I keep seeing this slogan bandied about in weight-loss circles, and I have to say, I think that personally speaking? It’s BS. I lost 40 pounds as a result of developing diabetes and therefore being forced to alter my diet and get more exercise, and I can categorically state that the following, although not a comprehensive list, all taste better than thin feels:
[ul]
[li]New York strip steak, medium rare[/li][li]raspberry cheesecake[/li][li]chocolate chip cookies with a glass of milk (WHOLE milk, dammit)[/li][li]apple dumplings[/li][li]Reese’s peanut butter cups[/li][li]Godiva chocolate cheesecake ice cream[/li][li]home-grilled cheeseburger with the works[/li][li]fresh strawberries[/li][li]root beer floats[/li][li]tiramisu[/li][/ul]
I guess what I’m saying is that if I had to choose between being at my current weight, which is only a few pounds over my target, or being fat and able to eat whatever I wanted, including all the stuff on that list, I think I’d pick being fat. (As a side note, I do eat some of the stuff on the list, like the cheeseburger, but I included it for the sake of accuracy, as I do think it tastes a crapload better than thin feels.) Having been both now, I feel this is an informed decision. Yeah, I like being able to fit into non-plus-size clothes, and I like having guys actually check me out instead of just gazing over me like I don’t even exist, and I like feeling more energetic, blah blah blah. That stuff is all pretty good. It almost makes up for not being able to eat an entire pint of Godiva chocolate cheesecake ice cream at one sitting.
Is thin supposed to unequivocally always feel good? Hmmm. Thin doesn’t feel too good when you’re driving solo from MI to FL in a 6-year-old Ford Escort over the course of two days, and the driver’s seat and your own seat have about the same amount of padding, which amounts to jack squat, and you’ve forgotten to bring a pillow.
By the middle of day two I had my jacket and an old towel folded under me and needed to stop every hour to stumble out, stretch and try to get some feeling back into my cramped-up bony posterior. And 4 days later I had to drive back.
Mmm-mmm, aching butt, nothing tastes that good. :rolleyes: Pshaw. Health issues aside, there are some disadvantages to being thin. Gimme the cheesecake - and a bit more padding - any day.
I’m pretty damned thin, and, to concur with Jenaroph, it mostly feels difficult to sit for long periods of time, and having to be very careful when in close physical proximity with others, lest I spear them with my bony joints.
I can’t cite - search if you want - but, I’ve heard lately (well, more within the past year) that it’s healthier to be underweight. Not massively underweight, but thin.
Preach it, pepper. I don’t mind riding my damn bike all over as long as I can go for the raspberry-mango mousse and Bombe Viennoise at Kilo afterwards. Oh dear Goddess. drools
Death by Chocolate cheesecake. drool Layers and layers of chocolatey goodness. I’m lucky and can scarf down whatever I want - I went through a month where I would eat enormous slices of cheesecake after dinner, but then stopped because all that eating-out got expensive. I should look for a recipe on the internet sometime.
Thin does feel nice. But since I don’t really “deserve” my thinness there’s always a mild undercurrent of fear that today will be the day that my laziness and poor eating habits catch up with me. Which is why I just spent $645 on a gym membership when I could have spent it on cheesecake. grumbles
I’m with ya. Like Nocturne, I could manage to get down to a size 8 if I felt like it. But c’mon, I’d MUCH rather stay in the 10/12/14 range (I aim for 10/12 but inevitably balloon up to 12/14 after a couple years, then I diet and get back down to 10/12… <sigh>) and be able to EAT!
Bring on the cheese… the pate… the champagne! The cake! The chocolate! Goddamn it, there’s NO WAY ON EARTH that a size 8 pair of jeans will feel like CHEESECAKE!
[slight hijack]
I read a lot of web diaries, magazines, etc. where people complain about being overweight. They detail their diets, and I see a TON of stuff like fast food, little debbies, cheap store-bought sweets, etc. etc. My first thought is always "Well, hell, if you’re gonna be FAT, be FAT on GOOD food. Who the hell wants a Little Debbie when there’s homemade chocolate chip cookies to be consumed? And why have a Big Mac when you could be downing Fettucini Alfredo from the Italian place down the street?
Don’t get me wrong - I’ve been known to eat fast food and little debbies on occasion. But as a lifestyle choice? No way. If I’m gonna have an extra 10 or 20 pounds on my hips, I wanna be able to look down and say “Oh, that was dinner at that wonderful place in Quebec City… that was the week we decided to have champagne every night… that was the peach/cream cheese scones I made with those fresh peaches we bought.”
I guess what I’m saying is… if I’m gonna be fat, I’m gonna be fat on the best damn food I can get my hands on. A calorie is a calorie, don’t matter if it comes from a pint of the best local ice cream you can buy, or from that thing called a “dairy dessert” you buy at Wendy’s.
One mark of someone who is headed in the right direction nutrion-wise is:
There is internal, personal satisfaction from eating right and being healthy, and it becomes much more rewarding than the feelings of guilt one experiences after cheating, or maintaining bad nutritional habits.
That’s when you’ve turned the corner, so to speak…when you are happy - genuinely happy - to eat well day after day…but you are miserable or disappointed when you spend the day clogging your arteries.
Until this point is reached, long term success is in jeopardy - not impossible, but in jeopardy.
Eating right should eventually feel good, feel satisfying and have an overall benefit to your life that you are happy to be experiencing. You shouldn’t feel like you are ‘on a diet’ or ‘fighting to stay on the plan’. If so, long term success is at risk.
I’d rather be fat and happy and enjoy what I’m doing than thin and miserable and obsessive over every molecule that went into my body.
Besides, my cholesterol is good if a bit high (not much higher than 200), my blood pressure is low, and I’m in reasonably good health otherwise. (Yeah, I know. I wouldn’t have some of the joint and back problems I’ve got if I shed some pounds. Bite me.) Besides, my husband finds me irresistable, and my son thinks I’m comfy. And isn’t that what’s important?
I think you’re right, Philster. I no longer feel guilty whenever I eat. I also eat whenever I’m hungry or just want something. The first month I started my eating plan, I had to work to convince myself to put foods in my mouth that were “bad.” Almost every food in the OP’s post is something I’ve had in the last six months, guilt-free. And I’m losing weight quite rapidly to boot.
I want to be thin again, but I never would’ve done it if I couldn’t have good-tasting foods at the same time.
