In a food fantasy what would YOU eat?

by

Before I start this post I need to state clearly and openly Im biased.

I ADORE LINDSAY.

I tell her frequently, and probably STILL NOT ENOUGH, how her blog is one of the first I read each morning because of its fitness by way of personal development twist. 

She’s pretty religious (spiritual?).

Im pretty spiritual (religious?).

And, even though we dont worship in the same fashion, many of the underlying messages of our posts are the same.

But I digress…

I love Lindsay & the whole new crop of healthy living bloggers and, as a result, pretty much every morning weekly I think to myself:

It’s time.  Im done with healthy living blogging.  Ive said what Ive felt called to.  Ive shared what Ive gots.  It’s time for this crowd pleaser to dance on into a new realm.

I frequently wonder:

Have I been in the center of healthy living for my allotted time & life has given me my cue to shimmy on into the periphery and let the young folks take the floor.

And then I read posts like Lindsay’s What Would You Eat Wednesday (& the accompanying comments) & wonder if this well seasoned blogger might have a few thoughts left in her yet.**

In case you missed it here’s the premise of the post:

what we WOULD eat if calories and our waistlines and our vanity wasn’t an issue.  I think about this a lot actually, and I’m pretty sure I’m not alone.  What would your typical diet look like if you KNEW NOTHING about nutrition or health?  What would you eat if calories and fat grams weren’t relevant?

Lindsay also continued and shared:

The answer?  You would eat like a child, if the child had no parents forcing them to eat their vegetables.  No limits.  No restrictions.  No vegetables and a whole lot of grease and sugar.

By the time I made it over to read the blog post many people had commented (Im not alone in my love of the Lindsay) & the responses read precisely as you’d imagine.

They were a veritable food-fantasy of what the readers would consume if given the sweet sweet freedom from waistline worry and calorie counting.

And this made me profoundly sad.

And this made me wonder if I were officially old (wraggles cane and shouts HEY YOU KIDS GIT OFF MY LAWN!!)

And this made me believe, at least for one more day, I might have a blog post to write which improved upon the silence.

Reading the post/comments sparked a few thoughts in my misfitmind and led me to wonder if Im alone in my muZings:

  • My idea of a food fantasy day (CLARIFICATION: the word fantasy is mine) completely includes someone ELSE preparing, making, cleaning up and PAYING for my eats.  That and perhaps taking over the food shopping is this misfit’s decadent, indulgent fantasy.
  • It saddened me to see so many craptastic treats listed by commenters as “what they’d eat” because I envisioned how Id FEEL after said junk.  Am I flying solo in the notion of Seriously it is NOT about the calories — it’s about having the energy to live the life I WANT (a big reason why I wrote this…) which dictates how I make my food-choices?
  • Im misfit enough to think my child would *not* head straight for sugarfriedfatty.  I definitely surrender if it werent for me she’d ONLY consume fruit & most likely no veggies (are we hardwired sweet that way?), but Ive let her have LOTS of junk through her seven years (all things in moderation!) & for the most part she hasnt liked how “yucky” shes felt afterward.

As I sit and write this (and edit. and rewrite this. I may be on version 25) Im still uncertain it conveys my visceral reaction when I read the initial post.

All I know is I clicked away feeling profoundly saddened & wondering if Im simply old and just no longer get the joke?

And now I look to you to help me out:

  • If you had a day free from caloric-worry or nutritional-knowledge how would YOU eat? Would you be Bettie Binge or Carl Consistent (with how you eat every other day)?
  • Is it possible for caloric-cognizance & nutritional-info to be COUPLED WITH consistently eating for pleasure?

 

 

 

 

**I emailed Lindsay immediately and sought permission for this post.

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Comments

  1. I actually though…right away…when I saw the post of this title: “Ugh, eating junk just because I can? That’d probably make me feel awful”. Glad I”m not alone. Interesting topic. Never stop blogging (although I totally think about stopping every day too)

  2. I’m with you on so many of your thoughts. I NEVER look at calories, sugar, fat – so I would likely eat the exact same way I do now – mostly healthy with a whole pile of chocolate thrown in for good measure. But now I’m looking at myself and asking WHY do I eat that way? And I gotta think that’s because that’s how I was raised. We didn’t have much money – food was fuel. And because we couldn’t afford much fuel, we ate the fuel with the most bang for it’s buck. My mom grew up on a farm so it was always important to her that we eat fruits and vegetables from local farmers. I never ever questioned why. And oh… it looks like I’m writing my own blog post on your blog. Oooops!! Have a great day Miz!

  4. I’m just not sure. I’ve been “trying” to diet for about two years now (since I turned 40) and it’s very on-again off-again. When I eat mainly healthy food I often feel deprived and crave salt/fat, but when I eat a whole bag of Doritos I feel sick afterwards. So I know it’s not just about the calories and the vanity. I feel revolting if I eat too much junk — and the amount of junk I can eat gets less and less all the time.

    My nine year old daughter still thinks Willy Wonka’s chocolate room would be an awesome place to visit/live. I don’t.

    I guess my food fantasy would be something like a really good restaurant meal. Prepared by someone else. A variety of amazing flavours. A certain amount of fat, but not too much. A delicious dessert. And not eating so much I have to waddle home.

  5. You know, I’m really proud of myself. My reaction to this post has shown me that I’ve actually grown and evolved and that all of this cardio and clean eating is becoming part of my life – my new normal – because when I thought of a fantasy day, I thought FREE OF FINANCIAL RESTRAINTS. So I’d go straight for the freshest salmon filet or the huge fat scallops or the pile of organic vegetables that I’ve wanted to experiment with but haven’t because I always have to be so budget conscious.
    Thank you as always for helping me see where I’ve grown. I really needed that this morning!

    • I am with Sue – it would be a 5 star meal free from financial considerations. Definitely Japanese. Definitely the freshest possible fruits and vegetables. Definitely indulgent, but not in because of calories but in terms of true, sheer extravagance.

  6. I think the older we get the worse that stuff makes us feel.

    A younger me would say more ice cream because it didn’t make me ill 15 years ago.

    Me now…I’d like to be able to eat more nuts. So healthy but quite the calorie bombers.

  7. I think I might lean toward the way my kids eat with far too much sugar. I work hard every day to limit my sugar so throwing caution to the wind would be fun for a day. I would eat apple jacks for breakfast, pizza for lunch (although I do love veggie pizza), some amazing seafood/pasta dish for dinner (veggies on the side would be fine or a big salad) and a whole lot of ice cream for dessert. Fresh fruit would be in my day too. So, I suppose it’s not as bad as I thought, but I’m sure my sugar for the day would be off the charts. LOL!

  8. Some of us have kicked our addiction to fat, salt and sugar… but I suspect it’s a lot like crack, and any time we can go back and be hooked. Let’s face it. That’s how the industry sells food… to addict, to increase sales.

    Now I know that eating junk food will make me ill. Yet sometimes I still find myself craving movie theater popcorn (too much salt and too much butter) or I’ll buy a bag of salty carb snacks or a box of cookies, knowing full well if I eat the darn things I’m going to be sick. All those triggers still go off in my head sometimes, “I’ve got to have…”

    There’s only one food I used to eat that I am totally immune to now: soda pop, because the pain is immediate and severe if I have some. Sugary and salty snacks are something I can get away with… sometimes… in small amounts… and the impact takes an hour or so to develop, so I’m not always sure when it’s safe for my body to take in a little taste of my drug of choice.

    I really don’t know what I’d eat if I had my choice, consequence free… at least of home prepared foods. I know I’d prefer to have someone else prepare my food, that I like lean grilled beef with spices, I like salads with different types of greens, that I like foods that I really haven’t been able to recreate at home (and I suspect that’s due to unhealthy additives in the restaurant foods).

    But I am realistic enough to know that if it weren’t for ALL of my health issues, I could easily still be hooked on salty or sugary carbs, listlessly haunting the center aisles of the supermarket looking for my next fix.

    • POINTS UPWARD AT WISE ARTICULATE KATE.

      consequence.
      thats the word I was groping for…and did not even realize it.

  9. I focus on ingredients first. Then cals/macros. Even if I could eat any food I want, I’d still stick to whole foods 90% of the time. The reason…it’s how it makes me feel. Sure the sugar from ice cream and pizza provides instant satisfaction…but the following hours of being lethargic, feeling greasy, etc is not worth it.

  10. I’ll be honest here, but I love what I eat and I love eating healthy food. Sure, sometimes I’ll have things that are not so good for me, but that’s just life! It’s definitely not about calories to me. Especially since I have IBS, it’s important for me to feel great everyday, and when I eat junk, I feel like junk!

  12. I couldn’t have said this a few years ago, but now I really do prefer to eat nourishing foods. I DO pretty much eat what I want every day. I load up my potluck plate with the mixed salad that probably has way more calories than I would guess. I scan the tailgate spread for homemade chocolate chip cookies. I check the work lunch meeting food for the brownies that are “worth it.” But mostly I crave healthy foods and avoid foods that I will regret later–not because of the calories, but because of the sugar crash and/or oily residue. It me a long time to get to this point — maybe my “inner child” finally grew up.

  13. If you had a day free from caloric-worry or nutritional-knowledge how would YOU eat? Would you be Bettie Binge or Carl Consistent (with how you eat every other day)?

    I’d eat pretty much the same as I have every day for the past five years: clean whole foods. In a fantasy world, I’d (like you) maybe have someone else doing the shopping, cooking, and clean-up. And in a fantasy world, I guess the food would be free, so I’d like to have even more fresh fish (in place of chicken!) on the menu than I have now.

    Is it possible for caloric-cognizance & nutritional-info to be COUPLED WITH consistently eating for pleasure?

    NO, it is not.
    I like everything I eat.
    I don’t eat everything I like.

  15. I’m not sure if you are old or just more evolved than I?
    I know for sure I’d eat a ton of crap if I didn’t know it would make me fat.

  16. Older and wiser perhaps. That’s how I feel about myself. I used to have a “Free Day” on Sunday where I indulged in all the “off limits” foods. And Mondays felt awful. Now nothing is “forbidden” but I love feeling energetic and strong each day. So I don’t want to eat a whole plate of cheese fries because I know how completely wiped out I will feel the next day. I do eat the foods I crave – I just happen to crave oatmeal and hardboiled egg whites.

  17. While I would love calories to not count I agree that after a day of binging on grease and sugar I would feel like garbage and be hating myself not for the calories but just how I felt! Veggies and healthy foods keep my body running in a good way! Oh and yes I would most certainly welcome a food fairy that would come over and plan, shop for, pay for, and prepare my meals!!!

  18. I am curious now what the Tornado would do if you let her choose her meals for a day!
    Blog that please!!!

  19. I can’t imagine what I’d do because my calories counts are so embedded in my brain.

  20. I am so with you Carla (and even older). Junk seriously turns me off these days. It’s not that I am pristine or anything, but I don’t like feeling overly full or icky from processed sugar/salt/fat. A few short years ago I would’t have been able to say this, but I certainly can now!

    Someone to do all the grocery shopping, putting away, and cooking would be HEAVEN!

  21. I don’t care about calories. Period. I had an awesomely indulgent St. Patrick’s Day weekend and have zero shame/guilt. Today though is back to clean eats and sweaty workouts. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) I absolutely adore buffalo wings. While I love eating clean, whole, and nutritious foods … sometimes I girl just needs some wings and beer you know? 😉

    • I LOVE you say no shame or guilt.
      I save both of those for times when my actions violate my moral code—DEFINITELY NOT FOOD 🙂

  22. here’s my two cents. I think we’re TOO FOCUSED on food, on the crap and on the healthy. What if…. we just eat what made us feel good. No calorie counting, no IDOLing, No lala land of eat this not that. I bet tornado would chose what makes her feel good because has a mama who does the same. Sure cookies, cakes, pies and to be ENJOYED. But we put too much emphasis on when to eat them, how much, when, why, how.
    Okay, i’m dragging this out. Thanks for YOUR heart. P.S> you don’t need a cane, ever! 😉

    • Linday, I totally agree! Food isn’t the point. The more we restrict it, put rules on it, label it good or bad the more it becomes the object. We get wrapped up in WHAT we eat and lose who we ARE and what we were meant to do.

  23. I probably would eat differently if calories didn’t count – but not in junk but oatmeal (I crave oatmeal more than is normal I think) and I’d use honey in my tea instead of stevia.
    And never stop blogging because you are with Lindsay I am with you! I head here first

  24. I wouldn’t eat different foods because I have finally figured out what makes me feel best! Plus, I truly like what I eat! 🙂 I can see that my answer would have possibly been different 10 or 20 years ago. Then, I looked at food much more as calories (and somewhat nutrition) and not so much how it makes me feel, which I think gets just so much more important the older I get. So, yes, maybe we are old! 😉 But I am glad to be where I am when it comes to food!

  25. I feel like I wouldn’t go for the bad stuff right away –anymore–because once you know better you do better, but its really about what frame of mind you are in. If someone wants to eat healthy to lose weight temporarily, then they would be prone to eating the bad stuff, however, if someone was in a life style change then they probably would make better choices.

  26. I am like you, but for a different reason.
    I do not think i could let go for a day.
    :/

  27. After this weekend, I would agree wih you. I decided to make it an “indulge on whatever” weeekend and…wow and bleh. Eating crap food makes you feel like crap. Oh its still delicious… But it does nothing for me. Period. Still learning!

  28. I might have a chest food but don’t know if I could doit all day…..except when I vacation In Austin that’s a whole other story 😉

  29. That is a toughie, I love big healthy salads, but I also love a big greasy cheesebuger. Thought provoking post and so true. Everytime I think about all that I would eat I can’t help but think about how it would make me feel. I would like to think I would make some healthy choices too.

  32. First off – Please continue to say what you have to say! Just like Lindsay is one of your first reads of the day, you are one of mine!!! I think you still have a wealth of information to share!!!

    And, I would probably eat the way I do now. I’ve never been a calorie counter so a day where they didn’t matter wouldn’t change anything for me. I agree with you – a food fantasy would involve zero work on my part!!

  34. I might make you sad again Carla. I think because I have been eating clean for so so so many years AND that I have to due to my body type & having to be stricter than a lot of people AND I have to do it when I was younger too cause I was not a lucky one that could w=eat what I wanted & not gain weight when I was younger – well, yes, I would eat all those things I still crave but do not eat because I know it would be havoc with my weight & bod ESPECIALLY at this age!

    For me, I have a tough body type that resists leanness & grabs on to weight gain – always have… so the fact that I do have to be so strict & have for years – except my weekend treat cookies – well, I would enjoy like there was going to be no tomorrow – sorry… 🙂

  35. NOT SAD AT ALL and I have no idea where I will be in a few years.
    I know RIGHT NOW I would still eat clean as I need the energy to git through my day 😉
    I also know I wont look like you at your age.
    I LACK THAT DISCIPLINE with the workouts.

    Im short and sweet.

  36. Great post and perspective. My initial reaction was – PIZZA. And that was it. No cookies, no cake, just some pizza and loaded with veggies please and thank you. But I think that if I was honestly given the choice, I’d stick with my regular eats. Nothing worse than feeling like total poo after eating something terrible for you.

  37. In my mind, it’s hard to separate the two things – if you don’t have to worry about calories, then I have a hard time separating that you wouldn’t feel any different no matter what you ate. I’m probably not making sense, but if all nutrition was equal, then your body wouldn’t be fueled differently.

    If you look at it from just the vanity part, that if we weren’t eating healthy because we wanted to look good, then I’d for sure say that I’d eat healthy because I want to feel good.

    Case in point – I just got back from a weekend away that included some indulgent foods and I can’t wait to get back to a super healthy filled day – I feel icky today.

    • Thank you!!!!!!!! Finally someone who’s aware of the suspension of disbelief this fantasy requires. Life is for eating veggies. Fantasies are for eating cake.

      • Ha, I agree Amanda. I figured if we were suspending disbelief enough to “believe” cake is suddenly calorie free, we’d also be suspending it enough to think that the calorie free cake would also be nutritious. If I could live in a world where I could get all nutrition from donuts (and not gain 20193848203 lbs) I would. I’d never touch another salad again. 😉

  39. I find as i get older that the constant criticsm from the doctors and healthfood sector is just ruining my enjoyment of food. The key word is “moderation”.Enjoy a snack, don’t feel guilty, why does everybody have to feel guilty all the time.However, it’s also good to do something active to work that snack off.It’s a double pleasure, you feel you,ve worked it off and you get a exercise buzz.Small strides lead to great things.

  40. I pretty much eat what I want every day now – but my wants have changed A LOT over the last 5 years. So I’d go with the food fantasy of having someone grocery shop (from my list) for me, then wash and cut up all the fruit and veggies, and put every thing away. Yes, I’m living large, I know, lol!

  41. I take a mindful approach now so I eat whatever I want when I want. I just go by hunger, an intuitive approach to eating. I have dieted all of my adult life and “what would ou eat if you didn’t care about health” is not a good way to think about things because eating ONLY in regards to health and ingnoring what you truly wanna eat is OT healthy because it leads to obsessions, eating disorders, and shame, guilt, and lower self image (because you will “slip up”). That’s what has happened to me and I know this first hand. So I dislike the question.

  42. For the most part, I do eat what I want to eat. Post long run, I can indulge a bit, but if I go overboard I definitely feel it and feel gross. That knowledge keeps me wanting and craving the better food.
    Btw, I love Lindsay, too!

  43. Ugh, seriously? I don’t know why, but to this I have a really visceral reaction. My body won’t tolerate grains or sugar or dairy, and I hope that if I get to heaven the first thing I can do is sit down and eat a big fat tray of lasagna and cheesecake and pizza. I really thing it’s insulting for people to assume that those of us who eat healthy 100% of the time and still fantasize about one day being able to have someone tell us that pizza has magically become a health food made out of atoms of healthy food are just in it for the waistline. I can’t enjoy food anymore unless I know I’m getting something good for my body out of it, and I don’t think that makes me better than anyone else. It just makes me hope that in heaven if I’m good someone is going to hand me a healthy cheesecake. Because I know I’ll never enjoy one while I’m living.

    Seriously, this post so upset me. I don’t know why. People who fantasize about eating junk food aren’t only those people that eat well for their waistlines. And even if they were, some of the commenters who seem to think they’re above folks who eat healthily only for that reason need a delicious slice of humble pie.

  44. I had the same reaction. I was so sad to see sugar once again put on a pedestal and glorified so. I would have an amazing live in chef being me a fresh baked whole grain bagel in the morning, whip up a variety of colorful fish and veggie sushi for my lunch and prepare a new amazing culinary spread each night for dinner, veggies aplenty. I’m yeah, for free 🙂 that would be my foodie dream! Now to send the pilot to culinary school….

  45. Here’s my take…If we ate like kids…we would naturally be portion controlled. We would eat slowly, play with our food. We would NEVER clean our plate. We would eat vegetables especially when we had helped grow them.

    Each day…each meal would be different. Some days it would be just a little, some days a lot…but ALWAYS eating would be FUN!

    BUT in the same breathe we would MOVE like kids. We would naturally throw ourselves into a seemingly yoga pose in the middle of the living room, we would RUN to greet people, we would stretch and smile and ride bikes and walk around the house on little adventures.

    and lastly we would CONNECT to our imaginations NOT our fears and see the beauty and art in all things.

    That is my latest adventure in changing my blog and what I focus my writing on these days. Finding that connection to the art and imagination and FUN of living without the constraint of the focus on waistlines or my looks but rather how I can look AT things differently

  46. I’ve thought about this before, and it’s fascinating, because truly I HAVE NO IDEA.

    I know at first I’d eat a lot of formerly forbidden stuff, but sort of the foodie version of junk food. I wouldn’t eat my cupcakes from a Hostess wrapper, but I might spend a long time checking out all the beguiling bakeries that I haven’t entered over the years. And the pizza places, etc etc,

    Fortunately I’ve learned to love veggies, so they would still be part of the picture… and hopefully once the novelty wore off, a big part again. But… I honestly doubt I’d eat as many as if they had to compete with nachos, cheeseburgers, cokes, milkshakes, waffles, ice cream, cupcakes etc…

    But I loved your much healthier take Miz!

  47. I don’t know what I would do to be honest. A part of me thinks I would probably eat what I eat now and maybe just indulge in more of it, but part of me also might eat stuff that’s not going to make me feel so good. This is a tough question that I definitely need to reflect more on.

  49. I eat for performance and for pleasure…when you are fueling and replenishing after a long workout/race they go hand in hand and there is no guilt and nothing but giddy. Mind you I am almost 60. MOVE and EAT! Easy.

  50. Somehow, I missed Lindsay’s post (I’ll have to catch up later today).

    Me? I’d eat the same 10 desert island foods I do everyday; oats, berries, salmon, chicken, spinach, whey powder, eggs, red peppers (gotta be red; green pales in comparison), avocado and dark chocolate!

    I’d have a cookie if I felt like it (I don’t usually) and perhaps a glass of wine (if it’s been a touch day because, say, the passports disappeared and I had to cancel my holidays).

    And I’d never, ever, ever look at the bathroom scales again!

  51. To answer one of your questions: Yes! The human body is hard-wired to want sweets (preferably as fruit). In times when food is scarce (most of human existance) sweet represented the energy to continue.

    It also means “safe” food. Bitter warns us a possible danger (most poisons are bitter), so our palate is trained to be wary of bitter. And many vegetables have a bitter component.

    If nutrition and weight weren’t considerations, I’d eat about the way I do now. Because it’s the way I ate when I was in the 20s and on my own and before so much emphasis on food. (can you believe there was a time we weren’t focused on what we shoveled into our maws?)

  52. Welllll…. I think the super fantasy would have to include “how you feel afterward doesn’t count – you’d feel fabulous not matter what you eat” – ie NOTHING would count except the in-the-moment sensation of how the food feels.

    As long as we’re going fantasy –In my ultimate fantasy, yes, the food would be prepared by others (preferably lovingly, by people I really like, who are having a FANTASTIC time doing so!). It would be served in a gorgeous environment either overlooking some water, or in the mountains or a forest. Maybe with some sweet music playing.

    I’d be enjoying said food with people that I adore and never get to spend enough time with.

    I admit. It would probably involve copious amounts of dairy products. Which are always going to be my food fantasy of choice. In the world with no consequences.

    But might also include a perfect fruit (anything except banana or that stinky weirdsmelling fruit) or a lovingly grilled vegetable. A beautiful ripe tomato with an avocado on the side.

    Something mushy. I am a total sucker for mushy food. (am I an eternal baby?) Tapioca. Polenta.

    Probably something meaty too. If there were no consequences for me and if the beast had simply lain down to eternal rest in an idyllic field, without suffering.

    I’d SAVOR every single bite and it would be … heaven!

    So it’s not just what I’d eat but more importantly how.

  53. I feel like there is a difference in what you would eat one day if calories didn’t matter, and what you would eat every day if calories didn’t matter. So many of us get used to the idea of foods being “off limits”, so if we had just one day when they weren’t, I’ll be the first to admit that my day would include pizza and donuts. However, if it were every day, I would eat very similar to the way I do now, with maybe just a little bit more fro yo. 😉 I feel like it’s similar to if you could have a credit card with no limits. If you had it for one day, you would buy ALL OF THE THINGS, but if we all had unlimited money, it would lose it’s luster, we would discover that buying things does not bring us happiness, and move back to only buying the things we need, or that actually do bring us happiness.

    • Ari totally just said what I was thinking. Totally agree with this.

      My initial reaction was yes, I’d like to eat lots of rich yummy food that I don’t eat a lot and that aren’t “good” for me. But then I realized that I wouldn’t gorge myself on that stuff because it doesn’t make me feel good.

  54. I eat mindfully every day but when you use the word fantasy, it immediately connotes an impossibility within a world of no problems, so my mind automatically travels to things that it wouldn’t generally think about…thus JUNK FOOD!

  55. My initial response to this post actually makes me feel embarrassed. When I truly thought of the answer to this question, the foods I first thought about seem to be extremely unhealthy and fattening. After thinking about it for a while I have realized that I can change my mentality and need to change my mentality about what I put into my body. It’s not really about the calories. It’s about what you are putting into your body and how it makes you feel. I know I wouldn’t feel that great after eating my ultimate fantasy food.

  56. I’ve lost 57 pounds in the past 8 months and I notice that when I eat “junk,” I feel sick to my stomach, get bloated and just feel terrible overall! I’ve come to realize that those types of food may taste delicious but they aren’t doing me any good! 🙂

  57. Even if i could eat what i want and never gain an ounce, not have to worry about nutrition, and just enjoy, i’d love to enjoy a few very healthy treats that i can’t afford much, but they are in the same vein as what i eat now.

    My kids are at the age where i can’t restrict them completely, and they still choose to eat their veggies first, and want whole grains, and eat fruit like there is no tomorrow. They want health, and know which way it lies.

  59. I think I do eat now how I would eat if calories weren’t a factor. I don’t deprive myself. I eat things I like and things that are good for me because I like them. My diet also includes chocolate and ice cream in moderations because I wouldn’t want them in mega doses any ways. 🙂

  60. My mom used ot make these little round, tan-colored loaves of bread when I was little that she can’t find the recipe for. She misses them, I miss them, the whole family misses them. Having a warm slice of that would be my food fantasy.

    I’m also disheartened at the number of people who would act like incontinent 4 year olds, when it comes to ANY consequence-free situation. I cannot fathom how many people seem to be unsocialized apes just under the surface. 🙁

  61. As I struggle with weight loss and trying to eat better, when you ask, “In a food fantasy, what would you eat.” my initial thinking is I would eat fruit and be completely satisfied with that sweetness. That is my fantasy. Does that make sense?

  62. My day would be all about not prepping my own food and having someone else pay for it.

    Fantasy day.

    I would have a croque madame for breakfast with the most perfectest cappuccino in the world (Seattle). I would lounge idly over my breakfast with friends with no rushing through breakfast to get to work.

    Lunch would be at the best Mexican restaurant in the world (in LA) and would involve fresh guacamole and delicious steak tacos (real ones, no cheese, just seared carne asada, onions, and cilantro). And a fresh, hoppy, summer beer – a light Portland style IPA.

    Afternoon break – raw oysters and martinis outside overlooking the Sound in Seattle.

    And dinner – out for sushi. Rainbow rolls. Sashimi. Crisp white wine. Side of edamame.

    All of this is basically my best food memories and experiences combined into one day. In real life, I think that after breakfast, I’d need to skip lunch and after the martinis and oysters, I might not make it to dinner. 🙂

    I adore food, but all of the memories above, with the exception of the tacos, are really more about the people I was with when I had those experiences before. (The tacos are about how much I love Mexican food and how that is the #1 thing I miss about living in LA.)

    I might also have ice cream, because I can’t now. (I’m assuming in this fantasy world, it wouldn’t make me feel like crap, because it’s a FANTASY.)

    IRL – this would never be a day that would work for me, because eating like this would be waaaay too much for one day. However, I also don’t feel like my choices are too junky, just too much for one day (which is why I never eat all of those things in one day) and a little light on fruits & veggies/little heavy on the alcohol.

  63. I think we can couple our knowledge of what is healthy and nutritious with eating for pleasure. You can eat anything you want if you eat it in moderation. This becomes tricky for people but it is about portion control. So you want some dip with your carrots? Find a low-calorie dip that doesn’t replace the fat with simple carbs, ect or make it yourself and then allow yourself one serving–not the whole tub. It’s that simple. If we deprive ourselfs, we may get frustrated with our diet but the less we eat, the easier it’ll be to ween ourself off.

  64. While I love a good cupcake and sweet treat. I feel at my best when I get a good sweat and eat o whole bunch of veggies and protein!

    When I was pregnant the one thing I ate every day that didn’t make me want to run to the bathroom? Broccoli.

    My child, will pick fresh fruit and veggies over cake. We’ve given him the option. Maybe you are just in kinship with B? 🙂

  65. I think I’m the misfit here, because I’m thinking of this as true fantasy stuff– ONE day in which to eat foods I love without regard to calories or nutrition and without, one assumes, any after effects from too many calories or poor nutrition. I’d definitely be having a slab of cake. And possibly some French Onion dip (but not with the cake). Not that I don’t have Cake Days from time to time now, but there’d just be something FUN about having a food fantasy day. Otherwise, it would just be like an average Monday, and those are just plain boring. 🙂

  67. I think you, Carla, just might be at an evolved place in terms of your relationship with food/eating, a place I (us) are struggling to arrive at. You see food as fuel and so many of us (women?) still view it through a much more complicated lens…

  68. “I know RIGHT NOW I would still eat clean as I need the energy to git through my day ;-)”

    But what would you eat if it were for taste/pleasure only? What if every food gave the equal amount of super energy? THEN what? (just curious)

    Because I can definitely see eating for effect on energy/feelinggood. But what if THAT were all equal?

  69. I have to admit that there would be no more celery in my diet and a lot more pizza. Perhaps that’s why I feel like it’s best to teach my kids about balance. Having been deprived of all junk food at my own house as a kid, when visiting friends I binged like nobody’s business. I want my kids to know how to balance their wants with their needs when it comes to food and nutrition.

  70. Interesting topic to write about. If you look back at what you eat and realize that what you put into your body actually affects how you feel throughout the day, you might think twice about what you consume on a daily basis.

  71. Love your thoughts on the matter! I, for one, would definitely eat differently if the sky was the limit. I have a big appetite for this little body. That said, I don’t pay much attention to calories and I eat what I want when I want it.. but I make sure to not overeat. It’s something I can easily do if not mindful of my portions. Oh, and many times there are days that go by without a vegetable in sight. Whoops.

  72. I’m with you. I don’t look at calories/fat/etc now, because I only eat real food. Yes, I look at labels, but just to make sure there’s not some crazy ingredient in what seems like a harmless food.
    I think the furthest I’d go on a day like that would be to enjoy more cheese from foreign countries! I don’t eat cheese in the US, but in Mexico, I love their fresh made cheeses.
    And I’d maybe try more varieties of 85% or higher, dark chocolate 🙂

  73. I hope you never leave the Healthy Living Blog circle. I love your thoughts and insights. As for the “food fantasy meal”….REALLY good cheese (not portion controlled), dried fruit, salami, olives, warm baguette and a glass (maybe 2) of wine. I would love to follow that with a big ass piece of carrot cake with lots of cream cheese icing. And THAT would be followed by a nap for 2 days I’m sure. My body would be exhausted trying to digest it all and isn’t used to that kind of food in great volume. (that said, nothin’ wrong with a small piece of cheese and a small glass of wine either) 🙂

  75. I would indulge more, but I would also eat a lot like I do now because of how I feel. There are only so many donuts I could eat before I would feel icky and not enjoy them – and why eat them if you don’t enjoy them?

  76. Now, if I could add the “feel great, body nourished” after, for novelty, I would certainly eat some of those things that people have mentioned (fried cheese, cake, fettucini alfredo, double cheese burgers, etc). But only then.

    Until then, I’ll have to go with what I do now – in moderation. Because after a 4 hour training day on the weekend, I feel just GREAT after a double cheeseburger and fries. The body needs the calories, I get to enjoy food I don’t normally, and I don’t feel the crash. 🙂

  78. I adore your viewpoints. I adore Lindsay’s. SO SO MUCH. I loved her post but like you, didn’t love the comments she got back. It IS sort of sad to think that people, if given free reign would fill their bellies with crap ‘if it didn’t matter.’ Of course it matters! I KNOW I feel crappy as all hell if I fill myself with pre-packaged, over-processed STUFF. I feel my BEST when eating real, whole, nourishing and TASTY foods. That includes really good cheese from the local dairy farm or freshly baked bread from the bakery or yes, a really REALLY good glass of wine from one of our wine club stashes. To me, that’s worth it — and what I’d go for if I had a ‘free day’ to eat what I want…and actually, guess what? If I wanted to eat that, I’d eat that anyway, ‘free day’ or not. It’s about intuitiveness (a new ‘thing’ for me but something I’m learning more about and adoring MORE AND MORE every single day) and eating what fuels you and what energizes and nourishes you and making it taste DAMN GOOD in the process. What’s the point otherwise, right?? ANYWAY, bottom line — agree with you. Totally.

  79. I don’t really pay attention to calories or things now. I believe in “everything in moderation”, so I’d end up eating the exact same way I do now. Although, I may have a second serving of ice cream or cake. That doesn’t really make me feel awful afterwards.

  80. This is a GREAT post and I’m probably way overthinking it. But? I think it really depends on how you look at the question. If it were simply a one-day free for all, I’m sure almost everyone would indulge in the sugrafriedfatty goods, at least to some degree. I would eat a lot and I mean A LOT of really good, really expensive chocolate.

    If it is simply a question of eating without ramifications or KNOWLEDGE of how food affects us? That’s completely different. Then, I’d for sure eat for pleasure only (not caring about vitamins and the like) and that would involve sugar some days, but incredible sushi another, or rare and exquisitely prepared [insert fancy food that I don’t ever eat because I’m too cheap here].

    So, my answer? It depends.

    Also? We’re not “hard-wired” to like sugar, no. Its a drug and an associated addiction. But you know that. 😉

  81. I’m in the senior category with you! I eat to live my best life. Not to say that I don’t have something junky every now and again, but at this stage in my life I am about living as long as I can and feeling my best. I’m loosing my vision so who knows how many calories I consume or what I’m actually preparing, haha JK!

  82. Great post, I really loved it. My food fantasy would be a cake with a lot of cream. Unfortunately I cannot afford it because of the calories, but I can dream about it at least 🙂

  83. I am always health conscious so I always choose healthy nutritious food like various salads and soups or sandwiches with brown bread or whole grain bread.

  84. My food fantasy is definitely having someone shop, cook and clean up for me – footing the whole bill of course 🙂 As to what I would eat – I doubt it would change much. I know the consequences of indulging is sugar/junk/fried – it’s not pretty and just not worth it. There’s enough great tasting foods that are good for me!

  85. Pancakes, regular (entire) cake, and then prime ribs with egg ovah easiness. That would enough to hold me over until the lunchtime fantasy kicks in.

  86. This really relates to my thoughts about the idea that if I had the metabolism of a lot of my friends (who can sit around eating fast food, chips and cookies all day without gaining a pound) would I feel as good as I do now? Since I am one of the rare 22-year-olds who’s truly interesting in health and fitness, I tend to have a good amount of energy and mostly feel great because of what I eat. Sometimes I get frustrated that I can’t eat like my friends, but then I remember that I probably wouldn’t want to anyway because I, like the Tornado, feel “yucky” when I eat junk.

  88. Had to take a moment to think about how I would answer this. I would be Carl Consistent, because there is no way I could be Betty Binge and train the way I do. I did this a while back, when I was in a bad relationship and felt like POOP all the time, even though I was working out everyday. Now that I am Carl Consistent, I feel better, look better, and am learning to enjoy those naughty foods now and then, but learning to stay away from Betty Binge.

  89. I’m in the same boat as others, since I run so much I never concern myself with calories lately and I love what I eat, but my food fantasy would totally have someone else doing the cleaning! I love cooking, but cleaning ahhhhhhhhhh, hate it!

  90. I definitely feel uneasy about people choosing over-processed, unhealthy treats as their food fantasies. To me, that isn’t even food! I may have a different view on things because I’ve *always* been a serious foodie, and I hardly every had processed things when I was a child. These “treats” were never a part of my life, so they are not a part of my food fantasy.

    My food fantasy would involve something crazy like a 5-course tasting menu made by one of the greatest chefs I could find, made with all fresh, local, farmer’s market ingredients. And no, I’m not just saying this because you brought it up. When I first read about this food fantasy idea, I didn’t really know what to think – but I KNEW that I would not load up on grease and sugar. I would eat like a child, but child me loved her vegetables and fancy restaurants.

  91. I really don’t count anything. I am just mindful that I hate putting poison in my body. That said, however, Haagen-Dazs Vanilla swiss almond is my downfall:-)

  94. The comparison with “what a child would eat” is such an interesting one, because it opens up the whole debate about what is “natural eating.”

    It’s probably quite impossible to raise kids in a completely sugar-free environment, but I can’t imagine that anyone would crave food that they had never tasted. I’d maintain if our kids lean towards too much sugar, it’s because it’s what marketing messages and we as parents have taught them to want.

    The other things we would probably do if we ate in this “child-like” manner, is to stop eating when we were satisfied. The reason why I know I need to stay away from a bag of potato chips is because once I open it, there’s no way I’m putting it down before that bag is empty!

  95. If I could I would eat ALL of these foods in the same calories don’t count day:
    – Salmon Belly
    – Salmon Skin Hand Rolls (no rice)
    – Unagi Sashimi
    – Hamachi Kama
    – Escolar
    – Ostrich & GF Beef Burgers
    – Spaghetti Squash
    – Butternut Squash
    – Salmon Baked in Clam Sauce
    – Chilean Sea Bass
    – Crap-load of Sashimi (Hamachi, Yellowtail, Salmon, Tuna, etc)
    – Grilled Onions
    – Roasted Garlic Brussels Sprouts (lets just say, digestive issues don’t matter on this day too, LOL!)

    Honestly, I adore healthy food. I haven’t had junk food in 10 years so I really cannot remember what they taste like, that’s why I focus on the healthy foods!

  96. Honestly, if I was thin and didn’t know any better, yes, of course I would eat whatever I liked, including plenty of tasty, easy, quick, ‘someone else made it’ junk….after all, I wouldn’t know any better.

    But, if, today, I decided to ignore the risk of consequences and eat whatever I wanted I would still eat in moderation……having that knowledge of what is healthy WOULD still impact on my choices, honestly it is not something that is easy to ignore, that knowledge of what crap food does to your body.
    So, first I agree that my perfect fantasy would be to be waited on, and my weakness would be tons of fruit and salad and a lot of different cheeses, maybe some salami and someone to concoct me some gorgeous fruit smoothies and mocktails….all spread out on the beach where I could lounge, shaded on my sofa, reading or blogging or even just napping on and off but definitely relaxing. That’s my kind of heaven. 🙂

  97. I have to admit, that was my thought too. I thought about what I would eat, and it totally involved everything I eat. Maybe more peanut butter, maybe more avocados… but all that junk? I’d just feel so, so sick afterwards.

  98. Enjoyed this post A LOT and glad you took away from it an affirmation of your current place in this fitness/blog world. I can’t imagine a world without MizFit!

    My fantasy food day is the same as yours–someone to shop, prep, cook, serve, and clean up. Organic fresh food straight from the farm, not shipped thousands of miles from the South or West. Junk food makes me feel bad. What it does to how I look is a big deal, too, but it’s secondary.

  99. I have to admit I’d be one of the kids, running amok sans parents! Corn chips, chocolate and so forth!

    Hopefully I’d get sick of it and crave something healthy. Eventually!

    Alas.

  100. Well if I were to splurge I think I’d go with the fattiest foods possible.. Something like a Confi de Canard or a deep fried Turkey! And then i would hate myself for a week lol.

  101. I think eat good food for health is most important in our life, we can prepare it by ourselves everyday. Most of people are busy, they simply choose fast food to settle their meal. It will arise health problem.

  102. Isn’t moderation the key word here. We have got to enjoy life after all. If it’s calories you want to burn then “lets get physical” 🙂

  103. Great post, loved it very much. I really don’t count anything. I believe in everything in moderation, so I’d eat the exact same way I do now.

  104. Raspberry roulade.

    I made one yesterday, because Spring has arrived at last here in the UK. It was my way to celebrate and I loved every mouthful.And there was not one guilty thought.

    immmmh….. i think I’ll have another slice.

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