The fridge is getting heavy and I am tired of carrying it..

Anyone else feel like they are constantly thinking of food!! I calorie count and I am thinking of what to eat and when I dont calorie count I think of what I can eat. I am always thinking about my next meal. I have not been watching since Thanksgiving and I have gained back 8 of the 20 pounds I lost. Now I am back on CC since yesterday and look forward to the support everyone here has to offer and any suggestions to get the fridge off my back..lol.

Yes! Constantly. I'm just starting out, so I'm hoping that this is something I'll get over in time. The best thing is probably to try and distract yourself, busy yourself with other things. Usually when I get bored, that's when I start thinking about when I'll next get to eat something, even when I'm not hungry.

Try doing all your food thinking at once....   Sit down when it's quiet with a paper and pencil once a week and map out what you plan to eat, three meals a day, snacks etc., for the next seven days.  Spend some time over it, make it interesting, work out the calories with the food log....  Then go to the shops and get whatever you need to make your plan work and put it in the fridge/cupboard/freezer.  Finally.... stick your paper plan somewhere you can see it and do your best to follow it.   Job done.  Go do other things.

Scheduling your food this way in one hit means you think less about it.  Like putting your appointments in a diary or organiser, it means you're not having to keep them all 'front of mind' in order to remember.  You open your diary and - aha - that's what we're doing today, all set out.   A food plan works the same way.  You get up in the morning and you don't have to think about what to have for breakfast or what you're taking along in your packed lunch, it's all there in black and white and the components are ready to go.   It's a technique used to treat people with pathologically compulsive/obsessive eating problems but you don't have to be pathological to get the benefits

I definitely feel this way, and gi janes advice is good, but I could never plan a week in advance what I'm going to eat everyday...it takes all the fun out of food.  I eat things I'm in the mood for...healthy foods, but foods i like.

 I think about it all at once, but every day...basically every morning.  I plan out what's for lunch, then i base my snacks around that, and i get them all ready in the morning.  Then while i'm at work, i know what i will  eat and when i will eat it so i look forward to it.  But in that case, it's not a burden, but sort of a way to break up my long workday (office work seems SOO long).  Plus, by the tiem I get home from work, i have enough calories just for dinner (which my husband makes...:-) and a snack, which is another fun choice. 

You will think about calorie counting less with time, i've only done this for about 4 months and now it just gets difficult when i go out to eat or have a party at work or something where there is a large amount of unexpected food around (then calories are the first thing on your mind...or at least mine).

try thinking serving sizes and check out mypyramid.gov, it's very helpful.

it lets you think less about it, and you dont have to log every calorie.

I agree with trying to plan your meals out in advance - it keeps you from eating a bunch of calories at night all at once just to get up to your daily calorie allowance. Try to have a few tasty low-calorie snacks in between meals, too. Feeling content will help keep you from thinking about eating more.

And yes, normally, after a while you stop having to think so much about what you're eating next, when, etc. It may take a while, but you most likely will get into a routine where it just comes naturally.

Okay, I know this is controversial, but it has been working for me.  I had been obsessing about food and when I could eat next and it was making me feel a little crazy.  I know I am hypoglycemic and my blood sugar would always drop soon after I had eaten a meal, making me want to eat again.  I never ate a lot of processed food or sugar so I never made the connection, but I did eat a lot of fruit, agave nectar, handfuls of low sugar cereal, or whole wheat toast with jam, etc.  I was close to my goal weight, but could never quite get my prepregancy body back no matter how much I exercised.  I even got into competitive cycling, and running (and won a few races!) only to gain more weight when eachrace/marathon was finished.  Over Christmas break I came across some info on brain chemistry and its connection to eating sugar in all its forms.  There was even a 7 step program outlining how to give it up.  I started to follow it and have never felt better.  I am now doing an elimination diet for 27 days, eliminating foods that cause problems in a lot of people and then will add them slowly back in and pay attention to how my body reacts to eat one.  I am finally seeing results, have reduced how much I exercise and I am not thinking about eating all the time.  I finally feel satiated after eating a meal.  I know it is not for everyone, but thought I would share what worked for me. 

my god do i think of food. sadly its the first thing i think about when i wake up and last thing before i sleep. it pretty much consumes me. i hate it! right now i am thinking about food and doing this to keep me away from the kitchen. i would call someone, but, most people i know are working! aaaaaaaaaaahhhhh! am i crazy? i wish i obsessed over exercising then all my problems would be solved! anyone know any good hypnotists?

Thank you for all your replies..I have been on the diet rollar coaster ever since my first son was born 12 years ago! I cannot seem to keep my weight under control..I know some people will hate me for saying this but I never had to diet or exercise until I had children...now I look at chocolate and my thighs grow larger. I just wish there was an easier way..I plan out my meals at the beginning of each day but farther ahead than that would be difficult since I have three kids and the day seems to change as it goes on depending on thier activities. Once I get on a routine I tend to stick to it..I guess all in all it is about moderating what I eat and trying my best not to go overboard!

i love gi-jane's advice! i'm going to try that one, the only thing is, my mom does the shopping, and she doesnt like my healthy food suggestions. so i'll have to work around that!

Personally, I get excited when I think about what I will look like at my goal weight.  Also, I get excited about eating healthy.  I have read all of the information about eating healthy, I feel great when I do, and my energy is back....so, I may think about food, but it does not feel like a burden.  I think, wow....I ate a large orange for breakfast, and to my suprise....it is all I need. I'm not hungry, and I got a nice energy boost.  When I get hungry and I think about food, I think about how healthy the food is, and...maybe it is just me, but I like it.   it may be self brainwashing, but it works, and after eating healthy...you feel proud and accomplished....not disappointed.   You don't normally seek out things to do to disappoint yourself, so why do it with food.

OMGosh...  An orange for breakfast....  I would not be able to make it on an orange alone.  I WISH I COULD! 

Brainwashing yourself...  I like it. 

I do think about food quite a bit when I'm not working.  The evenings are the WORST.  Especially after dinner snack time. 

well, I drink coffee too.  lol.  A large neval orange for breakfast sounds like it is not enough, and I was suprised too.  The thing is...it takes time to eat.  peel it, and eat it one wedge at a time...by the time your done, the acids and nutrition in it fill you up.  I am not saying you wont be hungry in two hours....but that is the point. to boost your metabolism, you should eat every two hours...and sometimes, you'll eat when your not....HUNGRY...

If you are obsessed with food....be ok with it, just identify new things about food for you to obsess about.  For example... I think about food all the time, just like all of you, and it took me a while to figure this out.   When I go to the grocery store, I love it.  I go every two days....to limit the food in my refridgerator, but I also look at it as finding the healthiest, and most freash food for my body.  I only shop for fruits, vegetables, and meats.  The only things I go in the isles for is oatmeal, cereal, bread, maybe peanut butter.  I think about eating only the foods that the earth offers.  The basics....are not basic.  It is the fuel our bodies were intended to eat.  Instead of obsessing about food in way way that was not making me happy, I began to cook.  I know a lot of you think you dont have time to cook...but if you looked at cooking in a good way...it can be relaxing.  I began to look up recipes, and pick the food I ate.  I found cooking to be an experiment.  My obsession turned to trying to find healthy ways to make the food I cooked...to well, taste good.  I knew I was on the right track when other people wanted to eat it too.  After cooking, you typically eat less too.  The smell of the food, time prepared...and well, I don't know why, but I did.  I obsessed about what I was putting in my body, but in a good way.  I think this is what I should have said rather than brainwashing. 

I promise, you will be suprised at what you can eat that tastes good, and fills you up.  If you look at food as the enemy....find foods that you can make your friend....that you like. 

make sense? 

I also make sure I eat every two hours.  I had a person I work with tell me that she had no time to eat every two hours, but she took normal breaks and lunch, and sat at a desk all day.  She even had access to a refridgerator within 6 feet of her.  I laughed because, I worked in that company as a field tech restoring houses.  No refrigerator...no bathroom (unless you had water).  But, I turned my obsession into loving to prepare my food the night before, and I often looked forward to each next time I ate.  Instead of worrying about should I eat now... I was excited because I could eat.  "I get to eat this"  my food had to be put into a cooler, but I put it in my car, and in my work van...and I ate and ate.

I would eat an orange, then a pack of almonds I packaged ( 1 seving) and a piece of cheese, then my lunch cooked vegetables and meat (if I could heat up my food), or Id bring a cuccumber sandwich with chese, then I'd eat some grapes, which do fill you up...then it be time to go home... I would then cook dinner, plan out enough for two servings for me...and who ever I was cooking for...1 serving for me, and one serving for lunch tomorrow. 

SO, yes I am still obsessed with food.  My obsession is with something that fuels me, I like to eat, and is kind to my body. lol.  It is not health to obsess about things that hurt you.  And yes, unhealthy food does hurt you, it is not just about the excess weight.

I wish the best to all of you, this works for me.....maybe it will help some of you look at your obsession different.  Embrace it.... it is not all that bad.

I would love to wake up and for one day, just one day, not think or care about food. It completley controls me and I am just so tired of it. It is like i am playing a game and I just want to shout 'I dont want to play anymore!'

I apologize for not reading all the responses, but I think GI Jane's was on the nose. To simplify the process, you could check out this site:

http://e-mealz.com/

I swear I'm not a spammer...

I use the site myself for family meals, but they also have lo-carb and lo-fat meal plans, complete with shopping lists. At least that would take care of dinner. What I read also is that you should "automate" 2 meals of the day. Come up with a favorite breakfast and lunch and pretty much not vary from it most days. This way, you can always know what calories you'll get and what staples to stock and you can stop worrying over it.

HTH...