"The food was so bad... and the portions so small!"
Moderators: Soprano, automatedeating
"The food was so bad... and the portions so small!"
That's an old joke about army food, that I remember from my childhood.
But more than once, I have found myself overeating BECAUSE the food was so unsatisfying. As if some instinctive level I believe that I haven't really been nourished, and if I keep eating, it will be enough.
As I become more used to "real" food - and more used to satisfying meals - I really notice this phenomenon. I'm starting to think of "bad food" (meaning, anything that I would classify as "unsatisfying") as a warning to be more vigilant.
Anyone else notice this?
But more than once, I have found myself overeating BECAUSE the food was so unsatisfying. As if some instinctive level I believe that I haven't really been nourished, and if I keep eating, it will be enough.
As I become more used to "real" food - and more used to satisfying meals - I really notice this phenomenon. I'm starting to think of "bad food" (meaning, anything that I would classify as "unsatisfying") as a warning to be more vigilant.
Anyone else notice this?
Re: "The food was so bad... and the portions so small!&
I noticed it before No S.KCCC wrote:
But more than once, I have found myself overeating BECAUSE the food was so unsatisfying. As if some instinctive level I believe that I haven't really been nourished, and if I keep eating, it will be enough.
Anyone else notice this?
I used to swing by a couple of my "favorite" (I used that word advisedly) fast food joints and pick up a sackful of my favorites, usually some large subset of burgers, fries, nuggets, fried chicken and chocolate shakes. I would scarf them down and still be hungry. And then go buy more unnourishing food and scarf that down, and still have the munchies. Curiously enough, the more unsatisying the food, the more that food became one of my "favorites". It is as if internally, I was was saying, "This time, the Chicken McNuggets are going to do the trick, I just know it!" The only thing that would stop me from continuing to try to get satisfied was that I was so physically full, I just couldn't eat any more.
Upon starting No S, I immediately--and without any consious effort on my part--became very choosy about what would go on my one plate of food. I know that if I don't feel satisfied after my one plate, it will be hours before I get another chance to eat. So, quite instinctively, I have begun to include vegetables and fruit and other food that really makes me feel fed in lieu of junk food which only makes me feel full.
My undergrad work was in economics, so I am endlessly fascinated to watch my choice patterns change as I move from an environment of unlimited wants and unlimited resources (unlimited trips to the drive-thru) to an environment of unlimited wants (that hasn't changed) and limted resources (3 plates a day).
This phenomenon is one of the little bits of magic about No S that amazes me and for which I am constantly thankful. My relationship with food is changing right before my eyes.
Thanks for the great post, KCCC.
I've read that since we started eating so much food that is nutrient-poor, we instinctively eat more food in search of the nutrients we need. If you eat food that is naturally more nutrient dense, you'll eat less food. Although it might take awhile to cut down on the amount because you're so used to eating a larger volume of food.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."
"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."
- BrightAngel
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I have made it a point since starting No S to eat only things I enjoy. Of course there are times (when I'm eating something new at a restaurant, where I'm eating at someone else's home) when I find that I've plated a meal I don't like. The internal whining begins: But this shouldn't count! I don't even like it! I should be able to go home at at least eat some buttered toast..... and on and on. It's one of the circumstances in which I am most tempted to failure.
There are many components to food satisfaction, all varying with what I'm looking to eat. Regardless of how much I love potato soup, if I want to taste something cool and spicy, it's not going to satisfy me. No S makes meals much more important, and I do a better job of figuring out what I want instead of just stuffing myself with food, knowing that there's always more available.
There are many components to food satisfaction, all varying with what I'm looking to eat. Regardless of how much I love potato soup, if I want to taste something cool and spicy, it's not going to satisfy me. No S makes meals much more important, and I do a better job of figuring out what I want instead of just stuffing myself with food, knowing that there's always more available.
Me too. In fact, it was just such a failure that prompted this post. (At least I have "failure-events" instead of "failure-days" these days.)Starla wrote: It's one of the circumstances in which I am most tempted to failure.
And I'm thinking about this phenomenon in terms of S-days (since today is one) - how it relates to looking for "truly satisfying" treats instead of just eating stuff-that's-there...
We went on a Mediterranean cruise this past October. The cruise was 12 days long, and the food was absolutely divine. The portions were mostly small, though - but I never felt deprived in the least. And we had dessert every night. But the desserts too were small - maybe 2 tablespoons or so. End result - I felt like I was completely indulging myself throughout the whole vacation, and came home 2 lbs lighter than when I left!
Now I just have to learn to cook like that so I can be satisfied with smaller portions!
Now I just have to learn to cook like that so I can be satisfied with smaller portions!