Does anybody else feel like as soon as you finish a meal (no matter how satisfying it was) you almost immediately start thinking of/looking forward to the next meal? I do this and wonder what's wrong with me. Why am I so fixated on food? I suppose it's because I have associated it with comfort and joy. how do i break the cycle?

Carbs do that to me. I love steak and I love veggies, but after I eat a steak I never think that I want another one. But if I'm having some buttery garlic mashed potatoes with that steak I will think I want some more potatoes and I'll have some steak to go with it... or maybe some desert. For me, carbs are just never sating. I always, always, always want way more than I should have and then it is not long before I'm ready to start again.

The problem is carbs for me also. They don't satisfy hunger as well as protein and fats do, but I think part of that might be because I don't pay enough attention to my macronutrients unless I'm on a low carb diet. Therefore I'm probably lacking in protein and/or fat so my body feels deprived because it needs vitamins and nutrients that it's not getting from high carb foods, and that leads to a cycle of binging. Also think about when you over eat, it's probably bready and sugary foods that you're binging on I bet. I'd suggest trying a low carb diet like Atkins and see how it works for you. I'm an obsessive compulsive eater unless I'm on a low carb diet, then I don't eat as much or think about food constantly.

Add me to the carb train. I have a remarkable lack of that fixation on low carb, even months and months on it. I always thought it was in my brain, but for me, it turned out to be a physiological trigger (hormonal responses to nutrients) causing the mental discordance and lack of satiety, not weak willpower.

Come to find out I have excellent resolve and consistency, when I take the sugar and starch out of the equation of focus on nourishing, low inflammation fare like fats/protein/plant matter, and sparing use of nuts/chocolate/cheeses (which are deservedly food group unto themselves ).

This happens to me quite often. Actually, I was just thinking about it the other day. I was in the middle of eating something (I think it was a small plate of nachos - I was being bad ), and I was only half way done the plate when I was ALREADY thinking of making another one. I kinda had to stop my thinking and tell myself that this plate was enough. I started thinking about why I was wanting another plate and it came down to emotional feelings of food (tasted so good that I didn't want there to be none left so I needed more, etc). Happy to report that I did only have that one plate and left the rest in the bag for another day

This sometimes happens to me. In my case, I think it's because I'm almost never eating as much as my body/mind would really like. I'm able to eat 2,000+ calories and maintain my weight, but I think my "natural" intake (namely the amount of food that would leave me feeling most satisfied, nourished and energized) would be closer to 3,500.

I think it's natural to be fixated on food when you're trying to control your weight. The best remedy, IMO, is to develop a repertoire of fulfilling activities that don't require a food accompaniment to satisfy you. Netflix* may or may not fit the bill, depending on whether you can enjoy it without food. (I have no trouble watching TV without food, but when I go to the movies I find it hard to enjoy myself without popcorn. Go figure. So I always get popcorn.)

Freelance

*From your post in the "Chicks in Control" board.

good job on sticking to your willpower! That's a constant struggle for a lot of us I think

I constantly struggle with an obsession with food...it's not the macronutrients for me or the emotional attachment...i'm just ALWAYS thinking about food, and I know that my sister struggles with OCD thoughts and it seems similar to me....

I starting taking inositol (recommended by another 3FC poster) and 5htp (which worked for me in the past) and when I do that daily I have a much clearer relationship with food....I can sort out in my head 1) am I hungry? 2) am I filling an emotional/boredom void? 3) am I eating because i'm tired? 4) am I eating because it tastes good and I want to feel full

whereas before, no matter how hard i'd try to stick to my calorie limit, i'd always go over because there was not A MOMENT IN THE DAY that I wasn't thinking in some way about food, from 6 a.m. when I wake up til 10 p.m. when I go to bed...and it's HARD to stick to 1500 calories a day when i'm awake for that long and food never leaves my mind

also: I lose best on a lower carb way of eating....but it doesn't stop the obsessive food thoughts...those thoughts are just channeled into low carb foods lol

I have done that. I've gone from item to item in my fridge and/or pantry, sometimes going from savory to sweet to back to savory again.

^ I have done this too. I will eat something sweet, and then look everywhere for something salty for a balance, then sweet again to feel "done". Horrible cycle. I just stay away from carbs now, it works wonders! (This is coming from someone who used to eat cereal in the morning, pasta for lunch, rice for dinner)...I think I've eaten enough carbs for a lifetime!