Weight loss

I think Elisa up there is hitting the right notes.

There's a spectrum that "thinking about food all the time" can be, and only you can know where you are on that spectrum.

At one extreme, there is the thing that some people call "constant food noise": Obsessive thinking about food, incessant cravings, big impulses in response to even the trivial triggers like driving by restaurants or seeing food ads, and that sort of thing . . . maybe even struggles with secret eating or periodic uncontrollable binge eating.

At the other end of the scale is that happy-foodie type thinking, i.e. investing calm thought and planning into menus, grocery shopping, food choices, size and timing of meals, etc., in order to accomplish useful life goals like fueling activity, getting healthful overall nutrition, spending food dollars for best benefits, and accomplishing body weight goals.

The difference between obsession and planning is in how it feels internally, mostly.

At the extreme "constant noise" end of the scale, it may be useful to consider professional expert counseling (registered dietitian, therapist, both) or medical interventions such as newer weight-loss drugs, in order to find a more productive path forward.

At the foodie end of the scale, maybe it isn't a problem at all, really?

I'm not saying you have made an intentional choice putting you wherever you are on that spectrum. I'm saying that what to do about it would vary depending on how able you feel to achieve a different situation, how difficult a problem it is for you.

Somewhere in the middle of the spectrum, there are potential choices like varying dietary style to be more filling so cravings are tamped down, using level-headed self-help books/podcasts/videos to get through the roadblocks and challenges, and that sort of thing.

It's hard to make specific suggestions for you, without knowing more.

Wishing you the best for finding solutions . . . I'm sure they're out there.

for me, it helps to pre-log several days out. Sure, it’s an estimate, and I often change things daily but ….

• I know when and how much the next meal and snack are- no rushing around and stuffing my face because I’m hungry and don’t have a plan. It also helps if I have a Rapid Dinner Plan in place for a late afternoon workout. If I know dinner will be on the table 15 minutes after I get home, I’m less likely to sign for a snack that’s off plan.
• Pre-logging helps me lock in a plan and create a consistent eating pattern
• If I recognize that I need to eat more on a particular day, I already know what my planned deficit is that day and can eat to maintenance if needed
• Having a plan means I need a shopping list. Having a shopping list means I’m less likely to stick something extra in my cart
• Obvs, it helps me track my macros, particularly my protein macro, which I watch carefully
• I know which days I have more activities planned and which days I have fewer planned or is a rest day, so I can tailor food needs to that date
• It also helps me recognize which day may spike a particular macro. For example, Sunday is Doughnut Day. A nice big apple fritter for breakfast, and quite possibly a smaller donut for a snack later in the day. Thanks to pre-logging, I know that’s going to be an extra high carb day, and very low protein, so I can make an effort to add in an extra serving of cottage cheese, some beef jerky, or an extra large portion of steak for Sunday dinner.
  
• If a friend wants to do lunch or dinner, I can immediately look at what I’ve already logged, and tetris in the restaurant meal by having a smaller meal elsewhere and maybe removing a snack. OTOH, I know the local restaurants so well, I may actually choose a meal that’ll be less calories than already planned and stick in an extra snack or double my popcorn allotment.
  

Knowing “the future” gives me a lot more confidence I can stay the course. I even pre-log when I travel, as much as possible For example my hotel a couple of weeks ago had a consistent breakfast of fried plantains, cut fruit, homemade corn tortillas, black beans and eggs. I was able to make sure I left a lot of room for lunches and dinners some days, and maybe squeeze in (or not!) some protein bars I brought with me to snack on.

First, give yourself some grace, thinking about food constantly is usually more about emotional patterns than physical hunger. To start changing your eating habits, you’ve got to understand what food is doing for you beyond just nutrition. Is it comfort, control, distraction, reward? Once you get clarity about that, you can start building new habits that actually support you instead of sabotage you.

Start small, plan nutritionally balanced meals, and notice your triggers. You don’t have to be perfect, just consistent. The more you align your choices with how you want to feel, the easier it gets.

I totally agree with SafariGalNYC, volume eating can be a game changer when you’re trying to stay within your calories and adjust to a new lifestyle. If you’re someone who thinks about food constantly, it can offer a sense of control and security while you’re building healthier habits. Once those new habits start to feel more natural, you can layer in other small changes to keep progressing, like experimenting with new recipes or increasing your activity.

I did that. I gave it all to a neighbor with a college age athlete.

it really helped me get started because in the past, it was always “I’ll start as soon as thus and so get used up. Waste not, want not.” And then I’d buy another. So the start date was always the carrot out front.

Even now, I’m begging the husband to keep his doggone chips out of the kitchen. I come back from a sweaty workout and it’s the salt I want, not the chips, but they’re there, they’re easy, and they’re gone in a heartbeat.

I’ve put a fruit bowl in the counter to remind me there’s choices besides chips and crackers. The fruit is front and center.