Changing my relationship with food

ElizzardHeinrich

Hello!

I've tried many diets over the years (Weighwatchers, LA Fitness, HCG shots) and, while many of them worked in the short term, I didn't have success in the long term. I've come to realize during my current calorie-restricting diet that what really needs to change for any of this success to stick is how I view food after the weight-losing-process is complete. During these earlier diets I can remember telling myself that after I've lost what I wanted I can go back to eating normally - but for me, eating normally is finishing off an entire pizza for dinner. NOT the normal I need!

It's difficult to alter my idea of what normal is, but I know that changing that idea is going to yield benefits in every area of my life.

Has anyone else been struggling with your idea of "normal?" What has helped you stay on course?

JeromeBarry1

Excellent! I suggest you set your goal to lose 1/2 lb per week. Then carefully weigh, measure, and log all your food so that you confidently eat right up to your mfp calorie goal. That moves you along slowly enough that your normal becomes one piece of the pizza occasionally, logged accurately with no qualms, and the slow way of doing this is what sticks.

Zombella

I struggle with this myself. Mainly because I binge. If I restrict, then I end up say eating a sandwich and then another. Or two hoagies. I am not hungry, I just want to eat because I am bored, anxious, or whatever. I am trying to keep myself busy mainly so I don't do this.

fitfatcats

Honestly, the best thing I ever did was get a new PCP and run every single possible test imaginable haha. I'm a binge/over eater and I constantly tried to justify to myself that "tomorrow" would be the day I stopped eating an entire pizza... where the entirety of it is able to serve 4-6 people. Once I saw the numbers, I realized what needed to be fixed. It kind of jolted my brain into a STOP mode. After starting this journey, I quickly saw that these types of healthy habits are going to be a forever type of situation. You can't just stop being healthy once you get to your goal.

bekim123

Pretty much the definition of "yo-yo" dieting. Once you are done with the diet and go back to your old ways the weight comes back, something I've done for years. It's difficult to come to the realization that your new "normal" has to be different than the old normal. Of course, having the doctor tell me that I'm killing myself has given me new incentive to work on the new normal.

Lonestar5715

I found it helped me to look at food more like fuel for my body and to fill it past what it needed actually did it harm and not good.
I also realized that being hungry between meals was not a terrible thing. I had subconsciously allowed my body to eat whenever it began feeling hungry. If compared to sleep though, we do not immediately lie down when we feel tired but we wait until there is time in our day to sleep. I had to put eating in the same category and remove it from being an urge to an action I controlled.
Best of luck to you in figuring out what works for you!

tulips_and_tea

Lonestar5715 wrote: »

I found it helped me to look at food more like fuel for my body and to fill it past what it needed actually did it harm and not good.
I also realized that being hungry between meals was not a terrible thing. I had subconsciously allowed my body to eat whenever it began feeling hungry. If compared to sleep though, we do not immediately lie down when we feel tired but we wait until there is time in our day to sleep. I had to put eating in the same category and remove it from being an urge to an action I controlled.
Best of luck to you in figuring out what works for you!

Exactly this. It's all about changing your mindset. Saying you have a "relationship" with food denotes emotion and that food is used to either mask or celebrate the emotions whether you are feeling badly or feeling good. Remove emotion from food. Food is fuel. It's neither good nor bad.

Begin a relationship with your emotions instead. Let yourself feel them so that you learn how to manage them healthfully. It takes some time, but you can do it.

vingogly

My original goal was 180-190. I started at 257lb, got down to around 210, went into maintenance and stayed there for over a year, then last November decided to lose the rest.

I'm at 186 now, and based on pants size and fat remaining on my body, could stand to lose another 10-15 pounds (goal: 170). I want to go down one pants size to a 36 inch waist, and I'll stay there since that's where I've been healthiest and happiest in the past.

I've started increasing my food intake somewhat, and loss is slooowww. What I'm going to do differently this time is gradually increase until I stop losing, and continue logging all my food until I'm 100% convinced I've internalized what I've learned about portions. I know that I've weighed my almond snack so many times that I can pretty much pour almonds into my hand and hit an ounce serving within 1-2 nuts.

Since maintenance is where I've always failed in the past, I need to be extra diligent as I go into maintenance. And if I have to continue logging my food for the rest of my life, so be it. There are worse things in this life.

khaleesikhaleesi

Whoo, lord. I have a tendency to overeat things as a result of having an eating disorder for years. I just kind of have to take it day by day and food item by food item, you know? Like, I still haven't gotten to the point where if I'm finished with a single entree I throw the rest of it away. I think it's just a constant work in progress and you have to be patient with yourself. And I drink lots of water in between bites of food to help me feel fuller faster. And, yes, I can totally eat a pizza by myself.

mysticatgal1

My struggle is waiting until i was at a better weight and feeling like I could treat myself. I agree that just learning how to eat everyday by losing small amounts of weight weekly is best. I feel my best and know what's reasonable. it's tougher because you want it to happen fast but that is why weight comes back on.