I need to stop obsessing...

[Phoenyx]

I'm obsessing over food! Here's some of the stuff that's going on, looping around my brain

Am I hungry...I think so...but I'm not sure...I'm definitely not full...I'll have a snack.. Have I eaten too much.....Have I eaten enough..... I really shouldnt eat more...but I'm supposed to eat what I want...oh no, I've eaten too much...should I eat this....but I read that snackings not good andi should eat three meals...I've eaten most of my calories in the evening, I'm going to put on weight...I should try and eat more in the morning...oh no but then I've eaten more and I'll put on weight...

I think I'm over thinking this! How can I relax and just let this happen without ruling my life or obsessing over it?

Please advise!

 

[southwestgirl]

First off, I do hope you got a good night's sleep in the end despite buzzing thoughts!

You are absolutely right that you are overthinking this, very easy to do and I'm sure we've all had moments like this. It hasn't become automatic yet, that's all it is.

First off, drink a big glass of water and wait 10-15 min and see if you feel better. So many times in the past I've misinterpreted the signals from my body and eaten instead of drinking water - it is a really common thing to happen, I really have to watch myself on this one. So have your glass of water, then make yourself a cup of decaff or peppermint tea or whatever you like to drink in the evening, and go and do something else like read a book or watch telly or knit or whatever. Very often the water is all your body was actually wanting, and next thing you'll realise is that you've forgotten about the 'I think I'm hungry' feeling.

But! - if you really are hungry, then eat something. I keep hardboiled eggs in the fridge, instant snack and very filling. Have a dab of mayo too if you want, plus some salad leaves and you'll feel a whole lot better.

 

[Phoenyx]

Thanks for your reply, v good advice and reassurance, swgirl.

I drink loads of water and always drink before I eat. It's not just last night, but I guess anytime I'm home (and therefore not rushed off my feet, which tells me something!). I am so used to being obsessed with food, for the last twenty years I've either been on a diet or not on a diet (so eating everything in sight), I guess it's inevitable that I'll be thinking about food a lot - as you say, it'll be a while before I relax.

I think there's also part of me still saying this can't possibly be right - I can't possibly eat this much, and fat, and still lose weight, so I'm beginning to push the boundaries a bit, I think - sort of testing it out.

I haven't lost much weight over the last ten days, and part of my brain is saying come on now chill, it's only ten days, whereas the other part is saying told you you're eating too much, you need to cut back, which is where I start the am I reall hungry thought loop.

I don't know if any of that makes sense but it was very cathartic getting it all out!!!

 

[Phoenyx]

Right. I've made a decision. I'm giving up mfp. I'm obsessing over the calorie data - that's part of the problem, so I'm not tuning in properly to my hunger or full signals.

I will continue to log my food on here but without cals, and I won't log carbs, the only carbs I really eat are nuts, veg and the occasional low carb sausage. And my daily but v controlled amount of Greek yoghurt. If I keep a food diary on here I'll soon notice carb creep...

So I'm off into the world of the unknown! A calorie free world...

 

[Scrumbles]

You're braver than me - I couldn't do that.

If I don't plan and track my food on Fitday so that I know exactly where I am for the day with my targets, that's when I panic and start obsessing.

Mind you, I already got burnt back at the beginning of this thinking I could trust my hunger signals to guide me without realising that ketosis absolutely slaughters my appetite. I started to get weak and feel really quite ill after a few weeks, at which point I began tracking and discovered I'd most likely been eating between 800-900 calories a day which is clearly nonsense for a 17 stone woman - that wouldn't feed a five year old! So I then had to embark on a conscious and deliberate re-feeding programme to get myself back to a sane calorie range, which is why I track and will continue to track for peace of mind.

Of course, we're all different, so don't let me influence you. I just thought I'd mention my cautionary tale in case anyone else might find themself in a similar situation. It might very well be better for you to give yourself freedom - I just know it didn't work for me.

 

[Phoenyx]

I started off like that but now I'm eating between 1600-2000, feeling guilty and then trying to eat less which defeats the object! Am trying this for a week, be interesting to see which camp I'm in at the end of the week, won't it!!!

 

[Scrumbles]

It certainly will!

Best of luck with it - we all have to find what works for us personally, and no-one can really tell you. I'm sure there are some people who sail through the whole process without a single blip, barely even counting carbs, and wonder what all the fuss is about, but I sure ain't one of them, lol.

Be sure to let us know how you get on.

 

[moonlights]

Firstly the stuff about losing more if you eat lightly in the evening is frankly balls. Medical studies have repeatedly proven that it's your overall intake that counts. Which when you think about it is just logic.

I think you're making a good choice not to fuss too much over calories. My one tip, if your weight is stalling or slowing : eat less snacky type foods and go for pure protein when you snack. As suggested above, boiled eggs are great, a chink of cheese is great, one of the £1 packs of salami or a pepperami stick would be great.

From reading your diary and recent posts I do think you should cut nuts right back to a max of 30g a day. I grab nuts (well, mainly peanut butter) when I can't eat a proper meal and need something to up my calories. But you have to watch them closely as they're so easy to eat, so high cal, and do have carbs in. I limit myself to 30g a day and try not to have them daily. I think the main problem is how easy snacky type things like nuts are to eat, but they're just nit as good for us as a pure protein snack would be - and nuts have been shown to stall some people.

It's very very hard to overeat pure protein on this diet. So if you reach for pure protein whenever you're hungry you don't need to worry about either carbs or cals. No worries = good times.

 

[Phoenyx]

Thank you soooo much for taking the time to read through my diaries etc. yup, I think nuts are a problem for me, and 30g tops is an excellent suggestion! So I'll follow that this week and see what happens. Thanks again!

 

[Karen]

Good luck Phoenyx, will be interesting to see how you get on. I started to use MFP but frankly Im too lazy to keep track so just eat as pure as possible and hope for the best lol. have a good week xxx

 

[ladyfelsham]

Hi Phee (sorry to abbreviate )

I completely get the overthinking, I always do that, to the point of obsession...

Re MFP you can adjust the %ages so it focuses on 20g carbs - but maybe it'll be a good thing to not do it for a while and just relax and enjoy this new woe

 

[boggins]

I do this with the hunger thing. Wonder if it is hunger, how hungry I am, what to do. Then, I eat anyway. I too have peperamis and boiled eggs on hand. My hunger is very much in check at the moment, I only feel slight pangs, so I too worry just as much about undereating. I haven't had a full evening meal for a few days now, but I always eat something, either protein or fat.

I also have had to cut back on the nuts. I found Tesco do a 45g bag of mixed almonds and cashews. BAD IDEA. They make me hungry- cashews are pretty high in carbs really.

 

[bluecatlady]

I had one dabble with a 25g bag of nuts this week. Ooh was I hungry an hour later, that nasty angry hungry I used to get after carb heavy meals. The bag was tiny and only 3 carbs but I won't be going there again unless it's a late night tv snack and I'll sleep though the hunger! Lol

I tend to snack on protein, pre cooked chicken and a spoon of mayo is very tasty as a dunking food. Pepperamis are great and portable.

 

[sammy1]

Hi saw this thread and thought i would drop in. i use a ww app which i downloaded when i was doing ww. instead of the points value for food, i input the carb value, i find it is a good way to track the carbs and also what i am eating so if i stall at some time i will be able to check back on what i have eaten. there is no space for calories so i don't have a clue what calories i am eating.

 

[Phoenyx]

Oh thanks for that, Sammy... I may give that a go!

 

[slaj]

Hi there do you have to pay for the ww ap?

 

[sammy1]

Hi, no not the one I got it is called weight watchers diary, it us not an official ww diary. You can input no of 'points' you are allowed each day. I put in 20 and then just log the carbs instead of points. Only problem is it can't calculate the carbs, but I find it a good way to keep track. Always have my phone with me.

 

[slaj]

Thanks Sammy

 

[equi]

As already said, drink lots! I drink about a million cups of tea a day and it keeps me full. If you still feel hungry after eating, have a cup of tea it really fills you up!