ALWAYS thinking about food

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  • elisamckenzie700
    elisamckenzie700 Posts: 8 Member
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    HI All. WenBen4321 - I totally agree.
    I have frequently told people that I have a food addiction. I simply LOVE food and generally the more calories it has, the more I crave it. but unlike drug or alcoholic addictions, you can't give it up / go cold turkey / go to rehab. (although I suppose dieting is rehab of a sort!!!)

    I too think about food a lot, what I'm going to have and when I'm going to have it but really need to knuckle down and start shifting some weight that's crept back up on me. Today is ReStart day.
    So - in addition to all your great comments above....

    What is the food that keeps you full and satisfied for the longest time that you enjoy eating and that doesn't rob you of a day's calorie allowance???
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
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    elisamckenzie700 wrote: »
    What is the food that keeps you full and satisfied for the longest time that you enjoy eating and that doesn't rob you of a day's calorie allowance???

    I can give you my answer but it may not help you because we are all not the same. I found mine through experimentation. Mine is pretty simple. When I eat carbs I try to eat 2:1 carbs to protein. It doesn't have to be exact 40:17 is fine for instance. Also, that is not a limit on protein but rather a minimum.

    I call this my "carb aware" diet.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    elisamckenzie700 wrote: »
    I have frequently told people that I have a food addiction.
    Food addiction is such a popular term to throw around, instead of taking responsibility for one's own food intake.
    I simply LOVE food and generally the more calories it has, the more I crave it.
    Everybody loves food, and generally, the more calorie dense it is, the more delicious it is. Our species has survived because of our ability, and the high rewards it brings, to seek out calorie dense foods and eat as much as possible of whatever was available whenever it was available, which wasn't much, or often.
    but unlike drug or alcoholic addictions, you can't give it up / go cold turkey / go to rehab.
    That's such a cop-out and dramatizing at the same time.
    (although I suppose dieting is rehab of a sort!!!)
    Dieting, as in losing weight if you're overweight, should be about finding balance and new, sustainable habits.
    What is the food that keeps you full and satisfied for the longest time that you enjoy eating and that doesn't rob you of a day's calorie allowance???
    I don't have staying full as a goal. I like to be hungry before meals, and full after dinner, and just somewhat satisfied after breakfast and lunch.
    A balanced and varied diet keeps me happy and energetic and healthy.
    I enjoy most foods now that I'm not afraid of any foods.
    I don't overeat on a regular basis after I stopped being afraid of food and thinking hunger is a horrible thing that has to be avoided at any cost, and started to allow myself pleasure from food.
  • elisamckenzie700
    elisamckenzie700 Posts: 8 Member
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    Hi kommodevaran,
    I know only too well that I am the one responsible for my food intake, which is why I continue to get back on the wagon when I fall off it. I also know that I'm not alone with my love of food. But thank you for your response.
    I for one need to avoid being very hungry as I make bad food choices when I am. Hence I am looking for advice for specific foods that I can prepare in advance that will help avoid those bad choices.
  • Stockholm_Andy
    Stockholm_Andy Posts: 803 Member
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    I'm like that with sex.....I wish my wife was too :D:D
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    elisamckenzie700 wrote: »
    Hi kommodevaran,
    I know only too well that I am the one responsible for my food intake, which is why I continue to get back on the wagon when I fall off it. I also know that I'm not alone with my love of food. But thank you for your response.
    I for one need to avoid being very hungry as I make bad food choices when I am. Hence I am looking for advice for specific foods that I can prepare in advance that will help avoid those bad choices.
    Well, that was a much more sensible way of putting it, and I think one that will serve you better.

    It's very smart to avoid being too hungry and not have any healthy food around, because being too hungry makes us want lots of calories, fast, and that is easy to fix. I think you should forget about specific foods, and just prepare reasonably healthy foods you can see yourself want to eat when you're hungry. And keep in mind that "hungry" can be a lot of things, and the way you think about things, controls how you handle them. If you think that being hungry is terrible, that "not having eaten since lunch" equals "too hungry", you'll act like there's an emergency; if you think that being hungry is just part of being human, you'll go about your day, and eat when there's time for a meal.

    If you can change your attitude somewhat, you get a lot of bonus points: There will be no wagon to fall of, just your normal life (that you can't fall off). You will become more relaxed around food. All food will start to taste better. You will become more selective. You won't wolf down as this was the last supper.
  • ljashley1952
    ljashley1952 Posts: 273 Member
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    Same here. I feel like I am constantly thinking about food. I'm either planning a meal, preparing a meal, eating a meal or cleaning up from a meal and then starting all over. Eating healthy and working out a deficit every day takes a fair amount of planning. Learning to eat differently is rough. We get used to just grabbing whatever we please at any time we want and to have to change that is hard. If someone is very disciplined and eats a plant-based diet, leaving out processed foods and excess carbs, it becomes a way of life. For the rest of us, it's just a one day at a time process. The other angle is to stay busy doing something that has nothing to do with food. Working outside the home is helpful. It gets you out of the kitchen and doing something else besides think about food. Or a hobby that takes you away from home.

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