I've kind of noticed a trend with a lot of calorie counters, myslef included at times, where we tend to fixte on not eating healthy all of the time. I chose calorie counting because I have the freedom to eat not so good for me foods at my discretion as long as my calorie range is on target for the day. Has anyone else noticed this? I totally understand the importance of eating healthy, but sometimes I feel like we beat ourselves up for eating "bad" food. Does this make sense? I don't think we should get down on ourselves if we are, for the most part, working out and eating good foods if once/twice or daily we want to have a treat. Anyone else feel this waY? Just wondering...

yes, I have been known to do this. But at the same time, I feel my body hitting a stall, and I think the only way to mix that up is to really limit the not so good foods and eat more of the good foods....

I have read in body image articles that this can be on of the signs of an eating disorder. I think it is just the natural progression of changing your eating habits. It is a lot easier to just eat whatever you want than it is to get to the point where you are thinking about how food is going to affect your body and make good decisions. I think it is a fine line and sometimes hard to maintain eating like that all the time. I try to make sure I get in four servings of vegis every day and my fats. If I fail to get in my fats, I will sautee some vegis in olive oil or canola oil. I naturally just love fruit and that is never a problem.

And I do treat myself to one pack 100 calorie Hostess Strawberry snack cakes and maybe a granola bar. I try not to deny myself anything; I just make sure it's balanced.

I have decided not to feel bad about anything I eat. I picked up an individual packet of amaretto hot chocolate at the store because I wanted it, I saved the calories and enjoyed it. Yes it would have been healthier to eat a piece of fruit or a salad for the same calories but that's not what I wanted. I tell myself that I can have anything in moderation, for the most part I don't want the "bad" stuff because I know I can have it.

I refuse to feel bad about food that I eat anymore. I think that keeps me from really bingeing on junk.
If I want something sweet - I make sure it is worthy of my spending time eating it. I'll go to a bakery and get something there.

I don't think any food should be given a 'good' 'bad' label, because guilt is inherent in that. Guilt cycles create binge cycles. Eliminating the guilt can really help you redefine what food means to you.

When I started, I found that most fast foods were way too high in calories for me to include them! And then, as time went on, I found I didn't want them any more. On the rare occasion when I decided to eat at, say, a Burger King, I found the food really not all that great--certainly not as good as my memory was telling me it should be. The idea of a fast-food french fry is really kind of revolting to me now.

If I'm gonna eat some high-cal foods, they are going to be really good quality foods. Life is too short...

Jay

I choose calorie counting because it works and it's "free". Not so I could eat anything I wanted...that is what got me to my highest weight ever. I also eat near the bottom of the recommended calorie range. (1200 4 day/week, 1500 3 days/week). Because I only consume 1200 calories 4 days a week, my doctor made me promise to only eat 100% nutritious foods on those days. I can not spend my calories on junk food, because I will not be getting proper nutrition. I will also be starving. I also want to add that I was VERY tired of being super morbidly obese and I did not want to drag out the losing process for years and years...I would however, like to someday drag out the maintenance process for years and years.

The other day, yet another person tried to tell me my diet was unhealthy...and too low in calories. Since it was near lunch time I decided to show her visually to make her understand. I pulled out a left over bratwurst, and a bun (of my husbands)and put it on a large dinner plate, and on another large dinner plate I put one of "my" salads. A huge pile of fresh mixed greens, a whole sliced cucumber, a couple chopped tomatoes, 1/2 sliced red onion, sliced bell peppers and carrots topped with 2 oz baked chicken, 1/4c. low fat salad dressing, 1/2c low fat cottage cheese, and a huge dash of red wine vinegar. My giant salad had 100% recommended daily allowance in fibre, vitamin A, Vitamin C, Potassium, and magnesium, (plus 40% protein) and it had LESS calories than the brat & bun which only had 100% recommended daily allowance worth of fat grams. Back when I would have eaten the bratwurst, (or 3) plus a cup of potato salad and a huge pile of baked beans, It would still take less time to eat than my beautiful delicious salad...and I'd feel like crud for a couple hours and then be back picking on something else. (and nowhere near 100% in any vitamins)

My point is, I can not eat in moderation. I have to eat BIG, so there are foods that I just have to avoid. I am very happy for the people who can have just one...I wish I could.

Lori Bell allows me to just sit back and relax. She does all the typing (and articulate wording) for me. In other words, "sign my name to this post".

I will add that I never, EVER feel deprived by passing up on - junk. I felt what I was doing PRIOR to changing myself was depriving myself, of the best possible me that I can be.

sounds fabulous!!

I count calories on top of doing a South Beach / Superfoods / no white refined crap dietary approach. For me--a person with a for-real, physiological sugar addiction and insulin resistance--it is absolutely critical NOT to eat just "whatever I want." There are things that just cannot be in my diet, that I will have to forever limit and avoid; just like a recovering alcoholic needs to avoid alcohol in order to keep things together.

To be honest, "junk food" isn't really even food at all. It's just junk. This doesn't mean anyone is morally bad or wrong for eating it, and it doesn't necessarily mean that a particular person can't lose weight or maintain weight while consuming it. But it also doesn't mean that junk is equivalent to food in terms of health benefits. I think we need to be collectively honest about that point.

I don't think I recall reading any posts on 3F, since joining in April 2008, that claimed junk food has health benefits YMMV

OP, I'm wondering if I am understanding your post. Are you talking about whether we are in danger of becoming victims of so-called "orthorexia"? And are you saying that, if you count calories strictly, then all foods look equal when assessed by the numbers, and that this is less likely?

Just trying to figure out if what I see in your post is what you meant to say, or if I am imposing something on it.

I agree with all of you to some extent. It just goes to show that calorie counting has the same basic principle for everyone but we all come to it with different histories. I like to not have to deprive myself of anything with the realization that if I have a huge hamburger and fries for lunch I will need to eat veggies and fruit for dinner so that I don't go over my alloted calories. I guess I just get sad when I see posts of people who beat themselves up for eating food that isn't wholesome. Ya know? If you eat a big mac and fries on Sunday that doesn't mean you'll be up ten pounds on Monday (maybe water weight from the excess salt), but hopefully you enjoyed that Big Mac and weren't overly obsessed about the calories (other than not going over your calories for the day). I realize that the weight I have put on wasn't from eating crap all the time and more from not paying attention to all calories injested (and having two kids in two years). I guess I just like this plan because I have freedom. Ya know? Thanks for your posts! I appreciate seeing how everyone has come to calorie counting and the histories behind it. :0)

It does make sense. I'm afraid I'm guilty of that. I had Chinese food over the weekend and I didn't even end up going over my daily calorie allowance, but I felt horrible for the next two days. I had to force myself not to exercise for hours or restrict my calories more the next day to offset it.

I'm trying to work on it, but it's hard not to get disappointed in myself sometimes. I don't feel as bad if it's a planned treat, but when I eat something unhealthy on w whim, I feel like I'm not in control. Hopefully it'll get easier with time.

What exactly is "Orthorexia"? Sounds scary.