Does anyone else find themselves thinking about food all the time?

slossia

At least your only thinking about food all the time. Just got back from vacation in Florida and all I saw were passengers eating all the time. I don’t know what it is about a three hour flight that makes people freak out about having enough food

CaliMomTeach

I think that while eating in a deficit you kind of have to think about it. Without careful planning, it would be too hard to stick to 1200 calorie net for me. Also, when overeating, it is the NOT thinking about it that led to me gaining so much weight. I have thought much more about the food I put into my body over the last year and a half. Sometimes I feel weird too, but I'd rather feel weird and not get back up to 193 pounds.

tirowow12385

I suppose when you're hungry an hour later after your last meal, you think about your next one. That happens to me often.

LadyElectron

Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink wrote: »

Is your deficit too steep? What is your daily intake like? How many calories?

"kommodevaran wrote:

What worries me with what you're saying, is that you're constantly hungry. This would normally indicate that you're eating too little and/or poorly. Your calorie deficit (what you're not eating) is made up by your excess fat, and your body is designed to do just that - every day, it regularly switches between storing and using energy, and when you're losing weight, your body just stays longer in "using" mode than "storing" mode. What is that modest deficit?

I’m aiming for 1560, but usually end up eating more than this and just try to stay below maintenance. There are many days I have trouble sticking to that and end up eating over maintenance. The days I’m closer to 1560 are the days I feel most obsessive and often end up over eating later in the day.

I think I’ve been in denial about this but I think the real problem with the hunger might be that I’m still breastfeeding a toddler. She doesn’t nurse that much (maybe 1-3 times a day, mostly for comfort). I know everyone says to eat at maintenance and let the breastfeeding make the deficit but when baby doesn’t nurse much it’s seems like that shouldn’t count anymore. Maybe I’ll try increasing the calorie budget again and see what happens. When I’m too hungry I’m at risk of overeating for sure, although maybe I’ll feel less voracious when I’m totally done breastfeeding.

Anyway, it seems to me that even folks who aren’t breastfeeding think about food a lot when dieting so that makes me feel less weird.

ellenmlove

Yes. I don’t love it. It was worse the first few weeks. Now that I have some routines down and I’m starting to build good habits it’s a little better. But I found myself briefly thinking about how many calories I had left when I was making out with my bf the other day. That was a bit of a new low.

kommodevaran

Even people who aren't dieting, think a lot about food. Hunger isn't the best gauge, and shouldn't be the only gauge, of whether you're eating enough. How fast are you losing - is it as expected, or faster? Do you feel energetic and strong and focused, or lethargic, dizzy and irritable? Are you well, or do you often get sick?

LauraHasABabyJack

LadyElectron wrote: »

Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink wrote: »

Is your deficit too steep? What is your daily intake like? How many calories?

"kommodevaran wrote:

What worries me with what you're saying, is that you're constantly hungry. This would normally indicate that you're eating too little and/or poorly. Your calorie deficit (what you're not eating) is made up by your excess fat, and your body is designed to do just that - every day, it regularly switches between storing and using energy, and when you're losing weight, your body just stays longer in "using" mode than "storing" mode. What is that modest deficit?

I’m aiming for 1560, but usually end up eating more than this and just try to stay below maintenance. There are many days I have trouble sticking to that and end up eating over maintenance. The days I’m closer to 1560 are the days I feel most obsessive and often end up over eating later in the day.

I think I’ve been in denial about this but I think the real problem with the hunger might be that I’m still breastfeeding a toddler. She doesn’t nurse that much (maybe 1-3 times a day, mostly for comfort). I know everyone says to eat at maintenance and let the breastfeeding make the deficit but when baby doesn’t nurse much it’s seems like that shouldn’t count anymore. Maybe I’ll try increasing the calorie budget again and see what happens. When I’m too hungry I’m at risk of overeating for sure, although maybe I’ll feel less voracious when I’m totally done breastfeeding.

Anyway, it seems to me that even folks who aren’t breastfeeding think about food a lot when dieting so that makes me feel less weird.

Breastfeeding makes me so unbelievably hungry. My LO is almost 14 months and still nurses a few times a day. I was at 1600 and hangry. I bumped to 1800 and feel much better. Weight is coming off and I've been eating at maintenance a couple days a week and that helps keep my supply up.

bbell1985

Yep. Calorie counting messed up my relationship with food.

lindaloo1213

Honestly eating anything less than 3000 calories for me requires thinking about what my food for the day will be. On days I dont plan I will guaranteed end up at or above 3000.

chrissywelsh10

I think there are 2 modes in which we think about food while changing our eating habits.

1 is ‘thinking’ - this is the place where we plan, look at items, try to see what fits in our day or our protein count. It’s our meal prep, our meal planning & how we think about getting variety not being bored & trying new recipes. (Arguably this can tread into obsession)

2 is ‘fantasizing’ - this to me is a less healthy mental place to be. It’s thinking about what that cake would taste like, wishing your salad was Mac & cheese & staring at the dessert menu while ordering a coffee.

If your just thinking about food and planning I don’t think you need to worry, but if your fantasizing then indeed taking a break from tracking might help.

Jp_lifts

Personally if all i can think about food i know my macros are to low and i need to tweak them.

dmcnur

I usually plan and log my next days meals, not long after eating dinner. This way I am full and can make sensible food choices. I also try to leave a little wiggle room so that if I do feel hungry I can have a snack to keep me going until my next meal. Pre-planning also means I don't have to think about food too much as I already know what I am going to have and when I am going to have it.

Secretnotes

Our relationship with food is very like a monetary spending budget. It's always going to require lots of thought in the form of planning and tracking if we don't want to end up too heavy and bankrupt.

lindaloo1213

I would also like to add that having to feed your family 3 -5x a day makes it hard to not think about food. Plan the food, shop for the food, cook the food, clean up the food. Food food food. Ugh.

toxikon

I think it really helps to step away from the "food media" as much as you can.

Log onto MFP once in the morning to log your whole day, then put it aside. Get out of the MFP forums. Don't watch cooking shows, don't read nutrition articles, don't visit recipe websites, only grocery shop on a full stomach, etc.

The mental struggle is real, and eliminating as much of the "food media" throughout the day as I can really does help.

I notice on days when I'm busy with other things, or focusing on creative projects, I focus much less on food and sticking to my deficit is so much easier.

Froggyh

What are your macros like? Maybe try upping your fat a bit, or increasing protein. Usually I find when I'm hungry right after a meal it's because the meal wasn't well-balanced in terms of fat/protein/carbs, or I'm otherwise low on one of them.

As you're breastfeeding, though, your problem might be a simpler one of simply *not enough food*. Try eating at maintenance for a few weeks and see if you're still losing.

halmsafit

I definitely suffer from messed up eating - I have heard it called disordered eating as well. My brain basically stops thinking when I see junk food then turns back on the second I finish eating it. I am always thinking about food and having very conflicting thoughts- I am always thinking about my next meal but also wanting to have cake but then knowing I shouldnt have the cake. What has helped me most was joining Gold's Gym (for me, any good gym that makes you feel good will do.) I found fun classes that would take care of the calorie defecit and let me eat treats when I felt I HAD to have them. I am working on it every day but I have definitely gotten better! Good Luck OP!

ValeriePlz

The constant food obsession has not gotten any better for me over the last 7+ years of losing. I try to distract myself, chew gum, or just tell myself that if I'm hungry, then the weight loss is doing its thing.

The hunger and meal obsession can help you plan, though. Planning in advance helps you find good recipes, be thoughtful about eating, and take the time to find the right entry in MFP.

JennJ323

I don't obsess over it, or find myself always hungry. But I do spend a lot of time planning my meals and rearranging things in my food diary to make it all work for the day. I don't mind it though. It's working and I'm losing weight, so I'll keep doing it.

maybe1pe

I plan my food and when it's time to eat I go look at what I planned...

I think about food a lot but that's because I love food. and I thought about food a lot before I started trying to lose weight... So I don't think it's really any different. Except now I make better choices, mostly.