My food brain

ReenieHJ · November 2019

Ugh, I wake up thinking about food. My whole day revolves around wanting something to eat. I go to bed and automatically want(crave, need)food while I read myself to sleep.
How on earth does a body stop thinking about food food food???
I swear 'normal' people don't do this. What makes me different? What makes me need to fill myself up, especially with food that I Know isn't good for me??
Sugar addiction? Habit? Is it genetic or childhood needs yelling at me?
Are any of you like this and how do you quiet the voice?

ElizabethKalmbach · November 2019

I've tinkered with my macros and my birth control hormones to reduce insulin resistance and increase satiety from what I do eat.

There are a ton of different strategies that help a ton of different kinds of people, and the trick is finding the strategy that works for you.

This is why there are a zillion different diet plans out there that different people swear by. ALL of them work by keeping you in deficit so that you lose weight. The ones that people comply with the longest are the ones they tend to swear by.

This process of learning about yourself so that you can live a healthy life is a gradual sort of thing. You're not going to learn everything there is to know about your inner workings in a week. Your body is complex and you have to take your time "asking questions" via experimentation to see what your body likes and doesn't like. If it helps you to think of it as "starting a relationship" with your body, then think about the kind of person you'd want to be friends with and try to be that person as you learn about your body. Be supportive to it. Be a good listener. DON'T GO ALL SILENCE OF THE LAMBS BUFFALO BILL ON YOUR BODY ON THE FIRST COFFEE DATE. That's not how you form a good working relationship with anyone, including yourself.

How many calories does your body need to maintain itself? How many have you taken away? Is it too much for the amount of weight you're trying to lose? Does your body have enough water? Does your body have enough protein to maintain muscle mass? Does going for a 30 minute walk reduce your hunger? Does eating more of one macro help you feel more full after meals? Would switching out your carbohydrates from say... processed to higher fiber, whole grain carbohydrates help you feel better for longer between meals? Does eating late at night make you more hungry in the morning?

Go slow. Get to know yourself by walking before you run. Pick up speed after you figure out what works for you and what is miserable. No one system works for everyone, but if you give us more context, those of us who have bodies like yours may be able to share what has worked for us and what hasn't.

cmriverside · November 2019

Yeah, when I first started losing weight I had that too. It's a process.

For me, a few things:

If I exercise I not only "earn" more food, but it dampens down my hunger.

I changed my weight loss settings to "Lose 1 pound per week" instead of 2 (more food that way)

I had to find other things to keep me busy. I took up hobbies, volunteered, cleaned closets. It is an obsession and like every obsession it has to be defeated with Action.

Meditation. Quieting the thoughts is job #1.

Try reading the book, "The Beck Diet Solution," it's a Cognitive Behavior approach to food.

And finally, everything @ElizabethKalmbach said is true too. Find a macro split that doesn't leave you hungry right after you eat. For me that meant cutting way back on carbs. Most of my weight loss (70-80 pounds lost in 2007-08) happened at a split of around 35C/45F/20P. I do much better on higher fat, lower carb. The carbs like wheat products and sugary things just leave me hungrier.

missysippy930 · November 2019

I think about food constantly also. As I lose, it does get a bit easier to tell myself how much I like being able to wear smaller sizes. That helps. Also I like to cook, and enjoy discovering lower calorie recipes. I still obsess about food, but mostly am making better choices.

etherealanwar · November 2019

I am this way too ever since starting my medication that increased my appetite substantially. I find the best way to ignore the urge to eat is to occupy myself with some sort of activity. I know it is the side effect of my meds because I don't PHYSICALLY feel hunger, I just want to eat. It has driven me a tad bit crazy having to deal with this to be honest so I know the struggle. At the end of the day, I want to be a healthier version of myself and so to me that is worth putting up with the constant thought of food without indulging. I hope it gets better into maintenance.

AnnPT77 · November 2019

When my brain wants to think about food, one strategy that sometimes works for me is to channel that into positive food planning and imagined enjoyment from doing it.

For example, I think about how I'm going to go to the farmers market tomorrow and get that Georgia Candy Roaster squash I like so much, roast it up, have some for dinner, then freeze the rest for later. Or about the tender baby greens for tomorrow's lunch. Or cooking up the split peas for some childhood-comfort-food pea soup.

I plan the steps, and how to fit them in my schedule, and how good the results will taste, and how accomplished I'll feel fitting the prep in.

Food prep daydreams!

cupcakesandproteinshakes · November 2019

Yer I go through phases of constant thinking about food. Especially when I start out on a weight loss phase. And especially in the evenings usually when I have run out of Calories for the day.

I do find that having a cup of tea or a sugar free mint helps if I’m not actually hungry but just want to taste something. Otherwise I’ll go to bed early. Or have a snack they isn’t too damaging calorie wise.

CrazyMermaid1 · November 2019

Could you be a food addict?

ReenieHJ · November 2019

CrazyMermaid1 wrote: »

Could you be a food addict?

I know I'm a sugar/carb addict because those types of foods are always on my mind.

My problem(I think!) is mostly because I'm still adjusting to retirement and need to stay busier. But then I can stay mostly in control through out the day; it's mostly towards the end, between 6-8 that I start thinking 'what is there to eat?'

ElizabethKalmbach · November 2019

ReenieHJ wrote: »

I know I'm a sugar/carb addict because those types of foods are always on my mind.
My problem(I think!) is mostly because I'm still adjusting to retirement and need to stay busier. But then I can stay mostly in control through out the day; it's mostly towards the end, between 6-8 that I start thinking 'what is there to eat?'

You may just be habituated to that activity. Try forming a new habit in that time slot like taking a class or going for a walk or working on crafts or something as some of the above posters suggested. New habits take a relatively high number of repetitions to form (21 is a number I've heard.) but once they're in place, they can really drive you to surprising levels of achievement if you form them mindfully.

My food brain

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