How do i break the insane obsession with food??

I honestly don't think it's always simply about motivation or knowledge. I knew what to do for years, and I felt motivated. I think you just simply do it. You do it one day, then another, then another. You fall down, you over eat, but instead of saying this is too hard I can't do it, you keep going. The key at least for me has been a couple things. First, that I don't have to give up any one the foods that I love. I just eat smaller amounts with my calories. This was incredibly liberating because the truth is I will always enjoy food. I will never be one for whom food is simply fuel. Second, so much of it is mental. I took a more casual approach this time, if I screwed up one day, oh well. Before, I would just simply give up, now I just realized it was only one day. The longer you do it, the easier it gets.

I totally understand how you feel. I constantly think about food and I even find myself thinking about my next meal while I'm eating sometimes. I don't have all the answers or the right ones but I try to make the healthiest choices when I pick out my meals. I try to load up on fresh fruits and vegetables at every meal then watch my portions on the higher calorie foods. I do treat myself so I don't feel deprived and binge. I think being consistent with healthy habits on a daily basis no matter how big or small the habit is will help control the behavior. What helped change my perception of food was when I started looking at the nutrition details in the app. When I would have a bad day it would show what little, if any, vitamins and minerals I was getting when I consumed crap. The more nutritious food I ate the better I started to feel and had less cravings. So I think looking at food as a way to nourish your body is a better way to obsess

I too have had an obsession with food for as long as I can remember. It sucks! People who don't struggle with it don't understand either. I've heard "just stop eating like that" by so many people. Well, would those same people tell an anorexic person to just eat, an alcoholic to just stop drinking, and expect it to just be effective?? With that said, I have been successful with not binging on food now for 8 days, and it is hard. I think about it all the time, but I have decided to control my food, not let my food control me. It's hard, but I just keep saying no. Good luck to you

I do understand. I disagree with some experts and for me it is all or nothing. I can not eat a small taste os something, especially if it is the house. So I try to be on the nothing long enough to get rid of it. I am really trying to give up wheat. Hard. I find protein helps. Protein as soon as possible in the morning sets a good start.

So much of your post sounds SO familiar. I've been on the weight loss/gain roller coaster my whole life. I'm back to trying to lose again and am absolutely determined to make the "lifestyle change" this time. But I have been before too. This time I did set myself a BIG reward if I can reach my goal weight so that's motivating me but it's early days yet and I accept that. I know the time will come when I want to give up, I just have to hope I'm strong enough this time that I won't.

I've always obsessed about food and in the last year it's gotten worse for me. I can't say that using MFP has made the obsessions stop, but so far I have been able to control them a bit better than in the past.

I know from experience that I absolutely can't stick with a diet (lifestyle change, eating program, whatever you want to call it) seven days a week. If I try, I will end up binging. So I stick firmly to my MFP set calorie level 5-6 days a week and then on the weekend I have 1 free or 2 free but within reason days. I also do not usually eat back my exercise calories through the week, I save them to help offset my free day(s). I don't build up a huge amount of them though because honestly, I'm lazy. *laughs 2 weeks ago I had a bad craving for a certain pizza. I made myself wait a few days to see if I could get past it but when I started obsessing about it I went and got one. I ate half of it that day and half the next (I had healthy breakfast/lunch both days, only went over on dinner) and then went back to my MFP set intake level for the next 5 days. The pizza put me over by probably 600 calories each day but most of that was offset by my exercise calories that I hadn't eaten back through the week and I still showed a loss when I stepped on the scale.

If waiting until my next free day isn't an option because I want it NOW, I will budget my calories to allow myself a small portion of whatever it is. To help with this I've done a lot of searching and come up with some very good, very low calorie alternatives to my regular meals. I make sure to eat the filler foods first because then I am less likely to overeat the item I'm obsessing about. Or I alternate, 3 or 4 bites of filler followed by 1 bite of my obsession food, then back to the filler. (That was a hard one for me, I've always been a one thing at a time eater. But learning to do that has helped.)

A big thing for me is absolutely not allowing myself to get hungry. If I get hungry at all, I start obsessing. So I make sure to keep some filling, low calorie snacks around at all times. Popcorn, dried fruit (it's calorie dense but a little goes a very long way towards satisfying most of my cravings), salad with nothing but a little salt & pepper, etc.

Someone else mentioned logging everything, even on the days you go over. I fully agree with this. Seeing that red bar when I go over is a reminder that I had my fun, now I need to work.

I know I'm probably doing a hundred things wrong but all that matters is that what I am doing is working for ME and is something I feel I can keep doing long term so I'm not setting myself up to fail like I have in the past.

I don't know if any of this will help at all but I hope so. Feel free to add me if you want. Maybe we can help each other through the obsession days.

One other things I've found that works for me but is probably very odd... Sometimes the preparation of food is as satisfying as actually eating it. If I spend the time fixing it, I'm usually quite satisfied to have only a very small portion of it (and not because I snack while preparing it, I broke that habit). May not work for others, but it does for me.

My story was much like yours. I could lose even up to 80 or so pounds in HS and then it was yo-yo- up and down till I hit over 300 lbs. Finally, I decided that going on a "diet" wasn't working for me. I slowly started giving up foods that I knew would "set me off" into a horrible binge. They also seemed to make me more hungry than ever. I really DID NOT want to give up these foods for years:( I believed the crap about you can eat anything in moderation. I know that a lot of people can and do eat everything (My Mom, for instance... she's 5'7" and almost 80 and if she gets over 130 lbs she says she is FAT... I HATE HER lol).

So finally, I gave up coca cola of any type (besides, the carbonation was hurting my stomach and bloating me), then I gave up sugar, white flower. I also gave up eating sweets that were "sugar free", ice cream, cake, candy, cookies, etc. TOTALLY. Chips of any type had long ago stopped appealing to me. I gave them up TOTALLY (they were the easiest, I don't know why). I am also a vegetarian, I rarely eat eggs (eggbeaters) and don't eat real dairy so almost Vegan (not to lose weight but because I don't want to eat animals). Notice that we never become addicted to things like carrots, celery, green beans, etc (esp the ones that are cooked without sugar being added by manufacturers). I do use Stevia for my decaf iced tea and coffee. I only use vegan cheeses. I feel better than I have probably felt since I was a teen. I have lost almost 130 lbs. I plan to lose another 20-25. I come on here to add up my calories. I don't want friends because when I have added people previously (a few years ago), they would try to sabotage my dietary choices, tell me that I was eating too much or too little or should eat this or that, etc. People on here didn't seem to help me and I figured that I was eating a very balanced diet, enough calories according to several Doctors that are friends of mine, etc. I don't eat a fad diet. I am not on the all protein or all carb diet, no paleo, no any Dr's name diet. I eat according to principles that I learned in taking nutrition courses at the University and a refresher course just recently on Coursera (gotta make sure that I don't forget things . Exercising isn't the way to do it tho, being more active in general. Go for walks around the lake with your children, play football in the back yard or participate in sports with your church or community leagues, join a "meet up" group for exercising with others, get a hiking/walking/running buddy, Limit time watching TV or just sitting around. Get out in the world. If you got to Church/Synagogue/Mosque then join in with people to be more active. Walking an hour a day will help but we all have to stop being "couch potatoes" and getting up and about.

I also lift weights every other day to keep toned.

I am also 54:)

It sounds like you've centered your life around eating. Replace that with something else. Fill it with exercise, along with a new hobby that keeps your brain and hands busy, and away from food. It's just a change up leading to a healthier/happier you.

I understand the sense of failure you feel every time you try and don't succeed. I had come to the point where I just accepted that I would be obese and unable to walk for the rest of my life. My time had come and gone. Then my mom died of Diabetes. That was the kick I needed to try one last time. Actually I resolved to try UNTIL.

I had to get rid of the all-or-nothing mentality. One screw up day didn't screw up my whole week. As long as I logged everything, I was still in the game. There was no time limit on getting healthy.

I wanted to lose 75 pounds in a year. I lost 50. I have been maintaining for the past year, as life events have thrown off my losing plan for now. Did I fail? Hell no. I feel fantastic. SO much better than I did 2 years ago.

Even if I never get the last 27 off, I have succeeded in bettering my health. For me. For my family.

Take what you learned in OA. Sounds like you are stuck at step one, tho. You have admitted you are powerless over food. But that doesn't mean to throw up your hands because you can't do anything about it. YOU CAN. One day at a time. One meal at a time.

If you have trigger foods that cause you to binge right now, then keep them away from you for awhile until you can control them again.
If sugar and processed carbs are a problem for you, and they are for most OAers, then you may try looking at Paleo/Primal, South Beach, or the Whole 30 plans that are out there. These will help you break that sugar addiction.

Start filling your body with higher quality proteins, healthy fats, veggies. You will begin to feel better.

You CAN do this. You just have to convince yourself that it is possible. Checkout some success stories of the men on here that have proven it can be done, at any size, at any age. Ed Davenport is the first name that comes to mind. He lost over 300 pounds. Look up his profile.

You have to attack this problem in multiple ways:

See a doctor to eliminate a physiological reason for your eating.

See a therapist: Examine why you have a need to eat this way. Get support in building a structure that will help you eat more healthily and exercise more.

Commit to healthy eating. It's one thing to know intellectually that you should lose weight. It's entirely another to act on the intention. Renew your commitment every day.

Break the cycle: Go on a fast for 12 hours. Eat nothing and drink only water or black coffee or tea.

Attend to practical things: Don't leave leftovers in the refrigerator. Cook only enough food for the meal. Don't bring treats into your home. If your family buys high-calorie food tell them to store it where you can't see it or to even lock it away if necessary.

I used to be like that until I was diagnosed with anxiety/depression and treated for it. Eating increases serotonin levels in the brain, which in turn makes you feel good. If you have a chemical imbalance going on, that might be the reason for your food-centric mind set.

Just a thought. Best wishes to you!

http://charlesduhigg.com/the-power-of-habit/

This book is not for dieting, but it is a thoroughly researched, excellently written journey through what is habit, why it is habit and includes a lot of myth-shattering concepts of habits. I recommend this thoroughly. Read it, read it again. mark pages that provide insight into your own journey. You will find them.

Did you know that a routine you do everyday, even if it is complex and requires steps, cognitive reasoning and analysis, takes less of your active thought than a new, simple task? It's a part of the foundation of habit. Routine. You probably should explore WHAT helped you form these habits, and what helps perpetuate them to be sure. But that may not be as easy to do after 35 years. However, you can begin to get a solid grasp on the way you ease into your habit, and that it actually seems like you in/out cycle of motivation is also a habit.

Hope this helps.

It's an addiction... I'd be willing to bet that an ex-alcoholic will tell you they think about drinking all the time and often times one decision away from picking up a bottle. I believe in the end it's embracing your struggle and make it work for you. Refocus that energy in positive ways for you.

I enjoy food... it's a fact. However I had to take a long hard look at what I was eating. Yes I do like "healthy" foods but they would often times be drowned out by all the bad stuff or I would ruin the benefits by the way I prepared the food (i.e. frying)

I've had to re-learn what and how to eat. Your body is an ecosystem and it's only as good as the nutrients you put in it. I now enjoy the challenge of creating meals that promote good health. I'm also starting to loose the taste for many of the "foods" provide no significant nutritional value. (I still have a weakness for hot wings )

Would you put vegetable oil in a car that is designed for gasoline? Of course not... Will it start? Probably but watch how much it struggles to perform at its designed level. That is what our bodies do when we eat what we were not designed to ingest. Weight gain, lethargy, aches, and pains, high blood pressure, diabetes, and the list goes on.

What it boils down to is learn about yourself and play to those strengths. Don't be afraid to step out and try new things whether it's a food or activity. Most of all be patient and have fun! The rest will work itself out.

The alarm on my iPhone says "Managing chronic diseases leaves money for other important things." Truer words were never spoken. Just a little about my story....About 15 months ago, I was diagnosed with celiac disease and I had to stop eating all gluten. It completely changed my relationship with food for the better. I lost 30 pounds and I no longer have terrible joint pain. As a result of the weight loss, I am off my blood pressure meds and my blood work is excellent. My triglycerides were terrible!

My joint pain was so bad that if I walked for 4 hours around NYC, I had to ice down my calves and my feet before I could continue. I now regularly walk an hour a day and have no pain. And my trips to NYC are way more fun!

As for my quote at the top, I have so much more disposable income because I am not constantly handing over a co-pay to a doctor. I actually have $$ to go out and enjoy my life and I can be very active now. Try to focus on the quality of your life instead of food.

Wow, these are some great posts. I really appreciate all the feedback. I particularly like the suggestions about posting even on bad days. I have to admit that if I start out with a healthy breakfast but lose it at lunch and then of course dinner, I wouldn't log those days. I'm going back to log my binge day just to see how bad it was. I don't know who I think I'm fooling by not logging the binge days.

Thanks everybody!!!

Good for you!! I don't know how many times I think I have blown the day, and don't want to log it, then when I enter my food I realize I didn't even go over my cals. Or perhaps I just went 100 over, and still have a deficit. Logging it all, good and bad, gives you an honest picture. You may not be perfect, but you can see progress!