[aerogora]

Like all of you, I've battled with my weight since.. well probably birth it seems! I started doing something about is 6 years ago when I was a senior in high school. My senior year I lost 50 pounds (went from 220 at my highest, to 170) then gained back 25 after I got married to a hottie who can eat anything he wants and still be all lean muscle (thats a whole other topic). Then in 2008-2009 I went from 195 to 155 (lost 40) and now I've gained 10 pounds (back to 165). So that's my roller coaster for the past 6 years. I know what it takes to lose weight. I have accepted the fact that it's a mental problem now. I think about food 24/7. I think about what I am going to eat ALL THE TIME. I am the kind of person who will be eating a piece of pizza and eyeing the last slice hoping that I will get it before DH does. It's sick, I know. But I want to FIX me. So, does anyone know of any good self-help books or anything that you use to help you with the mental challenge of losing weight? Any tricks or tips for fighting the battle inside?

[tiffany0809]

Unfortunately I don't have any good tips for you. But I've battled the same thing. When I gained weight, everything was about food. I could't wait until the next meal time. Then I decided to change my lifestyle, and it's STILL all about food. Now it's healthy food, new recipes, calories in/out, do I have room for chocolate/cake/cookies and if I eat it will I gain weight, etc. I guess this is a good change but I still feel like I'm obsessing over food and I want it to stop and just get easier. Who knows if that will ever happen for me. Hopefully you will get some good responses on this.

[Aclai4067]

The End of Overeating by Dr. David Kessler it's part scientific explaination for why we obsess, part self-help.

[paris81]

Originally Posted by tiffany0809

Unfortunately I don't have any good tips for you. But I've battled the same thing. When I gained weight, everything was about food. I could't wait until the next meal time. Then I decided to change my lifestyle, and it's STILL all about food. Now it's healthy food, new recipes, calories in/out, do I have room for chocolate/cake/cookies and if I eat it will I gain weight, etc. I guess this is a good change but I still feel like I'm obsessing over food and I want it to stop and just get easier. Who knows if that will ever happen for me. Hopefully you will get some good responses on this.

I have the same problem--I feel like obsessing over (healthy) food isn't any better mentally than obsessing over junk food, but it seems to be one or the other for me. I don't know how to get out of the cycle.

I'm seen lots of recommendations for the End of Overeating book--I maybe have to look into it.

[jlady]

i feel like i'm doing a balancing act too. and it's not any better being completely focused on it either way. i can say though that after about 6 weeks of being this healthy me, the thoughts have dissappated a little. when i was at my HW, i wasn't thinking about food all the time, just eating whatever and whenever i so desired. i suppose it just takes practice to not think about it (don't think about the elephant!). and i find that having my meals prepared, or atleast planned, makes some of the anxiety go away a tad too.
good luck in the battle.

[luckymommy]

Something that helps me a lot: counting calories, keeping a food journal and planning. Things will come up and I am often around temptations, but if I know that I've had my alloted calories and if I know that a given food is just too much calorie bang for the allowed calorie buck, I usually can avoid it. I have a food addiction, so there are (frequent, but not as before) times when I am craving, searching, longing and desperate for something I want to have. I have developed a plan of action that I turn to during those times (usually, when a binge comes on, I can't really think straight). So....I have listed what I do frequently on this board, so if you've already seen it, then you already know my tricks and I don't want to bore you. If not, it's things that generally distract me from the binge like: chewing gum, taking a walk, drinking tea....the list goes on. The best thing is for you to make up your own list and just do the best you can. You can do this!