Eat too damn much

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So that's part of my problem. It's probably the reason I'm incredibly overweight in the first place.
I eat so much with every meal that it actually hurts. It's almost 1 AM over here and I can't sleep because I feel bloated and gross.

I worked out today. Did a little cardio, walked and lifted some weights.

But I know for sure that my eating habits are what's causing me to either stay the same weight or gain weight.
Every time I get hungry, I just pile on the food and then I feel guilty about it later. I had the same thing with the gym.
If I didn't go, I'd feel guilty the rest of the day.
If I eat so much as ONE huge meal, I feel like it's another setback. Every single setback brings me further and further from my goal.

I don't really know what to do. I mean, I KNOW that I have to eat smaller portions but it's HARD.
Food isn't just about sating hunger. It's taste, it's texture and it's almost like a drug kind of. When I'm eating I feel good, and now that I'm living by myself I can actually control the size of my meals but it's like my eyes are bigger than my stomach (metaphorically.)

It's really starting to bug me and I want to kick this habit for good. I feel like it's becoming a VERY serious problem.

Any tips? Anyone have anything similar?

Replies

  • spudlovie
    spudlovie Posts: 56 Member
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    Maybe read the Harcombe diet. I am going to start this on the 5th. It really makes a lot of sense to me and may help you as well. It talks about food intolerances, food cravings, and so on.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    what type of food are you eating? is it primarily takeout or stuff you make?

    if it's take out then one good way you can make a change is to make a change to cook for yourself more. although it's just as easy to overeat stuff you cook, you're going to be more accountable for it since you can't just go out and buy more for tomorrow's dinner :laugh:

    not relying so much on takeout (and it's so easy to overindulge with take out) was how i stated. i even went so far as to cut up my check card so that i wouldnt be tempted to just grab something to go. since i was more likely to fall into takeout afte work when banks were closed, cutting off my $$ ensured i cooked at home more
  • TheVattz
    TheVattz Posts: 20 Member
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    It's food that I cook, but it happens just as bad with take-out. I was actually going to have take-out today and decided not to. Woop-de-doo, I ended up cooking a huge meal and pretty much ate myself half to death (okay, maybe not that much but it paints a picture at least.)

    It sort of reminds me of this thing Louis CK said once.
    "I don't eat until I'm full. I eat until I hate myself."

    Anywho, yeah I'm also thinking of going to a support group. Overeating has been a problem for years and I don't think I can tackle it alone anymore. Also I looked at Harcombe and it looks alright. Pretty good suggestion.
  • EMTFreakGirl
    EMTFreakGirl Posts: 597 Member
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    Sounds silly but here's one of my tricks: I went to Pier 1 and bought a couple "diet-sets" of really cool dishes that I like. (ie. one plate, one bowl, a matching mug and wine glass/goblet and sometimes a cool champagne flute.) The trick lies in the sizes. I buy a salad-sized plate and a small serving bowl which is BIGGER than the soup/cereal bowl. Meals appear more "bountiful" on the smaller plate, and I use the bowl for loading up on low-cal but filling soups, salads and veggies. I drink my protein shakes out of the wine glass and I even have champagne flutes for my morning mimosa (my orange flavored, fizzy vitamin drink, VERVE from VEMMA.) It's a trick I play on myself. I visit the store every couple months and get a new "set" if something strikes me. Eating off my special dishes is the "treat," not necessarily the food on it. FYI: I am a TOTAL FOODIE! (a trained chef in a past life and like in real estate where it's all about "location, location, location;" with me and food it's all about "presentation, presentation, presentation!") Merry Christmas!
  • danielleb886
    danielleb886 Posts: 11 Member
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    Try eating your food on a smaller plate to make it look like you are getting to eat way more food than is on your plate. Switch out the ingredients you cook with for the lighter versions (Light butter, egg whites, non-fat milk/almond milk, unsweetened applesauce-for oil in baking, etc.). Drink a lot of water and it will help you to feel fuller in-between meals. And this is one that I have a hard time with, eat your food very very slow and you will be able to control how full you will be). Also, I love a website called skinny taste. It has tons of great recipes that can help you eat good food and cut calories/fat/sugar. Good luck to you! You can do it!!!!
  • HollisGrant
    HollisGrant Posts: 2,022 Member
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    So that's part of my problem. It's probably the reason I'm incredibly overweight in the first place.
    I eat so much with every meal that it actually hurts. It's almost 1 AM over here and I can't sleep because I feel bloated and gross.

    I worked out today. Did a little cardio, walked and lifted some weights.

    But I know for sure that my eating habits are what's causing me to either stay the same weight or gain weight.
    Every time I get hungry, I just pile on the food and then I feel guilty about it later. I had the same thing with the gym.
    If I didn't go, I'd feel guilty the rest of the day.
    If I eat so much as ONE huge meal, I feel like it's another setback. Every single setback brings me further and further from my goal.

    I don't really know what to do. I mean, I KNOW that I have to eat smaller portions but it's HARD.
    Food isn't just about sating hunger. It's taste, it's texture and it's almost like a drug kind of. When I'm eating I feel good, and now that I'm living by myself I can actually control the size of my meals but it's like my eyes are bigger than my stomach (metaphorically.)

    It's really starting to bug me and I want to kick this habit for good. I feel like it's becoming a VERY serious problem.

    Any tips? Anyone have anything similar?

    You can do this. First, you are looking at the problem, which is a positive first step.

    Drink water before every meal and throughout the day. Add lemon or lime to make it more interesting if you don't drink enough water. Buy a beautiful BPA-free water bottle to carry around with you.

    Use measuring cups and measure out the amount of food you should eat. You can prelog your meals in MFP to find out the calories and then adjust the amounts.

    Fill up on steamed greens (kale, collards, spinach) and other vegetables which are colorful, tasty and low calorie. I don't use butter or sauce, just sea salt or toasted sesame seeds once in a while.

    Try eating in a different location. The special dishes that EMTFreakGirl recommended is a great idea.
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
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    My trick is to portion out my food on the plate. Then I put away all the left overs before I sit down to eat. It is a huge pain in the *kitten* to prepare another plate, so I tend to stop when the plate is empty.

    I have the habit of eating until I feel gross, too. This has really helped me. Also, try a stick of gum after your meal. Maybe you just want more sensations of chewing even if you aren't hungry.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
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    I love food. I love eating lots of food. I lost weight and maintained (and grow) eating loads of food.

    I don't use small plates. I don't eat light options (bleh. Chemical s*^# storm).

    I use salad bowls for most of my meals as they don't fit on normal plates.

    Most of the time I choose nutrient dense, but low calorie options for volume (vegetables), with plenty of proteins and good fats for satiety. I plan all my meals, preprepare all my meals (even if I'm home) and set times to eat them. This helped initially as I wouldn't eat anything other than the planned and prepared food. I also got rid of any temptations initially as I used to eat emotionally and could eat mountains without a care in the world, until it was all gone then I'd get the guilts. Now I can have any food around me and only eat what I want to eat, or what I've planned to eat.

    Getting help to overcome your issues would be great, as it's unlikely to be food related. The food is just filling a void!
  • ThriceBlessed
    ThriceBlessed Posts: 499 Member
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    There are a lot of little tricks you can do. Like you said, food isn't just about hunger, its taste and texture... also I'd like to add in there aroma, different temperatures... and in addition, it is comfort. For some people its not their main source of comfort, they have other methods to cope with things, but all of us take some comfort in food, we have since we were babies and learned that when were distressed and crying our mom would hold us, cuddle us, comfort us, and feed us all at the same time.

    Now, for most people, as they grow they learn other forms of comfort, and food becomes one thing on a whole lists of behaviors and things that bring comfort, relieve boredom, calm the nerves, etc. Unfortunately some of us don't develop a whole list of behaviors and things for those purposes, instead, we just eat. We feel stressed, we eat. We are bored, we eat. We feel guilty, we eat. We don't feel like starting that project right now, so we decide to eat first. We are too busy, so we eat on the move. etc.

    Anyway, here are a few ways to start eating a little less.
    1. Pre-measure your food. If a serving of whatever you are having is one cup, measure out a cup. You can have more after if you truly are hungry, but start by seeing if that one cup will be enough.
    2. Log what you eat. Everything. Don't take one bite that is not accounted for on your log. Period.
    3. Now, sit down and give your food your whole attention. Put a bite in your mouth and move it around on your tongue, pay attention to how it tastes. Really enjoy it. Chew slowly. Swallow. Take a sip of water before taking the next bite, and repeat this with each bite until the food is gone. Don't just quickly and mindlessly shovel the food into your mouth. Take the time to really taste it, notice the smell too, feel the texture and the temperature. Take a sip of water after every single bite through the whole meal. This will not only slow you down, but it will make you feel full sooner, and will help your digestion.
    4. Find a supportive group of people. This can be an actual real life support group like Overeaters Anonymous, Weight Watchers, Tops, or something similar. Or it can be online, or both. I've started an online group that will be looking to support those making a change with the New Year, you are welcome if you wish to join. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/17922-fit-for-2014
    5. Create other habits when you realize you are no longer hungry but still desire to keep eating. It can be anything. Sometimes if the urge to eat is strong and I know I'm not physically hungry, I will make myself some Chai Tea and sip on it... other times I chew sugarless gum... other times I brush my teeth and go for a walk. Whatever you do, if you know you aren't hungry get up and move away from your plate and into some new activity. Put the leftovers away, or throw them away, but don't leave them out to nibble on.
    6. Forgive yourself. When you screw up, don't beat yourself up. Try to see what led to the stumble, and try to prevent it in the future, but don't tell yourself that you are weak, or hopeless. Don't punish yourself, and don't give up. Start fresh with the next meal.
    7. Oh yeah, don't get so hungry that you can't wait another minute. this will encourage you eat quickly whatever is in front of you at the moment. Eat something small when true hunger first starts being noticeable.

    It also helps to give yourself plenty of low calorie foods in your meal, so you can eat until you are full. I like to have chicken stir fry a lot of times because one chicken breast gets mixed in with 2 or 3 cups of broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower. There are other dishes as well that are heavy on the vegetables and lean proteins but lower on calories.
  • dgm82
    dgm82 Posts: 23 Member
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    The more you eat small portions, the more your body will get used to it. Speak from experience. Last month I was eating 2 foot long subs from subway or 2 crunchwrap supremes from taco bell for dinner.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
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    Don't have a plate.

    Or at least, use a smaller plate.

    Then if you want more food, you have to make a very conscious effort to go back to the source of the food.
  • Noc6285
    Noc6285 Posts: 20 Member
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    Research intermittent fasting, fast most of the day and then have a eating window. Clean up you diet to find out what intolerances you might have that is causing the bloating
  • overcominglazy
    overcominglazy Posts: 19 Member
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    Why do you eat excessively? If there is an emotional component, then these strategies to reduce amount eaten will only be successful to a certain extent. I agree that smaller plates could help. Making sure that you only cook one or two portions of something could also help with the excessively large meals.

    You need to regulate your eating. I was suggested to eat three meals and three snacks a day to stop my glucose levels from going through large peaks and troughs. This means that you're less likely to binge due to physiological urges. And then it's helpful to find out the reasons you binge (e.g. for comfort when feeling lonely, etc). You can then try and develop healthier coping mechanisms. I really suggest therapy if it's available to you.

    There's never a need to feel guilty about eating unless you're stealing it from someone else when you don't have to. There will be reasons why you eat this way and you need to overcome them in order to become a more healthy person, mentally and physically.