Remember what it was like to be blissfully unaware....?

I have been doing a lot of thinking and looking around at those who are not diet concious. I don't necessarily mean over weight, just blissfully unaware. It's been a while since I started paying attention to what I eat. My diet has changed a lot even since then! I guess it takes time to learn what's good and what's bad. But, I have been trying to go over in my head what it's like to just eat whatever you want (ie: a burger and fries for lunch everyday, beer and endless pizza on Friday nights). I don't know that I could ever go back to that after the experience I have had on CC, life has changed dramatically for the better. I do wonder, though, how it is possible for some people to eat anything-anytime-any amount of food and stay pretty much the same size forever.

Maybe I'm not making sense...my father for example. He eats absolutely anything he wants anytime. He doesn't even know what a calorie is. He is not athletic or energetic, for that matter, but never gets any heavier. He cannot be burning off that 1700 calorie lunch everyday! Or is it that we just become more aware of our weights and bodies when we start watching what we put in them?There was a time I had no idea what I ate (calories, protein, etc) and still managed to get in my clothes everyday. They were just a little bigger than they should've been...

I guess I am wondering if anyone else knows what I'm talking about. Do you remember what it was like to be blissfully unaware? Do you think there is ever any "going back" once you learn what is good and bad for you? I hope you don't all think I am an idiot, it's been on my mind a lot lately.....

I remember being blissfully unaware, until I noticed none of clothes fitted properly anymore and guys were saying how great it is that I enbrace my curves and I mustn't lose weight... I wasn't embracing the curves, I just didn't know that I had so many! I'll never go back. It's not only a physical thing but also havng self respect and taking care of your body's health.

Yeah now that I know the calories of things I wonder how I wasn't 500 pounds. Or why everyone hasn't died of a heart attack.

YES!!! I am so glad you guys get it! I thought I might be a little nuts! I also wonder (or maybe not) why America has such an obesity problem.

Victoriacross- you hit the nail on the head! I think sometimes people aren't even aware that they have a weight problem. That's what brought me here. I became the chick with "curves" ugh!

Oh yes!  My weakness while off-diet is Crunch n Munch caramel popcorn.  I little $.99 box was costing me 500 calories plus - and I'd just sit at my desk and consume the whole box at a time.  Yikes!  Yes, no wonder I'm not 500 pounds.

Ugh I remember and it's disgusting to think of the things I would eat on a normal basis, coffee ice cream, giant sugar filled drinks from starbucks, zebracakes, soda soda soda, fast food pretty frequently, it blows my mind that I allowed myself to do that for so long!

YES I think about that often - especially around my friends and family. They'll eat certain things and I think to myself "do you realize how many calories is in THAT?" But then I realize that I was like that too at one time. I was addicted to starbucks and would go every day..sometimes more than once a day! Tons of junk food...sodas..you name it. Thinking about it is always a real eye opener for me.

Yes, I remember and it grosses me out now. Of course I was younger and my metabolism was faster then. Some people may be blissfully unaware and seem a normal weight but that doesn't mean they are healthy. We are working on eating HEALTHY. My friend's 7 year old had abdominal pain.from a fatty liver caused by her diet. Her husband is in the hospital with heart problems. A real eye-opener for her. Their eating habits will be changing now...

I remember them days too. Now when I eat somewhere besides at home where I don't know the calories I try to add everything in my head. Even seeing things on TV advertised I do the same thing. It was so funny, a couple of days ago my husband and I were watching TV and a commercial for Pizza Hut came on and they were advertising there new pasta dishes. At the same time my husband and I turn to each other, how many calories do you think there is in a serving of that? I never would have thought of that, or really cared before. But now calories are always on my mind.

j9gwen, I too use to drink soda like it was going out of style, mostly Mt Dew. Zebracakes too. They are so good, I still have one every once in a while.

Original Post by hope2577:

beer and endless pizza

I think you mean pizza and endless beers. I haven't actually drank anything since I started this because I can't get it out of my head that my liver can't metabolize fat while it's crunching on the alcohol.

I know what you mean! I remember the days before I knew just how many calories were in those milkshakes I consumed EVERY time I went to a fast food place. Really, I never ordered a drink. It was always a thick creamy milkshake. I had a memory of me on Friday nights chomping on a Checkers Chicken Sandwhich [with cheese], with those signature zesty fries, and a medium banana milkshake.

You would probably be disgusted if you saw how much I ate when I was about 8 to 12 years old. I know I am.

I never was blissfully unaware. I have always been on a diet and this is the first one that has worked.

I often wonder if the people I see are unaware or if they really struggle to maintain the weight they're at. For women, I normally assume they struggle. =/

Original Post by ta2kitty:

Yes, I remember and it grosses me out now. Of course I was younger and my metabolism was faster then. Some people may be blissfully unaware and seem a normal weight but that doesn't mean they are healthy. We are working on eating HEALTHY. My friend's 7 year old had abdominal pain.from a fatty liver caused by her diet. Her husband is in the hospital with heart problems. A real eye-opener for her. Their eating habits will be changing now...

I really bothers me when people don't even consider what they're doing to their KIDS.... =( You should at least think about that. I'm not saying not to let your kids have sodas and koolaid, but at least consider what you're doing.

Ah, the good old days before reading labels at the grocery store for calorie content and instead looking for things like 'extra cheese' and 'double stuffed' cookies. Those days were so much easier. LOL. I was also blissfully unaware of how much I weighed since I avoided scales at all cost for years. Now, Im on a scale every day!

Would I go back? Never! While those days were easier and funner and some ways, being 40 lbs lighter is pretty damn great too!

Ah yes, I remember those days well. For fun, I love looking at the calories of some of the things I used to get Starbucks. For example: a grande white chocolate mocha with whipped cream and a blueberry scone totals 850 CALORIES.

An In-n-Out cheeseburger and fries?  880 CALORIES.

A Chipotle burrito with rice, beans, sour cream, cheese, and steak, with chips? 1795 CALORIES. (I know people who eat these almost every day.)

 

It just blows my mind...

I think this kind of awareness is exactly what I need so that I don't regain the weight.  After nearly 2 years I still find that i can snack mindlessly if I'm not paying attention. 

There are times that I miss being able to snack without counting up the calories.  For instance sitting by a campfire... I use to like to nibble on chips or something straight out of the bag.  I suppose it wouldn't hurt if I did that once in a great while. It's easy to flop back into old habits especially when they are pleasurable. 

It's so funny, my husband asked, what's for snack.  My answer, anything that's less than 100 calories, since I've only got 100 calories left of my daily 1,500.  Until the 24th of June, I wouldn't have ever even thought a thing about calories.  Just bring me the snack. 

I'm been so amazed at what I've learned in such a short time.  Now folks, I've lost a 100 lbs twice in my life time and gained it all back.  Not once did I try to look for calories.  what was I thinking.  Talk about a life change, this is it. 

Did you know that nearly every restarant you can imagine has nutritional information on their web sites.  We are able to look up what we might want to eat, before we go, or what we ate after we got home to log our food intake.  It's wonderful to have all those resources. 

Keep up the good work.  I'm so happy to have you all in my corner. 

Ah the good old days...before i knew that Costco's food court cheese pizza has over 800 calories a slice and when I could down most a bag of chili cheese Fritos and never bothered to look at the nutrition info. Those times were simpler times, fatter times. Knowledge is a great thing, I could NEVER eat a bag of Fritos again, the idea absolutely horrifies me.

Oh, yes, I remember... One of my friend's is always telling me how he misses the "Old Joe". He says "I remember when we used to go to McDonald's for lunch EVERYDAY! And you would order a Big Mac meal, large size, and 2 extra double cheeseburgers!" Yeah, that was me. Now, like many of you, I can't put anything in my mouth without at least THINKING about how many calories it may have. For example, right now, I'm kind of on a break from counting. Still trying to eat healthy, but lately I have been cheating. Even though I'm not officially counting, I STILL add the calories in my head, and usually come up with an estimate of my calorie intake at the end of the day. But, unlike most of you, I still love my fast food, sorry. I mean, I don't eat it NEARLY as much as I did. But I couldn't imagine my life without Taco Bell. Seriously. I will always love fast food.

The bizarre thing is I don't remember not being aware of it... I mean, I know I probably wasn't when I was like seven when I started putting on weight but I always felt on the outside and almost blamed it (at least partially) on my weight.

And yet I'd wake up and promise myself to change day after day, forget for a while and then start promising myself day after day and I've still not comitted to it enough. I lost 15 pounds earlier this year and now I've gained it back and I don't really know why I'm so entirely incapable of comitment.