Eat to Live or Live to Eat?

04 Aug 2016 60 Comments

by Ritu in Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: , , , , , ,

All this healthy eating… it’s set my mind thinking…

Do we eat to live, or live to eat?

It stands to reason, that the majority of us eat to live doesn’t it? If we didn’t have nourishment, then we wouldn’t be here.

If we lived to eat, we would all be rolling around, obese, and probably dying way before our time…

This only really came into my mind as I was cooking my dinner for today. Hubby Dearest decided he didn’t really fancy anything overly healthy, but I stood my ground and said I would stick to my plan, and then sort him out with whatever he wanted.

As I sat eating my healthy homemade food (Lamb kebab, quinoa stuffed mushroom and salad) he glanced over at it, with a look that didn’t say “YUM!” but rather “Nah, I don’t think so!”

Was it really that unappetising?

Was I making myself eat something awful, all in the name of living a healthy diet? Was I eating to live?

 

wp-1470344389646.jpg

It doesn’t look that bad, does it?

No. Not today anyway!

There have been times though, in my life, where I have attempted to eat things that were not for my taste-buds, but meant to be good for you, so I tried. You gotta live, right? But it felt like I was making myself suffer, in order to look good.

From various fruit and vegetables, to herbal teas, I forced myself. But I couldn’t do it. That time of my life, I think I really did Live to Eat. I was in my prime. My weight wasn’t an issue, Mummy Tummy was a thing of the future, not yet experienced.

I would eat all sorts of rich foods, takeaways, drink soft drinks, and alcohol, without a care in the world. It was a wonderful time! But I guess all good things come to an end.

My metabolism changed with my age. I had 2 children. My body changed. I could no longer eat like I used to. I was unable to exercise in the same way, and even if I did, it wasn’t working like it did before. And I was definitely Eating to Live. I needed energy to cope with these two boisterous children, a job, and general family life.

But I was eating the wrong stuff.

And coupled with my general lifestyle, it was not good for me. So, I piled on weight, and found myself stuck with a jelly belly, wobbly bum, cellulite, bingo wings, and a double chin. No thigh gap visible here y’all!

But the good thing with getting older is that generally, you get wiser. And with that wisdom, I realised that I can try the ‘good for you’ food, and I can learn to love it too.

Currently, I am experimenting with different healthy recipes, some I have tried before, some new to me, but it is different to my recent diet.

And yes, I am definitely Eating to Live now, Eating to Live a healthy life, for my family, my children, and most importantly, for ME!

And as I become accustomed to some new flavours, some maturer tastes, I think, I may be actually Living to Eat too… because I have started to enjoy this good stuff, almost as much as some of the naughty food too!

I believe that in general, we all go through both phases, Eating to Live, and Living to Eat.

Which phase are you going through right now?

 Live to Eat

or

Eat to Live

 

60 Comments (+add yours?)

  1. elementhealing's avatar elementhealing
    Aug 06, 2016 @ 18:37:43

    Food has always been an issue with me. I am bulimic and have to be careful to avoid trigger foods and thoughts. I definitely eat to live.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  2. elodiegarrowaybooks's avatar afternoonofsundries
    Aug 06, 2016 @ 05:12:46

    Oh man I am in a tug of war right now. I’m trying to do better though.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  3. Lisa A.'s avatar Lisa A.
    Aug 06, 2016 @ 01:44:27

    I think it has to be a balance between the two. I love sweets and junk food but I like fruit and salad too. Sodas are a no no…well for almost 2 weeks now. Lol.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  4. oxygen4thejourney's avatar oxygen4thejourney
    Aug 05, 2016 @ 22:25:37

    I’m a mix between eating to live and living to eat. I don’t over eat but there are days when I’m hungrier and I try to eat what my body wants so I don’t eat a heap of stuff trying to fill the gap.
    Good luck with it Ritu… You can do it.
    As we reduce sugar and bad foods our taste buds change and we start craving healthy food. 😊

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  5. Erika's avatar Erika Kind
    Aug 05, 2016 @ 18:54:37

    I think we should care about what we eat and about the amount of certain food. But then again we should still enjoy what we eat. If we only eat in order to get not sick, or for a certain look …. then in my opinion, it loses a lot of its healthy effect. I agree with you. Eatin is not only about staying alive but also about enjoying life…

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  6. Alifamtravels's avatar Alifamtravels
    Aug 05, 2016 @ 17:30:00

    I’m in the same boat. Good luck!!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  7. Judy E Martin's avatar Judy Martin
    Aug 05, 2016 @ 17:14:00

    Today I lived to eat. I have had a couple of weeks off but this last week was stressful due to Mr Grump being in hospital. I haven’t been able to do a lot but we had a lovely trip to the coast today so I ate what I wanted! Now I feel sick!! Typical!
    I am trying to eat properly to live too and need to get bak on track now. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  8. pensitivity101's avatar pensitivity101
    Aug 05, 2016 @ 09:15:10

    Ah, the dilemma of eating healthily and not annoying the partner! Your meal looks rather nice, I’m planning on a stuffed pepper this week once I’ve decided what to put in it. Tonight it’s liver, bacon, onions, green beans, carrots and a jacket spud. All approved without calorie counting or weighing. Even better, Hubby’s cooking it (his is so much better than mine, and it was the first meal he ever cooked for me!)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  9. pranabaxom's avatar pranabaxom
    Aug 05, 2016 @ 06:13:15

    I love, or do I live, or do I leave to eat? I am all confused now.
    I drink water and I gain weight. I breathe and I gain weight. Maybe I retain air and get bloated.

    Check this out when you have time: http://wp.me/p73yZZ-1t

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  10. Dinata Misovec's avatar Dinata Misovec
    Aug 05, 2016 @ 03:20:51

    I have been blessed with a love for healthy food all along. So I live to eat those veggies.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  11. JT Styles's avatar Janni Styles
    Aug 05, 2016 @ 02:35:54

    Your meal looks delish and very healthful. You are inspiring me to get back on my “healthy horse” and stop indulging in treats and desserts so much.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  12. Jennie's avatar jlfatgcs
    Aug 05, 2016 @ 01:14:56

    My wonderful mother-in-law used to say, “Everything in moderation”. Not easy when it comes to food choices, but good advice.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  13. vanbytheriver's avatar vanbytheriver
    Aug 05, 2016 @ 00:38:25

    I remember that kind of metabolism. I was trying to gain weight, would eat full meals at the dorm, then go out late night for pizza, sandwiches, beer, etc. Nothing worked. If I skipped a meal, I’d drop a pound. ☺ Being too thin was not healthy either. I leveled out in my 30’s. ☺ I like the look of your meal…especially that mushroom.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Ritu's avatar Ritu
      Aug 05, 2016 @ 00:50:59

      Van… I remember those days too… but now all I need to do is look at calorific food and I put the lbs on! Lol!
      The mushroom was stuffed with Quinoa cooked with mixed peppers and onion! Very yummy 😊

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  14. cornfedcontessa's avatar cornfedcontessa
    Aug 04, 2016 @ 23:40:08

    I’m actually making a Weight Watchers pesto with basil from our garden for dinner. It’s quite delicious. Some weight I lost a few years ago found me again, so I have to watch everything I eat. It’s tough but doable. Being a middle aged woman doesn’t help.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  15. Jim's avatar Jim
    Aug 04, 2016 @ 22:46:33

    you eat healthy, I’ll eat the bad stuff you can’t eat so you won’t be tempted.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

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