I've really been thinking about my diet and exercise this week. Reevaluating and making new goals but I came to a big realization. Before I started to lose weight i thought about food a lot. Maybe an hour after eating one meal I would be thinking about what I would eat for the next. Or right after dinner I thought about snack. I was thinking about food all the time. This week I've realized that hasn't changed. The types of food and amounts have changed, but I still think about food the same amount as before.
If I want to really change my lifestyle and not be at a risk for gaining weight back I need to change how I think of food. It should be a secondary thought to my life, not the thing in the foreground. I should think about lunch when its lunch time, and dinner when its dinner time. I need to view food for what it is, fuel to keep me alive and healthy and have energy. It isn't my reason for living so I shouldn't think about it like it is.
And now that I've realized it I can start changing it. I'm confident that I will be able to do it by replacing thoughts of food with goals in my life. Like a book read, a video game played, a piece of art. Anything and everything that will enhance my life is going to replace my thoughts of food.
I thought I should share this in case there are more people with this problem of obsessing over food. I can guess that most of us have/had this problem and I hope that we can all realize how this mind frame needs to stop.
Terrific post. Recently, I realized that everything my DH and I did together revolved around food: we'd run errands and "get lunch," we'd shop at the co-op that has "the best sandwiches," go to the beach with that "awesome restaurant," etc. It totally freaked me out how pervasive food was in what we did. But, like you said, once you realize that, then you can make better choices.
I still think about food that way!! If I'm hungry at work, I think about good food that I can have for dinner or something. It gets really bad around TOM, and I just can't keep my mind off food! I feel like I'm constantly wanting to eat during that week, and it's so hard to not just stuff my face with chips or something!! I try to distract myself by working out or drinking water, and that works most of the time.
I too constantly think about food. Whether its how I'm not supposed to have something, how much food I've had, what kind of meal my next one needs to be, etc. When I'm really busy its easier to forget;however, its always kind of nagging. In a sense, part of this may be biological...but not to this extent. Oh well. I suppose if the right choices are made there's no real harm. Granted, I no longer think about food as I did during the years I was bulimic but it is still an often present subject in my mind.
I obsess about food, too! Last year, I managed to channel it into planning, which I think was helpful in keeping me on plan and losing the weight. My goal for this year is develop a healthy, less obsessive relationship with food. Not sure how I'll pull it off, but I thought this was really interesting:
Great post! I do get nervous when I think about how much of my thinking revolves around food. Maybe it has something to do with our culture in general. How often do we see advertisements for fried chicken and pasta?
That's an awesome realization! I had a similar problem...a very unhealthy relationship with food. When I changed my lifestyle the first thing I did was work on my issues with food. It's not the easiest thing to do, but a year later I have a completely different relationship with food and it is soooooo freeing not having food control me anymore. Congrats on your realization & progress, and keep up the great work!
Seventeen, I think you make a great point about our culture. We are inundated with messages about food/diet/nutrition, simultaneously being told that we should improve out diets (and our waistlines) by eating healthier foods while also being flooded with advertising persuading us to purchase and eat all kinds of junk. Throw in the latest diet trends and newest scientific findings about the evils or magic of this nutrient or that onto the mountain of food information. Our culture sends us very mixed messages about food and we end up with a lot to think about. It's no wonder we are all a little screwed up in the food department- we're being pulled in several directions by very persuasive cultural forces. I think we are a food-obsessed nation and breaking away from this mentality can only help us. Great thread!
And now that I've realized it I can start changing it. I'm confident that I will be able to do it by replacing thoughts of food with goals in my life. Like a book read, a video game played, a piece of art. Anything and everything that will enhance my life is going to replace my thoughts of food.
This is a great Idea, I'm going to try to do this too. Thank you, I have alot to do, I hope to do the same.
I find that I am thinking more about food now than I did before I began to lose weight. I think that I'm thinking more about the types of food I'm eating and how it fits into my plans. Before, I wasn't thinking about the food I was eating, all I knew was that I was eating. I projected all of my emotions into eating. Not just emotional eating; eating due to boredom, eating due to sadness, or loniless, or any of that. I was thinking about all the things that I have never been able to talk to my parents about, or those other people in my life who had hurt me. Instead of talking to people about things, I would eat. So I think that my way of thinking about food is alot better, even if I do think about food more.
Great post.. I am in the same boat. I actually started a thread about this earlier. Eating takes over WAY too much of my life. What I will be able to eat consumes way too much of my thoughts. I am going to make it a point to not let it take over my life anymore.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KylieH
Terrific post. Recently, I realized that everything my DH and I did together revolved around food: we'd run errands and "get lunch," we'd shop at the co-op that has "the best sandwiches," go to the beach with that "awesome restaurant," etc. It totally freaked me out how pervasive food was in what we did. But, like you said, once you realize that, then you can make better choices.
Same here! That is all we ever did.. was go eat! We drove a few hours away just for a good restaurant. UGH!
I think it's not the amount you think of food that matters but how you think of it. I love thinking about food. I love looking at foodgawker and recipe blogs and cooking food. But I also think about ways how I can make things healthier. I think about how I want to plate my dishes. What ingredients go well together. Different ways to make new sauces.
For me, thinking about food in the "I love to cook and I'm going to write down my recipe" way allows me to channel my food thoughts to better purposes. Instead of just grabbing the nearest bag of chips, I'm thinking about what I should make for dinner and the possibilities are endless! I think it's definitely a "planning" sort of thing. I don't know. I like being a foodie. I don't think I'll ever give that up.
You know I used to obsess about the food I served when people were coming over. I would way, WAY overdo it. I have worked on changing that. I keep telling myself, "it's not about the food." Even during these past holidays I cut way back on the amount prepared. I let each person in the family choose one dish they wanted and that's what I made. We ended up with pumpkin pie, rolls, sweet potatoes and ham and dressing. Everyone was happy and although not perfect nutritionally, it worked fine for us.
Also, for ions I have met friends for lunch. I have changed the habit now. We now meet for coffee or a workout or anything really besides food.
Thanks for the post.
ETA: I must say though I am definitely a certified FOODIE! My once Paula Dean creations have been replaced by whole foods creations w/the highest nutritional punch. I love it and definitely feel better doing it this way.
Last edited by Thighs Be Gone; 03-01-2010 at 12:22 AM.
To be honest since I lost 70lbs 7 years ago I've become more obsessed with food. I never used to think about food when I was fat, I just ate. Now all I do is think about food, plan my meals, and count calories in my head. I lay away at night planing what I am going to eat for the next week. You are not alone.
Obsession with food
