Living the Lifestyle (LTL) - Wednesday, 4/10/19

minimyzeme

We meet here to explore, share, celebrate and (sometimes) agonize over how we do (or don't) incorporate weight loss guidelines into our daily lives. "It's a lifestyle, not a diet" is easily and often said, but sometimes not so simply put into practice.

This is a thread for everyone. If you're new to GoaD, or to weight loss, your questions and comments are always welcome. If you're maintaining, or a long-term loser, your thoughts on the topic may be just what someone else needs to hear. If you're reading this, join in the discussion!

Each weekday, a new topic is offered up for discussion. Thread starters for April are below:

Monday - imastar2 (Derrick)
Tuesday - whathapnd (Emmie)
Wednesday - minimyzeme (Kim)
Thursday - misterhub (Greg)
Friday- jimb376mfp (Jim)

Today's topic: Where does food lie on your priority scale? Is it different now than it was when you started your weight management program? What does the future hold in this regard?

Having interacted with many people on weight management programs over the last several years, a general commonality seems to be that we gave food (and drink) high priority before starting our programs. By that I mean, the desire for for food was often stronger than for many other things in life. It took priority over health and well being for us over ourselves and ultimately, our loved ones. I think it's safe to say in many cases, it was a crutch we turned to in times of stress or upheaval.

Has your relationship with food changed in the time you've been on your weight management program? Do you use or value it in the same way now, compared to when you started? What do you see for that relationship as you for the future?

Discuss!

podkey

Probably one reason I was 200 LB plus something instead of 300 LB was that my food desire wasn't necessarily so high. Yes I did have hedonic hunger as in I see it I want it and no real portion control either. Having said that I would day that my food priority has changed and become even more pragmatic in general. I think twice or ten times before diving into a pizza and eating the whole darn thing.

I want to hear what others say on this.

steve0mania

I think food for me when I was heavy was not necessarily a high-priority as much as bad-habit with a lack of limits.

What I mean is that I got into the habit of looking for easy ways to feed myself. Thus, I used to eat in my work cafeteria for lunch every day. We actually had a good cafeteria that had "exhibition cooking." While waiting in line to order, I would watch the chef making burgers, sausages, chicken, etc., on the open-flame grill, watch the fries come out of the fryer, watch people make their special "fry-sauce" (ketchup and mayo mixed together, mostly), etc. By the time I got to order, every possible good intention was gone, and I got something really greasy and tasty.

Dinner slowly became more-and-more delivery, and became more-and-more fried foods, or calzones, pizzas, Chinese food, etc.

Take away the limits, and I'd eat way more than an appropriate portion for myself.

This was not a thoughtful process, nor was it really a love-affair with food. It was really habitual.

I wasn't much of a stress-eater, although I was (and probably still am) a stress-drinker. So, you could throw some beer or wine into the mix too. Maybe some snacks when I was bored, too.

I think a lot of my weight-loss/management process has been breaking old habits and creating new (hopefully healthier) habits. I am trying, for example, to avoid alcohol during the weekdays. I never order delivery food, and I always bring my own lunch to work (starting to keep kosher during this time-frame has really helped in this respect--there are almost no kosher-deliver options, and our cafeteria is not kosher). I am working to redirect my boredom eating to something less damaging, like having a cup of tea or something similar.

Ultimately, my "relationship" with food is that we are "just friends!" Ha ha!

minimyzeme

Honestly, I have a hard time teasing apart my relationship with food over time and how I prioritized it. In the simplest version, I have memory of pretty much always prioritizing food and drink over anything else. However, it was more of a passive thing than a mindful choice. I just liked to eat and drink--so I did a lot of it. Work functions and social activities were well aligned with opportunities to just eat for the sake of eating, but never with anything healthy considerations in mind. At home, it was "ample eating" at mealtimes, with lots of snacking in-between. The fact that I work from home a lot of the time (which does come with stress--which is a trigger for me) just played right into my 'anything/anytime' mode of operation. In hindsight, there were really no limits on anything and I could always find an excuse (or none) to eat the things that got me in the door to WW in 2014.

One could argue food is less of a priority for me now, but it may actually be just the opposite. I have definitely switched gears--eating less and making healthier choices relative to my pre-WW days. So maybe food has actually become more of a priority. One significant difference that I am aware of is my attraction to food has, for the most part, diminished. For example, at the high-ish end market I frequently shop at, I can walk thru the bakery without putting anything(s) in the cart. I don't 'lust in my heart' for so many of the baked goods that used to attract me in days past. I can do the same in a real bakery (though it could be a little tougher). Gatherings around food are actually more about the gathering than the food (the cliche can be real--but not always).

The big difference for me I'm sure is that I was able to lose significant weight on my plan, and that in turn has motivated me to do what it takes (for the most part) to keep the weight off. I have the usual twists and turns in the road but in general, I really don't feel as controlled by food and drink as I used to be. Now I'm pretty happy to be more fully engaged in other aspects of life. The tradeoff has been worth it thus far and even though I'm up a few pounds as of today, my pants still fit and I know what to do to prevent further weight gain. One more day, with persistence not perfection.

gadgetgirlIL

Food was my friend when I was growing up. It never teased me, it never left me out, it provided comfort. But it was also my enemy as the pounds piled up and my clothes didn't fit and the teasing from the kids at school got worse. I was the fat kid when kids weren't fat. There were only 2 of us who were fat until I got to high school, then we picked up another girl.

As an adult, food remained my way of dealing with my negative emotions, stress, and social awkwardness.

Somewhere along the line, I managed to begin to find better ways to cope with the stress of life that didn't always include food. Daily exercise really helps regulate my mood and ease stress.

My recent vacation was all about seeing my friends and being active outdoors. Food was fuel. The fajitas we had on Sunday night were good, but my friend and I had also hiked nearly 11 miles that day which included 1,500+ feet of climbing.

So I'd say these days I eat far more for fuel than for comfort.

88olds

Food doesn’t have to be special all the time.

Most of the time what I aim for now is satisfying. Good enough, big enough. Occasionally just fuel when it has to be. Special when the occasion calls for it.

imastar2

At this point in time food is at the top of my priority list. Previously food has always been pretty much at top of my priority simply because I've always had the issue with weight control.

As far as my relationship with food since I've been on my journey I'd have to say that I've tried to downplay that relationship because I feel I need to focus less on thinking about food and more about other things. Hopefully the thought process behind this line of thinking is to move beyond spending a lot of time concentrating on food. So far I'm losing the battle. A new approach or strategy needs to emerge.