Hey everyone -

I've been doing well on my "new" way of eatting, but there is one behavior that kinda concerns me. The sorta obession about when my calories are up for the day. I get kinda grumpy when they are all gone. I sit around thinking about looking forward to the next day, because when I wake up in the morning I'll be happy because I get to eat again. Seems a wee bit obsessive to me. I realize that this is probably common until your body is really used to the diet, but will it ever go away? I'm not super obsessed, but I do worry that I'm just a wee bit too interested.

It's not for lacking in calories. I'm not starving myself I eat maybe 1400-1800 depending on exercise that day aiming for a 2lb per week loss. I try and eat whole grains and moderate protein and things that fill me up and keep me full longer... I try not to eat too many empty calories and I eat a couple snacks a day so I'm definately not deprived of food.

So do you do this too? Has it become less of a big deal months down the line? I've been through many a diet many a times usually fluxating within about a 50 pound range, but I've never made it through the long haul.

Am I making a big deal out of nothing? Should I just accept I like to eat and as long as I can keep within my range there isn't a big issue or is this a warning sign?

I don't have any real answer, but I clicked on this thread right before I was about to go to sleep... and wake up to breakfast! My favorite part of the day, because I have a clean slate and get to eat food.
I don't know what it is, but I think the thing is... I just really like to eat. I'm working on controlling it, and I'm doing well because I am losing weight... but I just enjoy the act of eating. I don't like feeling stuffed to the point of fullness, but the longer that I can eat something, the happier I am. I always go for the tinier pieces of things just because I am then spending more time eating, you know?
I hope someone will have some wisdom about this, but in the meantime... I'm going to sleep so I can eat again!

I kinda obsess about food too. Mostly about food I know I can't have. It gets frustrating, I work 12 hr days and its not too bad when you're distracted at work. However, when I am home on my days off its difficult. I've gotten this far and I'm not about to throw away all my hard work. For me , I've been on it for 6 weeks now and cravings and obsessions are still there. I dunno if it'll ever go away.

I obsess about food and definitely look forward to my next meal/snack. I wish that weren't the case, but it is. I loved food before my lifestyle change, I love it now, probably more so.

I'm also not lacking in calories, I'm not hungry - I just like to eat. Even now when I finish up a meal, I kinda wish there was more. I don't go back for seconds and the feeling that I want to still eat some more passes relatively quickly, given the fact that I'm not truly hungry. I tell myself there's more food coming in a couple of hours. This I'm afraid is just how it is with me. It does get easier to deal with as time goes on though. Maybe there's still some hope for me, nah, I doubt it.

Ah...yeah, I've had that for about 6 years, it started when I was about 13. I'm just foodobsessed in general. I obsess how many calories, how many calories I've eaten by 10am/noon/3pm etc. Sometimes I even eat at 12.01am(midnight) just so I know it doesnt affect my calorie total for *yesterday!*

Not sure how to overcome it.

emily
xxx

Weight loss is about restriction, not about unlimited choice. So definitely there are times when I'm thinking about what's next and when. It's hard work! The worst times for me are when I've miscalculated something and suddenly my calories are gone too early. Rats! But, I get through it.

The easiest thing for me is to "set it and forget it." I put things into my tracker program and then I don't think about it. I know what my snacks are going to be--I have half a dozen options, all readily available--so I don't have to think until snack time comes around.

Sometimes it has helped to have a slightly bigger supper so that I'm more full in the evening. However, it did take me awhile before I felt comfortable with less food. I fill up much more quickly now.

Keep going!
Jay

I definitely obsess over food and calories. Like cagesorwings, I just LOVE TO EAT! Eating is wonderful and food makes me so happy. I've come to realize that I simply enjoy food... and I don't understand people who don't!

I wish I wasn't foodobsessed, but ****, everyone trying to lose weight most likely is. You have to keep track of everything you eat, and to do that, you have to become an obsessive, detail-oriented person.

I read this in the Maintainers Forum:

"Obsessed is what the weak and lazy call the dedicated."

Jay

I think i went thru that at the very beginning but i don't now. I pretty much know what foods i am going to eat when. I eat alot of the same things so it's pretty easy to plan. Sometimes i feel like i want a dessert after a meal and that can be tricky sometimes. But...if i find that i have eaten all of my "alloted" calories for the day before dinner even gets here, that's when i choose something like tuna for dinner. Low in calories and high in protien. If i go over, i don't worry so much because i am the lower side of the calorie world. I only eat about 1200 a day...so if i have a day where i go up to 1400....oh well. The only obsessing over food i do, is making sure of how many calories my meal has in it. But i don't get too obsessed about eating. I don't really like to eat that much. Never have...i guess i got fat by just eating too much of the fattening foods like cakes and ice creams and big mac's.

It's like being caught between a rock and a hard place. If we freely eat whatever ... we gain weight. If we think ahead ... we're obsessed. And thanks to the media we now know that is all mental illness NOT!

Do you remember learning multiplication? We had to memorize multiplication tables. We recited them over and over. And we learned them. At first we immersed ourselves in them and now they are second nature.
It's the same with food. Until you become familiar with what's a reasonable breakfast, lunch, snack etc (for your plan) ... you will be thinking ahead.

I have been feeding a family for almost 30 yrs. I have always planned food ahead. Planning lists, planning while I shop, planning each morning for supper, planning around school, soccer, work schedules ...
Even perusing a menu is planning food.

Our bodies need to be fueled.

There are some other threads around about this. Wyllen has very interesting notes on what makes the difference between dedication and an unhealthy obsession.

I think about food a lot and anticipate my next meal. However, I've been thinking back and I've always done that ... just in the past I would think about food and then eat some! Now I think about food, and just wait to eat! I love food!

But I consider all this thinking about and planning food good and normal. Food and nutrition have become a fun hobby for me! And besides, what we eat and our health has to be one of the most important parts of life ... why not be a little obsessed by it?

I look at obsession at this point - as an added bonus. It's what has allowed me to loose more then 150 lbs and it's what hopefully will allow me to keep it off. I'll take the obsession anyday over lack of caring. I of course would rather it just - be. That I eat what I eat and everything would work out peachy keen, but that's not to be the case with me. Yeah, I'm thankful for the obsession.

Since I've started counting calories, I've become obsessed, too. I constantly re-calculate how many I have eaten, seeing how many more I have, wondering how much food I can fit into those calories. When I get close to it, I start thinking about what I could have had instead, and will have tomorrow. Like others have said, I just enjoy food. I like eating. I don't know if it will ever go away, or I will be living this battle between "Should I?" Or "It's not worth it." the rest of my life.

IdealMuse, maybe you could make a list of things that you could do to distract you from thinking about food later in the evening. Brushing teeth after a last meal is totally helpful to me, kind of a symbolic reminder that OK, it's done for the day, the rest of the evening has to be spent on other interesting and rewarding things (mending clothes, reading, packing my gym bag, catching up on phone calls, etc). Some things, like reading and phone calls, seem to put me in autopilot and make me want to eat while I'm doing them, so I try to stick to things that busy both my mind and my hands.

Planning meals ahead of time also helps a ton. And I agree about the dedication versus obsession quote!

Thanks everyone -

It's good to know i'm not alone. Obviously I like to eat because that's what got me here, so I guess that's just not going to go away. I guess I'm just nervous that when I lose my enthusiasm I'll revert in normal patterns, and I really really want this to be it. The time I get to goal for once and stay near there. I don't even know what the adult me looks like think I haven't been below 220 since I was 18. I just want to be somewhat normal sized and healthy.

I mean I KNOW it's a life long battle for me even whenever I'm a maintenance I'll still be counting and restricting somewhat and probably still looking forward to the next day so I can eat! Heh!

It's nice to know that some of you sucessful maintainers still have the same food enjoyment issues and yet can still find the balance.

Now excuse me while I find something to eat - I have a day full of calories left! Woo Hoo!