Overeating on Healthy Food (not for newbies)

Okay this is not aimed to newbies, we have to make ourselves eat when we aren't hungry. This is meant for people that are struggling with regain. I connected! Hugs Debbie

Overeating on Healthy Food

Posted: 17 Jun 2010 03:43 AM PDT

Recently, I have had a number of conversations with people about "healthy food".  It seems we all understand the concept of not overeating when we crack open that box of Twinkies -- it might not stop us...but we understand that it isn't such a good choice to eat Twinkies until we are stuffed.
  Often, though, people seem to think that it is okay to overeat on "healthy" food.  Like the calories you get from baked chicken, brown rice and a garden salad are going to be processed differently than the calories you get from a Twinkie  --  they' re not.
The definition of overeating is eating any time you are not physically hungry.  ANYTIME...no matter what your food choice...when you are eating in the absence of your body's signal that you need calories to continue doing what you're doing (hunger signals)....you are overeating and those calories will be stored as fat.  Period.

All right -- we overeat all the time -- that is true.  A little here and a little there -- that piece of birthday cake in the break room you just can't pass up.  The dinner you're not hungry for but the family is ready to eat.  It happens and it is not a problem.

The problem is when people justify their overeating because it is "healthy" food.  Like having nutrients is going to make it okay  --  you don't need the nutrients right then -- you aren't hungry.  Therefore, even the "healthy food" isn't all that healthy since it is just getting turned into fat for storage  ---  it that the kind of health you're looking for???

Wow, can I relate.  For YEARS my Mom would eat stuff because it was 'good for her'.  Which is great, but when you are eating a few oz of this a day, and a few oz of that a day because some article said she should, and the right amount of antioxidents, dark chocolate and protein and everything else, after awhile you begin to GAIN weight.  Just a few extra pounds every couple of months.  And then at the end of each year she would lament the fact that she had gained those few pounds.  We used to kid her and say if she read in Prevention or Health Magazine that she needed to eat 2 OZ of dog sh*t a day 'cause it was good for her, she would!    Come to find out all that healthy eating couldn't save her from her small cell lung cancer.

I'm not advocating that we don't eat healthy.  But I agree with the above post, if we are eating so much of this and so much of that because someone said it was healthy, we are approaching it in the wrong way.  Make those healthy choices when we are hungry only.

If only I could follow that advice!!

Great reply grammylew!!

Yep, all those extra few ounces of food add up to needless calories.
I too can relate...if only we would eat when we were hungry.
Stress/comfort eating is what most of us do...then again I eat at social gatherings too. We just celebrate with food all around don't we??

I'm learning to stay away from the buffet table at social gatherings. All these high school graduations parties...I thought I was done with graduates but it seems like I never will be but I take pride and joy in celebrating these young-un's lives and how they have grown.

Listening to all the "experts" really does not get us anywhere with how we live our lifestyle. When it comes right down to it we know our bodies best. Hugs Debbie

Thanks Debbie,

This came just on time for me, as we had this very conversation in our support group last night, I actually copied and posted this article on the PA forum, stating of course where it came from, as I think many there can identify with that and I think that while it is not necessarily for newbies, it really is useful information for all of us, as no matter how early out we are, we always need to be mindful of the fact that good choices alone will not be the key component here, but more about changing the relationship with food, ie, not eating to deal with our emotions, comfort eating, etc. . .  that, I think, takes a lot of vigilance and retraining, which I am still a work in progress in doing. . .

Oh meeeee toooooooooooooo!!
Retraining my brain on how to deal with food, emotional eating...and on top of that...I just like food!! But don't we all. Knowing this will be a lifetime battle we must fight...for the rest of our lives. Now I admit some seem to struggle less, but me, I'm a tiger and fight all the time!

Debbie....thanks for sharing this....it is so true!!

Hugs sweetie.....connie d