Why do we want to eat so much?

I think of this when I go to a place like IHOP that has all types of foods and I want EVERYTHING. Some times I catch myself thinking that I'm going to miss out and not have the chance to eat XYZ later so I want it now. I've learned it helps me to focus on 1 thing and keep my meals simple to keep from over eating.

CUZ I'M HUNGRY!!!!!!!!And still hungry

I don't know if my appetite has adjusted over time, or if I'm just not paying attention to it in the same way as I was before. In part, I'd guess it's just habit. You're used to a certain amount of food so your body expects it. When it isn't getting what it thinks it should be getting, it makes sense that it would give a signal that you haven't consumed enough. I don't think that means you're addicted.

It may take some experimentation, but try to find foods that are more satisfying than others for you. Take your time when you're eating if possible so that you're giving your body enough time to realize it's getting food. Try to drink a fair bit of whatever low calorie beverage you prefer with your food. It may help you feel sated.

I know I use food for my pleasure zone as a person uses drugs. Any time a problem comes up around my home I open the frig and get a fix.

I just love to eat until I burst. Portion control has been an issue for me too. I'm a tall woman and a big strong girl, so I had it in my head that I needed more food than others did. And then it got to the point where I didn't care. I figured that if it killed me, I would at least not have to die deprived of my favorite foods. Until I realized that I had become my mother. *shivers*

Now I rely a lot on the portions the packages give then double or triple them depending on the calories.

Though I would love to hear what others think about it as well. I do think you can be addicted to food or certain foods. Perhaps not physically, but mentally. It takes a lot of will to break that addiction, but it can be done. With the right determination and will.

yeah, it definitely sucks and requires A LOT of self-control.
What I've noticed helps is eating slower, it gives your body more time to digest the
food you've already eaten and you realize you're fuller sooner rather than after you've eaten
a 2nd or 3rd helping and are miserable

i constantly feel hungry and it drives me insane, i believe it was triggered by some anti depressants i was prescribed some years back, as before that i had never been skinny but i was not huge like i am now either, and i didnt feel a constant hunger!

im finding that whilst calorie counting i can actually add more bulk to my dinner( bulk isnt the right word) for example, if i have turkey instead of chicken i can have more for the same calories but more turkey, and therefore am not so hungry,.

I also eat a punnet of strawberries in the evening, this seems to stop my craving for sweet food so much. i dont know about other people but although i eat a large green salad every day it really doesnt fill me for more than about 20 minutes, and on a bad day thats just soul destroying!

now that a lot more of my cals are from protein i dont really feel that way. its when i was eating pasta, bread, etc..as my main source of cals that i felt like i could eat it all.

I think that you could be addicted to certain foods because when you eat your brain gives off a good feeling chemical that makes you want to eat more. Mainly it's just will power and determination that will make you change your habits.

There is a lot of controversy around the idea of food addictions. Personally, I fall in the 'you can't be addicted to a substance your body requires for survival' camp.

Having said that, the existance of eating disorders is well document and over eating, taken to an extreme, falls in that category. Eating disorders aren't limited to anorexia and bulemia. Disordered eating comes in mutliple varieties.

Another perspective - in an effort to bring in more customers and, therefore, make more profits, the food industry creates ads and runs specials of the 'get more for your money' variety. If you compare the average serving size (meaning, what people actually eat) today to what it was 50 years ago, the difference is astronomical. The reality is that most people have completely lost perspective with serving sizes.

For me, it's taken quite some time to feel satisfied with a reasonable portion. Once you feel, on a gut level, that a reasonable portion size is adequate, you'll stop feeling deprived when you have only that. I believe it's entirely psychological. When your instincts tell you (because they've now been conditioned to tell you) that a serving size hamburger is really a half pound or a serving is really two hamburgers, instead of one, you aren't going to be satisfied with anything less. It doesn't matter that your BODY doesn't need that much. Your MIND thinks it does.

It just takes time to re-wire the thought process. At first, measure everything. After a while, once you've fully internalized what your body ACTUALLY needs, you'll no longer need to measure everything. Be careful though, the advertising that tought you the wrong serving size will still out there.