Eat to live or live to eat?

TaraRichardson913
TaraRichardson913 Posts: 157 Member
edited November 2023 in Getting Started
When you're the latter- live to eat- how do you NOT do that???
I am obsessed with food.
I used to have an eating disorder years ago but I am recovered. Maybe the obsession lingers?
I love food. I am always planning my food. I am always thinking of what next.
Anyone have any ideas on how to stop being so darn obsessed?

Replies

  • TheDoctor_13
    TheDoctor_13 Posts: 21 Member
    Also live to eat. Personally from I found out what helps is to try to fill your days with activities to try to distract yourself. Usually when I have no plans, I love to eat, always "hungry". Though if I'm out doing stuff I'm not craving food as much. And find out you can usually live without food, so hard though.
  • joselo2
    joselo2 Posts: 461
    Live to eat!!!! I have lots of good things and people in my life and i live for those things too, but food is NOT just fuel for me, I love love love love LOVE to eat, i guess that is how I got to 410lbs.
  • Skrib69
    Skrib69 Posts: 687 Member
    Definitely live to eat!! I always want to try new foods, but I am learning when to stop. THAT is the hard bit!
  • Love4fitnesslove4food2
    Love4fitnesslove4food2 Posts: 711 Member
    I think the "live to eat" mentality is engrained in us at an early age. All celebrations are accompanied by a large meal/feast of some sort.

    Weddings
    Graduation
    Christmas
    Thanksgiving
    Birthday parties
    Independence Day
    Sports games

    All bring people together around food. I love food and I'm definitely a live to eat kind of person.
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
    Live to eat! I don't think having an eat to live mentalilty would be as much fun. :drinker:
  • sloth3toes
    sloth3toes Posts: 2,212 Member
    I'm just gonna throw this out there.... maybe if you tried channeling your obsession.... log what you eat, and try to eat within your caloric limits you / MFP sets, and your macros.... maybe the challenge will become your new 'obsession?'
  • maggie16sweetxoxo
    maggie16sweetxoxo Posts: 314 Member
    Ah, so I'm not the only one. Actually when I relapse with a binge is when I begin planning and craving and thinking about food. I guess just eat a proper amount and don't log food until you've actually consumed it. Just an idea that has helped me.
  • Love4fitnesslove4food2
    Love4fitnesslove4food2 Posts: 711 Member
    I'm just gonna throw this out there.... maybe if you tried channeling your obsession.... log what you eat, and try to eat within your caloric limits you / MFP sets, and your macros.... maybe the challenge will become your new 'obsession?'

    but the obsession is still with FOOD. I don't think that would solve it--in fact, I think it would increase the live to eat mentality (not that I think the mentality is a problem in the slightest).
  • MrsFowler1069
    MrsFowler1069 Posts: 657 Member
    While my tendency is definitely to be more of a "live to eat" person, I don't think it's a problem (although it certainly has been in the past). I hope to find myself somewhere in the middle most days - wherein I can really look forward to and enjoy food, but strive for greater quality, fitting macro and calorie goals, etc. It's a work in progress, but I am enjoying the process.
  • joanneveee
    joanneveee Posts: 23 Member
    I like that...Make tracking the focus not just the food. I often put my day of food in the morning so I know how much I can eat. Up date any changes at night.
  • Nicolee_2014
    Nicolee_2014 Posts: 1,572 Member
    I think the "live to eat" mentality is engrained in us at an early age. All celebrations are accompanied by a large meal/feast of some sort.

    Weddings
    Graduation
    Christmas
    Thanksgiving
    Birthday parties
    Independence Day
    Sports games

    All bring people together around food. I love food and I'm definitely a live to eat kind of person.

    So true. It's almost like there is something wrong with you if you don't engage in lots of eating & drinking at these types of events. *sigh*
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    get obsessed with something else instead. like shoes.
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
    I eat to live, love, exercise, be healthy and to enjoy everything that life and my family have to offer. I am lucky and blessed because food was never an obsession for me (even if sometimes pisses some of my friends), and I hope to find myself in the same situation forever and ever.

    Sorry for being a party pooper...
  • sunsetzen
    sunsetzen Posts: 268 Member
    I live to eat. I live in the south in the Netherlands, and the culture/lifestyle is very 'Bourgodisch', which translates to pleasure and relaxation--good food, good beer/wine, good time. I have no intention of giving this up because I'm losing weight. Just that I need to be able to gauge how much to enjoy myself without being gluttonous. This is why I dont eat differently now that I'm losing weight. It would be impossible to maintain otherwise.
  • alisonlynn1976
    alisonlynn1976 Posts: 929 Member
    Find other interests. I don't know whether this is the case for you, but I think a lot of people become obese because food is the only source of pleasure in their otherwise depressing and unfulfilling lives. Get excited about something that isn't food (or better yet, about several different things, because replacing one singular obsession with another isn't so great either).
  • joselo2
    joselo2 Posts: 461
    Find other interests. I don't know whether this is the case for you, but I think a lot of people become obese because food is the only source of pleasure in their otherwise depressing and unfulfilling lives. Get excited about something that isn't food (or better yet, about several different things, because replacing one singular obsession with another isn't so great either).

    I disagree. I am not someone with an empty, useless life. I have a fulfilling career in an area I love (using my creativity), a good circle of friends, active social life, and many interests and hobbies. Yet I am still obese and obsessed with food. I don't know why, I wish it wasn't so, but I don't like to be characterised as a big fat loser. I am a big fat winner!
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    False dichotomy.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    Find something else to live for that's more awesome and more satisfying and more fun.
  • joselo2
    joselo2 Posts: 461
    Find something else to live for that's more awesome and more satisfying and more fun.
    But many of us DO have awesome, satisfying and fun things in our life. I do. I have a succesful career which allows me to be creative and do what i love. I do allsorts of fun things and have many friends, also lots of hobbies. I have an awesome life. I AM awesome. Yet I love eating and am obese... riddle me that!!!!!!!!!
  • BlueInkDot
    BlueInkDot Posts: 702 Member
    I've recently found other obsessions - dressing up, going out to hang out with friends - which doesn't necessarily involve food, just maybe a drink, but probably water, and talking with fun people - also volunteering working with animals.

    Focusing on these things that make me happy make food kind of an afterthought. Like "Oh yea, I should make some food or eat or something," and less "WHEN AM I GONNA EAT NEXT WHAT AM I GONNA EAT??????" And as a result, I've been eating way less, which is great because usually I'm eating way more than my body actually needs, I feel more clean and crisp from the inside out, there's plenty of water in my system, and I can see changes happening in the mirror as I keep myself happy and busy and not focused on food. :)
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    I turned my obsession into my passion. For some that's a terrible idea. But hey what the hell. I use to love everything about food. Mainly eating it... But as i slowly learnt about what i was eating, i now have a greater appreciation of what treat means and how much of what we actually need to eat each day. I now love cooking, baking, creating it. Considering starting a restaurant with my brother and sister.

    this is actually pretty freaking brilliant.

    if you're living to eat - maybe try living too cook? become a master chef in your own kitchen. become a meal ARTIST and make the most beautiful healthy delicious foods ever, take the time to plate it and serve it and love it and maybe this will be awesomer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • Love4fitnesslove4food2
    Love4fitnesslove4food2 Posts: 711 Member
    Find something else to live for that's more awesome and more satisfying and more fun.

    I think you're missing the question posed by the OP. I'm pretty sure it's not to be taken literally .I'm pretty sure everyone has other things in their lives that they love and are devoted to. I think the question can also be framed as...whether a person looks at food as just fuel or something more. I definitely see it as more than fuel. If it were just fuel I wouldn't mind having a feeding tube as long as it was enough sustenance to get me through. I would never want that--I LOVE food and I enjoy eating it.
  • luckydays27
    luckydays27 Posts: 552 Member
    I eat to live. I never have been obsessed with food. I eat to because I need it to survive. There was a time when I ate to much of it. I got fat because I was too lazy to cook or workout and found the drive thru an easy option.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    Find something else to live for that's more awesome and more satisfying and more fun.

    I think you're missing the question posed by the OP. I'm pretty sure it's not to be taken literally .I'm pretty sure everyone has other things in their lives that they love and are devoted to. I think the question can also be framed as...whether a person looks at food as just fuel or something more. I definitely see it as more than fuel. If it were just fuel I wouldn't mind having a feeding tube as long as it was enough sustenance to get me through. I would never want that--I LOVE food and I enjoy eating it.

    Nope. Thanks for the breakdown though. Which is why I suggested the food art cooking mastery stuff instead.
  • KombuchaCat
    KombuchaCat Posts: 834 Member
    Sigh, I definately live to eat. I'm always obsessing over the "best" way to eat, the most nutritious, the ideal. I've been vegan, raw vegan, vegetarian (lacto-ovo, lacto only), pescetarian, low/no carb...the list goes on and on. Then when I do something that is not ideal I feel defeated. This is a bad pattern that I'm trying to overcome but it's hard. I think that I look at food like a puzzle I will eventually be able to solve...but I know that's unhealthy. Food shouldn't be as complicated as I make it. I struggle with being too rigid and then too relaxed. I need balance. I'm getting there but I don't think that it's something someone with a food obsession can just snap out of. I take every time that I recognize the problem as a victory because for a long time I just let the obessions consume me.
  • mamadon
    mamadon Posts: 1,422 Member
    A little of both for me, I mean we all eat to live right? I do love my food though and to deny it to myself does not make it any less true.
  • alisonlynn1976
    alisonlynn1976 Posts: 929 Member
    Find other interests. I don't know whether this is the case for you, but I think a lot of people become obese because food is the only source of pleasure in their otherwise depressing and unfulfilling lives. Get excited about something that isn't food (or better yet, about several different things, because replacing one singular obsession with another isn't so great either).

    I disagree. I am not someone with an empty, useless life. I have a fulfilling career in an area I love (using my creativity), a good circle of friends, active social life, and many interests and hobbies. Yet I am still obese and obsessed with food. I don't know why, I wish it wasn't so, but I don't like to be characterised as a big fat loser. I am a big fat winner!

    I didn't say you or everybody. I purposely put qualifiers in my statement. If you're that obsessed with food and self-applied behavioral solutions don't help, maybe see a psychiatrist (being serious, not sarcastic).
  • Red_Scorpio_www
    Red_Scorpio_www Posts: 389
    Get busy with other things you are passionate about!
  • Arne_becomesxXx
    Arne_becomesxXx Posts: 504 Member
    Eat to live!

    And after we have enough fuel, we can do what we have to do.....and that´s not eating again.
    This is one of the main problems.
    We don´t need food to go gathering McFlurrys or hunting Cheerios ;)

    Walk, climb, run, swim do funny things.....thats what we need food for!
  • Red_Scorpio_www
    Red_Scorpio_www Posts: 389
    Eat to live!

    And after we have enough fuel, we can do what we have to do.....and that´s not eating again.
    This is one of the main problems.
    We don´t need food to go gathering McFlurrys or hunting Cheerios ;)

    Walk, climb, run, swim do funny things.....thats what we need food for!
    Exactly :)
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