Eating when full.

Dandman1990
Dandman1990 Posts: 196 Member
in Motivation and Support
Okay. I'm going to be pretty candid about this; I eat like a pig. Over the past few years my diet has been getting worse & worse... For example instead of putting one pizza in the oven I put in two despite the fact that about halfway through the first of the two I feel full (despite being a very large 330lb 6'3 guy). It's at the point where after finishing them I feel sick and incredibly bloated yet the next day I'll do something equally bad with the same result. Even if I manage a healthy diet for a week or so I always inevitably give up because food dominates my thoughts for the majority of the time.

This means that clearly I don't eat to satiate any form of hunger and I have to assume that I'm comfort eating. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on how to motivate myself to stop following this ridiculous pattern as I don't seem to have the self control to do it myself.

Replies

  • FixIngMe13
    FixIngMe13 Posts: 405 Member
    Do you take TIME eating?

    It usually takes me 30 minutes to eat a meal...and I don't mean a big meal either. I chew, and chew, and chew...then take a minute or two between bites and drink water. It works...and I usually can't even finish the meal.
    You have to stop making more food than you need also. Maybe start going for walks when you start feeling like you are being overcome with the urge to eat? Especially when it is only like say an hour after your last meal.

    What you have formed is a habit.
  • Dandman1990
    Dandman1990 Posts: 196 Member
    Ah that sounds like a good idea with the water expanding what you've already eaten inside you. The problem for me in terms of walking is that I can't walk too far due to a leg problem (unrelated to my weight) that won't be solved for another few months (surgery then rehab) which has been bothering me for a couple of years and probably hasn't helped as I've used that to hide behind and stay away from as much exercise as possible when it intially wasn't too bad (though it's now to the extent where I legitimately can't do much until it's been operated on on medical advice).
  • FixIngMe13
    FixIngMe13 Posts: 405 Member
    Awww! Wishing you the best with the surgery. Definitely try eating slower and drinking water in between bites. Just my two cents, but it really does work for me. I used to be the same way, and now I have trouble finishing a meal.

    :flowerforyou:
  • retroheart48
    retroheart48 Posts: 36 Member
    I get like that too, especially when i know theres nutella around the house (bf loves this) what i tend to do is when i get a craving i wait 5 min to see if its actually hunger or a craving, i try to distract myself and if i cant, then i eat...try to eat right before you get the ''im full feeling'' just tell yourself not to eat more than you should in one sitting b/c you will get to eat again (eat small meals 2 hrs apart)

    also i agree with taking your time to eat, i started eating with only chopsticks until i got used to slowing down and chewing well and not taking in big bites.
  • animatorswearbras
    animatorswearbras Posts: 1,001 Member
    I think it would help if you get rid of every item of easy access food in your house, no biscuits, chips/crisps, chocolate, cereal, pizzas, sugary drinks anything that can be banged in the oven on a whim of a craving. And get some fruit in.

    Comfort eating can be like an addiction and like you wouldn't expect a recovering alcoholic to have booze in the house a recovering comfort eater should try to remove junk, and never go food shopping hungry.

    I would try and get some healthy cook books and start doing your meals from scratch, I know that can be intimidating if you feel you can't cook but it'll help get rid of some of the boredom reasons for comfort eating trying to learn.

    As above said eating with chopsticks may slow you down and if you do have something like a pizza eat with a knife and fork, also never eat whilst watching tv as your brains not concentrating on the fact you're being fed and you end up being unsatisfied and wanting more.

    Things that have worked for me
    fruit as snacks
    ice lollies as treats (take ages to eat otherwise brain freeze and usually quite low cal)
    low fat hot choc (to deal with my choc craving)
    homemade butternut squash wedges seasoned with paprika, salt and pepper instead of oven fries.
    Soup for lunch! Really fills you up and when you get hungry again more soup lol
    I used to have mountains of spaghetti bolognaise, now I have half the portion and pad out with salad

    Good luck!
  • Chadomaniac
    Chadomaniac Posts: 1,785 Member
    I eat my food to fit my macros .

    Full , empty doesn't matter .

    Eat to reach your calorie goal .
  • stackhead
    stackhead Posts: 121 Member
    I eat my food to fit my macros .

    Full , empty doesn't matter .

    Eat to reach your calorie goal .

    Thats kinda unhelpful....
  • JessiBelleW
    JessiBelleW Posts: 836 Member
    I sometimes do this. Keep going even though I feel really full.

    I think sometimes my body mistakes hunger for thirst - so I eat fill I'm more than full then figure out I'm really thirsty and drink some water and feel super blooded. Are you drinking enough water?

    Sometimes I think that my body is wanting something, ie more fiber, more nutrients etc. I tend to find when I eat better (more fresh fruits and veges and less empty carbs) that I don't tend to have crazed eating as much. Is it possible you are eating a lot of junk food and not getting much nutritional value out of your food?
  • takumaku
    takumaku Posts: 352 Member
    I eat my food to fit my macros .

    Full , empty doesn't matter .

    Eat to reach your calorie goal .

    Thats kinda unhelpful....

    Different strokes for different fokes. Find what works for you!!! Some people like to eat a daily calories requirement (TDEE) method. Others like eating more on workout days, less on recovery days (carb-cycling). To me, in the end, it doesn't freaking matter as long as you meet your goal.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    Sometimes this has less to actually do about the food and more to do with the mental side of this journey... Mindless eating is normally someone trying to fill a void in there life, especially eating past full or basically eating just to eat. I ate like this to the point I was 560 lbs. and home bound, I would eat til I was stuffed, do the whole why did I do this to myself thing but the minute I could cram in more food those feeling left and the food went in... I finally made the decision to go talked to someone and get to the bottom of my problem and what I learn was I was eating this way to drown my emotions, depression, social phobia, the death of my parents 6month's apart, the death of my sister to diabetes 10 years earlier, etc and as I dealt with these issues, I also changed my relationship with food. Learning to eat to live and not necessarily living to eat.... It took time but I eventually worked through my issues and came out the other side.. I am not saying this is totally your problems but may be something you might want to look into.... Best of Luck.....
  • bridgie101
    bridgie101 Posts: 817 Member
    Okay. I'm going to be pretty candid about this; I eat like a pig. Over the past few years my diet has been getting worse & worse... For example instead of putting one pizza in the oven I put in two despite the fact that about halfway through the first of the two I feel full (despite being a very large 330lb 6'3 guy). It's at the point where after finishing them I feel sick and incredibly bloated yet the next day I'll do something equally bad with the same result. Even if I manage a healthy diet for a week or so I always inevitably give up because food dominates my thoughts for the majority of the time.

    This means that clearly I don't eat to satiate any form of hunger and I have to assume that I'm comfort eating. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on how to motivate myself to stop following this ridiculous pattern as I don't seem to have the self control to do it myself.

    Your appetite's all up the wop. It's taken you over.

    Maybe for the next few days just don't have those foods in the house. One thing I've done in the past: make a huge bowl of coleslaw. Huge. go easy on the mayonnaise, use diet or just don't use much. whatever.

    Now, guts yourself on coleslaw when you want to guts yourself.

    And if you can't stop this compulsive eating see a doctor. there might be some way he can help you. :)
  • Dandman1990
    Dandman1990 Posts: 196 Member
    Thanks for all the helpful ideas. The idea of using chopsticks seems appealing (Just because I can barely use them to begin with xD ) as well as trying to fill up a bit more with water rather than cramming myself full of food.

    On a random note also, congratulations on losing all that weight Ed. Dropping 312lbs must have been ridiculously difficult to keep up the motivation to get through it as I can relate to pretty much everything you said about eating to the point of being uncomfortable and then eating more as soon as you thought you could. It seems to be my daily routine too :sad:

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