It's like I'm an opportunist food obsessive.
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susan100df wrote: »Oh I obsess terribly. I love going to craft shows this time of year. There are 3 today. All will have home baked yummies. All I can think about is the food that I will want to eat. I keep going back and forth in my head whether the white knuckle effect that I am going to feel is worth even going. Then I feel badly that this is even an issue. I enjoy walking around looking at the crafts. I should be able to go without feeling uncomfortable. I get more upset that I am obsessing which makes me feel worse so want to eat even more.
Round and round it goes in my head.
Same thing happens when I know my husband has sugary food in the house.
If I could control myself, I could have 1 serving like a normal person and stay within my calorie goal. It won't stop there though. Hate admitting this but denying it certainly hasn't helped.
I could have written the first part of your post. Can't go anywhere without thinking of the food that will be there, so often I end up deciding not to go so it's easier on me, but then I miss out on it too... It's crazy. Sometimes I actually manage to get to the conclusion that it's silly and I'm going to go and have fun and not have any food, but it doesn't happen that much. But that's how I ended up not going to the food truck festival in October. Way too dangerous. The last time I went I probably ate 2500 calories of stuff!
It took me years to get rid of my 'need' to have a snack every time I go somewhere too. It's a habit I picked up as a kid and lasted way past my 20s. So it's probably linked. For me having a tasty treat was always part of the fun.. I'm trying hard not to teach my kids the same thing, so I'm not that mom who always brings snacks every time we go somewhere (but if we go to the farm I often end up buying their apple cider donuts, even if I don't always have one).
For the second part, well, always having treats in the house has made it easier for me, honestly (and having a cupboard with MY stuff). I know there'll still be some tomorrow. Doesn't work with perishables though, obviously (those baked goods, man).0 -
Yes. I'm the same. I can make snack-packs of nuts to use "on the go", but when I'm home I can sometimes easily eat 4 or 5 of those packs without thinking about it (even as the empty bags build up beside me) just because I have it at home. I don't even have to be hungry (or not after the first one).
It's a problem that I'm going to work with a therapist about, but that's because mine is just part of a larger eating problem. I'm glad so many people are realising it in themselves though and are taking steps to prevent it from happning.0 -
Lol, I don't think I have a mental disorder - but I do think I have an unhealthy mental reaction to available food and that's something that can be worked on, whatever you want to call it.
As regards snacks when going places - YES! My mother was very controlling over what I ate (because I was a fat kid) but if we were out in town, or at a restaurant, all bets were off and I could have something nice. To this day, when I think of whether or not it will be fun to go somewhere, probably 50% of my unconscious thinking is 'I could get a coffee' or 'we could have lunch'. The thought of going somewhere and coming back without eating anything feels almost cruel.
Treats in the house is the worst thing for me, because it's there, so I'll eat it. My husband brought back some multi-pack crisps last night and we literally ate our way through them. If it's not there, I won't miss it, so that's much better for me.0 -
I like this answer.OP, you're just a foodie who loves food. That's a good thing. Yes I do relate because I'm a foodie too. Since I was a little kid and decades before I started carrying extra weight.
No need to diagnose yourself with a mental disorder, imo.
Strong appetites for pleasure are a sign of health, not disease. That's where the urge comes from. Robust health. I work with people who refuse to eat. Believe me, that's a horrible place to be - mentally and physically.
There's a cultural phenomena taking place in Western countries where we reflexively turn everyday thoughts into clinical thoughts which then seem to require a disease label, or at least the pondering of such. Don't fall for it. We've been conditioned this way with all that we've read, watched and been exposed to in the media.
Controlling food intake by old fashioned eat-everything-in-moderation or by using some elimination techniques will get you on track with weight loss. Scour this site and all the information and advice about how to do it is here
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I struggle most when it's 'free' food. Money wise, not calorie free. Such as a company meeting or lunch or when they do happy hour. I also used to travel for business - I was also 20 pounds lighter and fitter. Somehow, though, everything I worked for went out the window, I wanted to use up my travel allowance. It's like I can hear my mom or grandmother say 'take more...it's free!"
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Alluminati wrote: »
I like this answer.OP, you're just a foodie who loves food. That's a good thing. Yes I do relate because I'm a foodie too. Since I was a little kid and decades before I started carrying extra weight.
No need to diagnose yourself with a mental disorder, imo.
Strong appetites for pleasure are a sign of health, not disease. That's where the urge comes from. Robust health. I work with people who refuse to eat. Believe me, that's a horrible place to be - mentally and physically.
There's a cultural phenomena taking place in Western countries where we reflexively turn everyday thoughts into clinical thoughts which then seem to require a disease label, or at least the pondering of such. Don't fall for it. We've been conditioned this way with all that we've read, watched and been exposed to in the media.
Controlling food intake by old fashioned eat-everything-in-moderation or by using some elimination techniques will get you on track with weight loss. Scour this site and all the information and advice about how to do it is here
I really like it too...I think that we end up training ourselves to be a bit scared of food when we end up finding out calories and such.0 -
I have the same problem. Especially when you talk about justifying getting more, like seconds AND desserts. I have the same thought process, and the worst part is that usually these buffet settings are during what are supposed to be fun, meaningful gatherings! Thanksgiving, birthdays, tailgates, they're all nightmares for me.0
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spellblocktango wrote: »I have the same problem. Especially when you talk about justifying getting more, like seconds AND desserts. I have the same thought process, and the worst part is that usually these buffet settings are during what are supposed to be fun, meaningful gatherings! Thanksgiving, birthdays, tailgates, they're all nightmares for me.
Thanks for this. It's really reassuring for me to know that other people do this :-)
Also - you're right, I do think of buffets as fun gatherings. But part of me wonders - how much of my sense of 'fun' is based around the possibility of food? Especially that kind of carby, snacky food you often get at buffets - crisps, nuts, sausage rolls, cake... Would I still think it was fun if it was a low-cal vegetable buffet?0 -
blackcoffeeandcherrypie wrote: »spellblocktango wrote: »I have the same problem. Especially when you talk about justifying getting more, like seconds AND desserts. I have the same thought process, and the worst part is that usually these buffet settings are during what are supposed to be fun, meaningful gatherings! Thanksgiving, birthdays, tailgates, they're all nightmares for me.
Thanks for this. It's really reassuring for me to know that other people do this :-)
Also - you're right, I do think of buffets as fun gatherings. But part of me wonders - how much of my sense of 'fun' is based around the possibility of food? Especially that kind of carby, snacky food you often get at buffets - crisps, nuts, sausage rolls, cake... Would I still think it was fun if it was a low-cal vegetable buffet?
Haha nope it wouldn't be.
I'm not a social person. For me it's ALWAYS been about food.0 -
blackcoffeeandcherrypie wrote: »spellblocktango wrote: »I have the same problem. Especially when you talk about justifying getting more, like seconds AND desserts. I have the same thought process, and the worst part is that usually these buffet settings are during what are supposed to be fun, meaningful gatherings! Thanksgiving, birthdays, tailgates, they're all nightmares for me.
Thanks for this. It's really reassuring for me to know that other people do this :-)
Also - you're right, I do think of buffets as fun gatherings. But part of me wonders - how much of my sense of 'fun' is based around the possibility of food? Especially that kind of carby, snacky food you often get at buffets - crisps, nuts, sausage rolls, cake... Would I still think it was fun if it was a low-cal vegetable buffet?
I wouldn't. Blech. At the same time, I wouldn't turn down a fun event because it wasn't food based. However, I'm realizing that if something important-ish comes up during meal time when delicious food will be present, I'm okay to skip and just get something blah later, because the goodies will always be there waiting for me next time0 -
blackcoffeeandcherrypie wrote: »spellblocktango wrote: »I have the same problem. Especially when you talk about justifying getting more, like seconds AND desserts. I have the same thought process, and the worst part is that usually these buffet settings are during what are supposed to be fun, meaningful gatherings! Thanksgiving, birthdays, tailgates, they're all nightmares for me.
Thanks for this. It's really reassuring for me to know that other people do this :-)
Also - you're right, I do think of buffets as fun gatherings. But part of me wonders - how much of my sense of 'fun' is based around the possibility of food? Especially that kind of carby, snacky food you often get at buffets - crisps, nuts, sausage rolls, cake... Would I still think it was fun if it was a low-cal vegetable buffet?
I wouldn't. Blech. At the same time, I wouldn't turn down a fun event because it wasn't food based. However, I'm realizing that if something important-ish comes up during meal time when delicious food will be present, I'm okay to skip and just get something blah later, because the goodies will always be there waiting for me next time
I wish I lost my mind over a buffet of vegetables instead of sugary carb foods!!
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susan100df wrote: »blackcoffeeandcherrypie wrote: »spellblocktango wrote: »I have the same problem. Especially when you talk about justifying getting more, like seconds AND desserts. I have the same thought process, and the worst part is that usually these buffet settings are during what are supposed to be fun, meaningful gatherings! Thanksgiving, birthdays, tailgates, they're all nightmares for me.
Thanks for this. It's really reassuring for me to know that other people do this :-)
Also - you're right, I do think of buffets as fun gatherings. But part of me wonders - how much of my sense of 'fun' is based around the possibility of food? Especially that kind of carby, snacky food you often get at buffets - crisps, nuts, sausage rolls, cake... Would I still think it was fun if it was a low-cal vegetable buffet?
I wouldn't. Blech. At the same time, I wouldn't turn down a fun event because it wasn't food based. However, I'm realizing that if something important-ish comes up during meal time when delicious food will be present, I'm okay to skip and just get something blah later, because the goodies will always be there waiting for me next time
I wish I lost my mind over a buffet of vegetables instead of sugary carb foods!!
"OMG I'm soooo stuffed! Those delicious carrots, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, lettuce and pumpkins, MMMMMM!!!"
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