My big challenge with this diet thing is my relationship with food. And I know I speak for many of us here. I wouldn't say I was much of an emotional eater, more of just a grazer. I just enjoy eating.

Well lately I've been really trying to reflect on what exactly I love so much about eating. For example, I love chocolate. Why do I love chocolate? I love the taste, yes, but taste is just one of my senses. I'm not addicted to smelling my favorite smells. I don't have any uncontrollable cravings to see my favorite sights. I can be in the same room as my iPod and resist listening to my favorite song, but yet, if I'm in the same room with a chocolate, I go into craving mode. The taste is good, but I recognize the fact that it only lasts a few moments and then it's gone. So is that the it? Those few moments have such a huge impact on me? Is it the satisfied feeling I get after eating it? I generally feel guilty and bad if I eat a chocolate or three, so that's not a good feeling. Do I just like chewing? But I don't get the same feeling from chewing a carrot.

I just don't get why I crave food so much. Why can't I convince myself to think of food as body fuel only? I know that there are evolutionary/biological reasons our bodies crave sugars and fats, but I do wish that my higher reasoning centers could take over and convince myself that I only eat to provide energy and nutrients. I have no problem with allowing myself the occassional treat, but I'm frustrated of being controlled by wanting them.

Anyways, just a few reflective thoughts. I need to overcome this mental obstacle to be successful at achieving my goals.

Thanks for the post, lots of food for thought. I've often had issues with resisting good things, like chocolate- lol! Now I just try to stay away from it as much as possible which isn't ALWAYs possible.

I sure wish it wasn't an arguement in my head every time something yummy came into eyesight or within smelling range, that really gets me there!

One problem with being a GRAZER -- is that you could be eating out of boredom, not hunger; unless you aren't getting in the nutrients your body needs each day. What are you craving? Chocolate: OK, there is a tiny bit of fat and sugar in there, and a chemical that is a mood enhancer. Hmmm ... food for thought ... I now have the darkest chocolate instead in measured portions on occasion (this has less fat and sugar).

Secondly, GRAZING, or what I call, MINDLESS MUNCHING, can pack in a lot of calories without you being aware of them; that is why I journal and track all my calories now. So maybe you need to PLAN in some healthy, satisfying snacks so that you won't want to graze so much. On your next trip to the grocer, pick up what you need so you have them on hand too.

Try to find other things to pass your time; then stop and have your planned snack at the right intervals; plus take a multi-vitamin with minerals too. Some people here also have a glass of water before their snacks to help curb a wayward appetite. I like to have tea in the afternoon and evening and find that really filling and soothing.

I think you can enjoy food and be healthy too; I try to make all my meals and snacks as attractive and satisfying as I can -- becuz I want this to be a longterm success, not just temporary. We still eat all our favorite meals but we have just changed them to make them healthier and we measure the portions (made them smaller). We still eat what we love, but have just incorporated them into our new meal plan in a healthier way!

Hope something here helps in some way ... Rosebud

i don't know..but my workout got postponed, for a whole bunch of stupid reasons...and then my breakfast wore off and my stomach was growling again...I tried to go ahead and work out...

but it was like my stomach was saying..don't you dare do that without giving me some fuel for you to use...

I ate a yogurt and am now digesting that.

I thought your post was so thoughtful that I actually read it out loud to my hubby!!! LOL! I think your point is excellent! I was cracking up because I, too, can avoid my iPod with my favorite tunes, but it's not so easy to avoid a certain food. Unlike you, I AM an emotional eater and a binger too.

Maybe every time you got that certain craving, for say chocolate or whatever food, you could tell your brain, "HEY!! Hey up there! Can the higher functioning centers PLEASE get involved here!!!!" Ok, it sounds funny, but maybe it will get you to realize that during that moment, your brain has the most primitive instincts on high alert, but the higher instincts are only somewhere in the background. Perhaps calling on those centers and trying to think logically will eventually (it will take a lot of practice to change a life time of thought responses) into habits!

I think I'm going to give this a shot. I like it because it kind of puts you in the driver's seat and makes you have the power, rather than the food.

Just a thought!

I've managed to terms with my relationship with food and at no time was it necessary to regard food as fuel - I like food to much for that!

What I have done is:

* Determine which foods are "trigger" foods (like baked goods, candy, crackers) and reduce/limit them
* Plan meals - it's easier for me to stay on track when I have my healthy meal/snack on hand
* Find healthy foods I love and look forward to eating. I used to love scones and nachos and M&Ms, now I like fresh raspberries, roasted cherry tomatoes and natural peanut butter on whole grain toast

I am exactly the same person as when I started, if I ate...say, a Ritz cracker, I would immediately want another Ritz cracker, then another. I handle my food issues by trying not to eat the first Ritz cracker and immediately forgiving myself and moving on if I do eat off plan. I remind myself that it wasn't one meal that made me fat!

Glory, I'm glad you said that because it would make me very sad indeed if I were to only see food as fuel. That is a very good scientific description of what food is, but there is much more to it in my opinion. I like food for the enjoyment of it; to me, the trick is finding the balance. MOST of my food choices are made to try to get the most "fuel" for my calories eaten. But if I were to say it's ONLY fuel, then there would be no Skinny Cow ice cream treats. No occasional (PLANNED) fast-food lunch out with my friends. No slice of birthday cake. So yeah, most of the time I try to eat delicious foods that also give me the nutritional bang for my buck, but I enjoy treats and social occasions too much to tell myself that I will never do that again.

There are chicks here who plan, plan, plan. They very rarely go off plan and they are very disciplined in their approach. I admire them; their results are nothing short of amazing. But for me, I need a little more relaxation in my approach. I need to be OK with having a piece of garlic toast with my salad when I go out. I need to know that it's OK to eat that Skinny Cow ice cream. For me, I try to strike a balance. It might not work for everyone, but for me, food is fuel AND food is enjoyment AND food is something to share with friends, etc!

I think of "food as fuel" in the sense that hunger is a prerequisite to eating. But given that I'm hungry and need to eat, then it's all about *good* food . Not that I never eat when I'm not hungry, but not usually.

I've become more food-centric instead of eating-centric, if that makes sense. Before, it was the act of shoveling food down my throat that was satisfying. Now it's the nuances of the food itself, which you can't appreciate when you're shoveling.

Good point, Julie. I don't remember the last time I did the "shoveling" behavior, but I'm always aware that I need to be on guard against it, if that makes sense. Even after all these months, I still have the urge to have a second ice cream. I still have the urge to buy a bag of Doritos; after all, I've been good and it won't hurt just this once, right? I still have to fight those kinds of urges fairly frequently. But when I say "fight", it's not the horrible internal struggle that it was a year ago. It's a lot easier to just say, "no, not today" and move on.

I think that I will remind myself to enjoy my Christmas cookies this year. To savor them, to sit with a cup of tea and really enjoy the flavor instead of just cramming down a limitless amount, like I have always done in years past. That is my goal.

Im just the opposite, Ive come to realize that if I dont have something written down and set infront of me I tend to relax a bit too much.
My problem is I lack the knowledge to create a decent meal plan, I've tried some examples set by biggestloser or something like that, but most of the time there are things on the menu that I don't/can't eat and then I don't know where to substitute.
Im learning a lot from this forum already, but the hardest hurdle is wrapping my brain around the idea of eat more, lose more. Any suggestions on how to make that click would be great