Food Addiction? I think so..

[ODogg]

Re: Food Addiction? I think so..

That can work for some folks, as it did for you, the danger isn't the strategy of losing that weight in that way, it works, the danger is when you are done losing it and you say to yourself, ok, I can quit doing this now and then you go back to eating double cheeseburgers and whatnot. Perhaps for you, you've managed to avoid that mentality but unfortunately for a lot of us that's how we tend to think.

If you go gradual then when you're done losing the weight you really don't change anything, so there's very little chance to gain it back. But again, to each his own, we all must follow what works for us. I know that for me, having lost a lot of weight quickly, it's never worked for me to keep it off so now I'm trying a different (more gradual) tactic.

[UNC_Pete]

Re: Food Addiction? I think so..

In my OP i stated I did do two hardcore diets and they didn't work. Well, I wouldn't consider Weight Watchers hardcore, but the weight fell off..I'm going to try the gradual approach and see what happens.

[ODogg]

Re: Food Addiction? I think so..

Pete - the biggest and easiest (and most economical) way to help your situation is to avoid fast food. Not sure how much you eat out but it's a HUGE reason most of us are HUGE. Don't fall into the trap of just "eating healthy" at fast food places too. Although you can eat healthier at fast food shops they are not anywhere near as good as eating home cooked meals.

This was the single hardest thing for me to change but it's something that's helped control my appetite immensely. Some of the chemicals put into fast foods actually stimulate appetite. So you eat a bacon cheeseburger at Wendys or McDonalds, it can make you hungrier much sooner than if you eat a store bought beef, home-made cheeseburger.

The upside of this is you will find you have much more cash in your pocket. You will need that to help you buy more fruit/vegetables and better quality food for your home.

With that being said, don't be afraid to eat fast food, just try to do so only once a week if at all possible. And check out the book "Eat this, not that" for healthier choices to make at fast food places. For me, I pretty much stick to Chick-Filet (grilled chickun sandwich), KFC (grilled chicken, green beans or corn) and Subway (6 inch double turkey sub on wheat) whenever possible.

[ODogg]

Re: Food Addiction? I think so..

P.S. - I used to eat out about 5 to 6 times a week. Now I don't even eat out that much in a month. I try to do what I advised you to, 1 time a week. I bring my lunch to work each day. I use my lunch hour to go to the gym instead of Wendys.

[Streets]

Re: Food Addiction? I think so..

That can work for some folks, as it did for you, the danger isn't the strategy of losing that weight in that way, it works, the danger is when you are done losing it and you say to yourself, ok, I can quit doing this now and then you go back to eating double cheeseburgers and whatnot. Perhaps for you, you've managed to avoid that mentality but unfortunately for a lot of us that's how we tend to think.

No doubt man. I guess for me, it was the results. I look and feel 1,000 times better than I did and am so much happier, so for me the double cheeseburger isn't worth it as much because there is something at stake. Plus, I usually weigh myself once a day (in the morning on my way to the shower). This is important because in the mirror, the difference between 170 and 171 is unnoticeable (and really not a big deal) BUT if I gain a pound every few days, I won't notice it in the mirror until I'm so far gone and look back at pictures (that's how it happens). So, I don't see it getting out of control. Plus, I can always lose it again if it does (I did it once). During my weight loss and even now during my maintenance my gf has always said I have "the willpower of god". I don't think that's true at all, as I still have cravings for certain things. Sometimes I indulge them, most times I don't (when everyones eating cake in class when it's someone's birthday, I may want it, but I'll just be like "I'm good"), but overall, my continual motivation comes from the discrepency between my past and present.

[ODogg]

Re: Food Addiction? I think so..

Yes, Streets, my motivation is fear. I have 6 uncles. My dad and 5 of them have Type 2 Diabetes. I have a great fear of diabetes since one of my biggest fears is losing a limb. Diabetes is a fast way to lose a limb. Or even worse, your sight. I can't imagine being blind.

So I started my "journey" about 4 or 5 years ago when I was told I was pre-diabetic and severely obese. I was about 320-330 then and had a BMI off the charts (probably 40 or something). Now I'm 270 (still about 50-60 overweight) but I have a BMI of 26 I think. So even though i've not lost as much weight as I should, I've converted quite a bit of my pudge into muscle.

Right now i really want to lose the weight for long term health and appearance. You mentioned your girlfriend, I'd like to start dating again as well. That's a huge motivation for me. I've not been out on a date since my last girlfriend about 10 years ago. I've let this weight/appearance issue destroy my ability to talk to and interact with women. And this is on top of the fact that I was always shy as anything to begin with. I have noticed as I have gotten thinner my self confidence comes back.

[PBlast]

Re: Food Addiction? I think so..

Yes, Streets, my motivation is fear. I have 6 uncles. My dad and 5 of them have Type 2 Diabetes. I have a great fear of diabetes since one of my biggest fears is losing a limb. Diabetes is a fast way to lose a limb. Or even worse, your sight. I can't imagine being blind.

So I started my "journey" about 4 or 5 years ago when I was told I was pre-diabetic and severely obese. I was about 320-330 then and had a BMI off the charts (probably 40 or something). Now I'm 270 (still about 50-60 overweight) but I have a BMI of 26 I think. So even though i've not lost as much weight as I should, I've converted quite a bit of my pudge into muscle.

Right now i really want to lose the weight for long term health and appearance. You mentioned your girlfriend, I'd like to start dating again as well. That's a huge motivation for me. I've not been out on a date since my last girlfriend about 10 years ago. I've let this weight/appearance issue destroy my ability to talk to and interact with women. And this is on top of the fact that I was always shy as anything to begin with. I have noticed as I have gotten thinner my self confidence comes back.

My thoughts on this:

I'm 23 now, fluctuate between 180-185 pounds, which I know isn't very big but there's flab on me that I've been trying to get rid of since I can remember. In high school I was around 220, which again isn't massive, but it was big enough to be made fun of and destroy any self-esteem I had. So freshman year of college I buckled down and ran my *** off (literally), and got down to about 170. So I've gone up a bit, but I'm at the gym now working consistently, so it's only a matter of time.

That being said, when you bring up your issue about talking and interacting with girls, yeah, self image is definitely important. You want to feel good about yourself, and that will give you confidence to speak up around the ladies. What I've found though, as someone who's lost weight and gained more confidence, it's still going to be a struggle when you feel more comfortable with your body. Your mindset has been fixated on your image for so long, that even with improvements your mind will naturally come up with things that are going to try to make you feel less confident. For me it's that little extra flab in my midsection. Yeah I can talk to girls, but it takes more than just losing a bit of weight. At the time you'll see, you'll need to dig a bit further than just your weight issues to actually make that leap and put yourself out there. It's a very very psychological process.

Keep at it though man, it's a tough road but VERY worth it. My suggestion is to not wait until where you want to be with your image when it comes to talking to girls. Chat one up a little bit if the situation arises, even if it doesn't amount to anything. The important thing is to get your mind into the right place, and even though talking to women takes confidence, it actually gives you confidence as well.

[CreatineKasey]

Re: Food Addiction? I think so..

Alright, I'll write a little bit about my entanglement with this topic.

My sisters are large, like me. They both run over 5'7'' and in excess of 180 lbs each. At one point one almost was diagnosed with TII diabetes at the age of twelve! That would've been terrible. Anyway, she's really changed for the better and I'm so proud that she did.

When I was 12, I was already 5'11'' 200 lbs. I always saw myself as fat. Now, I've never been over 220 nor under 190 since then... but I'm by no means where I should be. I went through many of these eating and exercise changes back in high school because I was simply determined to be a healthy, good looking individual. Diet and exercise was a means to do that. It definitely worked.

To this day, I've been consistently lifting weights since about the age of 13 (10 years now). Yes, I still have days where I don't want to go. Yes, it still hurts all the time. But you know what? I understand the ends that come from it. I understand the consequences of NOT exercising, stretching, and eating too much of the wrong food. I've herniated discs in my spine from deadlifting and had knee surgery from football. I've had dead periods where I had to start from scratch. I'll tell you this: if you earn your strength properly, it'll always be much easier to get it back. It's truly a blessing for me to now be capable of going all out in exercise doing extremely painful and difficult things without batting an eye. The pain has a purpose. I also take extreme pride in having that quality, as it's an uncommon one.

Now in terms of dieting: sometimes you need to just draw the line. I struggle with eating junk food myself. It's probably not at the extent you guys struggle, but it's still there. I only eat a handful of sweets for a dessert once per day usually, but I'd like to cut that down to 2-3x per week.

I've never followed a real diet, but that's because I go to school for food/nutrition so I feel capable of putting my own plans together given my knowledge. My biggest advice here is balance and calorie density. You want to have that quality balance of macronutrients (protein, fat, carbs). Calorie density pertains to the amount of calories per volume of food. For example: an apple will have less calories per size than a combination of granola bars of that same size. Take this into account when eating.

If you're having hunger pains and you go after 2 apples and a glass of water, you may see that quells your hunger very well. That's precisely why whole fruits and vegetables are so desirable in a healthy diet - less calories and more food... along with all the vital nutrients they provide.

I'm also a HUGE believer of proper hydration and electrolyte balance. If you drink a lot of coffee or other diuretics (products that cause your body to excrete fluids) you better make darn sure you are replacing that water and electrolytes! Being dehydrated can cause you to mistake that for hunger.

Also, don't consume calories through liquid. So many calories can get condensed into a soda pop or milk shake which gets metabolized quickly. The problem with metabolizing food quickly is that it spikes your blood sugar (inducing more hunger, and is how TII diabetes eventually occurs). It also give you a TON of a calories at once with NOWHERE to put them. If you go exercise after those calories.. great! If not, you're setting yourself up to gain fat.

Another thing to consider: WHEN you eat WHAT. If you eat a lot of calories when you aren't active, that energy has to go somewhere... simple as that. It's going to your gut unless you've been active and therefore your metabolism is spiked. Keep this in mind when you let yourself go over the weekends and don't exercise. It can be trouble.

I know food can be addicting, but I also don't sympathize with it too much. It's not the same as a drug addiction in my eyes. That being said, hunger is a primal urge and for some of us it's very difficult to fight what nature is pushing us to do. There are a bunch of tools to fight this, though.

Interesting hypothesis for those who say their body won't change no matter what they do: There's theories that people are genetically set to be within a certain body range, and will have to use extreme measures to leave it. That's why some of you may not be as lean as someone who works far less for their physique. Bottom line: we're not all the same.

Another explanation for why some people gain fat easier: Metabolically, skinny people lose energy (calories) through heat loss and are inefficient in storing this energy. During a different time, this would be undesirable as humans needed to store energy to survive. Conversely, people who put on fat easier are more efficient in storing energy... as an evolutionary way to survive. This would be desirable for humans who don't get to eat daily meals... think hunter-gatherer.

Honestly, I could go on forever... but I'll stop here.

EDIT: I should mention I've been around 195-210 the last 5ish years. I've never been as lean as I want to be (7%). I hover around 10% body fat. It's disappointing considering that I work so hard in the gym and eat well. My goal is to be 210 lbs at 7% body fat eventually. The more I learn the closer I get.

[CMH]

Re: Food Addiction? I think so..

There's no way I'm going to disagree with the people who say take it slow. You need to make gradual changes and I hear that the slower you lose weight, the more easy it is to keep it off.

That said, my mentality when I lost my weight was not like that at all. I was pretty hardcore in my caloric restrictions (I never counted calories but I was probably hovering above 1,000). My mentality was if I'm going to be unhappy and restricted, I'd might as well go all out and get the results I want. I also worked out more frequently then too. I set a goal for myself (b/w 170-180), and once I achieved 180, I started to add more calories a bit at a time (but was still dropping weight). I am so lucky I didn't gain it all back because I guess I did the opposite and instead of weaning off calories, I weaned back on. I got results super fast (80 lbs in less than a year), but when you do that, there's always that danger of gaining it back). I was super-motivated, and I guess it was my "quitting cold turkey".

Yea, and I'm in no way telling you that you're wrong (I know you didn't take it that way, but I just have to say it).

I think you were ready to just do it. Some people are just ready to stop smoking. They wake up one day and say: that's it - and they really mean it.

No disrespect to UNC, but I don't get that same energy from him. I worry that he'll take the hardcore approach and then give up.

[ODogg]

Re: Food Addiction? I think so..

PBlast - Someone else gave me that advice to, to start chatting them up now, which I've been doing. It's a good piece of advice I think. I am pretty comfortable talking to women now because I have no intention of asking them out or anything else. So when I have nothing on the line I'm able to talk "normal". I think what I need to work on a little is subtle flirting though because if nothing is at stake it's pretty easy for me.

But I 100% agree about the self-image issue. Honestly i've been overweight for so long and so down on myself I'm not sure I can ever get my self image back to where it should be. That's depressing to think but I keep trying anyways.

[ODogg]

Re: Food Addiction? I think so..

Yankeepride - I agree, for someone like Pete it's best to start slow and gradual. Perhaps at some point he will want to ramp it up, even if just for a while. I consider it a marathon but every so often I sprint. The trick is to not let the sprints get you down when you don't get the results you want. It can be devastating to diet strictly for 2 weeks, work your butt off in the gym and see no change on the scales at all. That's why most people give up. However if you're only working mildly at it, ie small changes, you aren't expecting big changes so you aren't disappointed as easily and stick with it.

[ODogg]

Re: Food Addiction? I think so..

One thing that's helped me too is I try to think like an NFL cornerback. When I get a pick for a TD (big weight loss) I celebrate. When I get burnt deep for six (big weight gain, overeating, eating badly) the next day I completely forget it. If you're a football fan you know how the mentality of an NFL cornerback has to be, and I think that sort of thing can benefit those looking to lose weight.

Last November I took a couple of trips and I put on 15 pounds in a month. When I got weighed in at fat club they thought the scales were wrong. Everyone looked at me as if they thought I would be devastated. I was not though. I was disappointed but I didn't let it get me down. I looked at it like, I lost it once, I can do it again. I got right back up on that horse and disregarded those terrible results and went right back to doing what got me to losing again.

Understanding the diet and exercise is only about 20% of the process IMO, the psychology of being fit is 80% of it. At least for me it is. In the old days gaining 15 pounds in a few weeks, effectively wiping out 3 or 4 months of work, would have made me say to heck with it. But now I think like an NFL cornerback and wipe it from my mind.

[Streets]

Re: Food Addiction? I think so..

The trick is to not let the sprints get you down when you don't get the results you want. It can be devastating to diet strictly for 2 weeks, work your butt off in the gym and see no change on the scales at all.

That's exactly what I meant when I said you have to believe in the process.

As far as the girls go, I think self-image is more important than image. This means that girls don't want the guy who is whining about how big he is and who hates himself regardless of how he looks.

I'll never forget this one time, I was talking to this girl at my school on this retreat (it was like three years ago) and she said casually (not bragging) that she's not an idiot and knows that she looks good. In my head I was like "huh?", I mean she was nothing special but after she said that I admit I found her more attractive.

Basically, confidence in yourself can go so far. For me, it was an A to B thing where if I lost weight I knew I'd gain more confidence (some people might even call me cocky at times, now, haha). I mean there's things about my body that I'm not happy with and some things that I may never be able to change, but it could be (and was) a lot worse.

My roommate is perplexed as to why I still work out and eat right even though I have a girl I love and have been with for two years. He's like "you already have someone". Short answer is, it's not for her, it's for me. Since losing weight, girls respond to me differently and some have blatantly said "I like you and am mad that you got a wifey at home". Now, it could be the weight loss, but more than anything else I think it's the fact that I'm happy and confident. It's just like once you get in a relationship (and are happy), that's when all the girls come out of the woodwork and throw themselves at you.

I hope the weight loss leads to you feeling that self worth, but it sounds like it's not a simple 1 to 1 with you, so whatever you need to get your confidence up, I hope you get it because that's what you need to find someone (I think anyway).

[elgreazy1]

Re: Food Addiction? I think so..

To this day, I've been consistently lifting weights since about the age of 13 (10 years now). Yes, I still have days where I don't want to go. Yes, it still hurts all the time. But you know what? I understand the ends that come from it. I understand the consequences of NOT exercising, stretching, and eating too much of the wrong food. I've herniated discs in my spine from deadlifting and had knee surgery from football. I've had dead periods where I had to start from scratch. I'll tell you this: if you earn your strength properly, it'll always be much easier to get it back. It's truly a blessing for me to now be capable of going all out in exercise doing extremely painful and difficult things without batting an eye. The pain has a purpose. I also take extreme pride in having that quality, as it's an uncommon one.

Same here. Having played in sports from football, powerlifting, track and in college cheerleading, strength training has always been important. I was proud as hell to squat 600+ in high school for powerlifting and won a meet as a freshman in my weight class; no way would I want to train like that again, though. And to this day it makes me proud to know that I can still leg press more than anyone in my local gym or that I completely out-work & destroy other people on leg-day. Oddly enough, I am most happy that I am still super flexible for being a big guy because stretching is something most people don't even care to do. It's not about taking pride in showing up other people but more so having pride in knowing the long journey it took me to get there and to see the benefits of it now or knowing that I did this on my own: no drugs, no cheating, nothing but hard work, blood, sweat and tears.

I've never followed a real diet, but that's because I go to school for food/nutrition so I feel capable of putting my own plans together given my knowledge. My biggest advice here is balance and calorie density. You want to have that quality balance of macronutrients (protein, fat, carbs). Calorie density pertains to the amount of calories per volume of food. For example: an apple will have less calories per size than a combination of granola bars of that same size. Take this into account when eating.

If you're having hunger pains and you go after 2 apples and a glass of water, you may see that quells your hunger very well. That's precisely why whole fruits and vegetables are so desirable in a healthy diet - less calories and more food... along with all the vital nutrients they provide.

This is one thing I learned recently on my "diet" which is size comparisons of food per calories. Take my homemade burger vs McD's example; you can get twice as much food for the same amount of calories. These are things people will have to learn when making that lifestyle change. The rule here is to try to trick your stomach with your eyes. Your gut can't see what you're eating, it just knows the amount your putting in so might as well shove the stuff that's more plentiful in there.

Fruits, berries and other foods with high fiber also really help with making a person feel full; not only that, they really help you go regularly which also helps with weight loss.

Another thing to consider: WHEN you eat WHAT. If you eat a lot of calories when you aren't active, that energy has to go somewhere... simple as that. It's going to your gut unless you've been active and therefore your metabolism is spiked. Keep this in mind when you let yourself go over the weekends and don't exercise. It can be trouble.

Or eating bigger meals right after the gym. That's the best time to 'cheat' IMO because your body is already digesting. By cheating I mean consuming more food but not necessarily bad food. Also, I make a point to not eat late at night when my body is in rest mode as well as not over-eating on the weekends when I'm not exercising.

Interesting hypothesis for those who say their body won't change no matter what they do: There's theories that people are genetically set to be within a certain body range, and will have to use extreme measures to leave it. That's why some of you may not be as lean as someone who works far less for their physique. Bottom line: we're not all the same.

Yes, case in point: me & my brothers. All of us are built differently yet have the same genes. My older brother (33) is 5'7" and overweight but that's mainly due to his lifestyle (drinking socially, eating fast food, etc) but when he was in his 20's he was fit and thin because he took care of himself. My younger brother (22) is 5'8" and roughly 180 but the kid is ripped due to working out & eating right. Myself, I'm 6', 240 and I basically have a LB/FB's build: mass. To this day I'm still not sure whether I would have rather sacrificed the couple inches in height for a faster metabolism.

[UNC_Pete]

Re: Food Addiction? I think so..

Yea, and I'm in no way telling you that you're wrong (I know you didn't take it that way, but I just have to say it).

I think you were ready to just do it. Some people are just ready to stop smoking. They wake up one day and say: that's it - and they really mean it.

No disrespect to UNC, but I don't get that same energy from him. I worry that he'll take the hardcore approach and then give up.

I don't think I'm taking a hardcore approach. I set my calorie intake to what live strong suggested (somewhere around 2,800 to lose 2lbs a week..) and it's crazy. I can't even eat that many calories if I'm cutting out or limiting my "problem" food. Yesterday I think I took in around 2,200 and didn't feel hungry at all.

I did just have a "binge" craving at home on my lunch break but instead of looking in the drawer I grabbed a diet dew and left the house to get back to work..