obsess over food

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hteb82
hteb82 Posts: 6 Member
in Introduce Yourself
I have been struggling with my weight my whole life. I was always athletic but always big as well. Now I am at 275lbs and as much as I want to control it I just can't seem to be able to handle the food part. I go to the gym 5 days/week for 30 minutes/day and do the elliptical three of those days and circuit triaining 2 days. I also do "boot camp" once a week to change it up a little with a personal trainer. The issue definitely is not exercise, it's food. One issue is I can't seem to stop going out to eat. Every time I do I tell myself I'm not going to anymore but when lunch and dinner comes it's so much easier to just go out and get something that to make it myself. On days that I eat really good I end up getting home and binging. Also, when I get an idea of something bad to eat in my head I will obsess over it until I have it, which leads to a lot of junk food. I have been to my doctor and he says "just eat less." He then sent me to a dietician who said "just eat less" so that was discouraging, I guess they just don't understand how hard that is. I need help from people who have been there and have gotten over the hump of starting. I do not want to get surgery to loose weight. I figure as long as I am physically capable to exercise there is no medical reason for me to get surgery (all of my levels are healthy). If anyone can please help me, I just don't know what to do anymore.

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  • psmd
    psmd Posts: 764 Member
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    You must read "The End of Overeating" by David Kessler MD. He's the former head of the FDA and he explains why it is so hard to stop obsessing about food (the way you describe). I am in the middle of the book and it is soooo enlightening. Makes you look at food very very differently. Good luck!!!
  • silveritea
    silveritea Posts: 3
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    I was very similar until I made the switch to low carb. Now I'm not hungry often and have to remind myself to eat. I remember planning out eating an entire chocolate cake - now I don't even find the idea of cake appetizing.
  • HeidiRene
    HeidiRene Posts: 335 Member
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    I obssess about food. Friend me if u want. We can support each other,
  • silveritea
    silveritea Posts: 3
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    Something I found very motivational, go to Amazon and read the sample of Dana Carpender's book " How I gave up my low fat diet and lost 40 pounds". In the sample, you can read the introduction, which has some interesting research information.
  • elli1
    elli1 Posts: 5
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    i can totally empathise, i just loooove food but that means my weight goes up and down there is no consistancy which i know is noy very good for your body, now i have given up the alcohol aswell food is my weakness but i keep busy and then i know i can eat a bit more thats how i see it, if i want that bacon sandwich i do a few extra lengths in the swimming pool or i walk back from town , i hope it all works out for you hunni x
  • Birder150
    Birder150 Posts: 677 Member
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    "Eating Less: say goodbye to overeating" by Gillian Riley.

    It's helping me to overcome the same issue.
  • BazAbroad
    BazAbroad Posts: 248
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    I am very similar in my weakness lol,
    whats helping me at the mo is,
    kippered herrings, and tins of tuna, I go for in olive oil but each to there own,
    I also take a slim right drink at lunch,,, u guessed it with a tin of tuna,,
    If u love food, and I do, I know exactly where u r coming from.
  • 1Timothy4v8
    1Timothy4v8 Posts: 503 Member
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    I started at that weight, I know totally what your saying, I used to plan and obsess about what I would have for lunch while eating breakfest, cuting out the foods that are addictive is a big part of the battle, like fast food,

    What has helped me soo much recently is I am getting really into cooking, I love it, and I like to eat lots of fiber cause I heard it helps out, any who you can add me ifen you want too =) we can help each other
  • hteb82
    hteb82 Posts: 6 Member
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    wow this is a really good tool, it's good to know I'm not alone. I'm going to try something a little different I think to see if I can change how my mind thinks about food. I've studied a lot of psychology throughout my schooling and one idea I had was classical conditioning, I'm going to try to condition my brain to not want certain foods. I'm going to download a picture to my phone that disgusts me (I'm thinking a video of maggots) and every time I crave bad foods I know I shouldn't have I"m going to look at the video. In theory eventually I should associate those foods with the really disgusting picture which will make me no longer crave them. I know it may sound silly and probably won't work, but it can't hurt to try.
  • madamepsychosis
    madamepsychosis Posts: 472 Member
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    How much do you eat on days you 'eat well'? I only ask because sometimes people see 'eating well' as restricting themselves and it could be that you wind up bingeing on these days because you're hungry. If you don't already, maybe you could try incorporating foods into your diet that make you feel fuller for longer? I find eating oats, nuts, seeds and things like quinoa mean I'm not craving between meals and it never hurts to make sure you're getting enough protein in your diet either.
  • Leamac83
    Leamac83 Posts: 99 Member
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    I absolutely know what you mean, I am exactly the same. I love food, all food, and lots of it. Even when im full I can still crave something and still eat it. I could eat cakes and chocolate and cheese all day long but I could also eat fresh tomatos and basil or prawns and avocado…its not just about the bad stuff for me, I just want EVERYTHING! It really is true what ‘they’ say….you have to make a choice to change your lifestyle. Its not just a diet. You have to completely change the way you eat and think about food, forever. Otherwise its just a diet that you can so easily fail at.

    A few years ago I would literally kill for a chocolate fudge donut filled with custard from my local bakery but now I don’t even think about it. I haven’t had one for years. I know they say you can still have a treat now and again but for me this is the only way. I just don’t have it, im not allowed it and now I can walk past the bakery and don’t crave it because I know that I ‘just don’t eat those’. This works for me but I know its different for everyone.
  • c3js80
    c3js80 Posts: 82 Member
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    You can do it. I'm the same way, and the only thing that worked for me was to replace certain foods with healthier substitutes. I would look forward to chips and ice cream every night. Not just any chips, but a certain brand and Haagen Daz coffee ice cream. It was like a ritual. I replaced the chips with 100 Calorie snack bags of popcorn, sprayed with Olivio Buttery Spray and light ice cream. For me, it just doesn't work to deny myself, otherwise I'd binge. I noticed the comment about a going low carb. For me personally, it was a disaster. A couple years ago, I wasn't even that much overweight. Maybe 25 lbs. I went on the low carb thing. Sounded great - I could eat all the bacon and butter I wanted! I lost about 15 pounds and went off it. From that point on, I CRAVED carbs -which I never did before. I'm not exaggerating when I say i made fried potatoes twice a day. NEVER have I had cravings like that. Not only did I gain the 15 lbs back, but another 30. It messed my body up big time. So, I'd think twice about that. I've lost the 50 pounds I needed to loose by counting calories, prior to finding MFP. I lost between 5-8 pounds a month, which I thought was rather slow. However, it really gave me time to change my eating habits so I'm confident I can keep it off. Good luck on your journey. You can do it!
  • enjibenji5
    enjibenji5 Posts: 1
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    Hi, I think if you plan ahead with your food you will probably be less likely to eat rubbish. If you have a couple of days a week where you prepare healthy meals and freeze them, then you will have something healthy to eat at home when you are hungry and it wont take hours to prepare, also fill your fridge up on healthy stuff, plenty of fruit and salad.
    I think about food all the time, i could sit her in the morning having breakfast and wondering what i can have for dinner in 2 or 3 days times, its mad.
    Also im trying to get up and exercise everytime i think about food, or go make a cup of tea, i think its all about taking your mind off hunger all the time, also the experts say when you feel hungry its probably 99 per cent chance its thirst not hunger.
  • mixedfeelings
    mixedfeelings Posts: 904 Member
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    I know how you feel. My starting weight was 257lbs but I've always been active. I've been obsessing for food for so long, years ago I lost loads of weight but by cutting calories, eventually to lose weight I was eating very little. I started to gain weight and couldn't control it, which made it snowball.

    I've been obsessive with food for years but until I started using this site I didn't realise how little I was actually eating, I was eating very little in the week but then losing control every now and then. When you say you binge eat do you know much you are going over by? I know my doctor had randomly said to eat less and suggested 1000 calories but even though I found that easy it was hard to lose weight like that and keep control.

    I now stick to 1200 cals plus eating back exercise calories, not necessarily all but some, all depending. I try and have three meals, I now have foods I'd consider bad, pasta, rice, bread, I just make sure I'm measuring my portions, and filling up on veg. I've found that I am eating slightly more and having the odd treat, sometimes a little treat and sometimes a day where I'll have what I like within my calories. I find by doing this I don't obsess or binge.
  • cloud2011
    cloud2011 Posts: 898 Member
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    I can relate...I used to go to the gym and exercise 4-6 hours a week easily. That was a few years ago, then my husband lost his job, and I couldn't go to that gym anymore (it was quite expensive and plus I had to start a different job). So over time, I lost my fitness level, plus I did not reduce my calories. So I gained 30 lbs on top of already being heavy to begin with.

    Anyway, the point of this is, for me, all that exercise made me fit, but the scale wasn't moving. Yes, I gained muscle (which I do quite easily even though I'm a woman).

    So last year when I joined MFP, I did it half-heartedly, but I still lost some weight. I'm down 33 lbs overall over the last 3 years.

    Anyway. There are different theories about the level of exercise that works. I saw one article the other day that said over 3 hours a week makes it more difficult to lose weight. I know many people on MFP will disagree. For me, I can see the reality of that research. (And research only draws conclusions about the aggregate or the group, not the individual anyway).

    But, I also knew my problem was just calming down about my food intake. So, I started with homemade smoothies. I just started drinking them. I didn't have a plan. Then, I found a breakfast that worked for me and stuck with that for a while. More recently, I found a book called "The 400 Calorie Fix." It shows lots of recipes that make up 400 calorie meals.

    And, another book called "Volumetrics" also addresses the idea of eating MORE food, which has fewer calories. (Dean Ornish also has a book called "Eat More, Weigh Less."

    The thing is, I enjoy eating, but my problem was really never eating seconds and thirds of regular food. It was snacking at night, or just not paying attention.

    I started paying more attention. It's not a quick fix, but it's more natural than overdoing it either with exercise or extremely low calorie eating. I'm finding things that I like to eat and making them for myself. Now, I find it much easier to eat better, but I still have plenty of moments. It's just that when I indulge, I'm more aware of it than I used to be.

    You can do this, you just need to figure out what works well for YOU. There's no magic in it, just trial and error. The fact that you're here and trying is the key. Just don't give up. Keep tracking your food even if you know you're going over the calorie limit, because the act of tracking food will help.

    And, one more thing. You can eat out. The MFP database gives values for so many things. I still eat at Panera or Taco Bell occasionally. And, I enjoy it. I plan for it. Also, Kashi frozen meals and Amy's frozen organic foods are easy to heat up at lunch or dinner. They work for me on occasion.
  • hteb82
    hteb82 Posts: 6 Member
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    Does anyone know how calories needed is determined? The reason I ask is I found a formula online that takes into account your age/weight/gender/activity and that gives you the number of calories you burn in a day to maintain weight. According to the calculations on MFP my recommended calories to loose the 2lbs a week (which would be a 1000 calorie reduction/day) it figures out about the same as the formula. However, when I went to see my doctor and the dietician they both said that you take 1200 calories (the calories required for your organs to work properly) and you go up by a percentage based on your activity. This would make it so I would have to only eat 1500/day to loose 2lbs/week and daily exercise is already factored in so I don't eat more when I exercise. I've been trying to eat 1500 calories/day and it seems almost impossible then I feel bad about myself for going way over. If I were to use the MFP calories+exercise then i'm still going over but not by nearly as much. When I submitt for the day it still has me loosing weight just not as much as I would if I stayed under their reccommendation. So basically I'm confused. I don't know how they expect people to loose weight when every "specialist" says something different. One person will say you need to exercise as much as possible another will say exercising too much will cause weight gain. One person will say you need to eat this many calories the next will say no it's this many calories and the next will say no you need less carbs and the next will say no you need less fat. I just can't believe that there is as much science in the world as their is and there is no clear answer as to how to loose weight other than surgery. There also seems to be a huge push for getting surgery however I feel other than my BMI being high I have no medical issues and I can/do exercise regularly so surgery should not be an option for me (I strongly feel it should only be for people who medically need to loose weight fast and immediately). It just annoys me knowing that health wise I am healthier than a lot of people who physically appear healthy however I still have to struggle with my weight and the science as to why I can't look at a cheeseburger without gaining 5 pounds is so mixed.

    I was watching the biggest loser (i'm a glutten for punishment) and one thing they said really clicked for me. They said they have discovered that people who are overweight have a higher pleasure sense when they smell food than people that are normal weight. However, people who are normal weight have a higher pleasure sense when they taste food than people who are overweight, that's why people overeat because they are trying to raise that sense of pleasure to what it was before they ate. I found this to be very interesting because it may be a reason why some people like myself obsess over food. I get more out of the anticipation of food than I do actually eating it. I eat very fast so I don't even have time to really enjoy what I'm eating but the thought of eating it is what I obsess over. Now if they could only figure out how to incorperate that into weight loss.

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