Hoping my food-fixation is just a phase
 

Hi all! I was on 3fc for a while, and then as weight loss became not as central to my life, I drifted away...and over the past two years some pounds have come back, because I wasn't as diligent about maintenance as I was about the weight loss. (Familiar story, eh?) Anyhow, I am back on the boards, once again enjoying all the fabulous, inspirational stories! Thank you all so much for posting.

Earlier this week I finally got on the scales to find out exactly where I was, because it was too easy to tell myself that things were okay. I found out they're not okay, so it's back to "write everything down" and "work within this caloric range."

And. Oh. Wow. Is. This. Hard. I'm honestly wondering how I lost 40 pounds last time around.

I wish I'd kept a better journal when I started this process three years ago, because for the past week I have been almost crazed by food. I'm starting with a "high" number of daily calories (1700), I've eaten 3 or 4 meals a day, I've eaten balanced meals... and ALL I can think about is "I need some dessert!" Like I"m going to die on the spot if I don't have some chocolate.

I'm really hoping the food-fixation phase is 1)normal and 2)short-lived. I don't binge, and yet right now I'm wondering how many handfuls of chocolate chips I can stuff in my face before I'll feel satisfied.

I've read other posts on this site where people come back and say "I don't even know how I did it the first time!" - as if they somehow forgot.

Because we, as people, are constantly changing, I think we cannot expect that our nutritional needs and likes and dislikes will stay the same. So, just because one lost weight one time on the Ideal Protein Diet does not mean it still suits them, 2 years later, after discovering their love for baking and vegan cuisine.

If I were you, I'd reinvent my plan!

I felt like this too...so I started calorie counting. I went to the store, and bought a weeks worth of food that I guessed would be low calorie, but that I would actually eat. I bought quite a few frozen meals lol! Its just easier for me to start that way, so I can start with prepackaged things that have an exact calorie amount for the entire contents, so I wouldn't have to worry about measuring or weighing things.

After I got comfortable with recording my calorie count, THEN I started getting brave with portions and math. :p

I say, start in your comfort zone while you're educating yourself and getting back into the swing of things. Don't be scared or overwhelmed, just take it one step at a time, and don't be so strict with yourself! If you want chocolate, find a low calorie version that fits into your calorie allotment.

If you want something so badly that its all you can think about, work something that will satisfy your craving into your eating plan. If you don't do that, you ARE going to end up shoving handfuls of chocolates into your mouth, lol.

One thing I did my first week of calorie counting: I had a snack pack pudding every night. They range between 90 and 120 calories, and totally satisfied my "I need dessert" urge. (and its $1 for a pack of 4!)

I frequently work treats into my plan, and they're not "diet" treats either. For example, I'll often buy a bar of Green & Black's organic chocolate. At night after dinner, I have espresso, and I'll have a 100-calorie portion of that chocolate (that's not as small as you might think). That satisfies my dessert urge, and it makes me feel less deprived.

What works for me is knowing that I can eat anything I want but not everything I want at the same time :).

Also, have you thought about calorie cycling? I have just started maintenance and am trying to figure out my calorie needs to maintain my goal weight. Right now, I'm at 1800 per day, but I don't eat that amount every day. For three days of the week, I eat 1400-1500 calories. That leaves me 900-1200 calories extra for those other days. So, on those other days, I can eat a bit looser. For example, today is one of those "other" higher-calorie days. For breakfast, I had homemade hot chocolate (with whole milk) and a Trader Joe's chocolate croissant (scrumptious!). That was approximately 500 calories, but I still have plenty left for the day because of those banked calories from previous days this week.

I love green & Blacks!!! One square is only 60 calories and it takes me 5-10 minutes to eat that! Super dark chocolate must be savored anyways, so it's a great treat for me.

THIS.

If there is something you can't live without, don't deprive yourself of it. That'll be your downfall.

Also, if you can't work it into your plan, or know you can't indulge without going too far, a firm "Not today. I'll have it, but not today." does wonders.

I'm not precisely sure what my plan was last time (I don't even remember what site I used to enter in foods -- FitDay, probably). My basic plan this time is a)write down everything I eat, b)eat regular meals with good nutrition, and c)fit within the caloric limit I've given myself.

I'm a big believer in "eat some of a food if you really want it, just decide you really really want it first." I'm just getting kinda weirded out by HOW fixated I'm getting on desserts. Like they're all going to be made illegal or something if I stop eating them. Stuff I would never consider eating is forcing its way into my attention span.

The snack pack pudding is a good idea...except my kids would probably eat them all first. :D

Given that I've just returned to full-time weight loss, I haven't made any more complex plans. This is a really good idea, however.

I don't deprive myself of things -- I'm a very firm believer in "If you can have some, you should." It's getting fixated on things I normally wouldn't eat (handfuls of chocolate chips??? I'd rather put on my shoes and go to the store and get some Green and Black's! :)) that's making me wonder what's going on.

I'm not starving myself at all. I think my brain just sees that things are a little different and is freaking out. I'm hoping it's a phase that's going to stop soon.