I don't know what it is for sure...I don't deny myself anything I may crave {I just eat it in really small portions if I crave it}. So with that in mind, WHY, oh Why to I continue to fantasize about food????? I could be in the middle of work, and thinking about food. I could be in the middle of a workout and thinking about what to eat when I'm finished exercising! I could be cooking something to eat for dinner and I already thinking about all the possiblities of what I could be cooking tomorrow for lunch and dinner. I don't spoil my diet, but I don't understand why my mind is constandly on FOOD. It's gotten so bad that instead of having fantasies about loving my husband or something along those lines...I get all worked up thinking about scrumptious meals. UGH! Is this normal? Anyone out there got any advice to make me snap out of this???

I'm a lot more food obsessed now that I'm watching what I eat. But I've used that to fuel a passion for cooking healthy foods. Before I started dieting, my husband would ask me what was for supper and I would have no idea. Now I have it all planned out. I think part of the obsession simply goes along with the change in thinking - we are setting new rails for ourselves to follow and that takes effort. I've bought more cookbooks in the past six months than I've bought in the past ten years.

Now if you were fantasizing about cake and dessert and all sorts of forbidden things, I might worry that you need to have a weekly indulgence or something because you might be feeling a bit deprived and that might cut out that problem.

I guess the question is, what types of food are you fantasizing about? If they're good healthy foods, put the fantasies to work. If they're less healthy food, beware that you may need to treat yourself occasionally as part of your plan.

Pageta, Thanks for your input. I think about all different kinds of foods all the time. Sometimes healthy, sometimes it's pastas...pizzas....meatloafs....etc. Sometimes it's salads, sandwiches....soups....toast.....fruits.....veggie s...etc. Sometimes it's chocolate, or even just milk....or cookies. Mostly it tends to be about "home-cooked meal" type items like roasts, potatoes, steamed veggies, etc. If it's food...I'm thinking about it. I don't deny myself any cravings, so I just don't see why I'm constantly thinking about food. However, your "change in thinking" idea does make a lot of sense.

For me, I find that if I'm eating healthy, whole foods on plan, I don't think about food as much and don't get the cravings. As soon as I start splurging a little here and there, giving in to cravings with small amounts, it turns on a switch for me and I think about it all the time. So I guess my thinking is the opposite of pageta's. Once I open the door, it's all I think about. A few days back on plan after a treat and I'm back to "normal".

Shannon, That makes a lot of sense too. Thanks for your input. The more I know, the more it helps.





Dec 2010 mini goal 1: 8/15 lbs {193 pounds by 1 Jan 2011}
Dec 2010 mini goal 2: 555/1200 cardio

One for every 5 lbs lost:

i crave food all the time..and its not because i've been dieting, i've always been like this. i've always thought about food..even when i was thin. I'll think of something randomly, or see a commercial, or someone will mention some food and i'll crave it but the craving will go away after a few minutes. I've learned to stop and think...am i really hungry?? i sort of "feel" out my stomach and say..nope not hungry, just a random craving and i get over it. but yeah..i love food so i think about it a lot and sometimes i just enjoy taking a minute out and thinking about something delicious..and then i move on.
I also like you am always thinking ahead about meals.

At first when i started, i definitely was fantasizing about food. I remember the first weekend...i had a dream..an actual dream where it was just literally..i walked into a bakery and ordered a loaf of bread and just bit into it and ate it right there in the bakery LOL. thats it..that was the whole dream lol..there was no point other than eating bread! so don't feel bad

Mini Goal 1 - Christmas




Long Term Goal

I did in the beginning. Now that I've been OP for 5.5 months, I find that I don't really anymore. Sometimes, if I'm *really* hungry or have something planned for dinner that's one of my favorite things ever.

Now, I think a big part of it is that I plan my favorite things into my life. And as I've gone along, my favorite things have changed.

I think about food all the time. I love food and eating. I read cookbooks. I think about preparing new recipes. I discuss recipes and food preparation with friends who also love to cook. It a significant activity in my life!

This doesn't have to be a bad thing. Thinking about food doesn't make you gain weight, after all. And you can direct your thinking-about-food energy into actually planning your delicious, healthy meals. Indeed for me, it takes quite a bit of time and attention to do this. I wouldn't want to stop thinking about food - that would mean I was no longer thinking about my plan, and very shortly I'd be no longer on my plan.

Last night as I was going to sleep I was thinking about tonight's dinner. I have leftover fish curry in the fridge, that I cooked on Saturday. I was thinking about how to serve it tonight, what vegetables I have on hand, how to prepare them, and so on. This was a delightful fantasy to calm myself to sleep - and productive, too, because I now have a plan in mind for tonight, a delicious, tasty, balanced, <400 calorie dinner packed with nutrients.

If I didn't think about food all the time, I don't think I would succeed at weight loss.

WOW! This just clicked for me. That is exactly how I am. I started WW back in October. I lost 10 pounds in 3 weeks without exercising. I started off letting myself have one splurge meal a week...and I counted it in my weekly flex points. When I saw that I could have one meal and still lose weight, I got a little curious about how much I could eat and still lose weight......so, I would eat two meals....then crave something....then eat it and crave something else....it was a vicious cycle until I just quit counting points all together and fell off the wagon for about 2 weeks.

I've been dreaming about food! Last night I even dreamed I ate a piece of fried chicken, and I've been a vegetarian for 8 years! I never even really liked fried chicken. I've dreamt about some kind of food or another 3 of the last 4 nights. This has just started it it's really weird.

Angeluv, That is exactly how it is for me now. I've gotten somewhat of a control over my food thoughts enough not to indulge. However, the thoughts are always there. It's kind of amusing, really.

I LOVE food...I don't think that will ever change. However, I am not as obsessed with food as I used to be. Before trying to lose weight and be healthier, food was the center of my life. I thought about it all day long, vacations revolved around where I would eat, what I would eat, would the airplane have food? I love watching the Food Network, any event I would go to, I would be thinking about what they would have to eat.Food, food, food.

Now, I am not as obsessed. But I still think about food, especially when I am in bed hungry at nights (cuz I'm up late) I will fantasize about the yummy breakfast I would make as soon as I wake up.


I love food as I already said lol. I'm a foodie at heart. I have a weird habit of reading about food (cookbooks, cooking websites, watching food shows) while eating, when I was in a relationship cooking and eating was something I enjoyed doing with my partner. I find it relaxing and loving and I don't think it will ever go away. I don't think it is a crime to think about it so long as it is not dominating your life where you seriously neglect all other things because you're thinking about food, if that occurs then help may be needed. But considering how and when and what food I will enjoy doesn't bother me especially if I am not eating copious amounts or ruining my goals.

I have the food dreams, too. They aren't happy dreams though. I scarf down tons of sweet treats and then think "OH NO! I was doing so well on my plan, why would I do this?!"