I have a very hard time planning meals. I bought cook books that have tons of great meal ideas in my calorie range. I'd like to read through them, pick out some, make a grocery list...but when I start reading them, I want to eat! Seriously, I have to do it right before a meal, because I know I'm about to eat. But I dont have a lot of free time during the day. The best time is at night after the kids are sleeping, I can take my time, look through, make a list, only then I want to eat. Even if I just had dinner.
This sounds so weird, but I really have to avoid cook books, and things about food or I get hungry. Well, maybe I dont get hungry, but I just want to eat, because I like to eat.
Even planning meals for the week makes ne statt thinking I want to snack. Doesw anyone else have this problem? I feel so silly!

I sometimes can't watch Food Network for the same reason.

I don't watch cooking shows, either.

How about planning your next meal right after you've finished the current one? Clear your dishes and bring your cookbooks and notepad to the dinner table. You may still get the desire to eat something, but it might be easier to remind yourself, "I've just eaten! I don't need to do it again right now."

Seems super easy to fix.

Plan your meals for the next week while you're eating a healthy/dinner lunch.

I read and eat all the time. Maybe do it at lunchtime if you have family dinners and that'll take away from it.
I did have to give up Diners Drive in's & Dives and cupcake wars. Those 2 shows make me just wanna eat lol.

Ditto. It's food porn for me.

I do try to read during meals, but with two little ones, most of my meals are not peaceful enough to read, but I try to use that time to plan.
And I cant watch cooking shows either.

Have you tried drinking some tea or just lots of water when you go through them? I totally understand what you mean, I'm a major foodie, I love cookbooks and love the Food Channel. But I find that if I keep my stomach full while I'm watching/reading, it lessens the desire to eat just for eating's sake. Keep some water handy while you flip through. There's nothing wrong with getting excited about things you want to cook, so have fun with it :-)

I know!! There are SO many recipes and blogs I'd like to look more into - but I always seem to get hungry! Food Porn!

I find new recipes and make grocery lists early in the morning, when I seem to still have an ounce of discipline (my discipline starts disappearing the longer the day goes on).

Yes, this is a real problem for me too. Even readong/thinking about healthy unprocessed foods (blueberries, red lentils, pineapple, honey crisp apples... uh oh!) causes me to want to eat them. And sometimes I also get angry (stoopid, I know) because I can't have them all in a reasonably short period of time.

So, generally, I rely on the same set of boring foods that I can whip out in an instant. Planning ahead often leads to overeating for me.

I usually chew gum while I cook. Sometimes you should taste as you go, but in recipes I've made before or that have seasoning spelled out, I usually just go with the flow.

I love food shows and cookbooks, but they can be triggering. I find it helps if I brush my teeth before I watch or read because then I have that minty taste in my mouth and food isn't as appealing!

Yeah I am the same way. I am just learning how to cook & so have been pouring over recipes trying to find stuff to try and by the end I am just a drool starving mess lmao!

What I do is plan out my meals in advance when I make out my shopping list for the week. And I do it right before I eat.

You still have to make sure to behave and eat what you had planned and not binge out on other stuff. But it helps being able to eat after instead of having already ate and being starving with no help lol.

And yes foodnetwork is evil lol. The other week I ended up watching The Best Thing I Ever Ate- which is just pure food porn. I ended up pigging out bleh.