I LOVE food and that is always my downfall

kdingwell
kdingwell Posts: 1
edited September 2024 in Introduce Yourself
Hi All,

I am almost 30 and have recently gained a lot of weight. My mother passed away in November this last year and I have gained at least 25 pounds and I could have stood to lose a few pounds then. I work full time and I go to law school three nights per week (plus time for studying), which makes finding time to exercise really difficult. To make matters even worse, I LOVE LOVE LOVE food. I don't mind eating healthy - fruits and veggies, lean meats, whole grains, low-fat dairy. But, dieting is really hard for me because I can't seem to trick myself into feeling satisfied if my food is really boring. And finally, I really enjoy having a beer or a glass of wine when get home from my long days at school and I know these are really empty bad calories.

But with that said, I really want to lose some weight and keep it off. I want to be healthy and I want to be in good shape before my husband and I start our family in a couple of years. Plus, I just feel really bad about myself since I've gained so much weight.

Any thoughts or advice? Thanks!

Replies

  • rorosaw
    rorosaw Posts: 360 Member
    I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE food too! I just try to make healthier choices, completely control my portions, and manage my calories. If I want a certain meal, most times I have it, just maybe less of it or I'll subsitute something else for another meal that day to balance the calories. You can do it. Lots of websites that can help skinny down recipes, like skinnytaste.com

    Ro
  • 4theking
    4theking Posts: 1,196 Member
    I love, love, food too. The reason I once wore 40" waist pants. The key is finding a diet plan you can follow long term. I recommend the spike diet. I eat most of my calories at night and have ice cream every day. Also, one day a week I eat extra calories and eat pizza, donuts......whatever I want. Sill losing fat and getting closer to my goals every day. Almost in 32" waist jeans.
  • mamarundrc
    mamarundrc Posts: 1,577 Member
    Healthy food doesn't have to be boring it just takes a lot more time and planning to make it interesting. I have found a few cookbooks by Rocco DiSpirito (NOw Eat THis, and Now Eat THis Diet) which take a lot typical favorites and makes them healthier. Also, www.skinnytaste.com has a ton of good recipes that are absolutely delicious.

    Experiment with different combos and find spices you love. You can make any boring meal a bit more interested by adding a little spice to it.
  • cjwolfjen
    cjwolfjen Posts: 323 Member
    It is a sacrifice, there is no doubt about it. If you want to change your body you have to make sacrifices. That was what "clicked" in my head one day and since then I've lost 20 lbs. I used to think "its not fair" because everyone else I knew could eat whatever they wanted and not be fat. I thought I should be able to eat what I want too. Well, I'm not one of those people, that's just the way it is. I woke up to reality and realized I needed to stop being so childish and just make it happen. It is hard. Really hard. But the way you feel when you lose the weight is worth every single sacrifice you make. Once you can commit to it and honestly know you aren't making anymore excuses, then its much easier.
    It's not a diet anyway, its just your "new way of eating" and if you keep it up for a couple months it becomes habit and then its just so easy you wonder why you never did it before!
    For you I would say, just try to be more active when you can. Go for a walk now and then, or buy a work out dvd and do it a couple nights a week if you have time. If not, no biggie, cuz you can lose the weight just from counting calories alone. Exercise helps a lot, but if you can't find the time don't stress. I'm a mother of two babies and I don't exercise but maybe 2 times a week and I've lost 20 lbs in 2 months. It is possible. You just have to be willing to sacrifice and commit.
    You say you love food and don't feel satisfied if your food wasn't good tasting or full of flavor and "fun". I totally understand this. It is FUN to eat, and it is FUN to eat as much as you want and feel that good full feeling. BUT, it won't help you any if you eat like this all the time. Start simple. Still eat a little of what you like to eat, but start controlling your portions and counting your calories. You will notice quickly that in order to eat "enough" food to fill you up and stay under your calories you will have to change the types of foods you eat. BUT, I've lost weight and I still eat a lot of the same foods, just not all the time. I make it work, I find a way to fit my little treats and snacks into my calories for the day. Just last night in fact, I had an ice cream cone. ICE CREAM CONE. Yea, its possible. I had stayed under my calories for lunch and dinner so I spoiled myself. Or if I still want to go out to eat I drink water, not soda or juice, and I just eat smaller amounts.
    You can make it work for you. But you have to be willing to make changes and most of all believe in yourself. Good luck.
  • leighkent
    leighkent Posts: 195 Member
    I LOVE LOVE LOVE food too - shopping for food, cooking food, eating food. Whilst eating dinner, I always think about what's for dinner the next day !!!

    I know that's not much help, but I just wanted you to know that you're not alone. I tend to have a bad day - beer, take-out etc at least once a week but I have still been losing weight. I also still have crisps / choc on a daily basis but I limit the amount I have so I still have treats.

    I think experimenting with new foods makes you look forward to a new meal instead of opting for take-outs or pizza meals etc xxx
  • Ramberta
    Ramberta Posts: 1,312 Member
    If you can cook, though, your food never has to be 'boring' to be healthy. I want to enjoy my food too, though I have a pretty simple palate, but I've found that when you go to the grocery store, don't always get the exact same things. My stepmom does that and when I lived with her it drove me crazy! She'd always buy the exact same stuff every week, brands and all, so I knew by heart what we had in the fridge, freezer and pantry. AND on the rare occasions that she'd cook/want me to cook, she always wanted the same thing-- little flash-frozen steaks, mushrooms sauteed in soy sauce, and steamed broccoli. Healthy, sure, but boring as heck after a while!

    Me? Every week is different. Of course I have certain foods I like, but I almost never buy them for more than a couple weeks in a row or else I get sick of them, even basic things like apples or bananas. Or, even within a type of food, try a different brand, or different flavor, or adding something to it. And I'm by no means a great cook, but I've been experimenting with salads, yogurts, fruits, and simple meals based around veggies. I also just pick up things that are on sale to try them! Maybe I'll like it, maybe I won't. But at least it's a change of pace :)
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