked with were from Poland, the Czech Republic, and Bulgaria.  I never heard any food guilt from any of them.  In fact, when faced with a particularly delicious treat (like a raspberry brownie), they would squee like they had just seen a little puppy.  It was amazing.  They found food guilt completely absurd.  "Why do you complain about eating such a good food?!"

 

If we stop verbalizing food guilt, fewer people will hear it.  Eventually, people will think it's a strange concept.  Our daughters will not have a model for that particular thought process, which is awesome.

 

I catch myself having guilty thoughts about food sometimes, moreso when I'm stressed or just not in a good place mentally.  I have to remind myself, "This thing is delicious.  I will enjoy it--no, I will *savor* it, and then I will go on with my life and make a healthier choice next time I eat."  And then I savor my wonderful treat and continue my day.

[maeggieakamegan]

To be honest, I heard this conversation more as a child than I do now. My aunts would always give me shit for wanting a cookie or brownie or whatever. "Do you REALLY want that cookie?" DAMN STRAIGHT I WANT THAT COOKIE!! But of course you can't yell at elders that way so I shied away, with my head hung low contemplating why having a cookie was bad. 

 

Now since changing my eating habits, I get more "Come on, why don't you share this pizza with me so I don't feel bad about eating it by myself" from my friends. If you want the pizza, then why feel bad about it?

 

Finding more scenarios like this occurring, had to tell my friend that if me eating healthier made her feel guilty, that's her problem not mine.

[MariahSnow]

This is my work place. Every woman I encounter (mostly one in particular) has epic food guilt and it drives me insane! I actually caused me to snap at my sister-in-law, who had a baby in January (i.e. she's not the size she wants to be). Almost daily, my coworker will say, "I shouldn't eat that but... okay" and so on. Or "I should eat more this" or whatever else about what the fuck she eats. She also asks me NON-STOP about what I'm eating. The whole food obsession drives me INSANE. And when I saw my sister-in-law, she ate a piece of cake and said, "there goes my diet" and I flipped. One piece of cake is not going to ruin a diet. One brownie is not going to make you gain 10lbs in a day. And it certainly doesn't make you "bad" or "less" nor is it anything you should feel guilty about.

 

It's food. Eat it. Or don't. But do not assign an emotion to it. 

 

And if you are thinking, "I shouldn't eat that" then DON'T because you are going to be 10x more guilty after. Is a brownie really worth hating yourself THAT much?

 

/rant

[Foxfinding]

Wasn't exactly sure where to share, but this seemed like a good spot. Stumbled across this earlier tonight: http://rookiemag.com/2012/07/eating-a-manifesto/

 

 

Yes that article.

 

I'm eating more not-good food lately, but it's because I am learning that it's okay to enjoy stuff. I always feel so amazingly free when I've had a terrible day, and I walk out of the grocery store with a pint of Ben & Jerry's and the knowledge that it is *exactly what I want*. I feel so...triumphant...about it.

 

Another thing that I've noticed is that women don't finish things. If there one cracker left in the a basket, and it's a group of girls, it will just...stay there. Indefinitely. Or if it's something that can be split, like a cookie, it'll just get broken into smaller and smaller pieces. 

 

That's another thing I'm also working on. I think maybe it's because there's this idea that you ask permission to finish something, and maybe women don't want to call attention to the fact that they're eating enough to finish something? I don't know. It's one of my pet projects for personal improvement. Just saying "Hey. I'm going to finish this." 

[I-Jo]

nope- I'm a total fat kid- I'll let the last piece of X sit there but for only so long... then it's mine- unless i'm over where I need to be.

 

I'm such a fat kid- but yeah I feel like there is pressure that I'm not supposed to be eating it.

 

There are times when I DO leave stuff on purpose- I don't want to eat the whole thing- but if I"m out having a good time- hell no- it's a fight for that last piece. FAT KID WANTS CAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[The Borg Queen]

Great blog. Yeah, I used to do that more. Now that I limit myself to ONLY paleo foods, it's easier. If it's not paleo, I don't even think about eating it... cause that's the rule I've trained myself to follow. Brownie case? Ignored. Haha.

[Lt.Elle]

 

It's food. Eat it. Or don't. But do not assign an emotion to it. 

 

 

This needs to be a t-shirt. Or motivational poster. Or something. Perfectly worded.

[I-Jo]

agreed.

[CrisciMalosh]

My grandmother used to make me feel guilty for being an ovo lacto vegetarian, and taking seconds of SALAD, saying that I was eating unhealthily. (she was on Atkins at the time, really drove her insane that I would eat beans and rice with cheese in it, still a favorite meal) She actually forced me to eat meat again by putting it into EVERYTHING! Scrambled eggs got crumpled bacon, salad got tuna on it, beans got ham, rice got chicken, ice cream got bacon put on it... etc. 

 

I still resent her for it, and she's been dead 4 years now. I eat meat, but I don't really enjoy it that much.... it is just a protein delivery device. I would go back, but I wouldn't lose weight as well as I am right now... maybe when I achieve my goals.

 

 

Guilt over any food is intolerable... we should feel free to choose what we chew (Thanks Penn Jillette for that sentence) without having to worry what other people think. Being a woman in our current culture has its downfalls.

[MariahSnow]

This needs to be a t-shirt. Or motivational poster. Or something. Perfectly worded.

 

Awww shucks!

 

Though I have to admit, that was probably stolen from some blog where I was collecting underpants.

 

This kind of food guilt just drives me crazy. I saw this on facebook recently: "I ate two donuts this morning - a raspberry-filled and a Bavarian-cream filled. They were delicious, but I feel guilty".

 

First, if you are going to hate yourself later, then avoid the donut(s). It's just like someone with a food allergy. If you are lactose-intolerant, you don't "give in" to ice cream because you'll be miserable later. Same with gluten. Why is that feeling of an upset stomach any different than guilt? If you make them to same (or approach them the same way), then it's a lot easier to avoid the food you know is bad. Second, if they were delicious, why is that bad? Food since the beginning of time has been about sharing, socializing, laughing, talking, having a good time. So enjoy it!! 

 

/another rant

[maeggieakamegan]

First, if you are going to hate yourself later, then avoid the donut(s). It's just like someone with a food allergy. If you are lactose-intolerant, you don't "give in" to ice cream because you'll be miserable later. Same with gluten. Why is that feeling of an upset stomach any different than guilt? If you make them to same (or approach them the same way), then it's a lot easier to avoid the food you know is bad. Second, if they were delicious, why is that bad? Food since the beginning of time has been about sharing, socializing, laughing, talking, having a good time. So enjoy it!! 

 

^^^Absolutely!! That's how I take it with cheat meals; it's not like I don't crave those foods (I really do) and when I stare at a bowl of ice cream with malcontent it's only because I want it but know that it won't agree with my stomach later on (lactose intolerance).

 

Every cheat meal I've had since going Paleo has ended HORRIBLE. I'm talking about horrible stomach pains, nausea, almost to the extent of a "food hangover". And that's why I now avoid foods that I once loved.....but for the better  

[Saramorphosis]

I'm guilty of doing this.  And there's that word again, guilt.  If I could give out an award for most-felt emotion, guilt would unfortunately be my winner.

 

When I say something like this to someone what I'm REALLY saying is "I know I'm fat.  I know eating this will make me fatter.  I am pretty sure that's what you're thinking too.  If I acknowledge this then maybe you'll think "At least she's not fooling herself" or "Oh, I guess if she's been good recently it's ok if she has this brownie""  I judge my body and my eating habits in my head because I think OTHER people are judging my body and my eating habits when in actuality they're probably so wrapped up with their own issues that they could care less if I have gained 20 pounds since last seeing them.

 

I agree that emotion and food should really have nothing to do with each other but they are practically one and the same in my mind.  I'm working on it :-)

 

And all that conspiratorial "just us girls on a diet" junk is why I don't do Weight Watchers anymore.  I was very successful on it and it was "right for me" back when I was in my early 20's and was first learning about calories and all of that, but now I'm trying to focus on health and the eating method that makes my body the happiest, not making an appointment each week to obsess over my weight and the newest brand of fat-free chips and each brownie I ate that I "shouldn't have".