Oh dear God, why do I like food soooo much?!!!

First off, I want to say be prepared for plenty of "suck it up and do it"s on here.

But for real, I think the best advice I've gotten on here is to think of your calories like a currency every day, where you only have a certain amount to spend. Is that chocolate bar really worth it? When's the next time you'll have an opportunity to buy a chocolate bar? Chances are it's tomorrow or even today, so do you REALLY have to have this one right now?

If I'm craving something for a couple of days, I'll treat myself. But you have to start thinking about food differently than "I might as well because it's here"

I agree with the notion of looking at calories as currency -- I've done that, and it helps so much.

Secondly, I try to think about WHY I want to eat that stuff. Usually for me, if I'm wanting chocolate, it's because I'm tired and/or stressed. With other stuff, sometimes I just want to snack because I'm bored. In both cases, it helps to drink a big glass of water and then get busy doing something else. Take a walk, clean the house, call a friend, something.

Working out what's driving the cravings will help you to control them, to anticipate them, or to at least budget for them throughout your day.

I can relate so well to your statement. I'm trying to get myself back in gear after about 6 months of gaining. All that to say is there something else that has you upset that you felt the need to eat 3 choc. bars. I've done so I'm not casting aspersions or trying to make you feel guilty. Usually when I do something like that there is an underlying reason for the need. Leave the house and go for a walk and think about why. Hang in there. We're here for help.

You can do this. You just have to work off those choccy bars. And by work off I mean really do this by doing at least an hour of cardio...

The third chocolate bar doesn't taste as good as the first, does it? At that point it's not you liking food so much as it's you trying to quiet some other emotion you're not dealing with. I can do the same with alcohol, so please don't think I'm preaching. I mean this very kindly and very seriously: Start exploring the whys of your behavior. Whatever it takes. Journaling, going for walks, educating yourself by reading about the psychology of food-as-comfort... Think of it as a personal improvement plan. Be your own therapist!

We are all here because of excess, and you are absolutely not alone.

Note: if you plan one chocolate bar into your day, it's all good. If you plan three into your day, it's all good. (I mean, not EVERY day! It all comes down to being in control.

Nothing wrong with liking food! Food is a wonderful part of life. I eat (and enjoy) chocolate every day. Eating things in moderation/appropriate portion sizes is absolutely something that can be learned, and eventually you start to really "get it", that three chocolate bars isn't really 3x better than 1 chocolate bar.

Life has been quite traumatic this last year and I am still recovering from the loss. Every time I start to lose a few pounds and get that empty feeling. I panic and start to eat, therefore the up, down, up down.

^This is key. This behaviour is nothing to do with liking food too much. It's about anxiety and panic and possibly other negative emotions and the long-ingrained habits you have developed to cope with those feelings. What you need is to a) find ways to soothe those negative feelings that don't jeopardise your health and b) learn that you can actually sit with those feelings, that you can feel them and you won't die. You can sit with panic, and it will subside. You won't get infinitely more anxious until you explode. Over-eating soothes those feelings, at lest for a very short time (they generally come back which is why you have to eat more and more) but by constantly soothing the feelings, you're not actually dealing with why you're feeling them in the first place.

If you can, look into getting some professional help. There's nothing to be ashamed of in doing that, but some talk therapy may really help you. Alternatively, look at self-help. There are lots of books on overeating and emotional eating, so have a look on amazon for some that have good reviews.

I'm an emotional eater, and I would never have been able to lose the weight and keep it off for over a year if I hadn't dealt with the underlying reasons and habits. That's not to say I've completely dealt with that stuff - it's ongoing and I still struggle. But things can and do improve. I can actually keep quite a large amount of chocolate/biscuits etc in the house and rarely feel tempted to overeat them. I really need to learn to slow down the rate at which I buy them. I would be amazed at that a couple of years ago when I couldn't have things in the house without eating them all. The calorie counting helped a lot with this - if I can fit a treat into my day, I will. If not, I won't. But ultimately, I had to start dealing with the root causes of the emotional eating.

I had to realise deep down (what I already knew intellectually) that eating doesn't solve any of those problems. It really doesn't. It took me a long time to truly get that, but now, although I still get a lot of urges to over-eat, I can easily resist them and they pass quickly. In seconds even. (Usually!) It's something that takes practise. Google "urge surfing" for some good techniques or this.

Because food is awesome! I think chocolate is proof that life is good. When we intend to lose weight, however, we need to enjoy those treats in moderation. Of course you know this, but have you experimented with different ways of letting yourself indulge? I noticed that if I let myself have a little bit of chocolate whenever I'm craving it, it doesn't bust my calorie goals. Those little halo chocolates at Walgreens are great, because they're sold in single servings and are only 75 calories/piece and 2/$1. Most weeks, I buy a couple of those and put them in a drawer for my chocolate craving days.

Also, I've noticed that when my protein intake is low, I'm much more likely to crave sweets, so being careful about including enough protein in my diet is important. Best of luck to you!

First off, I want to say be prepared for plenty of "suck it up and do it"s on here.

But for real, I think the best advice I've gotten on here is to think of your calories like a currency every day, where you only have a certain amount to spend. Is that chocolate bar really worth it? When's the next time you'll have an opportunity to buy a chocolate bar? Chances are it's tomorrow or even today, so do you REALLY have to have this one right now?

If I'm craving something for a couple of days, I'll treat myself. But you have to start thinking about food differently than "I might as well because it's here"

This! I also follow the currency mindset. It works so well!

First off, I want to say be prepared for plenty of "suck it up and do it"s on here.

But for real, I think the best advice I've gotten on here is to think of your calories like a currency every day, where you only have a certain amount to spend. Is that chocolate bar really worth it? When's the next time you'll have an opportunity to buy a chocolate bar? Chances are it's tomorrow or even today, so do you REALLY have to have this one right now?

If I'm craving something for a couple of days, I'll treat myself. But you have to start thinking about food differently than "I might as well because it's here"

THIS!!!! Earlier today I was craving Mexican Fast Food, but just like you've mentioned before, I asked myself the same thing "Why should I eat that today when I have a full life time of chances to eat that" and it usually works, but if it's like a chocolate bar, sure why not, but I have to double my workout to burn the extra calories, verses heavy food like I mentioned. Like right now, there's a FULL batch of cupcakes on the kitchen table as I type this, but I can always have cupcakes whenever I want, it doesn't have to be right now. It's not the last cupcake in the world. Of course I'm craving it, and if I eat one right now, I'm afraid I'll eat the whole batch, so my willpower is strong right now Lol