Is it okay to think about food all the time?

Jumpinsticks

In my opinion yes.
The reason I say this, and what brings it up is that I've been reading older posts about people who complain because they think about food all the time.
I think about food all the time. I always have. I wouldn't have gotten to the weight I am if I hadn't but recently, HOW I think about food has changed...
Essentially while I'm still thinking about my next meal, it's how will I prepare my next meal, and how can I keep it within this calorie range, with these ingredients, and pack it full of flavor...
Or, if I know I want to go out and eat, where can I go out, and what can I have...
I LOVE food. I have an addiction to food that is just outrageous... But I've found that with a little angle change in HOW I think about it, I can still love it, and be addicted to it, get my 'fix' without killing myself (And I was...) by indulging in it to the point of just wanting to go to bed and sleep for a decade.

It used to be that I was thinking about what tasted good, and what I wanted, and what I loved, and what was cheap quick and so many other things...
Now it's how can I create, and how can I make it good, and how can I....
I used my weakness and flipped it around. I do research about all these different cooking methods and recipes, and seasonings and when something strikes me as a 'i gotta have it!' I do... I turn one thing into another and find the simplest way I can to do that and still have the flavor/texture/look/whatever appealed to me about the dish.
By the time I sit down and eat, it's a sense of accomplishment that eatting a whole buffet of chinese food didn't even give me. Why? Cause I did it. I didn't just get up and fill a plate or three. I cut up all the vegetables, and weighed out my meat, I smelled it while it was cooking, I built myself up with the sizzling, the flavors I knew were going to be there, all that.

I will say that I tend to avoid looking too much into and at things that I know are self destructive... I'm not going to go searching for a death by chocolate cake recipe... Or a deep fried twinkie recipe (Which I have never but always gets me thinking... who the heck thought of that!) Instead I focus on grilled, baked, sauteed, stir fried, steamed or broiled... and I think of ways to make each one I'm watching a little bit lower in calorie to see if I can fit it into the budget I've set for myself.
When I go grocery shopping, I look for 'low calorie' items, and if I see one that I haven't tried before, I try it. Worst that could happen? I waste 5 bucks to say 'ew!' and never get it again... I like it? Great addition to my 'new' kitchen goodies.


Basically, my thinking about food all the time has made it easier for me to plan ahead and make things better for myself... I just had to... tweak the thinking a bit. Focus it more in one direction than the other.
What's everyone elses thinking on the subject? Do you think about food all the time? Does it set you back, or help you?

stfuriada

Yes.

Our office is filled with food lovers. So we discuss food a lot too - what we're craving that particular moment, what we'd love to have, what awesome new food we heard about. I regularly browse allrecipes and all the foodporn photos around.

I do think of my next meal as I'm eating my current one.

Nothing wrong with it. Thinking =/= eating. It's a way to indulge without actual indulging, at least for me.

NikkiLS28

I whole-heartedly agree!

I feel a little bad that the girl I work with has to hear about different things I'm learning or trying. But, if I step back and think about it, this is so much better than realizing it's 2:30pm and I haven't eaten lunch yet - which usually turns into a fast food run full of saturated fat or grabbing whatever carbo-loaded junk is available in the break room.

I much prefer planning my meals ahead and keeping an eye on when I should be eating so I don't get too hungry (which keeps my blood sugar level and minimizes cravings). It can seem like a lot of work on some days, but I know it's worth it!

myfitnessnmhoy

No. You should be miserable and feel bad about food. Deny yourself everything. If you're not in misery constantly, you aren't dieting properly. <-- please note the sarcasm.

Seriously - It sounds like you are developing a much healthier relationship with your food. That's fantastic!