Not caring about food?

[Zach]

I really don't care a whole lot about food. I don't care what I eat (as long as it's not detrimental to my body), and I don't crave food. Whenever someone asks me where I want to go to dinner, I almost always say "I don't care." When I do go out to eat, I try to find the cheapest (and healthiest) food I can find, I find eating expensive food a waste. And, I only eat until my stomach says I'm full--no more. I also usually skip dessert.

In fact, if I had the choice, I would quit eating alltogether and instead take a magic pill supplement containing enough power to keep me fit and healthy. No, I'm not anorexic, or bulimic, or have any other eating disorder. I just don't care about food (especially from expensive restaurants). I'd rather save money eating cheap (but healthy) stuff.

I'm a vegetarian, and one reason I am is because meat is so expensive. I'd very much rather eat a salad or something else that's beneficial. The only reason I eat really is because my body needs it.

I do however, on occasion, get a taste for something unhealthy, such as ice cream or a piece of cake. But then when I eat it, it is only a very small amount.

Anyone else share my "illness"? In a way, though, I'm kind of glad I'm like this because I'm fairly healthy (although skinny ) and I save money eating modestly...

[ElizaJ]

Yes, I'm the same way. Food is merely a necessity to keep my body going; other than that it doesn't matter what I eat as long as it's not constant unhealthy food. I'm not a picky eater and I will try anything once.

[da1prophet]

Originally Posted by ElizaJ

Yes, I'm the same way. Food is merely a necessity to keep my body going; other than that it doesn't matter what I eat as long as it's not constant unhealthy food. I'm not a picky eater and I will try anything once.

I have a very strange duality with food, though I don't think its an unhealthy one. On a day to day basis, I'm a lot like you--food is a necessity. I make every effort to put my daily food consumption on autopilot: I buy a lot of groceries so I don't have to think about what I have and don't have, and I make a number of simple, healthy meals over and over again. I also don't eat meat on a day to day basis, though I love cheese and eggs. I don't drink caffeine or eat sugar in the course of an average day.

However, I love food and love to eat out. When I eat out I become a real "food snob". I love nice restaurants, will eat more than I usually do, and its the only time I'll eat meat. My thinking is that not eating meat in a nice restaurant is like asking an artist to paint without using a certain color. Since I only eat out like this once or twice a month, I'm very fit and healthy but I can enjoy this gastronomic "splurge".

Basically, I guess its a distinction between food as a day to day necessity for survival on one hand, and as a pallet for the culinary arts on the other. I've always felt that this duality allows me to maintain a healthy lifestyle and keep food in its proper context without denying what I feel is one of the great pleasures of life.

Being a food snob actually has advantages in maintaining a fairly simple and healthy diet day in and day out--since I care about food and fine dining, I'm unwilling to compromise. I have a profound awareness of what goes into food and how it is produced. For that reason I'd sooner eat out of a dumpster than eat junk food or fast food. For me at least, this knowledge of the culinary arts makes me less susceptible to cravings for sweets or salty food that bedevil many others: why would I want to eat a pack of little chocolate doughnuts from 7-11 when I can go out to eat every couple of weeks and have an incredible dessert prepared by a pastry chef?

I'm not saying that this is any sort of philosophical brilliance on my part--its just the way I've been for most of my adult life and its typically worked pretty well for me.

[Mark Lapierre]

I used to be on the opposite end of the spectrum than most people. I disliked eating. In the past I was very skinny (I still am skinny, though not as bad), and couldn't put on weight no matter what or how much I ate, and I didn't get much enjoyment out of food, eating seemed a waste of effort. My skinniness was never a physical health risk, but it was a source of much discontent for me. I often thought how nice it would be if humans didn't have to eat at all.

These days are different; I enjoy eating now, and once in a while I actually enjoy cooking (where before it just annoyed me, it seemed like a waste of time). Along with the change in attitude comes a change in my ability to put on weight, though I've still got a way to go before I'm no longer underweight.

btw, I'm not so sure a 'magic pill supplement' would be healthy. Our digestive system is used to processing food. There could be problems if it had nothing but pills to process for extended periods. But then I suppose if we could produce a pill that would provide all the nutrients our bodies need, in a form that could be absorbed, and in a way that prevented certain combinations of nutrients interfering with the absorption of other nutrients, then I guess we could deal with any ill effect on our digestive system. Yes, at this stage magic would be required. (you'd also have to be prepared for lots of people screaming in horror at the thought of not eating anymore )

[The David]

I have it to a much lesser extent.

[Andrew Brunelle]

I mean, food is something that you have to eat, because if you don't, you could die, and very well might. I am not usually hungry, except in extreme circumstances of deprivation, so I can go days without eating, as long as I have my water. I am not one to gorge myself with food just because I am bored, I usually can find better things to do than snack perpetually throughout the day, over and over, until I need a crane to take me out of my house.

I mean, food is something that some people fall back on as an emotional attachment, and they use it as a coping mechanism for not being accepted in the real world, among other things, and then it escalates from there, so not really caring about food and not having that emotional attachment to it is actually not a bad thing and as long as you can stay healthy eating the way you do, more power to you!

[빈센트]

I tried going vegan but I lost too much weight, about 15 pounds in a week. I weight train so this wasn't an option for me. You can weight train and be vegan, but for me it took too much management. The bad (or good depending on your situation) thing about vegan is eating vegetables has a way of suppressing your appetite for long periods of time. So I switched back to meat. I eat the same thing every day, Cheeseburger about 3 times a day plus a gallon (or half a gallon some days) of milk. So I too can say I don't care much about different types of food as long as they fulfill my caloric needs.

I do agree that meat is very expensive though compared to vegetables.

[Victoria]

I find that I'm less enamored with food, and it has lost most of its appeal as something to do when I'm bored. I want to eat things that bring me health. I was in the car with mom and she got a quarter pounder. It's $3.00. For that price you could get three pounds of organic oatmeal. Sure beats me why people think becoming vegetarian or vegan costs a lot.