Food Dilemma

taiyaki

My number one vice isn't sex or drugs. It is pizza. I've worked 5 years previously as a manager for a pizzeria.
For all those years I could eat as much pizza as I wanted for free (my boss was pretty cool).

Its been a couple years since I've moved on from that job.
Here's the problem.

I crave pizza everyday and night. All kinds of pizza. Deep dish. Thin crust.

I've been eating pizza once a week but a couple weeks ago I was eating it 5 times a week.
So I cut back on pizza hardcore.

Should I cut it out of my system completely?
Should I keep with the gradual cut out of system?
Is it okay to have pizza everyday?
If I am not harming myself or others is pizza okay?
Should I give it up completely and then go back to it once and a while.

Pizza is my food of choice. It is just so damn good.

Opinions please.

SherabDorje

Other than the salt, cholesterol, and the amount of calories, I'm not sure what harm it's doing you.

There was a news story today about a "little old lady" that ordered Domino's every day for three years- the end of the story is that when she missed for a few days, the employees from the Domino's went to check on her and found her sick and apparently saved her life. But every day for three years.

How could you possibly think it might harm others, as you ask?

Pizza is my food of choice too but I don't care. I just eat it.

Look up the dietary information and decide for yourself if it's harming you.

fivebells

Yes, no, no, no and no.

federica

How about I move this to general banter?
I can't for the life of me see exactly what a pizza addiction has to do with 'Buddhism for beginners'....

fivebells

He has an addiction, which is a form of suffering. Ending the suffering by ending the addiction sounds like a good start for a beginning Buddhist practitioner.

federica

I don't believe eating pizza contravenes any of the five precepts.
I can't see pizza being highlighted in the 8Fold Path.
I also used the term 'addiction' loosely, given that the OP doesn't seem addicted, as he admits to having dropped his consumption considerably.
so I don't think the addiction is the problem.
the problems are as the OP highlighted in his OPost.

Should I cut it out of my system completely?
Should I keep with the gradual cut out of system?
Is it okay to have pizza everyday?
If I am not harming myself or others is pizza okay?
Should I give it up completely and then go back to it once and a while.

Pizza is my food of choice. It is just so damn good.

While the health complications may not be evident now, perhaps when the OP is older, the strains on his system of a poor and unvaried diet will be more evident.

And @taiyaki, if you want to take it a step further, bear in mind some monks don't eat after midday, and Gluttony is one of the 7 deadly sins.

patbb

Nothing wrong with pizza, something wrong with craving.

4 noble truth:
1- life is suffering.
2- suffering is caused by craving.
3- craving can be overcome.
4- the way to overcome it is with the eight fold path.

fivebells

"My number one vice... is pizza" and "I crave pizza everyday and night" suggest very strongly that it is addiction. As such, eating pizza is not right action.

federica

No, craving is not right action.
Eating Pizza's fine...

Pizza ain't dun nuthin'.
It's pure pizza, it carries no Kamma, as an extra topping.

zenff

I don't believe eating pizza contravenes any of the five precepts.
I can't see pizza being highlighted in the 8Fold Path.
....

But I’m sure if there would have been Pizza’s around in the days of the Buddha, he would have dedicated a sutra or two to the subject.

taiyaki

Thanks for the help guys!

Roger

IMO, Google desensitizing or de-crave-ification pictures and put them on your bathroom mirror and refrigerator. Works for some people. Just trying to help. GOOD LUCK! :thumbsup:

fivebells

No, craving is not right action.
Eating Pizza's fine...

Pizza ain't dun nuthin'.
It's pure pizza, it carries no Kamma, as an extra topping.

Any action motivated by attraction or aversion is not Right Action.

zombiegirl

my family owns a pizza shop that has been in business since my grandma bought the recipe from her uncle in the 70's. (or something like that) when i was a kid, i used to hate pizza because i was always around it. now, i seriously can't get enough of it... hah.

why don't you try making it healthier for you? thin, whole wheat, veggie toppings only? (and no ranch to dip it in!)

or you could make a rule that you will only eat pizza you make yourself. part of the problem with pizza is IT'S EVERYWHERE... and delicious. but if you had to make it every time, this might cut down on the frequency and you can also make sure you make it healthy for you. every tried a veggie hummus pizza? totally delicious and healthy!

DaltheJigsaw

My number one vice isn't sex or drugs. It is pizza. I've worked 5 years previously as a manager for a pizzeria.
For all those years I could eat as much pizza as I wanted for free (my boss was pretty cool).

Its been a couple years since I've moved on from that job.
Here's the problem.

I crave pizza everyday and night. All kinds of pizza. Deep dish. Thin crust.

I've been eating pizza once a week but a couple weeks ago I was eating it 5 times a week.
So I cut back on pizza hardcore.

Should I cut it out of my system completely?
Should I keep with the gradual cut out of system?
Is it okay to have pizza everyday?
If I am not harming myself or others is pizza okay?
Should I give it up completely and then go back to it once and a while.

Pizza is my food of choice. It is just so damn good.

Opinions please.

I have the same problem with sweets.
I would love to hear about this, as that would help me determine how to cut out my sweet intake.

DaltheJigsaw

IMO, Google desensitizing or de-crave-ification pictures and put them on your bathroom mirror and refrigerator. Works for some people. Just trying to help. GOOD LUCK! :thumbsup:

Thank you!
So much!
That is insaneee!
I cannot imagine what sweets do.

[DeletedUser]

Pizza is my food of choice. It is just so damn good.
Opinions please.

:rolleyes: I believed milk was your food of choice and so damn good in your baby era. I share yr loved as well and there is choice of vegetarian pizza that does not sacrifice animals merely for your joys of tongue.

Inji-gyo

Pizza so delicious, so divine
I'll eat pizza any time.
In the car, on the move.
all my fears, the pizzas soothe
Pizza on a bagel, pizza in a pocket.
Don't hate my pizza, please don't knock it.

SherabDorje

In the Midwest USA there is a brand of grocery-store pizza that really is called "Tombstone".

I bought four just today because they were on sale.

Roger

Thank you!
So much!
That is insaneee!
I cannot imagine what sweets do.

HAHAHA! Thanks for the thanks!!! Seriously, I've changed my behaviors with photos I Googled and plastered in my kitchen. Got myself to exercise more frequently and..., matter of fact..., reduced sugar cravings with pictures of insulin needles and insulin vials and medical photos physical diabetes symptoms.

BTW, Leon, Sugar kills brain cells. If you are young you can keep doing sugar, later you start to pay dearly so I hear and read. You probably know this but here goes anyway: Humans were never designed to ingest refined sugar like we do. Refined sugar is like rocket fuel compared to candle wax (i.e. stuff in less processed foods).

GOOD LUCK!!! To you and the OP. REALLY!!!! You can do it! :thumbsup:

taiyaki

I'm just going to stick with Pizza once a week.
I need to change my eating habits.
Instead of eating large meals, I am going to eat smaller meals throughout the day.

Mostly a fruit/nut diet. Pizza for fruit/nut detox.

Pizza is good but I'll have to substitute it for bengal spice tea. sigh

Roger

One more thing. Sorry if I'm babbling. :hair: What I do is notice the time I ate something. If it were 4PM I would say to myself, "I shall have nothing (except water) until 7PM." Something like that. Smaller portions yes and also make TIME a limiting feature. Seriously. Works/worked for me.

taiyaki

I am just tired of feeling sick/tired after a meal. Food is supposed to make you feel lighter and more energized. This is of course my twisted notion of what food should do and be like.

Suffer we must because we have to eat forever. I am so tired of hungry that is never satisfied.

There is a lesson to be learnt here. Craving something impermanent causes suffering. Cut that shit out and you find relief...momentarily until your hungry wins you over.

Roger

I am just tired of feeling sick/tired after a meal. Food is supposed to make you feel lighter and more energized. This is of course my twisted notion of what food should do and be like.

I'm not a doctor but I pretend to be one when I'm watching TV.

I take a note of the calories I ingest. Then I have an exercise machine which _supposedly_ measures the calories burned. It's like 30 minutes of running to get rid of the 250 calories of junk I might have just eaten. My point which I offer with full respect for you: I'm hoping if you get exercise (or more routine exercise) in there you'll feel better about a lot of things concerning food.

DaltheJigsaw

Thank you!
So much!
That is insaneee!
I cannot imagine what sweets do.

HAHAHA! Thanks for the thanks!!! Seriously, I've changed my behaviors with photos I Googled and plastered in my kitchen. Got myself to exercise more frequently and..., matter of fact..., reduced sugar cravings with pictures of insulin needles and insulin vials and medical photos physical diabetes symptoms.

BTW, Leon, Sugar kills brain cells. If you are young you can keep doing sugar, later you start to pay dearly so I hear and read. You probably know this but here goes anyway: Humans were never designed to ingest refined sugar like we do. Refined sugar is like rocket fuel compared to candle wax (i.e. stuff in less processed foods).

GOOD LUCK!!! To you and the OP. REALLY!!!! You can do it! :thumbsup:

Wow! I was going to ask about sugar.can you offer any research or pictures to kill my need for sugar. I think I am addicted. Anyone?

zombiegirl

Thank you!
So much!
That is insaneee!
I cannot imagine what sweets do.

HAHAHA! Thanks for the thanks!!! Seriously, I've changed my behaviors with photos I Googled and plastered in my kitchen. Got myself to exercise more frequently and..., matter of fact..., reduced sugar cravings with pictures of insulin needles and insulin vials and medical photos physical diabetes symptoms.

BTW, Leon, Sugar kills brain cells. If you are young you can keep doing sugar, later you start to pay dearly so I hear and read. You probably know this but here goes anyway: Humans were never designed to ingest refined sugar like we do. Refined sugar is like rocket fuel compared to candle wax (i.e. stuff in less processed foods).

GOOD LUCK!!! To you and the OP. REALLY!!!! You can do it! :thumbsup:

Wow! I was going to ask about sugar.can you offer any research or pictures to kill my need for sugar. I think I am addicted. Anyone?

yes, i am curious about the sugar thing as well. people always say this about "refined" sugar. but what is the difference? what is considered "unrefined"?

federica

honey.
It's the only natural food on the planet that never goes off, ever.
We can't reproduce it, because it's produced by passing through a bee's gut.
but it's a wonderful food, and extremely good for you. Buy the best quality honey you can.
Manuka honey has antibacterial properties which counteract harmful bacteria.
if you add a drop of lavender essential oil to a good quality (say) acacia honey, the lavender is internally cleansing and antiseptic.

Dazzle

I am just tired of feeling sick/tired after a meal. Food is supposed to make you feel lighter and more energized. This is of course my twisted notion of what food should do and be like.
Suffer we must because we have to eat forever. I am so tired of hungry that is never satisfied.

There is a lesson to be learnt here. Craving something impermanent causes suffering. Cut that shit out and you find relief...momentarily until your hungry wins you over.

If you feel tired it's possible you could have a vitamin deficiency or even a thyroid problem. Maybe you should get a blood test?

Roger

The sugar thing? I'm not an exert and might be brainwashed BUT the thing is as I have said, the human body was never meant to take on so much IMMEDIATELY blood-stream-able sugar. We were supposed to be CHEWING thru plant fibers and then digesting them to get to the sugar. IOW, it would take hours so gradually the sugar would come into play.

Take flour for example today, fine ground white flower is like gasoline, sugar-wise, because all the "chewing" and digesting (i.e breaking down cell walls) had been done with advanced machinery creating the extremely fine flour powder (haha "flour powder!" haha). Thats why whole grain, less processed flours are better for health.

Then the sugar spikes create stress for the pancreas and brain. Analogy? The South American indians chew cocoa leaves, we here in the USA shoot or smoke cocaine or crack.

I wonder if the general public would be shooting pure glucose into their veins if they weren't generally afraid of needles.
Then again? Why shoot it? Kids can get tons of it, all they want, with candy bars and soft drinks. Gotta be one of the main reasons schools are in such bad shape today. We never had candy and soda in our schools: never!

LINK:
http://www.cocamuseum.com/htm/chewing.htm

Need pics of diabetes? OK. Sorry.

Oh heck! I'm very sorry for the lengthy post. Especially if I am preaching to the converted. I might qualify for fool's status right now. :eek:

DaltheJigsaw

The sugar thing? I'm not an exert and might be brainwashed BUT the thing is as I have said, the human body was never meant to take on so much IMMEDIATELY blood-stream-able sugar. We were supposed to be CHEWING thru plant fibers and then digesting them to get to the sugar. IOW, it would take hours so gradually the sugar would come into play.

Take flour for example today, fine ground white flower is like gasoline, sugar-wise, because all the "chewing" and digesting (i.e breaking down cell walls) had been done with advanced machinery creating the extremely fine flour powder (haha "flour powder!" haha). Thats why whole grain, less processed flours are better for health.

Then the sugar spikes create stress for the pancreas and brain. Analogy? The South American indians chew cocoa leaves, we here in the USA shoot or smoke cocaine or crack.

I wonder if the general public would be shooting pure glucose into their veins if they weren't generally afraid of needles.
Then again? Why shoot it? Kids can get tons of it, all they want, with candy bars and soft drinks. Gotta be one of the main reasons schools are in such bad shape today. We never had candy and soda in our schools: never!

LINK:
http://www.cocamuseum.com/htm/chewing.htm

Need pics of diabetes? OK. Sorry.

Oh heck! I'm very sorry for the lengthy post. Especially if I am preaching to the converted. I might qualify for fool's status right now. :eek:

Yep that did it!
Thank you so much!

DaltheJigsaw

Yea schools and their candy/soda's are definitely doing damage slowly.

Roger

Yep that did it!
Thank you so much!

I hope it works for you Leon. I feel bad for showing the pictures. Those poor people who needlessly suffer from deciding to do the wrong things shouldn't be held up as examples: BUT I hang the (bigger) pics in my house and if I have to remind myself graphically: I GUESS that is okay. Of course there's lots of room for improvement in the way I "teach" myself.

Also I feel bad for showing an innocent cup of coffee and (THREE) croissants. Don't want to ruin any enjoyment people have of their treats during a coffee break at work or whatever.

DaltheJigsaw

Yep that did it!
Thank you so much!

I hope it works for you Leon. I feel bad for showing the pictures. Those poor people who needlessly suffer from deciding to do the wrong things shouldn't be held up as examples: BUT I hang the (bigger) pics in my house and if I have to remind myself graphically: I GUESS that is okay. Of course there's lots of room for improvement in the way I "teach" myself.

Also I feel bad for showing an innocent cup of coffee and (THREE) croissants. Don't want to ruin any enjoyment people have of their treats during a coffee break at work or whatever.

Don't worry people will choose to pay attention or ignore it.
It's a good reminder.
People will still drink their coffees and eat their croissants if they want.
However, showing that one less croissant or one less cup of coffee won't hurt you.
I have an addiction for sugar, as I think it gives me a temporal high...
The pictures are a very good reminder!
Especially in my family...My grandpa,uncle,aunt have diabetes...
Thanks again!

hermitwin

Yes, you shd stop completely. You need to control your obssession/addiction to pizza. Once you have rid yourself of the addiction, you could try to eat once a week. As they say, no addict is completely cured, only recovering addicts.