I can't stop thinking about food!

rawlsja

I'm obsessing. When my next meal is, what is it going to be, what I'm eating now, how much am I allowed to eat of it right now, how much/what will I be able to eat later if I eat all this or half of this right now, etc... all this before I even finish the meal that is in front of me!

I really really can't stand it, but I cannot help it either! It's making me very depressed, actually. Is this a big problem? Does anyone else have this problem? What should I do?

Fig_1946

Get busy! Find things to distract yourself. Get out and take a walk. Listen to music, watch a movie or some show that you enjoy. Paint your nails. Take a hot shower or a bubble bath.

strawberrycoconut87

I was just about to start a thread about this!! I hate that when I am on a diet, my life tends to revolve around food. Honestly, I just took a nap to distract myself. Earlier today I took my car through the car wash. It is very depressing, in a sense, and it is no way to live long-term. But it is a necessary evil. I do need to lose weight and in order to do that I need a caloric deficit - so I am not going to be full 100% of the time. I just hope that when and if I do reach my goal weight I will be able to maintain it - at least for awhile - so that I won't have to do this again. SIGH.

I envy people who aren't food addicts. Like my brother. He literally forgets to eat sometimes, lol. I will never forget, I once bought him a big bag of Ruffles chips when he went to college in September. When I went to pick him up at Thanksgiving, the bag had been opened but it wasn't even half empty!!!

mathmatt

If you're thinking about what and when you're going to eat next it leads me to ask the questions, are you enjoying the meals that you're eating and do you feel satisfied after the meal? If you're not, consider looking for some meals that are large in volume, nutrient dense yet lower in calories to keep your caloric intake at the ideal level for you. I know that if I were not liking the meal I was eating I'd be thinking about the next one too.

leahraskie

I do the same thing, I'll usually take a nap or play an online game to get my mind off of it, or even just posting on MFP helps sort of. I think it happens more often when you start, or maybe my thoughts have decreased because I exercise and eat under my goal anyway. Probably just depends on the person.

LRH94

I am constantly the same
Haven't found a cure yet - the only thing that helps me is going to work where I'm not allowed to eat for a few hours. Sometimes water can help a little.

But seriously, all I think about is food. I half feel like I'm wishing my time away until my next meal; then as soon as I've finished I wish time away until the meal after that. At night, I wish for bed so I can get up and start eating again tomorrow.
Perhaps upping calories is needed? I never used to be like this, pretty sure I could be hungry now but I'm already over my calorie goal...

Francl27

Yep. But I used to do that before losing weight too, the only difference is that I actually ate the food too. So... there's progress.

pbbagel

Maybe you're not eating enough? If you're hungry a lot of the time then it's going to make you think about food.
But perhaps once you get in to a routine and have a good rotation of set meals you know you can eat without going over on calories, then you'll feel more relaxed. You could even plan out your daily meal in the morning or the night before so then you don't have to think about it during the day.

catcalledjinx

I think it is quite normal....so please try not to worry too much. For now, you could put it to good use by spending time planning your food for the day and calculating the calories, so that you don't go over. Once you get used to it, your obsession should lessen.

Another suggestion is definitely to keep busy. Focus on work, chores, activities and say to yourself, when I have spent an hour concentrating on this or have completed this task, then I can think about planning my next meal.

besaro

i am the same way and it can feel overwhelming and depressing but i do tend to think more about my healthy meals now and thinking about whats good to eat in the garden. Going for a walk is great thing.

sharim1948

The cure for me was to make a plan the night before. Write it down exactly what you will be eating the next day.
Make sure that what is on your menu is actually in the house. Making things from scratch helps too if possible.

Sharon

mfstew2007

i keep an ice cream tub full of cut up veggies (celery, carrots, cucumbers) in the fridge at all times. reach in grab a handful. you satisfy that need to eat but don't destroy your diet.

AbsolutelyAnnie

I also think it is normal. You are in the process of transforming your lifestyle and it is natural that elements of that transformation (food, meal planning, calories, exercise, water) would tend to dominate your thinking.

Relax.

When you feel yourself starting to panic or obsess, take three deep, slow breathes and tell yourself to relax. You are stronger than you now know and in the coming days and weeks and months you will be so surprised (and proud) about how far you will have come.

Pre-log your food for the entire day in the morning or, even better, the night before. Log in some good snacks, especially one just as you are beginning to prepare dinner so you are overly hungry and go over board. There is little room to panic when you have planned well.

I also hope you have set your calories higher than 1200. That level is almost a sure bet to leave you feeling too hungry and easily defeated. Think around 1400 to 1600, if not more.

You. Will. Be Fine.

Lyndal816

I think obsessing about food is what brought us all together. I remember when I was on one of my many Weight Watchers adventures and I had eaten all of my "points" for the day. I went to bed about 6:00 so that I would be tempted. The next day I decided I wanted to be prepared for the next time I was obsessing about food -- which was approximately five or six minutes after I woke up. This is what I did.

I prepared a list of foods that "cost" just one point...there are actually many, many things that are tasty but do not sabotage your progress. Make a list today of the things you like and that are good for you. Then take that list to your cupboard and see what (if anything) you have available. Then take the list to the store and stock up on those things you don't have available. Then prepare a spot in your kitchen that is your Obsessing Spot and stock it up with things that don't taste like cardboard but are truly things you enjoy.

The next time you are obsessing, stop. Sit down and take out a piece of paper ( or sit at the computer like I do). I just start writing without censoring myself. After about ten minutes I re-read my "brain dump". Often I can see the reason I am obsessing and seldom does it have to do with the fact that I KNOW I am starving myself. If, after I read what I wrote and I am still want something to eat, I take out my list and see which one sounds good. When I decided on something, I had a significant rule that I followed. I sat a place at the table and sat down to enjoy my "treat". I wanted to savor the moment and then write it down in my food diary and move on.

I said I've done this in the past and now that I just wrote it down, I am going to implement this plan on my own weight loss journey from this moment forward. Shrimp is going to be on my list of things I love and would gladly obsess about. I hope this helps -- at least somewhat. I know it will help me with my emotional eating that I do so well. :blushing:

Lyndal