Is it normal to want to eat until your full Everytime you ea

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  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    Ok, so I already replied, but I just thought of one other piece of info...the things you mentioned that you get the most of, subway, mcdonald's breakfast can easily be made at home...and you can make them smarter, with less sodium, calories and fat. For example, I make breakfast burritos all of the time, but just with veggies and no meat, they're twice the size and half the calories, etc. I also sometimes just fry up and egg and eat it with slices of deli turkey if do want meat with it. It's delicious! :)
  • PixiePerry
    PixiePerry Posts: 9 Member
    Wow Josh,
    I'm really glad this site was suggested for me, and that I passed it along to you. You and I have talked several times, but you never told me all that stuff. Especially about your parents locking the cabinets. IMO that could very well have created a hoarding type attitude, which may explain your need to purchase more than you can eat. My nephew went through the same thing when he was little.... but not b/c his mom locked the cabinets. He did it b/c they didn't have a lot of money for food. So when he visited with me, I noticed that he would cram his belly full the entire time.... way beyond the point that he would be full. He'd complain of upset tummy and would sometimes throw up b/c he'd eaten so much. Your story reminds me so much of him.

    You've got a lot of great advice and the best one I saw was, "I'm not a psychologist, but I took psychology in college. One of the things we had to do was Behavior Modification. The basics were - get a token - could be a Dollar coin, a poker chip, marble - whatever. If you do something good, a behavior you want to modify, give yourself a token as a reward. If you don't meet the goal, you DO NOT GIVE YOURSELF THE TOKEN. When you have 10, 100, whatever, you take the tokens and "cash them in" for some reward (NOT FOOD). Could be a movie, clothes, whatever - something you like to have or do, but you can wait for. You will EARN the reward, and mentally, feel good about yourself for doing it. I read somewhere it takes 3 weeks to form a habit."

    This is exactly what we did with my nephew!! It worked well for him to get a token that he could exchange for a non-food reward. I'm here for you and you know how to get in contact with me. Best wishes on this JOURNEY...
  • Pseudocyber
    Pseudocyber Posts: 312 Member
    About exercising ... I started out about 100lbs overweight - so not as big of a challenge, but not a small one either.

    Starting out, I couldn't run even a 1/2 mile without wheezing, wanting to die, wanting to quit. I did something a little less ambitious, and just started walking. I use runkeeper.com app on my Android phone - tracks distance, time, calories. Just walk. Most of us can walk, if we have legs and aren't physically disabled.

    Walk a little bit more each time. Walk a little bit faster each time. Remember you "earn" calories for walking - it's up to you if you eat them or not (that's a whole nother flame war - do a search on it, you'll see).

    Soon, you'll be walking fast & far. Then one day, try running. A little bit more, a little bit faster. Then one day you can run the whole time - then faster & further.

    I started walking in April. I got up to 4Mph walking, 15 minute miles, and my furthest so far is 10 miles. Started running - furthest is run/walk 5.5 Miles in 1:10. Ran 3.3 Miles this morning, non-stop in 39:00.

    I did it - others have done it - YOU CAN DO IT!!! :)
  • jmruef
    jmruef Posts: 824 Member
    I'm going to be quite honest and blunt here, and I hope I don't hurt your feelings, or have it come off rude.

    I think the first step is to seek counseling....it's awesome that you understand there is a problem and WANT to fix it! And WANT to understand it...so BRAVO!

    But I think it's CRUCIAL that you get your head completely around what you are about to do...there is no going back. A person in your situation, if relapsed, would probably not be able to get back out. So get your head around it, and get yourself ready for a whole new way of doing things and thinking.

    It WILL be hard, VERY hard for the first few months, then it'll become second nature, and you will take less time in preparing your meals etc.

    But get with a professional first...then I would possibly try to get with a nutritionist. They will help you to understand what you are eating and how it effects your body. Also how to come up with meal plans etc

    Good luck on your journey and I wish you the best of luck!!

    I don't think you come off rude at all. I would like to go to a therapist, but They cost a lot of cash, and I dont have any insurance or very much money, so I need to try to find alternatives. You have good advice though. Thanks.

    It takes some digging, but many communities have free counselling available - might be worth calling a local hospital/ MD and asking what they know. (They can't give medical advice unless you're a patient, but they should have phone numbers they can give out at least.)

    Otherwise, maybe there are questions you can ask yourself before / when you eat: (AND I AM NOT A THERAPIST, NOR DO I MAKE ANY CLAIMS IN THAT DIRECTION...)

    Are you truly hungry, first of all?
    What are you FEELING, if not hunger? Bored? Angry? Stressed? Lonely?
    How will food help with those feelings?
    Are there other things you can do besides eat to help with those feelings - even documenting those feelings?

    These are questions MANY people here struggle with on a daily (sometime hourly!) basis, so you're definitely not alone.

    You've done so well already, just identifying what's going on. You'll find SO much support, advice, and encouragement here - and hopefully a way to enjoy your journey as you progress.
  • olyrose
    olyrose Posts: 569 Member
    There's been some great advice on here so far, and I want to echo a lot of it, and welcome you to the site. It is an amazing tool, and the support and genuine desire to see people succeed and meet their goals with healthier decisions is so wonderful.

    I would also stuff myself until I felt sick, feel an almost fear if I didn't get "enough" food. I scoffed at "portion sizes" because they seemed so ridiculously small compared to what I would normally eat. After about 2 months on this site, I rarely have more than a "portion size" or two of anything. It has taken work, but my mind and my stomach are adjusting and it has gotten so much easier, and almost become a habit.

    My suggestions, things that have helped me so far, is to start small (as others have said):
    - Try eating one good, small, healthy, "normal" size meal a day at first (like a breakfast of one serving size of eggs, toast, fruit, juice). Get used to this, then try to sub one healthy snack, and keep building.

    - Really acknowledge and applaud any small positive thing you've done. Every little thing, from leaving a couple of bites on your plate, ordering 2 instead of 3, recognizing when you start getting full, waiting 10 minutes before snacking on something when you get the urge...all of these things mean you are putting effort into your weight loss, and the feeling you get when you accomplish something this small will help encourage you to keep going. Don't compare yourself to what "normal" eaters do, compare yourself to the progress you made from last month or last week.

    - Try to think before you eat. When I get an impulse or craving, I ask myself "will this be worth it to me? Will the pleasure I get from this food for the next few minutes outweigh the potential guilt and disgust I will feel after I eat it? Sometimes the answer is yes, and I have whatever it is. Usually the answer is no.

    - Try to find alternate, lower calorie foods/treats that will satisfy you. Eventually you need to not rely on those either, but it will help your transition. Things like the skinny cow ice cream, baked chips, fat free salad dressing...this will help you start to reduce calories.

    Mostly, realize that there is a support system that wants you to succeed. If you get discouraged or start getting cravings, post about it on here, and you will see support fly to you encouraging you to make a good decision. This will start to be easier for you to do on your own after a while. Look at the success stories and realize that they are normal people who made a decision to make better choices for their lives.

    Good luck, and remember the only way you will fail is if you don't try to do this. You can accomplish this.
  • kklindsey
    kklindsey Posts: 382 Member
    okay. You have made the first best step and that is logging your food and I LOVE that you are logging what you are eating before trying to reduce it. That is what I did and I think it was so important to my success. How long have you been logging? What I did was log for one week and still ate whatever I wanted. Then each day I would look at what I ate and find ways that I could have ate less to make my calories more realistic. Not a diet but just to cut them down some. If I ate 5 cookies that were 200 calories each I thought " I could have eaten 3 calories and saved myself 400 calories" Not, "oh my god, that's a 1000 calories I will never eat cookies again". You have a real edge in that you have a lot of weight to lose and you are eating a lot of calories. If you make a SMALL change you will see results fast. As you go along you will have to keep adjusting down but getting the habits in place first is what counts.

    If you are eating 4000-5000 calories a day every single day and having issues with limiting food you need to start small. Don't go to the 1200 or 2500 or 3000 calorie plan MFP might set you up with. Not right away. Aim to drop 1000 calories a day off what you eat every day. When you are eating at 4000-5000 it is not hard to do, believe me I was eating 40000/day when I started. Don't worry about fruits/veggies or any of that to start. Just concentrate on getting it down by 1000/day. When you feel comfortable with that(and I have no idea how long that will take) then you can try to shave another 10000 or 500. Read, read, read and educate yourself on what types of foods you should be eating but always think for yourself. Don't pick a popular diet plan and follow it to a T. Make your own. If you know you can't go the rest of your life without a burger a day then work out a plan that lets you have that burger every day. It is a long process and you are looking at several years to lose so you have lots of time to go slow and figure it out and do it the right way. Also be prepared to change things, what works for months might stop working and you will have to readjust.

    Most importantly belive that you can do it, no matter how long it takes and you will! good luck!
  • NCmcMan
    NCmcMan Posts: 36
    Thank You all very much for your input. After reading all of your replies, it seems that most of you basically are dealing with or have dealt with the same things that I am going through (perhaps not as severe , but basically the same) I intend on coming to all of you for help every day because I need to be around all of you positive people! I look forward to our friendship! Thanks again for all of your comments. I have read all of them and appreciate them all!
  • suzycreamcheese
    suzycreamcheese Posts: 1,766 Member
    i think baby steps is the answer, and accepting this is a psychological problem as well as physical, but congratulations for taking those first steps to get well, because those first steps are the hardest of all, and youve already lost 9lb which is brilliant
  • bcorry123
    bcorry123 Posts: 2
    Professional help is a first, then a nutritionalist and/or dietician second. As far as eating what you want, what has helped me is the mental thinking of not saying I can't have something but more the thought of I choose not to have something. That mentality alone has helped me stop my most intense cravings of whatever I used to crave. I still have my bad days where I slip, but I don't beat myself up to bad about it and then I move on. This lifestyle change is not an overnight process, it takes patience and time. Good Luck with your journey. We are all in this together thick and someday thinner.
  • Fairy13
    Fairy13 Posts: 1
    Hi Josh, You have had some great advice already, and I'm not sure I can really add to it.
    But I just wanted to add my voice to the others about how great and amzing it is that you have come here and been so open, and while not as severe, I do relate to what you've said. If there is chocolate in my house, I have to eat it, all of it, I find it immensely difficult to do things in moderation!
    I am really wishing you all the luck in the world, and hope, little by little, you can makes some changes that will make you happier and healthier. :@)
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    Welcome aboard, this is a great site for ideas, support and encouragement when it all seems to hard. I agree with the advice to look around for a free support group or counselling in your area, but if you can't, keep coming here!
    You have lots of great advice already, so mine is just a summary:

    1. Keep logging. I found this the best tool to get started with - just knowing how many cals were in something would help me think twice about whether I really wanted to eat it, or whether there was a lower cal option, or a smaller size that would be satisfying.

    2. Make small changes, they do add up. Don't try to change everything at once, just pick one small thing (would 2 x 6 inch subs work instead of 2 x 12?) or change breakfast to have some fruit or oatmeal instead of an extra muffin.

    If you do these two things, you'll be well on your way to getting healthier.
  • fat2fab4life
    fat2fab4life Posts: 253 Member
    Hello! I have been on this site now for 5 days. I can't really say that I am eating any different than I was YET, but what I have been doing is writing down whatever I eat. I generally eat 4-5000 calories a day, and I wanted to keep record of that. I never learned to eat "normal" portions, and so I am really having a hard time trying to get that under control. Generally, if I go to subway, I'll order 2 footlong sub sandwiches. Even though I know I don't even need 1 footlong sandwich, and could probably survive just by eating 1, I feel that if I don't get 2, I will be missing out on something, and be miserable. I do this all of the time. For instance, I've gone to chineese buffets and eat about 3 very full plates of food. I know I don't need all of that chineese food, and my stomach is hurting, but it's like I need to keep on eating even against my better judgment. When I go to Mcdonalds some mornings, I will usually order something like 4 breakfast burritos, and 4 sausage mcmuffins. After I eat all of that food, my stomach will be hurting very badly, and then I'll be so upset at myself because I ate all of that. Then, I just do it again soon. When I was a kid, my parents would lock the refrigerator so that I couldn't take food, and I think I have harbored a lot of resentment because of that. It was very embarrassing for me as a kid, and even to this day. I had a small weight problem as a child but I wasn't obese or anything like that. I don't actually think that I have ever told very many people about that type of thing, but it's time for me to let go so that I can get some help. I have about 300 pounds that I need to loose. I weigh approx 500 lbs. I don't even feel like I am really alive. I feel more like i'm simply existing more than anything. I guess what I want to know is since I'm sharing some things with you kind folks, is there maybe some way you can help me to understand why I do these things? I'm hoping maybe there's something I can do so that I can heal and stop what I'm doing. Last night was a little difficult for me because I was sure that I was going to start my diet rite. Then around 2am I went to steak & shake and ordered 2 large milkshakes. I am truly ashamed at who I am and what I've let myself become. I just need to understand so that I can fix. Thanks you for graciously taking time out of your day to read my post.
    Josh



    Hi, welcome to the site. i totally understand what you mean. i do the same thing, i may not eat as much as you do but i have to eat all of the food on my plate and when i go to certain places i buy much more than i need, eat it all, then get upset for doing it. i feel that you have taken the first step. that is great. with me i am still struggling i keep over eating. i lose a bit, gain a bit, do good, fall off the wagon. last week i lost five lbs, this week i have eaten so much i have gained seven. just hang in there. i would say we both need to slowly just decrease what we eat. instead of two foot long subs try two six inch subs see if you can trick your mind you know? and i will work on putting less food on my plate to see how it works. good luck
  • Jassper
    Jassper Posts: 25
    I have to second the Watermellon suggestion!! Really makes you feel full and all you gain is water weight, which you loose after peeing a few times ;)

    Last night I ate a half of watermelon - felt absolutly stuffed and didn't want to eat anything else the rest of the night. I weighed my self before going to bed and I was 146, this morning I weighed 142.8! Of course I got up an peed 3 times in the night.

    EDIT NOTE:
    STAY AWAY FROM THE SALT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Salt makes you retain water and bloats you - not good.
  • MMFP68
    MMFP68 Posts: 39 Member
    I second the recommendations for counselling, but if you find that it is impossible to get that, you might want to seek spiritual direction from a trusted member of the clergy or a religious brother or sister, or even a lay person who has been trained in spiritual direction. This mortal experience is a battlefield of our human weaknesses and the way they are made manifest in the material world. We are all uniquely susceptible to fallen state inclinations, including the disordered desire for food or for certain people or objects, really, for anything at all. Some people are more prone to hate, or to have addictions to substances other than food, or to have disordered obsessions of all kinds. I don't know whether you are a person of faith, but in my tradition as a Catholic, spiritual directors can help us to apply skills like cognitive behavior therapy with the principles of cardinal sins and their opposing virtues to help us better manage our tendencies. Prayer is a powerful weapon.
  • graysmom2005
    graysmom2005 Posts: 1,882 Member
    I'm going to be quite honest and blunt here, and I hope I don't hurt your feelings, or have it come off rude.

    I think the first step is to seek counseling....it's awesome that you understand there is a problem and WANT to fix it! And WANT to understand it...so BRAVO!

    But I think it's CRUCIAL that you get your head completely around what you are about to do...there is no going back. A person in your situation, if relapsed, would probably not be able to get back out. So get your head around it, and get yourself ready for a whole new way of doing things and thinking.

    It WILL be hard, VERY hard for the first few months, then it'll become second nature, and you will take less time in preparing your meals etc.

    But get with a professional first...then I would possibly try to get with a nutritionist. They will help you to understand what you are eating and how it effects your body. Also how to come up with meal plans etc

    Good luck on your journey and I wish you the best of luck!!
    THIS! Absolutely seek out counseling. People don't eat that amount of food without there being an emotional reason behind it. Until you figure that out, this will be a failure. You will have to dig deep, and go to places that are hard and hurtful, but on the other end will be light and health. THANK YOU for your honesty. That is a huge first step. We are here to help you along the way. Welcome to MFP!
  • BeefyB
    BeefyB Posts: 3
    Think about it differently. Not so much the less you eat but the less you BUY! When i read this, I just thought about how much money you can save not eatting all this food. That actually how i started lossing weight in the first place. I had a low paying job, and I had to eat less, because I didnt have the money. Save that money your spending on extra stuff, and get yourself something. I wish you luck.
  • ahnpe
    ahnpe Posts: 32 Member
    Everyone here is giving amazing advice! One thing I would like to add is that the transition from fast food to 'eating healthy' is a difficult transformation. Never use the word diet in relation to weight loss, because the most healthy way to go about losing weight is to understand that the way you choose to eat healthy NOW, will be the standard for the long term. I ate fast food 3 times a day 7 days a week for 2 years, and the past few months I've been struggling to get away from it, and it gets easier I promise! You will begin to enjoy fruits and vegetables, and an entire world will open up to you! For a short term goal I recommend eating out only 2 or 3 times a week, and preparing meals at home for the rest. instead of going to McDonalds for lunch, go to the grocery store and pick up items that you can cook with at home, along with something healthy for lunch. Not only will you save on gas money or taxi fees, but you will soon discover a thicker wallet from all the money not spent on fast food.

    But above all, stay motivated! And you've come to a great place for that! Think of all the positive outcomes with a healthy lifestyle as opposed to the negative!
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