Anyone tired...

Of always thinking about food, what to eat, when to eat how long has it been since I last ate. I just feel like it is all I think about, not really enjoying this! Any one else? tips on how you find balance!

Oh Boy....geesh tell me about it I totally feel you on this one, But i Knew the road wasnt easy, I have came to far to give up now:drinker:

I've always been someone who constantly thinks about food. I'm finishing breakfast and thinking about what I'm having for lunch... I finish lunch and it's on to day dreaming about dinner. I get just a little panicked if I don't know exactly where my next meal is coming from and when. But there was never a time that I didn't enjoy eating or even thinking about the food. I agree that planning everything out will help you. I pack all my snacks and lunch the night before and log it... I still think about my food all day, but I don't worry about it at all and the thoughts never cause me stress.

I have been there..more times than I can count. This time is different for me because nothing is off limits. I am not trying to "follow" someone else's plan. I have created my own. I am limiting my calories and watching fat and sodium and making a point of exercising. I am not "perfect, but I have been at this for 7.5 weeks and the rest is summed up by this quote from another post:

"This is not to say that you can't have something "forbidden"--just plan for it. In the last 7 weeks, I have lost 16 lbs. :drinker: I have also eaten birthday cake with ice cream, drank beer,:drinker: ate corn on the cob, and ribs, as well as deep fried halibut, and enjoyed a loaded baked potato.

During this same period, I have walked regularly, anywhere between 2 - 4 miles per day during the week, and one weekend in the space of two days I did almost 13 miles. As a result, I could "afford" to have some things I wouldn't ordinarliy have." Maybe I could have lost more in the same time frame by being harder on myself, but this isn't about self-punishment, it is about improved health through lifestyle change.

I have sucessfully lost before, but it was always by depriving myself of a normal eating "life" so when I stopped "dieting" the pounds snuck up behind me and jumped back on. It took me over 50 years to "get it"--specifically, if you can make changes that you can live with, long term, you are not going to fall into the trap of backsliding. The level of physical activity I am doing now is designed for weight loss, as is the calorie consumption, but I can already see ahead to when I can modify my calories and activity to maintain my new weight.

As a result of the way this is going, I don't obsess about food, and I am not tired because I am getting the nutrients I need and regular exercise seems to result in me requiring less sleep. Another thing I have become better at is staving off hunger by using certain things that make me feel full and put off eating meals earlier than I should. This is necessary because I get up and 4a and often don't go to bed until 11p. I usually sneak in an hours nap in the afternoon. (I work a split shift, so that is why my day is so long). One of my secrets is low sodium V8 juice, low in calories, high in potassium, great flavor, and surprisingly filling.

If you are "obsessing" as you said, it may be time to rethink the best way to reach your goal. As you can see, I set an ambitious one for myself,--100 lbs in a year. Even if I don't reach it within the time frame that I set, I am still going to be better off than if I had done nothing, and I am enjoying the trip in the meantime.

Good luck, you CAN do this!!:flowerforyou: