My issue - I really like food! How to get into the zone?

How to get excited about eating well?

Eat well. Then don't eat for a few hours. Then eat well again. That ought to help with the excitement.

kommodevaran wrote: »

Most of us like food. We are designed to be able to eat a lot in times of plenty. Food is also good, and to be enjoyed. We need to pay attention to get in a good mix of foods, in appropriate amounts, every day. And that's the crux. To really enjoy food, we have to be mindful.

One method to learn mindful eating, is logging. This gives you a pause, time to think. Is this something I really need, or am I eating just because it's there? Is it something I want, or am I eating because I'm sad, or bored? Is it I who want this, or is it my mother/collegue/friend who wants to see me eat it?

That's all I have. I just wanted to say there's nothing wrong with you.

I would agree with about mindful eating. Sometimes if I stop and think about it, I realize that I'm not really hungry, I just feel a compulsion to eat because the food is available. Logging is also a great way for me to hold myself accountable. I'm far from perfect when it comes to moderating..especially lately..but knowledge is power. When you have to log all of that stuff and see all of the calories, sometimes that helps me to make better choices the next day.
Every day is a fresh start..don't let little bumps in the road sidetrack you.
The other thing I would say is, treat it like a learning opportunity and an adventure. So many new dieters come in with the attitude "I'm going to cut out x, y, and z because they are "bad" foods, high carbs, etc ..". Not surprisingly, they find this approach unsustainable. Rather than cutting out things, make a point to try new things. Increase the variety of foods you eat. It's exciting to seek out new things and learn about them. Find a new way of cooking things. Eat something you've never eaten before. Have fun with it..if you don't make it a chore, then it won't be one.

I feel ya OP, before my diet started in July I was the same way. I live in Colorado and have replaced ambien with a "more natural option". So in the evenings after I medicate I used to have horrible munchies, I'd bake and eat an entire roll of cinnamon rolls, or a complete case of donuts stuff like that. And it sucked at first, I was moody and irritable for the first 6 weeks or so, after that the worst of the cravings went away and my body began wanting better options, now after I medicate my body wants cheese sticks, sliced lunch meats, peanut butter things like that. It just takes times to get past that hurdle. One other thing I wanna add is listen to your body!! Sometimes we can misinterpret the signals our body is sending, mistaking thirst for hunger or eating out of boredom, while some cravings can be your bodies way of telling you its lacking in a particular mineral and you may need to eat a SMALL amount of whatever it is to satisfy your nutritional needs. Just remember there's a difference between a 1/3 cup of ice cream and eating the whole gallon

I love food! But weirdly enough, when I've been on a diet I actually seem to enjoy it more than when I'm not. I think it has to do with really thinking about what I put in my mouth and consider it before I do it. So I'm not being mindless about it.

Plus, truthfully healthy food *is* good food. Really!

A surprising (for me) family favorite dinner now is: salmon fillet pan-fried with olive oil and fresh-ground lemon pepper and Fresh Express Apples & Cheddar salad. The whole dang meal takes about 15 minutes to prepare! And depending on if I add a side or whatever, there's plenty of room calorie-wise for some sort of dessert.

Most who are overweight love to eat. Thats how we become fat. You are not alone and its not a unique and unheard of issue. We each need to choose which is more important, satisfaction in the moment or long term happiness. Gotta find the right balance that works for you.