Does anyone else find themselves thinking about food all the time?

LadyElectron
LadyElectron Posts: 43 Member
edited 5:58AM in Health and Weight Loss
I’ve been tracking and trying to maintain a modest deficit for over a month now, and I notice that I’m constantly hungry and thinking about my next meal, obsessively planning what I’m going to make and it’s getting kinda weird. I mean, I’ve always enjoyed meal planning, trying new recipes, eating tasty food so it’s normal to think about food to some extent but not like this. I don’t like that it’s so often in my mind. I’m just beginning to wonder if tracking is making me crazy and I’m thinking of taking a break from it. Can anyone else relate? Did others think about food too much at the beginning and did it lessen over time?
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Replies

  • Cassidy95c
    Cassidy95c Posts: 28 Member
    I can so relate I think it’s because we’re getting excited about our weight loss journey or whatever and we are kind of obsessing over our food since this our new way of eating lol atleast that’s how it is for me.. I try to have fun cooking healthy meals and try not to feel like I’m only eating veggies 24/7 haha
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    Is your deficit too steep? What is your daily intake like? How many calories?
  • foreversnafu
    foreversnafu Posts: 29 Member
    Being organized is crazy?
  • Unknown
    Unknown
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  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
    Pretty much constantly thinking of food.
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 2,070 Member
    Yup, pretty much always thinking about food. Hour after a meal and I'm already planning my next one in my head. I keep a bottle of water at my desk, and once I was exercising enough where my deficit didn't "feel" so great I adjusted and the thoughts of food seldom mean "I want to eat whatever I lay my eyes on."

    I've just kind of gotten used to it....but most of my life I was controlled by my stomach (despite being thin and healthy, I was just super active before the dreaded desk jobs).
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,244 Member
    I've been doing this for 2 years and I constantly think about food. Even though my deficit is usually less than 200cals.
  • victoria_1024
    victoria_1024 Posts: 915 Member
    I love food. I thought about eating all the time when I was obese, and I think about eating all the time now that I'm at a healthy weight in maintenance, lol. But it is definitely worse when I'm eating at a deficit.
  • Crafty_camper123
    Crafty_camper123 Posts: 1,440 Member
    Yup i think about food constantly. When I'm going to eat next, what's for dinner, how many calories is it gonna be, etc. All. The. Time.
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,099 Member
    Yep, it's regain human biology.
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
    No. Sometimes I'm even too busy to remember about food.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    I think about food almost all the time too. But I don't see it as a real problem. I have to think about food because it's my responsibility as the only adult in my household. But I love to think about food, to plan meals and grocery shopping and cooking. Sometimes I feel guilty, as in guilty pleasure, but I'm working on that.

    What worries me with what you're saying, is that you're constantly hungry. This would normally indicate that you're eating too little and/or poorly. Your calorie deficit (what you're not eating) is made up by your excess fat, and your body is designed to do just that - every day, it regularly switches between storing and using energy, and when you're losing weight, your body just stays longer in "using" mode than "storing" mode. What is that modest deficit?
    Keep in mind that you can't (or shouldn't try to) lose more than 1% of your body weight per week and still be in good health; this 1% is reduced by multiple factors - your current weight, your calorie target, your adherance to calorie target.

    If you are indeed eating enough, and well, it's a hunger you just have to get used to. It's not normal or necessary to feel full all the time.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Same here OP, but honestly, the reason I didn't think about food that much before is because if I wanted something, I just bought it or ate it, so it didn't stay on my mind very long...
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    I don't know if my thoughts about food changed with tracking. I prelog my food so my thoughts are not really about can I eat this or I ate too much. I don't feel anxiety about it.
    I'm not thinking about food because I am hungry all the time. I think I just like food.
    I have always planned and cooked meals, searched for recipes, anticipated what I would eat.
    I cook every day- almost all meals for my family are prepared from home by me.


    I guess I would only think it was a problem if the food thoughts were causing you anxiety or distress or keeping you from doing other things.
    If you are hungry all tbe time maybe you should have a smaller calorie deficit or change the kind of foods you eat a bit.
  • slossia
    slossia Posts: 138 Member
    At least your only thinking about food all the time. Just got back from vacation in Florida and all I saw were passengers eating all the time. I don’t know what it is about a three hour flight that makes people freak out about having enough food
  • tirowow12385
    tirowow12385 Posts: 697 Member
    I suppose when you're hungry an hour later after your last meal, you think about your next one. That happens to me often.
  • LadyElectron
    LadyElectron Posts: 43 Member
    Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink wrote: »
    Is your deficit too steep? What is your daily intake like? How many calories?
    "kommodevaran wrote:

    What worries me with what you're saying, is that you're constantly hungry. This would normally indicate that you're eating too little and/or poorly. Your calorie deficit (what you're not eating) is made up by your excess fat, and your body is designed to do just that - every day, it regularly switches between storing and using energy, and when you're losing weight, your body just stays longer in "using" mode than "storing" mode. What is that modest deficit?

    I’m aiming for 1560, but usually end up eating more than this and just try to stay below maintenance. There are many days I have trouble sticking to that and end up eating over maintenance. The days I’m closer to 1560 are the days I feel most obsessive and often end up over eating later in the day.

    I think I’ve been in denial about this but I think the real problem with the hunger might be that I’m still breastfeeding a toddler. She doesn’t nurse that much (maybe 1-3 times a day, mostly for comfort). I know everyone says to eat at maintenance and let the breastfeeding make the deficit but when baby doesn’t nurse much it’s seems like that shouldn’t count anymore. Maybe I’ll try increasing the calorie budget again and see what happens. When I’m too hungry I’m at risk of overeating for sure, although maybe I’ll feel less voracious when I’m totally done breastfeeding.

    Anyway, it seems to me that even folks who aren’t breastfeeding think about food a lot when dieting so that makes me feel less weird.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Even people who aren't dieting, think a lot about food. Hunger isn't the best gauge, and shouldn't be the only gauge, of whether you're eating enough. How fast are you losing - is it as expected, or faster? Do you feel energetic and strong and focused, or lethargic, dizzy and irritable? Are you well, or do you often get sick?
  • LauraHasABabyJack
    LauraHasABabyJack Posts: 629 Member
    LadyElectron wrote: »
    Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink wrote: »
    Is your deficit too steep? What is your daily intake like? How many calories?
    "kommodevaran wrote:

    What worries me with what you're saying, is that you're constantly hungry. This would normally indicate that you're eating too little and/or poorly. Your calorie deficit (what you're not eating) is made up by your excess fat, and your body is designed to do just that - every day, it regularly switches between storing and using energy, and when you're losing weight, your body just stays longer in "using" mode than "storing" mode. What is that modest deficit?

    I’m aiming for 1560, but usually end up eating more than this and just try to stay below maintenance. There are many days I have trouble sticking to that and end up eating over maintenance. The days I’m closer to 1560 are the days I feel most obsessive and often end up over eating later in the day.

    I think I’ve been in denial about this but I think the real problem with the hunger might be that I’m still breastfeeding a toddler. She doesn’t nurse that much (maybe 1-3 times a day, mostly for comfort). I know everyone says to eat at maintenance and let the breastfeeding make the deficit but when baby doesn’t nurse much it’s seems like that shouldn’t count anymore. Maybe I’ll try increasing the calorie budget again and see what happens. When I’m too hungry I’m at risk of overeating for sure, although maybe I’ll feel less voracious when I’m totally done breastfeeding.

    Anyway, it seems to me that even folks who aren’t breastfeeding think about food a lot when dieting so that makes me feel less weird.

    Breastfeeding makes me so unbelievably hungry. My LO is almost 14 months and still nurses a few times a day. I was at 1600 and hangry. I bumped to 1800 and feel much better. Weight is coming off and I've been eating at maintenance a couple days a week and that helps keep my supply up.
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,571 Member
    Yep. Calorie counting messed up my relationship with food.
  • lindaloo1213
    lindaloo1213 Posts: 283 Member
    Honestly eating anything less than 3000 calories for me requires thinking about what my food for the day will be. On days I dont plan I will guaranteed end up at or above 3000.
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