Why do I want to eat candy not food??

Stacydj84
Stacydj84 Posts: 2
in Food and Nutrition
:noway: :noway: :noway: I'm 28 yr old female. I'm 5'8 114lbs. I drink coffee and sodas in the morning to hold me over. I never eat breakfest, most of the time skip lunch. I always make time for candy and soda. Why can I not get the motivation to eat and gain the weight I want to? I get the feeling that eating a meal is a waist of time, and I would rather sleep than eat. I sleep a lot!! I know this is a problem and not normal. I do know I'm skinny and I really want to pack on the pounds. Why is my brain telling me hunger pain is a good feeling??? Btw I do not smoke, do drugs, drink and have no children. I have been thin all my life, but I want to be happy with my weight and eat like a normal person. Any suggestions or tips? Is there anyone else who feels the same way??

Replies

  • Madholm
    Madholm Posts: 167
    Honestly you aren't that low on a BMI scale. However, your diet does sound pretty bad. You should skip candy and soda completely and focus on starting to eat at least 3 meals daily because you clearly aren't getting the protien and vitamins your body needs on that crap.

    Start it now while you are young because an awful diet like that isn't going to do you any favors as you age. Also with the crap you eat it's no wonder you just want to sleep; you aren't feeding your body any real nutrients.

    Start out with eating a real breakfast before you have coffee. It can be fruit and greek yogurt, healthy cereal and milk, eggs and toast. Just eat something proper for breakfast first so that your metabolism actually starts up before you supress it with coffee (not that coffee is inherently bad). Once you start eating a real breakfast and cut out the sugar snacks you should find you are actually hungry for 'real' food.
  • risenonlytofall
    risenonlytofall Posts: 74
    Cutting out (or at least down) your coffee and soda consumption should kick start your appetite. You might have to force yourself to eat, just like people losing weight have force themselves not to eat, but it will get easier as you dedicate yourself to it and your body adjusts.
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
    Honestly you aren't that low on a BMI scale.

    She said she's 5'8" and 114 pounds. That puts her at below 18 on the BMI scale when 18.5 is considered underweight.

    I'd say talk to someone about helping you to eat healthy, have a better body self image, and get some help before you end up with a full-blown eating disorder.
  • kenazfehu
    kenazfehu Posts: 1,188 Member
    If eating doesn't come naturally to you, perhaps you should make yourself a meal schedule and stick to it, even when you don't feel like it.

    I had to do that for the opposite reason. I wanted to eat all the foods all the time but now only limit eating to meals (and within my calorie budget).
  • wibutterflymagic
    wibutterflymagic Posts: 788 Member
    No, you aren't the only one that feels like that. I have a friend that was like you and loved the candy and didn't eat that much and had a drinking problem and unfortunately it turned into an eating disorder. I applaud you for realizing that you are not leading a healthy lifestyle and want to make the changes before it spirals out of control and becomes a huge problem.

    I agree with many of the posts. You need to cut down on the sugar and you are probably sleeping so much because of such a poor diet. Bad food makes us tired and sluggish. I learned from my acupuncurist that we crave sugar because we actually have a bacteria in our bodies that feeds on sugar. The more sugar you eat, the more you'll want so you have to start cutting down. I'm not a big beverage drinker. I have to make a conscience effort to drink water. You will probably have to do the same with real food for a while but it will be worth it. You need to start the day with something....some yogurt, a piece of fruit and some nuts, a hard boiled egg....something to kick your body into gear. The suggestion that someone had about puting down your meals ahead of time is a good one. I've actually been doing that so that I can gauge my calorie intake and not overeat and it's helped me stick with it. I find that by having down what I'm going to eat the next day cuts down on my likelihood of grabbing for a candy bar etc because I'm bored or going with the crowd and ordering take out for lunch.

    Personally I have to take baby steps with things otherwise it won't happen. I would suggest starting out easy by eating something for breakfast and substituting some of the soda for other things like flavored water or gatorade....something that gives you the sense of sugar without the empty calories. I think you'll find once you start eating some real food and not sugar you won't want to sleep so much and the sugar cravings will go down.
  • xo_Sarah_xo
    xo_Sarah_xo Posts: 308 Member
    Because candy is yummy.....duh
  • MichelleLaree13
    MichelleLaree13 Posts: 865 Member
    Nutritional drinks carry a ton of calories and you wont have to waste time sitting down to a meal.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    Just eat. I think habit is partly to blame. It's not excuse--you have to make the changes regardless of whether it feels weird or uncomfortable at first. When you want something you push past those feelings.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    Nothing unusual about that. EVERYONE would rather eat candy than real food. I wish my lunch had been a box of Reese's peanut butter cups and not some chili. It's simply a matter of willpower to eat correctly and not junk all the time.
  • cloe31
    cloe31 Posts: 75 Member
    Sugar is addicting. Start cutting it out and reach for the good stuff. If you like baking you can do healthy recipes that you might like in order to replace the candy. At least then you would get calories and good fats.
  • dunlunicor
    dunlunicor Posts: 189 Member
    There's a dancer in my group that has the same issue - no clinical eating disorder, but a lot of disordered behavior. For her, it took really looking at the health effects of being underweight to kick her *kitten* into gear in start eating more normally. There was also a guy who LIVED on sugar and was very skinny. He cut refined sugar completely out of his diet, found he had a better appetite for real food with the sugar cravings gone, and packed on 20 pounds in the last year, his bodyfat went down, and he looks incredible.

    Between really looking at what you could be doing to yourself with your eating habits and making a serious effort to cut the crap out of your diet, you can make the healthy gains you need.

    If you can afford it, consult a nutritionist (GPs are notoriously clueless about underweight issues - the girl I mentioned had a BMI of 15 and her GP cleared her for exercise and told her she was eating fine and just had a fast metabolism. Her food diary came out to 800 cals a day). A nutritionist can help you find what works for your body and lifestyle.
  • samlankford
    samlankford Posts: 334
    maybe try eating some granola bars or something instead of candy.... I am a candy junkie as well... but try to keep it to having it every once in a while, not like I was before... I agree, go see a dr to help you develope a healthy eating plan...
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    seek help
  • Cliffslosinit
    Cliffslosinit Posts: 5,044 Member
    seek help


    QFT
  • joeysox
    joeysox Posts: 195 Member
    i think you should see a dietician, caffeine stops me feeling hungry and i get giddy off sugar, when i first cut sugar out i felt like crap for over a week kinda withdrawals cause i had so much sugar, same with caffeine i get nausea and headaches. start slowly cut out the soda cause that can make you feel full but not for long start with something small and simple and build up. but you really should get a professionals advice. good luck i hope you figure things out soon x
  • Stacydj84
    Stacydj84 Posts: 2
    Thank you all!! I started my morning today eating pancakes and then I made my coffee. Usually I would make my coffee first thing, then take my dogs out, play some poker online, then get ready for work after like 3 cups. Then I work through lunch get home around 3ish. Then will make diner around 5. I have a snack machine and soda fountain at work. So that is where I get my fuel through out the day. I know its not a good thing what I have been doing... I am thankful for all your replies and I will get to the store to make more options in my cabnets for breakfest and quick healthy meals. Thanks again!!
    ~Stacy~
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    Thank you all!! I started my morning today eating pancakes and then I made my coffee. Usually I would make my coffee first thing, then take my dogs out, play some poker online, then get ready for work after like 3 cups. Then I work through lunch get home around 3ish. Then will make diner around 5. I have a snack machine and soda fountain at work. So that is where I get my fuel through out the day. I know its not a good thing what I have been doing... I am thankful for all your replies and I will get to the store to make more options in my cabnets for breakfest and quick healthy meals. Thanks again!!
    ~Stacy~

    that's a great change. You might even consider a no coffee until breakfast rule just to get some fuel in you first. If you're drinking diet soda switch to regular or have a protein shake or something. Have cocoa roasted almonds as a snack--they seem like a treat but are nutritious and calorie dense--several ounces will help you get calories in.
  • wibutterflymagic
    wibutterflymagic Posts: 788 Member
    Thank you all!! I started my morning today eating pancakes and then I made my coffee. Usually I would make my coffee first thing, then take my dogs out, play some poker online, then get ready for work after like 3 cups. Then I work through lunch get home around 3ish. Then will make diner around 5. I have a snack machine and soda fountain at work. So that is where I get my fuel through out the day. I know its not a good thing what I have been doing... I am thankful for all your replies and I will get to the store to make more options in my cabnets for breakfest and quick healthy meals. Thanks again!!
    ~Stacy~

    that's a great change. You might even consider a no coffee until breakfast rule just to get some fuel in you first. If you're drinking diet soda switch to regular or have a protein shake or something. Have cocoa roasted almonds as a snack--they seem like a treat but are nutritious and calorie dense--several ounces will help you get calories in.
    Yes, good start. Little changes. And I love the cocoa roasted almonds...num num. Healthy but feels like an indulgence.

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