Why do people find it so hard to eat less?

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: exilera

Originally posted by: 91TTZ
Probably an instinct that still remains from a time when food was scarce and you didn't know when you were going to get your next meal.

Actually, the opposite is true. During that time, people ate many small meals during the day. An apple here, a rat there, barries, etc... People didn't gorge themselves because they were not able to. This is why people get fat today. Our bodies were not meant to process large meals in one sitting. Our bodies were meant to metabolize small meals throughout the day. Since the body cannot process large meals at one time, a lot of what you eat is stored as excess fat.

I seriously doubt that people hunted rats every few hours just to get many meals in a day. More realistically, they hunted large game like bison and mammoths and ate what they could since they didn't have refrigeration and salt only preserves meat for so long.

The purpose of fat is to store energy on your body for use in periods when you don't have anything to eat. Back then, a cut, thin guy probably wasn't viewed as "physically fit", but rather as "one missed meal away from death".

 

[SynthDude2001]

Originally posted by: moshquerade

Originally posted by: SynthDude2001

Originally posted by: moshquerade
eating is so overrated

I wish I could convince myself of that.

how do you look in your swimsuit? that's all it should take to convince you.

Oh I know, I am losing weight, but I'll never be able to fool myself into thinking that food isn't good.

 

[CRXican]

I eat until I'm not hungry any more. I'm 21 and can't gain weight no matter what I eat.

Some Krispy Kreme donuts just arrived at the office, BRB.

 

[SynthDude2001]

Originally posted by: CRXican
I eat until I'm not hungry any more. I'm 21 and can't gain weight no matter what I eat.

Some Krispy Kreme donuts just arrived at the office, BRB.

People like you suck.

Enjoy it while it lasts.

 

[exilera]

Originally posted by: Lola

Originally posted by: exilera

Originally posted by: Lola

Originally posted by: exilera

Originally posted by: Lola
i enjoy eating and really tasting the food. i don't eat to just eat. i eat to experience the food.
i don't find it hard to eat enough to make me just pleased and not to full...

I never understood why some people like food so much. My fiancee's the same way. She's thin, but it still bothers me. In my opinion, food is a necessity only, and eating stuff that's bad for you is rediculous.

i am the same way.. thin and LOVE food. i have always been that way and never thought food was just to survive but something to experience. i guess i am kinda a nerd in that i am very passionate about life and very passionate about different experiences (i.e. food) as well!

You're not a nerd for enjoying food. It's good to be passionate about something. It's OK to be passionate about food, if that's what you enjoy, as long as you take it in moderation.

i love food, but am not really obcessed with it! I think its great to take time and enjoy what you eat... not only that though, but take time and enjoy many aspects of life!
I eat healthy and am a good weight. I do not over eat nor eat only bad food.
I often wonder how people can eat and eat and eat and not taste anything.

But you do find it necessary to eat bad food, under the guise that you're just enjoying life and one of it's aspects (food). I'm not trying to rag on you for it, just trying to prove a point. I think the drawbacks of eating unhealthy do not warrant the benefits of eating bad food. It only takes a few minutes to eat a piece of chocolate cake, but then you have 40 grams of fat and 500 extra calories in your stomach. Of course, like I said, taken in moderation it's OK to an extent, but I still don't think it's worth it. The problem is, most people don't just stop at one piece of cake, and eat bad food much more often than they should.

 

[BriGy86]

when you're board you eat, there's lots of board people

 

[exilera]

Originally posted by: 91TTZ

Originally posted by: exilera

Originally posted by: 91TTZ
Probably an instinct that still remains from a time when food was scarce and you didn't know when you were going to get your next meal.

Actually, the opposite is true. During that time, people ate many small meals during the day. An apple here, a rat there, barries, etc... People didn't gorge themselves because they were not able to. This is why people get fat today. Our bodies were not meant to process large meals in one sitting. Our bodies were meant to metabolize small meals throughout the day. Since the body cannot process large meals at one time, a lot of what you eat is stored as excess fat.

I seriously doubt that people hunted rats every few hours just to get many meals in a day. More realistically, they hunted large game like bison and mammoths and ate what they could since they didn't have refrigeration and salt only preserves meat for so long.

The purpose of fat is to store energy on your body for use in periods when you don't have anything to eat. Back then, a cut, thin guy probably wasn't viewed as "physically fit", but rather as "one missed meal away from death".

People didn't hunt rats every few hours, but they didn't always have large game available either. People ate what they could when they could to survive. That means they probably didn't all sit down to a nice large meal of Boar every evening.

 

[PingSpike]

Probably because our entire culture revolves around eating food. Oh! Its christmas, lets eat a bunch of food! Its my birthday, everyone eat cake! Oh, some guy in the company got promoted to VP lets all eat food to celebrate! Its the staff meeting! Lets have food! Valentines, have some chocolates! Everytime some one successfully puts on a pair of pants in the morning we have to go out and celebrate with ice cream. Can't we just get drunk like Europe?

Its really easy for me to avoid eating junk food at home, I just don't buy it. I eat dinner and then go shopping. My extreme cheapness makes me say "cookies are bad for you, and they cost money...why should I waste money on food thats bad for me?" When I'm at home craving some bad food for myself, I open the pantry and go "Damn, no junk food." If it ain't there, I can't eat it.

Work is the real test though, at work they're just throwing food at me all the time. And its always sh|t food like cookies or something.

 

[PingSpike]

Originally posted by: exilera

But you do find it necessary to eat bad food, under the guise that you're just enjoying life and one of it's aspects (food). I'm not trying to rag on you for it, just trying to prove a point. I think the drawbacks of eating unhealthy do not warrant the benefits of eating bad food. It only takes a few minutes to eat a piece of chocolate cake, but then you have 40 grams of fat and 500 extra calories in your stomach. Of course, like I said, taken in moderation it's OK to an extent, but I still don't think it's worth it. The problem is, most people don't just stop at one piece of cake, and eat bad food much more often than they should.

You're fighting natural impulses, of course. There is a reason your brain says this food tastes good and carrots or brocolli less so. Its because its high calorie. Think of how big a concern famine and finding food was back when we were tossing spears at huge bison and eating crud off of rocks to survive. Its these same drives at play, when the food is in front of you, your brain still says, no matter how fvcking fat you are "EAT THAT SH|T! I DUNNO WHEN MY NEXT MEAL IS COMING!"

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: PingSpike
Probably because our entire culture revolves around eating food. Oh! Its christmas, lets eat a bunch of food! Its my birthday, everyone eat cake! Oh, some guy in the company got promoted to VP lets all eat food to celebrate! Its the staff meeting! Lets have food! Valentines, have some chocolates! Everytime some one successfully puts on a pair of pants in the morning we have to go out and celebrate with ice cream. Can't we just get drunk like Europe?

Its really easy for me to avoid eating junk food at home, I just don't buy it. I eat dinner and then go shopping. My extreme cheapness makes me say "cookies are bad for you, and they cost money...why should I waste money on food thats bad for me?" When I'm at home craving some bad food for myself, I open the pantry and go "Damn, no junk food." If it ain't there, I can't eat it.

Work is the real test though, at work they're just throwing food at me all the time. And its always sh|t food like cookies or something.

you are right. and we use food for a reward too much in this country.

my incentive though is the bathing suit. i want to feel/look good in it. cookies/candy can go to hell because they go to the hips. so i don't eat 'em.

exercising also diminishes the appetite.

 

[Hottie]

Your body calling for more because the food you ate is not having the nutrition(sp?) you need. for exp, if may still hungry after you have 3 slice of white toast in the moring w/ jam. Try having 2 slices of multi grain the next moring and you will find out the 2x brown is more filling than 3x white. And when you think you should stop eating but still hungry, try drink a glass of water. It help.

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: exilera

People didn't hunt rats every few hours, but they didn't always have large game available either. People ate what they could when they could to survive. .

Exactly, so when they did have something to eat, they made sure to gorge themselves and eat as much as they possibly could at the moment. Like you said, they ate what they could when they could. Eating a reasonable amount and leaving leftovers was not a consideration.

 

[MetalMat]

I was taught to always finish what was on my plate.

 

[FoBoT]

i just ate a king size #6 from burger thing with onion rings and a coke

i am full, before i ate that, i was hungry

 

[cerebusPu]

Originally posted by: MetalMat
I was taught to always finish what was on my plate.

i was taught that..but ever since i got older (21+) I decided that finishing the plate even when i was full was not in my best interest anymore.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: dxkj
Im the kinda person that when I eat, and Im hungry, I might pig out... more than to the full point...

It is very possible to eat until I am just full... but then why does my body keep craving more? (this was a few months ago)


Example could be that I might eat 1 or 2 pieces of pizza, and be fine until the next meal, or I could eat 4-6 pieces of pizza be stuffed, but have a good feeling from eating so much...

Why do our bodies do this? Through willpower its possible to eat less, but a lot of people dont have it.

They say that certain types of eating habits promote you still feeling hungry. You should explore what those might be and try to avoid them if you want to avoid overeating.

 

[Zeeky Boogy Doog]

i don't even try to eat less, but i always do, my parents always wonder how such a big kid (6'4) can eat so little and not be hungry constantly, i just never am, so i don't eat, i used to eat a lot, and if i would have stayed looking as i did about 4 years ago i'd probably weigh between 225 adn 250 rather than 180.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: Patt
I get insane cravings after I've eaten sugar. I've cut out sodas, candy etc., and limit alcohol consumption. If, however, I do have something sugary in the morning, I'm screwed all day. Just want to eat to satisfy the craving. Perhaps I'm borderline diabetic or something.

Regardless, I'm losing weight right now, but still need to get out for more exercise. Sitting behind a desk for 9 hours a day, typing away certainly hasn't done anything for my physique.

The sugar/blood-sugar rollercoaster, they say, is a good way to become a diabetic. If you notice that eating sugar is messing you up you should explore low sugar eating alternatives. You can find low sugar foods that are entirely satisfying and having done so you will lose your craving for sweets. I like sweets, but I don't crave them. They don't mess me up, but I'm not in the habit of eating sweets recently. I can go days without any and never notice unless I happen to think about it.

 

[StageLeft]

91TTZ++

 

[RaDragon]

I eat more, but in small portions spread out through the day. So I'll have a small breakfast, snack, small lunch, snack, small dinner -- repeat the next day.

And oh, American portions are HUGE. I can normally eat one Americanized portion for at least 2.5 meals.

Sometimes, when you think you're hungry, you probably are only dehydrated. Your brain cannot differentiate between hunger for food or hunger for water (I read that somewhere, and I can show you the article if I can remember where to find it).

Bottomline:
Eat smaller portions, and feel free to eat more than 3 meals a day if you do this.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: exilera

Originally posted by: Landroval
Bad habits or availability of poor food choices. Social pressure to eat more than is needed for satiety. Boredom or other psychological issues. Lack of sufficient exercise to support what is eaten.

Agreed 100%.

If we all ate like the french, america wouldn't be so fat!

Yes, I see the availability of poor food choices everywhere. It helps a lot if you have or can develop a reasonable amount of control over your eating choices. It's generally done in an evolutionary way, over a period of time - at least a few days, more likely weeks, which of course turn into months. You want to get to the point where you are making good choices for you and not feeling deprived.

 

[MetalMat]

I have the same problem, I am just a natural glutton I guess. I was always taught to finish what is in front of me, so if you put a burger in front of me I will eat it and be satiated. Put 2 burgers, fries, and an apple pie I will eat it and be full. This is why I dont go to buffets or buy any junk food whatsoever. I buy lots of fruits and vegetables.

 

[rh71]

I'm up to 162 and still climbing... I'm lovin' it.

I think it's natural to eat till you're full. But I never stuff myself beyond the point of discomfort... that's why I've been pretty thin in appearance all my life. I can't imagine dieting where I can't eat till I'm at least satisfied.

 

[IGBT]

..they use food as a reward and exceed personal feed limits.

 

[AntiEverything]

Try eating vegetables before your main course. Have a big salad before you eat the pizza. You'll end up feeling full after eating the same volume of food.

You can eat a lot as long as you choose sensibly and keep the portions of fattier foods smaller, and healthy foods larger.