[polarisx89]

I wasn't sure which forum to post this in, but I figured this one would be okay...Since I started losing weight, I've found that I've become obsessed with food/exercise. I wake up and my first thought is "what am I eating now?" I eat it, and after counting up the calories, it's followed by "when am I eating next?" or "what can I eat?" or "how much do I have to work out?" I guess I'm sort of worried that I can't seem to think of much else...I was wondering if anyone else had had similar issues and if so, how you dealt with it.

Thanks in advance for the help!

[Jellybean]

I know exactly what you mean.

One way to beat it is to remove the questions and follow a planned meal program. That way theres no questions because you know what your having next and when.

There are a lot of plans online which you can choose one (just make sure it's a healthy one from a reputable source). Or you can always plan your own if you feel comfortable doing that. The best person to speak to about this would be your doctor or if your surgery has a weight loss clinic then ask to be referred.

Another option is to follow a plan like Weight Watchers or Slimming World where there are 'free' foods that you can eat whenever you like. That might help you to relax a bit more because you can eat those foods whenever you feel like it.

With working out, don't try to burn off what you've eaten or eat extra calories and think you'll burn them off later because it just adds stress to your work outs. Try to eat healthily and see exercise as an additional benefit. That way you'll see results faster, have more fun and see it as less of a chore.

Hope thats useful!

[Mollz]

Hi Polaris.

Welcome to the groups!

I think when we first start losing weight, we're really cautious about when and how much we eat because we don't want to feel those dreaded hunger-pangs: the belly rumble, the slow, run-down, out-of-energy feeling. It could be your mind saying to your body "WTF? Why are you starving us?". No, you're not really starving your body, but that's how your body's thinking since you're putting in less energy.

How to deal with it? There's no real answer. We deal with it in our own way. I can offer you a couple of suggestions:

1- structure your eating times. I have breakfast at 8, morning tea at 11, lunch at 1:30, afternoon tea at 3:30 to 4, dinner/dessert between 7:30 and 9. That way, you know exactly when you're going to eat and your body won't keep asking "when's food?". Breaking your food times to 6 times a day makes you feel like you're always eating, which is what I love to do anyway!

2- if you're really disciplined, structure your meals. I can't do it. I find it really difficult to sit and plan my lunches and dinners out because something invariably happens (too many leftovers is the biggest problem). I find if I work with food groups, it's easier and more flexible. Lunch may be 1 protein, 1 vegetable, 1 fruit and 1 bread. Dinner and dessert needs to be 2 proteins, 2 vegetables, a dairy and a fruit.

Hope this helps.

[polarisx89]

Thanks, guys! Molly, I really like the idea of planning in terms of food groups instead of specific foods...I find it difficult to structure meals too, but planning by food group sounds a lot more manageable.

Good to hear that I'm not totally crazy, it sounds like this might just be something that happens toward the beginning of a diet....I guess I just have to get through it!

EDIT: Jellybean, my problem isn't so much overeating and saying I'm going to burn it off later, it's more like working out too much (in relation to the amount of calories that I'm consuming) for fear of seeing the numbers on the scale go back up. In its own way, restricting too much is probably just as bad as binging, which is why I'm trying to pay more attention to what I eat.