This was totally me during maintenance, before I got pregnant last year. I became OBSESSED with food. Every single meal and snack was planned the night before, but even then I thought about the next meal or snack as soon as I finished the one before it. I'd eat breakfast, snack, then lunch, then two snacks, then dinner. I finally had to cut out one afternoon snack and the morning snack, and just eat a bigger breakfast a bit later in the morning. There was less to obsess about and it finally subsided.
Now I'm too busy to obsess. Instead I've fallen into a pattern where I eat the same thing for breakfast every morning and the same snack every afternoon. Dinner is planned weeks in advance (because that's just what we do), so lunch is my only "worry." And even then I've got two or three set things I rotate.
I think a negative by-product of this is that I no longer "enjoy" food. Eating is something I must do to live. I don't get excited anymore about day to day meals. BUT, since being pregnant, I have learned to let myself indulge once in a while...that a scale increase isn't the end of the world, and now that I'm losing the preggo weight that it CAN come off again. So I do enjoy the occasional meals out a little more.
Unfortunately, food obsession is a sign of disordered eating.
I apologize in advance if this post comes off harsh, but I have VERY extremely strong feelings on this.
Stop. Walk away. Let your body re-charge.
When I got down to a 100 lb loss, and the last 10 lbs down (so the weight I am now-178 down to 168) was a mess. I was obsessed. I had all meals planned. I would cook, just to cook, and not sample it. I always had containers upon containers of pre-counted, pre-calculated, and pre-portioned foods in my fridge and freezer.
I wanted this even 100 SO BAD. I was constantly thinking of food. It was on my mind, ALL THE TIME.
This isn't just.. a "time", this is very disordered.
Just like a previous poster mentioned- if we look at the Minesota Starvation Study- that's exactly how it turned out. I started binging (bad, embarrassing, not even delicious foods kind of binges). I would binge 2, 3, 4 times a day, I would feel worse, and then I would starve myself the next day.
Then, I gained back 20 lbs in the matter of a month and a half (I have this skill....). Anyways, then I decided to eat intuitively. Here is what works in my PERSONAL opinion- stop restricting, stop trying to count, stop CARING. Don't give a rat's ***. If you're hungry? Eat. Some days, you will be hungrier then others, and other days, you will pick on something little all day.
Please stop limiting your body- even if you maintain for a little bit, food obsession is really not a good road to go down, it is terrible, and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.
For those of you looking for an intuitive eating approach with just a little added structure, I recommend Bethenny Frankel's book, Naturally Thin: Unleash Your SkinnyGirl and Free Yourself from a Lifetime of Dieting.
This happened to me yesterday... for some reason I just felt like I was "starving" all day... I wound up eating a lot of extra calories... not really sure where it came from, but part of it was based in actual physical and "real" hunger... not all just with food "obsession" in my head... So I did my best to just go with it... Now, if it continues than it is probably time to start looking into underlying causes and try to address them....
But if you're not happy with how you "feel" towards food, and that's what it sounds like from your post... then that would be something that I would want to address and hopefully change to improve my own personal happiness and satisfaction with my "relationship" with food...
OP. I just thought of this. Do you have other means of measuring progress besides your weight? e.g. increasing your lifts, running times, completing X races, stuff like that? I remember seeing posts from you before but I don't remember the details.
Are you hungry or just thinking about food? Do you have something else you can fixate on?
That's the problem with very restricted diets, they can lead to binge eating. I try to modify my diet to fit my needs. When all I think about is food, I try to eat more low carb, high protein. That allows me to eat more, be full and still lose. When all I want is sweets and carbs, I switch my limit to 1400, I eat fruits, salads, yogurt, protein shakes, popcorn and cheeses. I've decided to be flexible with my eating and it's worked for me. Who says you have to eat only one way?
That's the problem with very restricted diets, they can lead to binge eating.
Even not-so-restricted diets, unfortunately. I developed binge eating disorder only after I started counting calories—I'd overeat before that, sure, but never was food so much on my mind, and never had I experienced the additional self-loathing feelings that so often go with eating disorders. So I'd say it definitely depends on the people... Even "sensible" calories counting (i.e. not silly restricting to 600 cals a day and stuff like that) can cause such problems and such mind-boggling. And it can be months (even years?...) before the damage is undone.
To the OP: "The thoughts of food make me want to eat more, make me crave the hunger signal so I can have an excuse to eat" and "I've tried the distraction of friends and hobbies, but nothing works" were two of the things that happened to me when I was really suffering from ED. Not saying this is your case (it might just be a leftover, no pun intended, from dieting, and it'll go away with time), but just be careful. If it's the sign of a budding ED, then better be aware of it and take the matter into hands before it becomes full-blown. Question why you're having those thoughts; when do they happen; if there's anything specific that triggers them (unconsciously restricting, lacking certain nutrients, food/circumstances associations, etc...); maybe some counseling... whatever it takes to nip it in the bud. Life is too short to overlook the nice moments to think about food only...
I appreciate the responses. And IA with the post above, that a diet need not be so restricted as to cause psychological damage. The need for food as a survival mechanism is only one step below water on the hierarchy of needs. Any conscious alteration and manipulation to the body's needs (i.e. calorie counting) can send the body into a backlash. Sadly, and what I think has happened to me and to so many others, is that once you stop with the dieting, the the brain remembers what you have done, even if you are well-fed, the remnants of dieting days linger in the mind. Food becomes an obsession due to an artificial famine. Notice that I never had an obsessive thought about food/weight before I decided to actively alter my eating habits. I never got excited that it was time to eat. I still often find it weird that people want to earn the right to eat more? Why though? If food is just something to keep you alive, why are you so determined to eat more? Why are you so disappointed that you realize that your husband (who is male and has more mass naturally) will require more fuel than you? Why do you deem them "lucky" that they can eat more? Does no one else find this a little bit odd?
I mean I get why people are thinking that way (they are food obsessed), but am I the only one that finds this more than a little peculiar in nature?
If I had known then what I know now...I would have never. It's only caused me, ironically, a weight problem for the first time in my life.
I think the only way to get rid of these thoughts is to actively put a stop them. I don't even have to develop new hobbies, just stop the thoughts as they come; view them as irrelevant. If I give them no power, eventually they will die away. Easier said than done of course. But before I die, I want to be normal again, not trapped in a mental **** hole.
Last edited by QuarterLife88; 09-19-2012 at 02:29 PM.
Even not-so-restricted diets, unfortunately. I developed binge eating disorder only after I started counting calories—I'd overeat before that, sure, but never was food so much on my mind, and never had I experienced the additional self-loathing feelings that so often go with eating disorders. So I'd say it definitely depends on the people... Even "sensible" calories counting (i.e. not silly restricting to 600 cals a day and stuff like that) can cause such problems and such mind-boggling. And it can be months (even years?...) before the damage is undone.
To the OP: "The thoughts of food make me want to eat more, make me crave the hunger signal so I can have an excuse to eat" and "I've tried the distraction of friends and hobbies, but nothing works" were two of the things that happened to me when I was really suffering from ED. Not saying this is your case (it might just be a leftover, no pun intended, from dieting, and it'll go away with time), but just be careful. If it's the sign of a budding ED, then better be aware of it and take the matter into hands before it becomes full-blown. Question why you're having those thoughts; when do they happen; if there's anything specific that triggers them (unconsciously restricting, lacking certain nutrients, food/circumstances associations, etc...); maybe some counseling... whatever it takes to nip it in the bud. Life is too short to overlook the nice moments to think about food only...
Yeah, that is true, when I was pregnant I wasn't being very restrictive with my calories, but I was still watching what I ate because I didn't want to gain a lot of weight. I obsessed with food, I actually created a tumblr with nothing but pictures of food, I sat up all day watching Man vs. Food... it was sick. So maybe whenever you feel restricted in your eating.
I still often find it weird that people want to earn the right to eat more? Why though? If food is just something to keep you alive, why are you so determined to eat more? Why are you so disappointed that you realize that your husband (who is male and has more mass naturally) will require more fuel than you? Why do you deem them "lucky" that they can eat more? Does no one else find this a little bit odd?
I mean I get why people are thinking that way (they are food obsessed), but am I the only one that finds this more than a little peculiar in nature?
I think this has to do with constant, never ending societal pressure to be thin but also eat whatever you want all the time. You read interviews with celebrities in size 2 pants and they're like, "I never restrict what I eat! I eat whatever I want all the time!" There are gigantic cheeseburgers plastered everywhere on TV, billboards, radio commercials, everywhere. Realistically most people could eat a cheeseburger and be fine, but that cheeseburger has come to be associated with french fries, Cokes, milkshakes, etc, and doesn't it feel restrictive to not be able to have all that?
Probably 5% of the population can eat to their heart's content and never get fat. Growing up means you learn that restraint is required to be thin, you become aware that metabolisms will slow, and carefree eating becomes associated with youth and therefore way more desirable.
Why do you deem them "lucky" that they can eat more? Does no one else find this a little bit odd?
I don't find it odd. Humans were designed to find food pleasurable (to ensure we keep ourselves fed). When we find something pleasurable, it's natural to want more of it.
Hmmm. Interesting post. I used to be "normal" weight until I quit smoking and gained a LOT. I also used to think about food all the time. Shopping, meal planning, looking for the best price. Checking out recipes and looking forward to getting together with friends to eat the results.
Now I am still "fat" and I think about food about the same amount of time...a LOT and I have the same practices/behaviors, but they are invested in healthier choices.
I grew up with a Grandma and Mom who both were excellent cooks and loved to cook, so I tink I caught if from them ;-) And my son is an executive chef at an Italian restaurant, so we compare food info a lot. My daughter is vegan, so we swap recipes a lot and we de-animal my recipes for her or add meat to hers for me sometimes.
I don't rally mind thinking about food, because it is something I have always enjoyed and really is the equivalent of love and being social. I'm really glad I can work the same "fun" food habits into the same activities just wiht healtheir foods. And my friends who come over for dinner love whatever I fix even though it's diet food. Yaay for friends who are easy ;-)
The only reason I was ever thin in the past is because I was very active. Well, as a child my mother fed me very healthy foods, but as I grew up, I started making my own decisions on what I ate. I was active enough though, that I could go to the Chinese buffet and eat 3 plates of food without ever gaining a pound. I still regret why I stopped being active in the first place, because it was very petty, but I was a kid.
I know that as I become more active again, I will have to adjust my eating, but for now...I spend most of my day in a chair. So, I don't worry that much about eating low calories because I know my body isn't expending very much energy.
I have to admit I am paranoid about an eating disorder, though. I can already see the beginning signs of being completely neurotic about food, but what can you really do? I know that your mental health is just as important as your physical health, but I can't really work on the mental if I'm dead from some disease due to my unhealthy eating.
...I don't really mind thinking about food, because it is something I have always enjoyed and really is the equivalent of love and being social. I'm really glad I can work the same "fun" food habits into the same activities just wiht healthier foods....
This is how I feel about it. Yes, I think about food a lot more than I did when I was in my late teens and early twenties, and I do count and plan and prepare a lot... but I enjoy the process.
Some people hate counting calories but I rather enjoy it. It's like a little game for me, and I enjoy planning and cooking healthy meals and look forward to each one. Nothing I eat hasn't been thought of ahead of time and planned into my day to meet my goals AND to please my tastebuds.
I only fixate on food when I'm bored or just watching tv. When I'm very busy and preoccupied, the only thing that triggers me to eat is hunger. This is why I tend to eat pretty well during the week due to a busy workday but struggle during the weekends.
I agree with adding something to preoccupy your thoughts. I used to be addicted to SIMS game and that kept me from obsessing over food but I also didn't do much else so I had to give the game up...reading a good book, shopping with friends, exercising, home improvement projects are all things I do now to fill my weekends.
Last edited by Prim2012; 09-19-2012 at 07:32 PM.
Reason: Too add
Instead I've fallen into a pattern where I eat the same thing for breakfast every morning and the same snack every afternoon. Dinner is planned weeks in advance (because that's just what we do), so lunch is my only "worry." And even then I've got two or three set things I rotate.
I developed binge eating disorder only after I started counting calories—I'd overeat before that, sure, but never was food so much on my mind, and never had I experienced the additional self-loathing feelings that so often go with eating disorders. So I'd say it definitely depends on the people... Even "sensible" calories counting (i.e. not silly restricting to 600 cals a day and stuff like that) can cause such problems and such mind-boggling. And it can be months (even years?...) before the damage is undone.
