all i think about is food...

lin7604
lin7604 Posts: 2,951 Member
in Motivation and Support
that says it all... all i think about is food. I know i am a boredom eater and a emotional eater... It seems all day long i think about food, that i am hungry, have cravings etc.. I know a lot of it i am probably not hungry but i feel like i am... you know how it is..... how do you control it? i tried the drink water/ tea bit as most of the time you are actually thirsty vs actual hungry but i still just think about "food"... ugh

Replies

  • Fit_Mama84
    Fit_Mama84 Posts: 234 Member
    vegetables are helpful. They are very low calorie, packed with nutrients, and the fiber helps you feel full longer. I like carrots dipped in hummus and I try to add veggies to each meal whereever I can. I found it helpful. Also, for me, refined sugar is a huge trigger for eating without end. Finding your triggers so you can find a way to avoid or manage them would be the best place to start.
  • melanienierop
    melanienierop Posts: 21
    Following...

    I'm in the same boat. I'm also an emotional eater. I eat 24/7 whether I'm hungry or not and at night time I have massive binges. I'm also looking for help to change this eating habit. Hopefully this site will motivate me not to eat much because I have to log it. I'm going to start drinking a glass of water with lemon before every meal and I hope that helps. Good luck !
  • Nart1
    Nart1 Posts: 1
    Me too. I google foods that are under 100 cal and under 50 cal to see what I can eat. I read about roasting chicken drumsticks with skin off, lots of herbs for flavour. Chew on one of those when you crave they are around ??70 cal for a smallish one. Roasted veg good idea too. I have only just started and have lost 1kg. Love doing my entries and am learning alot about food and am very aware of foods and what I am eating. However I do think about food all the time too. Keep us the good work!
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 2,951 Member
    vegetables are helpful. They are very low calorie, packed with nutrients, and the fiber helps you feel full longer. I like carrots dipped in hummus and I try to add veggies to each meal whereever I can. I found it helpful. Also, for me, refined sugar is a huge trigger for eating without end. Finding your triggers so you can find a way to avoid or manage them would be the best place to start.

    my trigger is being bored or emotional/ stress.... that i can't change unfortunately.. stress if from my job, home life, kids, etc it's just there .... as soon as i get home it hits harder. i can be super good all day and then BAM once i get home... agggg i don't know if it's because i am being too good during the day and then i am lacking something and the cravings kick in or what..... i do eat veggies but i am not a huge fan.. i do eat carrots, snap peas and celery and cherry tomatoes during the day, but other veggies have to be cooked in a dish in order for me to eat them...
  • Cheechos
    Cheechos Posts: 293
    I honestly took a really drastic approach to getting rid of cravings. Since I had a major sweet tooth, I cut my carbs down to 20g or less per day and did that for about a week and a half. That allowed me to get over my urge to eat a ton of candy or ice cream. Now I can look forward to enjoying things in moderation without constantly wanting more.

    If you're genuinely feeling hungry, add more protein and fat to your intake. If you aren't sure whether or not your hunger is "true" hunger, ask yourself if a piece of ruit, a cup of veg, or a cut of lean meat would satisfy the hunger. If the answer is "no" then it probably isn't real hunger and just a craving for chips or sugar. Try to work calorie dense foods like that into your day instead of cutting them out completely long term. Avoiding a certain type of food that you love for a prolonged period of time can end up backfiring and sending you into a binge.

    Mindful eating also helps. Whenever you have something to eat (especially a treat that you enjoy), avoid all distractions and focus on eating it slowly so you can get more enjoyment and satisfaction out of it. Doing that with all of your meals can also keep you from eating past the point that you get full.

    I hope some of this helps!
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 2,951 Member
    Me too. I google foods that are under 100 cal and under 50 cal to see what I can eat. I read about roasting chicken drumsticks with skin off, lots of herbs for flavour.
    i do that but i can't eat that daily or even weekly.. I will roast a chicken once or twice a month and that's it.. otherwise chicken will just be in some sort of dish for dinner. I am not a huge meat eater
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 2,951 Member
    I honestly took a really drastic approach to getting rid of cravings. Since I had a major sweet tooth, I cut my carbs down to 20g or less per day and did that for about a week and a half. That allowed me to get over my urge to eat a ton of candy or ice cream. Now I can look forward to enjoying things in moderation without constantly wanting more.

    If you're genuinely feeling hungry, add more protein and fat to your intake. If you aren't sure whether or not your hunger is "true" hunger, ask yourself if a piece of ruit, a cup of veg, or a cut of lean meat would satisfy the hunger. If the answer is "no" then it probably isn't real hunger and just a craving for chips or sugar. Try to work calorie dense foods like that into your day instead of cutting them out completely long term. Avoiding a certain type of food that you love for a prolonged period of time can end up backfiring and sending you into a binge.

    Mindful eating also helps. Whenever you have something to eat (especially a treat that you enjoy), avoid all distractions and focus on eating it slowly so you can get more enjoyment and satisfaction out of it. Doing that with all of your meals can also keep you from eating past the point that you get full.

    I hope some of this helps!

    i find my weakness is carbs... i try to choose good ones but just in general i have a hard time keeping them at my set macro.... eg) tomorrow's lunch, just between yogurt, fruit, veggies and my quest bar i am at 140. my max! that's not even supper or anything else.... no bread, pasta, or anything... just healthy items..... i find yes i will binge if i limit something too much so i don't do that but like today i had a super healthy day, came home had dinner and then had 2 bowls of cereal! UGH! CARBS! not cravings sweets, or salty just carbs!
  • ceciliaruns
    ceciliaruns Posts: 41 Member
    Ok, I hope you don't mind I peeked into your diary. Here are my suggestions...

    1) eat 1/4 of your daily calories for breakfast, ditch the white bread and go for whole grains, like high fiber cereal like Kashi or simply oatmeal. Add some healthy fat, like walnuts or almonds and some protein, like fat free Greek yogurt or cottage cheese. Add a natural sweetner like fruit or stevia.

    2) at each meal and snack, make sure you eat healthy carbs (low glycemic fruit, veggies, whole grains), lean protein and healthy fats.

    3) Try to keep your carb intake under 50% of daily calories, I do well on about 45% and have no cravings and minimal hunger. You can view the nutrition pie chart on a mobile device. I believe you may be going over on carbs, especially high glycemic carbs and that is causing your cravings.

    4) Fiber, fiber, fiber....and water, lots of it!

    I hope that helps a bit!
  • JoanneLynn
    JoanneLynn Posts: 156 Member
    vegetables are helpful. They are very low calorie, packed with nutrients, and the fiber helps you feel full longer. I like carrots dipped in hummus and I try to add veggies to each meal whereever I can. I found it helpful. Also, for me, refined sugar is a huge trigger for eating without end. Finding your triggers so you can find a way to avoid or manage them would be the best place to start.


    ^^^This
    Refined sugar is also a trigger for me.
  • putnam80
    putnam80 Posts: 69 Member
    Hey Lin, I understand the feeling. I love food, i love eating all day long. Walking 5 miles a day is always a help. I feel bad for you women who try to lose or maintain. You get so many fewer calories a day than we men do. I find I like to do the work of walking, hiking or just outside yard work in order to eat more. Last time I lost weight, I really did not stop eating as much, just watched it and walked a lot.
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 2,951 Member
    thx, i do have to say i normally eat kashi go lean but bought this stuff just to try something different... I also also buy whole grain bread but the store was all out, not even whole wheat did they have, so i took what was on sale as that is how i roll...

    i used to eat oatmeal every day but have gotten tired of it, went to red river cereal and then cream of wheat and back to oatmeal but just got tired of it, so lately i have been doing what ever.. some days eggs, some days PB toast, some days a shake, etc.. mixing it up a bit...

    i do agree that i dont' eat enough cals in the am though as it's always under 300...

    hate greek yogurt and cottage cheese... i like astro plain yogurt with fruit, but bought a bunch of yogurts for my son that are expiring and guess what... i don't waste so i am eating them...ugh...

    i was trying to do 40% carbs but always going over.... if i don't have them i find i am starving... rumbly yummy and all.....

    what are high glycemic carbs? examples?

    i do well with fiber, that i can say 100% i take supplements and eat a quest bar a day and it puts me right up there.... water well i do my best but i also have lacked in that area...
  • spirytwynd
    spirytwynd Posts: 141 Member
    A bit of oatmeal goes a long way. You might try a bit of plain oatmeal, a few nuts like walnuts, in it, just a dash of milk (just enough to get the right consistency) and a bit of protein powder mixed in. Go small at first. If you use it as a snack, definitely small or you will mess up dinner. 1/4 cup of plain oatmeal, 1/8 cup of walnuts, 1/4 cup of 1% milk, and a scoop of Lean 25 protein powder keeps me full for hours and I am a pretty big guy (or at least I was). That is a full breakfast for me and packs about 300 calories. If you need a snack, scale this down. Start small with it. Also, you said a lot of things get you hungry, like boredom. Stay busy so your mind is occupied and not thinking about food. Maybe play some music and sing along. Good luck.
  • albertine58
    albertine58 Posts: 267 Member
    Fill up on veggies, whole grains & healthy fat - try to hit all 3 at every meal if possible! I looked at your diary, and NO judgment I swear, but I would be hungry all the time too eating that much processed food. I see white bread & pasta, cereal bars & protein bars, peanut butter - deelicious, but I try to minimize or avoid all of those because they don't satisfy me enough & I'm thinking about food again 1 hour later.

    Try bulking up your meals with veggies - look for recipes with "hidden" veggies since you're not a huge fan! For example, strips of zucchini in pasta sauce doesn't taste like anything (actually I think it tastes better) and it triples the serving size of your pasta.

    Have you tried roasting veggies? If you do it right, they caramelize and become sweet and addicting! I usually get home really hungry, so my go-to dinner is a big pile of roasted veggies + protein (usually fish). I hate raw or steamed cauliflower, but roasted in a little olive oil & sea salt is AMAZING - I eat it like popcorn in front of the TV! It's so easy to get home and just chop & toss your veggies in olive oil & stick them in the oven for 30min (400-425*) while you prepare your protein. Carrots, green beans, broccoli, asparagus, squash, sweet potato - all are addicting when roasted. They're best crispy & fresh out of the oven, but you can make a big Sunday batch to eat throughout the week too!
  • GatorUA
    GatorUA Posts: 38 Member
    I'm the same way, a huge stress eater. I'm in grad school and working. When the work is especially difficult or I have deadlines that stress me out all I want to eat is total crap, especially carbs. I don't want to eat healthy, and I am hungry even when I have just finished eating. When I'm in the middle of writing papers, I focus completely and don't take the time to cook for myself (hubby travels for business during the week) and I don't take any time to walk which is my preferred exercise. Not cooking for myself means I'm going to snack and eat high calorie foods, and my known trigger foods. They're all I want when I'm stressed. And when I eat trigger foods like sugary stuff or fatty stuff, it's very difficult to stop, it's like I'm addicted to those kinds of foods. Then the semester will come to a close and the stress will be less, and I'm fine. I start tracking again, I start walking again, and I lose the pounds I've put on since school started in the fall. But I never seem to get ahead of the game. I lose a bit and then classes start up so I gain it right back. I wish I knew what the answer was, but I don't.
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 2,951 Member
    Fill up on veggies, whole grains & healthy fat - try to hit all 3 at every meal if possible! I looked at your diary, and NO judgment I swear, but I would be hungry all the time too eating that much processed food. I see white bread & pasta, cereal bars & protein bars, peanut butter - deelicious, but I try to minimize or avoid all of those because they don't satisfy me enough & I'm thinking about food again 1 hour later.

    Try bulking up your meals with veggies - look for recipes with "hidden" veggies since you're not a huge fan! For example, strips of zucchini in pasta sauce doesn't taste like anything (actually I think it tastes better) and it triples the serving size of your pasta.

    Have you tried roasting veggies? If you do it right, they caramelize and become sweet and addicting! I usually get home really hungry, so my go-to dinner is a big pile of roasted veggies + protein (usually fish). I hate raw or steamed cauliflower, but roasted in a little olive oil & sea salt is AMAZING - I eat it like popcorn in front of the TV! It's so easy to get home and just chop & toss your veggies in olive oil & stick them in the oven for 30min (400-425*) while you prepare your protein. Carrots, green beans, broccoli, asparagus, squash, sweet potato - all are addicting when roasted. They're best crispy & fresh out of the oven, but you can make a big Sunday batch to eat throughout the week too!

    no judgement, like i said, i have gotten bored and am mixing it up..... i don't usually eat white bread but it was what the store had that day ... so no choice.... i don't like roasted veggies at all.....i do broccoli but only cooked, the soup i have been eating all week is home made, low sodium and is packed with veggies.. zucchini, carrots, celery, cilantro, tomatoes, avocado, potato and a little bit if rice to make it a bit thicker... that is the best way for me to get in my veggies is in soup, i love homemade soups!

    yes cereal bars are processed but i consider that my treat :)

    as for my dinners i have to say those are me weak points and not by choice. My family is picky and no one will eat what i would for dinner for the most part. I REFUSE to make 2 separate meals PLUS my son is celiac and i am encouraging him to eat other items.... so the only way is if we eat the same things! so yes i may have spaghetti for dinner but that is because i am adding veggies into the sauce to get him to eat veggies... it's a win win then , he eats veggies and we all eat the same meal.... i just make sure i weigh mine and eat a smaller amount then i would of 3 years before :) like tonight, we had taco's... again it's to get him to eat " different foods".. i use a low sodium seasoning.... he ends up eating protein/ iron/ b12 vitamins, etc which he needs badly with being celiac... and veggies... etc... so that is also what makes it so much harder fo rme, b/c i have to teach my son to eat foods he doesn't like b/c of his disease and to compromise i eat with him and make only 1 meal for everyone!

    the protein bars and peanut butter i have been eating are for the protein, as i lack that big time because i am not much of a meat eater... so that is a new thing i have been trying out... the protein bars i really do see make a difference, i am fuller longer b/c of the high protein and fiber content in them.... if i don't do those or a shake i am really uber low in protein!

    I can omit the bread no issues at all and like i said that is just to change it up right now.... i got tired of eggs and oatmeal...

    when i have oatmeal i do add nuts or fruit to it, no sugar and i don't add sugar to anything i eat ever....
  • ceciliaruns
    ceciliaruns Posts: 41 Member
    Here's a glycemic index of many foods, aim for foods with a glycemic index of 55 or lower.

    http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods.htm

    Here is an article explaining...

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/27/low-glycemic-foods-diet_n_1630893.html
  • JenniCali1000
    JenniCali1000 Posts: 646 Member
    Welcome to my world. Ugh.
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 2,951 Member
    Here's a glycemic index of many foods, aim for foods with a glycemic index of 55 or lower.

    http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods.htm

    Here is an article explaining...

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/27/low-glycemic-foods-diet_n_1630893.html

    thx i am going to read it 1st thing in the am :)

    never mind i did it now! lol thx.. i guess i will go back to my oatmeal for breakfast!!!!!

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