Have you changed the way you think about food?

I just read today the success story with the title "Thinking of Food as Fuel, Not Entertainment." That title really got me thinking about the success I've been having so far, and why I think that this time I'll truly succeed in getting the weight off.

I believe that many addictions are caused by what's in our heads, rather than what's going on with our bodies. You don't have to agree with that, and you may have valid arguments against it, but that's how I feel.

My "addiction" to food is mostly an emotional one, and I believe that there are reasons why I've subconsciously chosen to sabotage myself and get to this size.

What I really believe is different this time for me though, is how I've changed my thinking about food.

For example, one of my biggest problems with food has always been portion control. I grew up in a household where you sat at the dinner table until you finished everything on your plate. If you took it, you eat it. "Think of all the starving children in..." pick your country. I spent many lonely nights sitting at the dinner table as a child looking at an unappealing and very cold plate of food.

I imagine it was during that time that I started using my "trick" of saving the best for last. If I didn't like some type of food, I would eat it first. Kind of like taking my medicine. Then I would end the meal with whatever item I liked the best. Makes perfect sense if the goal of the meal is to clean your plate.

I've noticed however that doing that means I don't listen to my body at all when it tries to tell me that I'm full. I've ended many meals in my adulthood feeling ill almost to the point of faintness from eating too much food at one sitting.

I decided that this "trick" absolutely had to go. I now make sure to eat whatever tasty morsel that appeals to me the most right up at the beginning so that I don't force myself to keep eating just to get to the best part. I think these are the kinds of changes that will really help me succeed.

Now it's your turn. Do any of you have stories about how you've had to change the way you think about food?

I totally agree with your comments.  I, too was one of those children. 

I also had the "misfortune" of wanting to be "Just Like" my father, so I ate like him from a very early age.  I'm talking man-sized portions, and dessert nearly every night, especially on weekends.  I think I must have been in late elementary school before I finally realized I'd never become a boy, but that didn't stop me from wanting to grow as big and strong as one.

So I've had to really learn that women just can't eat that way.  I've had to rethink what a sensible amount is for my body.

I have had to change the way I feel about desserts.  I've had to think, yeah, that'll taste good, but if I eat it it will set me back XXX calories.  I don't have them all the time, now, and when I do, I TRY to exercise strict portion control.

For me, eating food meant take out or pre-made frozen food, enjoying a dinner one of my foodie friends would make or social meals at restaurants. The social aspect wasn't something I was looking to change but I really needed to get a handle on the take out/preprocessed situation. Cooking and making yummy food for myself seemed beyond the scope of my abilities and also more like a chore. What I've learned is that, wow, I can cook and I actually enjoy it. It allows me to take care of myself better.

My trips to the grocery store now means time spent in the produce area and a cruise down the baking needs aisle. Before it would have been the frozen foods area. Now when I look at that stuff my thinking is "Hmmmm, I can make that myself and it will be healthier and taste better."

So for me, the main change was how I viewed cooking rather than the food itself.

Hey I used that "trick" too! I wasn't really even aware of it, but yes, definately comes from being forced to clean the plate as a kid. Ha.

I have worked hard to change how I think about food and how I approach food. I love it too much to ever just consider it fuel, that is not my goal. My goal is to continue to appreciate food and have it be a source of pleasure while taking away the bad parts about it - the comfort eating, the food guilt, the sense of hoplessness, etc. I find ways to cook more healthily, have fun with new ingredients and new techniques, make it a challenge to create delicious but healthy and reasonable meals. Portion control will always be an issue for me, so I monitor that carefully. I told myself that clean foods are better for me and I want to be healthy, and now, I've come to a point where over-processed or fatty foods don't taste (or feel!) as good as eating clean. It's kind of funny, the physical followed the mental. And now, I can feel good about my food choices, so it creates a sense of well-being and accomplishment as well.

I'm beginning to learn how good it feels to eat higher quality foods.  I'm starting to find stuff I really like like finely chopped green salads with nuts and cheese chopped in and a low cal dressing.  Yams and sweet potatoes.  Oatmeal with nuts and raisins.   I'm eating less and less processed stuff and doing more prep for myself.  Discovering that I can really please and satisfy myself and still stay in the calorie range that has me losing slowly.  I've been logging cals faithfully for 4 months and have gotten to see that occasional days of overeating and weeks of eating more than I ever would on a "diet" only slow weight loss, but don't really cause permanent gain.  There's all kinds of latitude for me and nowadays that means eating what I want and what I like and always logging everything for pure information.  What I want and what I like is getting higher and higher quality.  No deprivation involved.  No forbidden foods.

dunno if this sounds messed up but i try to like the feeling of being hungry and not being full after each meal I feel like I have more energy and is less sleepy if i dont feel full as often..

I like using the nutritional grade on this site. I just feel so much better eating foods that are good for me than eating something nutritionally void like rice cakes just because I can eat a million of them. I could sit and eat a pack of notebook paper, but it doesn't taste good or do anything for my body.  =) I've started being much more conscientious about what I eat. No more stuffing my face and THEN realizing what I just did... It helps a lot.

Ugh, practically the same story with me - until I was 6 we lived in Russia (then still communist) n I used to go to Ukraine to my grandma for summer. We were always told "mommy n daddy can't eat this food so u have to eat well for them" (like one for mommy n that silly stuff). So I just got used to eat absent-mindedly, like it was some daily task I needed to perform n it still hunts me - I get lost in my thoughts n find myself eating stuff I don't even like when I'm not hungry. Like today - ate chocolate, when I'm not a sweets-person myself. Working on it, but it's stronger now when it's TOTM. I remember being all thriled when I realized I'm bored but I don't eat cuz I'm not hungry :) baby-steps in the psychological area for me.

I use the same trick! I also was made to sit for hours after everyone else had left the table until I either cleaned the plate or, sometimes, made myself sick so I wouldn't have to! I now also have to try to eat everything I like best first even if that means I'll be too full to clean my plates. Portion sizes are a massive problem, it's fine when I make my own food but when I'm eating at someone's house and can't control my portion I have to be very careful.

I have to stop viewing food as a comfort for when I'm sad, a punishment, entertainment for when I'm bored or a reward for when I've achieved something. I really do want to view food as fuel, and eat to live rather than constantly be thinking about food as I do now.

I also have to rid myself of my horribly disordered way of eating and of thinking about food. Haven't fully managed any of these yet but I'm trying :)

i've generally viewed food as a social tool, something to do when i'm bored and for so many years i ate mindlessly not even thinking about what i was consuming.

i went out to dinner with my parents for father's day today & had previously decided to let myself enjoy it (put some extra time in on the treadmill, etc). and it's interesting because although the food was really really good (esp because i hadn't had anything like veal parm in a long while mmm). i finished eating and was like well, that didn't make me any happier. i used to associate food with pleasure (and still sometimes do) but i think i've begun to actually feel happier when i'm careful of measuring & conscious of fiber, protein, fats & cals. i feel like i'm taking control of my health and body & that is starting to become more satisfying than the carvel icecream cake that's sitting in my freezer.

I don't really think about food until I feel like I want something to eat.  So, I guess I view food as fuel but my problem is the foods that I choose to eat are not the best but not the worst either. I don't eat alot of fried foods or a lot of pasta, rice, or breads. I have already learned to control my sweet intake but my problem is not getting enough exercise to burn the more calories than I take in.  I might gain a few pounds or so and then lose those pounds so I am basically maintaining the same weight. BUT, I want to lose 50 pounds!

I don't get home until after 7pm and then I don't feel like cooking most nights, so I might order some chinese food (shrimp and broccoli or singapore noodles) or buffalo wings (blue cheese) and a soda and occassionally some french fries, or pizza (eat two or three slices- pepperoni) or something like that. Then it's not too long before I'll lay down for bed.  I sit all day at work so I don't get much exercise doing the day.  I started a membership at Bally's but I've only gone a good two weeks. 

I need to get motivated!  My husband has since join Bally's and we were suppose to began working out together.  We went one time together.  Part of the problem is, I work in another state so I am hoping that starting next week when I start working closer to home, we can get back to the gym and I can get some kind of handle on my eating choices.  I do have a problem with cooking as well but I've been doing something like baking chicken or turkey and some vegetables like broccoli or green beans.  I don't know if I should try to include a starch or not. I know that should be very limited.  Any suggestions would help.

Thanks.

for me food is definitely entertainment.  Ive always read a lot, even as a kid and i LOVE to have something to snack on when i read or work on my computer, which is practically all the time.  I also eat when watching TV.  It gets to the point where i snack so much o hardly ever eat any actual meals - im just not that hungry.  

I really need to put the food away.  Any suggestions? 

Baubles, I totally agree with you!  The biggest change I need to make is in my head...I've lost 60lbs but I still have the same mental issues with food. 

For me, food is entertainment as well as a comfort.  I really do enjoy dining for entertainment, and when in that situation I can control myself just tasting the food and really enjoying the food and company but when I use food to comfort myself is when I go off the deep end. 

The only thing I've found that helps is avoidance.  When I feel like I "need to eat" just to comfort myself I either chew gum, take a walk or go to bed.  But my 1st instinct when the going gets tough is to turn to food.  My question is how do I or when will I stop turning to food to fix my problems?

For me, now that I am eating around only 2300 calories a day on average, I have been amazed as to how EVERYTHING I fix tastes so good.  I am always hungry, so red beans mixed with bq sauce and flax seed or egg whites with bacon bits or diced turkey on shredded cabbage with sunflower seeds or 1/4th cup of almonds or a red potato with parmesan cheese or a pizza with whole wheat crust is as delicious to me now as baby back ribs, prime rib, corned beef, fried chicken, and Pizza Hut pizza used to be.  Four months ago the foods I eat now would not have been all that desirable.  Now I love them!

Original Post by pilgrimdude:

For me, now that I am eating around only 2300 calories a day on average, I have been amazed as to how EVERYTHING I fix tastes so good.  I am always hungry, so red beans mixed with bq sauce and flax seed or egg whites with bacon bits or diced turkey on shredded cabbage with sunflower seeds or 1/4th cup of almonds or a red potato with parmesan cheese or a pizza with whole wheat crust is as delicious to me now as baby back ribs, prime rib, corned beef, fried chicken, and Pizza Hut pizza used to be.  Four months ago the foods I eat now would not have been all that desirable.  Now I love them!

Happily, I'm not finding myself hungry all the time, but I have noticed that I really am enjoying healthy foods a lot more now.  On the weekends I used to reach for a bag of chips or something for a snack, but now I'm all of a sudden really enjoying fruit!  It used to be really hard to get all my fruit servings without just using juice!  I've noticed that a lot of other people in the forums seem to be having similar experiences as well.  Once you stop craving all the high-fat, high-sodium, junky food that you were used to, eating healthy TASTES GREAT!

I have a similar story My mom always told me to finish everything on my plate because there were starving children in Africa. I always wondered was that going to help the children in Africa if I ate all my food? Anyway I have struggled with food all my life but this time something clicked for me. I now realized at the age of 47 that I am eating healthy because I want to feel good and this is for the rest of my life. I am no longer on a diet but a new way of eating. I find that I am now attracted to good nutritious food and not the junk that I thought that I had to have everyday. I feel more alive and in tuned to my body.  I don't hurt as much as I use to when getting out of bed. I don't feel sluggish anymore. I have been doing this for almost two weeks so I know that I am just beginning.

i have changed the way i think about food. the cleanse i went through did not only have a physical effect on but psychological as well.. i am more conscious of every food i take into my body.. before i eat or buy something edible, i first ask myself:"will this do me good? or is it bad for me?"

i have grown to be analytic on the different foods and see to it that they will be beneficial.. i am not perfect, i sometimes get tempted to eat foods that will bring me harm but i seldom do this..

to learn more on what has changed my life, real big change, follow this link...
http://mastercleanse.me

Luckily, I had an epiphany early in my life, a year ago when I was 14. I had been pretty sedintary for years and settled into a routine in which I would eat too much of not-so-great foods. When I realized how icky I actually felt, I got off my butt (which was then slightly overweight) and drastically reduced portion sizes and exercized everyday. Now I have lost a total of 33 pounds, with only four more to my ultimate goal! I've turned into a health freak and I love how it feels! And, I can't believe that I'm actually craving apples over chocolate (how strange).

I too, grew up in a house where you had to finish what was on your plate.  Eating dinners were also a medium for social gatherings in my family.  My grandfather and dad were large people and terrible eaters.   I wanted to be just like them.  Unfortunately that's exactly what happened. 

I recently became ill with an auto immune disease requiring me to take large doses of prednisone, which can make you gain even more weight.  I absolutely refused to do that.  This has been the turning point in my life.  Food is my fuel now, not my entertainment.  Despite being on steroids, this website has helped me keep my intake in check and I have managed to lose weight and lose 23.5 inches!   I feel better now than I ever have.  I am true believer in keeping track of my caloric intake and not eating for social reasons.  I find myself wanting to eat junk food late at night or when I'm lonely, but have managed to curb those cravings by drinking a lot of water. 

Lazyness is what used to drive me to eat crappy food.  "meh, i don't want to cook, I'll just hit up McD's on the way home".  I did that for years. 

Divorce is what sparked my initial weight loos plan.  Depression diet got the first 10 pounds off, the rest I've been doing it right.

What I say to myself now is this: "Look, you've already lost 30 pounds by doing the right things and eating the right foods.  If you pick up the doughnut and chase it with that soda, you're going to undo what you've already done, and have to work that much harder to take that back off."  I say that to myself everyday.  And you know what, I haven't had a soda, a cookie, a candy bar, or a doughnut in 2.5 months.

I'm fortunate in the sense that I haven't had many problems with linking food and emotions. I have noticed times where I ate because I was bored or depressed, but it wasn't anywhere near my biggest problem and I haven't seen evidence of it in quite some time.

The main way my thinking has changed relates to nutrition. Just the other day, I was going through the grocery store with my sister. We went through a soda/chip aisle, and I wasn't even tempted. Had the thought "I don't hate my body that much anymore." Same thought crossed my mind when we passed the ramen. I still enjoy soda and chips from time to time, as well as other things that are bad for me (like fast food - definitely a major cause of my previous weight), but a lot of things have lost their appeal. I'd rather have something healthier, more satisfying in more ways than one. Nothing is off limits in this lifestyle change, but what used to be regulars on my menu are rare treats now, if I even find them appealing. I feel a lot better about myself because of it.