I know the world revolves around food and that was certainly pointed out again to me at my class. The teacher decided before our test to go over the most difficult problems. He gave each of us a different "bingo card" the answers to the problems were on the card. So when you get 5 in a row you call bingo. And guess what the prize was? Cheese nips, snackwells cookies(guess for the low fat people) mike and ikes, cracker jacks. Well I got bingo twice, but proceeded to hide my card so I didn't have to call it. I certainly didn't want that food. It's amazing how crazy the people went for these candies. The sad part is more than half of my class is over 30, it was like children who never saw candy. It really sucked sitting there looking at a mound of high carb goodies.

Why does the world think EVERYTHING has to involve food?

Because a lot of ways, we don't progress past about 4th grade... why else do grown peple still swear they DESERVE a birthday cake?

Truly? I think it stems from our infancy. I was just talking to DH about this last night. As a parent, when you have a baby who is crying and can't express their needs any other way, you look for the obvious: dirty diaper, needing attention and hunger. If nothing helps the wee one to stop their fussing, we feed them (and I'm not saying this is a bad thing! After all, we want to take as good of care of our babies as possible.) I think for the most part if they don't want the food they will refuse it, but how many times do we feed them when that's not really what they want? We learn at a very early age that food is one of the most comforting things in the world. It's something we need to unlearn as we mature.

But when you think of all of those carbs, cheese nips, Cracker Jacks. That is junk. That is the stuff we tell our children that they shouldn't eat. It was junk that made me a carb addict, not bread or potatoes. I could easily eat 4 candy bars or a bag of licorice in a day. I remember craving donoughts as though I would die if I didn't have one. It isn't food that the world revolves around. It is junk. This junk messes it up for sweet potatoes and beans.

Black57

You're right but many parents think that treats are meant to be used as rewards.

My mom was a case in point. If you got a good report card, it was off to the local ice cream shop for a sundae (a really big one!). If you'd had a bad day at school, out came the oreos and milk. She spent her whole life eating to celebrate and eating to console herself and she passed it on to me. I don't remember ever having anything really good or really bad happen in my childhood that wasn't celebrated or "fixed" by a high-carb, high-calorie "treat". Every day until I started high school, I'd get off the bus and she'd have fresh baked cookies and milk waiting for me. Sure, we spent that time talking about my day but when I think of the constant fight we both had with our weight it makes me ill!!

Dinner wasn't dinner unless there was potatoes and a dessert afterwards. My packed lunches always included chips, soda, little debbies, etc etc etc. Once I was at a school where you could buy hot lunch, I was encouraged to get the pizza because "it would stick to my ribs" --- well, I guess THAT's true because I'm pretty sure some of that greasy pizza is still sticking to me somewhere!!!

This mind-set has to stop. I'm not blaming my mom but we learn our eating habits as children (just like we learn most everything else) and we have to try to make a healthier next generation.

It's a shame that this was before Atkins became even as accepted as it is now because she yo-yoed her way through WW about 20 times. She's gone now and I wish she could be here to do this WOE with me.

Julie

Yup.. Moms do tend to "love with food"...and I'm as guilty as any other Mom. Why else do I need to send my college kid homemade cookies? Because I can't drive 7 hours to HUG her.....<sigh>

It's been a challenge to get out of the food-as-reward trap even for MYSELF. Finally (and..shameless plug, thanks to Dr Phil's new book!) I've gotten out of it, and have found non-food ways to reward a job well done.

Another pound, and I get the new Clay Aiken CD...another ten, I get a new outfit.... reach goal... I haven't decided yet, but I'm thinking "total makeover"!

My mom wasn't the type to console with food, she was more the type to do it with real actual love. When it came to report cards it was money though(dad's idea). I forgot to mention the teacher made the comment that "some of us might gain weight by the end of the night". Gee thanks teach for bringing foods you know will make us fat lol.

I know in the case of a friend of mine she feels guilt. She is in a bad financial situatation and she tries to eat healthy but her kids complain all the time they want junk food etc. That and the schools give it to them at birthday parties, for good grades etc.

She feels guild because she wants to buy the children new clothes and toys and other things and cant afford it, so to make them happy she buys them sugar coated deep fried candy snacks that they love, but at the same time its hurting these children badly.

I try and tell her that, but she doesnt really want to hear it. I suppose she knows, but has a difficult time saying no to her children and then thinks that they will just go to friends houses or find ways to get it elsewhere.

Its a difficult situation.

Do you eat to live or live to eat? -ducks-

-MJ-

Like I said in my earlier post, it's a habit we must all unlearn. I know I'm just as guilty as anyone when it comes to the reward thing.

What I'm trying to do, though, is not think in terms of material things as rewards, but to think of the pay-off for this WOL. My rewards will be: losing weight and an overall healthier lifestyle. The smaller clothes will just be a marvelous side-affect of my new WOL.

Potatofree,

I will admit that the care packages my mom used to send me when I was in college were awsome! You're a good mom, I can tell. Take my word for it, your daughter is very popular the day your cookies come in the mail

Julie

It's because these sugar laden foods are not perceived as "bad." Would LovableLC's teacher given out vodka shots for the bingo cards? I think not!
It is very hard for a lot of people to believe that candy, cake, and cookies are dangerous. They will all agree that they are not "good for you," but at the same time they somehow don't agree that they are bad for you.
I think it's an inability to grasp a different conception of food that is different from the way they have always thought. Many times people ask what I've been doing, and I tell them, and they exclaim, "Oh, I couldn't live without bread!"
That's it, it's over, they can't even consider it, so their thinking stops there.