I hear you ! I am a constant eater, and when I don't eat every two-three hours, I go into another mindspace where I rationalize at the drop of a hat. For me it is a process of discovering MY balance, where my cravings are met, but my nutritional needs exceed. I am finding as I go further into healthfood eating, that cravings change. For instance, I still crave chocolate, and allow myself plenty of it (within reason), however, it's dark bittersweet, and well, a little of that goes a long way. I use to be able to consume a whole pound of milk chocolate in one day, or less. Now I am satisfied with little nibbles of dark chocolate here and there, and I don't die if I miss it. I allow myself little tiny dishes of icecream now and then too. All the rest, I can use willpower against. I can't say as I'm a success with my plan ... yet... but after discovering how tabouleh and even popcorn are okay to pig out on.... the pig-outs become fewer over time. For instance, when I first read "FoodMatters" by Mark Bittman (I recommend it !) I realized there really are no forbidden foods for me, only that I must train myself to love healthy eating. And it's working. I eat super healthy, most of the time, with occasional conflicts with a totally rogue bad choice (yesterday and the cheese puffs... gawd) . I am realizing each time that happens, that it didn't even taste good (compared to my tabouleh) and I ate totally conscious of binging while I was eating. Good sign... being aware. The other thing, ya gotta start learning to take control of your food, and making your own, from scratch. In other words, prepared food is out of the question, in my opinion. For instance, spring rolls ; What makes a conventional spring roll so caloric is that it's deep fried, and that's unhealthy. Is it fried you're craving, or spring rolls? If you want lowcal ones, you have to learn how to make them. Improvise. Are you comfortable in your kitchen, or afraid to be in there?
Icecream? I make it myself, ofcourse. If I eat commercial icecream now, it's waaaay too sweet, and fatty and that's because I have evolved into a healthier way of enjoying it. When you make things yourself, be it icecream, frozen yogurt, sorbet, whatever, you can control the sugar, and the type of sugar, and all the ingredients. I have found that an investment in an electric icecream churn is worth it's weight in gold. But, perhaps I shouldnt' encourage it. I do believe sugar and other simple carbs like white flour, white anything (accept cauliflower is going to set up craving and so I reduce to minimal amounts everytime I make something. I now grind my own barley and oats and wheat berries, and use that in a lot in substitution for white flour. I grind buckwheat and make crepes... all these efforts really do lessen your craving for simplecarbs, I believe. I think it's a learning curve that can take years, but also only months.
I believe these things are the root of offbalance relationship with food, speaking from FRESH EXPERIENCE of being IN TRANSITION.
Anyway.... I'm convinced that sooner or later the neural patterns in our head start to connect real pleasure with healthy eating, and cooking it ourselves, being in control, and feeling the results from those actions. Neural patterns which connect from emotionally painful binging from prepared store-bought food that was made without our control, and the confusion and feeling victim that comes with that way, are essentially so ready to be changed by a pivot of our conscience. I really believe this. ( I also recommend "EvolveYourBrain" by Joe Dispenza. ) Hope *is* on the breeze, as I feel the very same thing. I've been hearing and reading alot of advice from others recently, about how the change happens after the shift happens in our head/heart/attitude. I've been waiting, waiting, waiting for that. I feel I'm on the verge now, and if I sound like I have a lot of experience, I do from being on both sides of the fence, and teetering for the longest time between as well.
Hope is floating on the breeze...
