Food mentality

jackbutler

Im not a skinny guy, i wouldnt call myself fat, but im bulky.
Some people gain fat central to their tummy, however it seems that i gain weight in places like my thighs, calves, and hips. Therefore my stomach doesn't stick out too much, but its still there. Also, my body is pretty broad for a 15 year old, and as i know this cannot be changed through diet, im not complaining too loud.

But what i think it is thats making me gain weight when i do is the mentality i have towards food.

I seem to see it as fun to eat, so i try and eat a range of things, but instead of choosing a healthy range of food, i simply have anything.

This has become a habit, naturally, so my food schedule has become pretty radical.

I was wondering if anyone else had these kinds of problems, and how they overcame it, or how they overcame this mentality.

EileenG

I can absolutely empathise. When it comes to food, I have no "off" switch. If it's there, I feel I have to eat it.

Things that I find help: When you are eating, don't do anything else. Turn off the tv and radio, don't read a book. Concentrate on the food you are eating. Taste it and smell it and really experience it. If you eat while watching tv, it's easy to miss the experience of eating and to literally forget that you have had a meal.

Eat the stuff you like first. If you grew up being told to clear your plate, this can be difficult, but it makes a huge difference. If you leave the nice food to the end, you may be full, but you'll keep eating. If the nice stuff is gone and all that's left is the stuff you are not so keen on, you are more likely to stop when you are not hungry.

Eat what you like, but wait until you are actually hungry. Eat sitting down at the table. Eat slowly.

Piste

This is all really good advice!



One thing is the ingrained link we have in our heads which makes "sweet things = treat = MUST EAT NOW" I guess it comes from only being allowed chocolate or whatever if we were good as a kid. I suppose the best thing to do here is try to sever that link, so whenever you see a treat you don't immediately eat it for the sake of it.


Also try to only eat food you like (the healthier foods you like!) that way you'll be less likely to treat yourself as compensation for eating horrible but healthy muck.

El_Dangeroso

Absolutely agree with Eileen. I think most of us grew up being praised for a clean plate.

Eat the things you really love and savour every bite with no distractions. Also buy smaller quantities of better quality food. Buy the small bar of green and black's 70% or the best meat and eggs you can afford. Rubbish is really easy to overeat if your not paying attention.

Also, don't complain about being a broad set lad.. many guys would kill to have a broad frame

EileenG

As an experiment a while ago, I tried eating one food a day for two weeks. Different food every day, and they all had to reasonably healthy, but stuff I liked. One day was chocolate day. I ate very dark chocolate all day, and I swear, by the end of the day, I was really sick of it. Ok, I still like chocolate, but it has lost some of its fascination for me, and I'm a lot more picky about it.

Another thing that might be useful is to keep flavours simple. It's easier to stop when you are full if your meal has two or three flavours than if it has six or nine. If you are eating boiled eggs, even with salt and butter, you will stop when you've had enough. If those eggs are in Spanish omlette with lots of different ingredients, you are more likely to keep eating just because you like the taste.

corkcomp

EileenG wrote: »

As an experiment a while ago, I tried eating one food a day for two weeks. Different food every day, and they all had to reasonably healthy, but stuff I liked. One day was chocolate day. I ate very dark chocolate all day, and I swear, by the end of the day, I was really sick of it. Ok, I still like chocolate, but it has lost some of its fascination for me, and I'm a lot more picky about it.

Another thing that might be useful is to keep flavours simple. It's easier to stop when you are full if your meal has two or three flavours than if it has six or nine. If you are eating boiled eggs, even with salt and butter, you will stop when you've had enough. If those eggs are in Spanish omlette with lots of different ingredients, you are more likely to keep eating just because you like the taste.

even taking that idea into account people need to accept that a certain ammount of willpower is required! i have seen loads of posters on here saying that if its in their cupboard they have to eat it.... thats a poor excuse IMO .. people will find excuses for almost anything, not enough time to exercise, not skilled enough to cook fresh meals... As much as i like chocolate, i will now eat half of a 100G bar and then let the rest for 3 or 4 days time ... It does take willpower to stop half way thru but hey! suck it up people

g'em

It's not a poor excuse, it's the reality for a lot of people, myself included. You can call me weak-willed all you like, and if that makes you feel better about yourself then whoopie.

I was taught to eat everything on my plate as a kid. That's one 'excuse'. But I'm also an emotional overeater. That's 'excuse' number two. Now if you'd like to sit down with me sometime and help me get to the bottom of my deep rooted neuroses to help me improve my so-called lack of willpower just give me a time and place, I'd be delighted to try and get that particular gremlin off my back.

There's a very extensive and very real list of reasons why people overeat, and some of them are more serious than others. I think it's highly insensitive to dismiss it as poor willpower.

corkcomp

g'em wrote: »

It's not a poor excuse, it's the reality for a lot of people, myself included. You can call me weak-willed all you like, and if that makes you feel better about yourself then whoopie.

I was taught to eat everything on my plate as a kid. That's one 'excuse'. But I'm also an emotional overeater. That's 'excuse' number two. Now if you'd like to sit down with me sometime and help me get to the bottom of my deep rooted neuroses to help me improve my so-called lack of willpower just give me a time and place, I'd be delighted to try and get that particular gremlin off my back.

There's a very extensive and very real list of reasons why people overeat, and some of them are more serious than others. I think it's highly insensitive to dismiss it as poor willpower.

fair enough .. BUT there are always going to be temptations .. Walking past a vending machine, in a friend / family house for a meal, in a restaurant etc.. If anyone wants help with emotional eating problems i guess there are certain professionals who can help and im certainly not one of them but for the majority of people i cant see any other way other than sheer willpower as its almost impossible to avoid all situations where "bad" food might be present

EileenG

Will power is a factor, but the "If it's in the cupboard, I have to eat it" is a real and compelling feeling.

I'm very green about recycling etc, but it does mean I find it incredibly difficult to let food go bad in the fridge. I have a compulsion to eat it, even if I'm not hungry or I don't like it much. I can't bear the idea of it going to waste. Now, I make a point of buying small portions of food, even though the big sizes might be cheaper. Tesco sells peanuts at 29 cent for 200g. But if I buy those, I'll eat 200g of peanuts. So I buy the 25g bags from the newsagent that cost 79 cent each.

I never buy cakes or biscuits, even though I have children. I do buy flour and let them bake their own. Even at my most obsessive, I draw the line at eating flour!

I do find it interesting how much more difficult it is to stop eating in the house, compared with out in town. When I have to buy my food as I eat it, I go much longer between meals.

corkcomp

EileenG wrote: »

Will power is a factor, but the "If it's in the cupboard, I have to eat it" is a real and compelling feeling.

I'm very green about recycling etc, but it does mean I find it incredibly difficult to let food go bad in the fridge. I have a compulsion to eat it, even if I'm not hungry or I don't like it much. I can't bear the idea of it going to waste. Now, I make a point of buying small portions of food, even though the big sizes might be cheaper. Tesco sells peanuts at 29 cent for 200g. But if I buy those, I'll eat 200g of peanuts. So I buy the 25g bags from the newsagent that cost 79 cent each.

I never buy cakes or biscuits, even though I have children. I do buy flour and let them bake their own. Even at my most obsessive, I draw the line at eating flour!

I do find it interesting how much more difficult it is to stop eating in the house, compared with out in town. When I have to buy my food as I eat it, I go much longer between meals.

thats all great in theory, but what about when your kids get older if they choose to buy certain food which may not fit into your eating plan? If like a lot of people you live in an environment where other adults choose to stock the press with biscuits / cakes and other junk you need to just accept that you may need to come up with some strategy not to touch it! I guess everyone should be free to eat junk if they chose to so it would be a bit militant to expect house mates / family to avoid buying temptation foods...

EileenG

I'm an adult, I live in the real world and I can cope with food that doesn't work for me. I just don't see any need to fill my own kitchen with it. A lot of the food my kids love is just not food as far as I am concerned, so I am not tempted. I can go into McDonalds and not even feel peckish, it just doesn't appeal. But peanuts, that's another matter. I'll keep eating those until they are gone.

El_Dangeroso

Willpower? Willpower is walking in the rain for 20 minutes to buy chocolate and crisps. You don't need willpower to lose weight, you just need a steadfast resolution to make better choices, and if you eat enough protein and fat, you don't feel hungry.

Of course you might cheat, everyone does from time to time, but that steadfast resolution will get you back on the diet horse the next day and that's what matters.

ali.c

corkcomp wrote: »

thats all great in theory, but what about when your kids get older if they choose to buy certain food which may not fit into your eating plan? If like a lot of people you live in an environment where other adults choose to stock the press with biscuits / cakes and other junk you need to just accept that you may need to come up with some strategy not to touch it! I guess everyone should be free to eat junk if they chose to so it would be a bit militant to expect house mates / family to avoid buying temptation foods...

Its not only willpower, part of making good choices and improving your diet is also about creating a supportive atmosphere for yourself too. It is a lot easier to eat food that is in the house. for example, about 8/9 years ago I stopped eating crisips as they werent in the house anymore and I really wasnt that bothered about going to the shop to buy them. No willpower involved really just pure laziness on my part.

Sure its good to be part of the real world and of course temptation is always there but why if you could avoid it would you make it harder on yourself than it has to be?

Equally in family settings it is important that those around you are supportive of your goals is it not?

corkcomp

ali.c wrote: »

Equally in family settings it is important that those around you are supportive of your goals is it not?

absolutely! BUT its equally important that other family members / housemates should be allowed to have their own goals and if they want to eat junk or some food that you do not / should not it wouldnt be fair to expect them to change IMO

ali.c

corkcomp wrote: »

absolutely! BUT its equally important that other family members / housemates should be allowed to have their own goals and if they want to eat junk or some food that you do not / should not it wouldnt be fair to expect them to change IMO

My Oh regularly eats things that are not in my food plan, biscuits, chocolate, bread, pasta ice cream etc. I have no problem with any of this but then if he wants chocolate he buys a bar or two he certainly doesnt feel the need to stock the presses with **** food. I do not expect him to change what I do expect is for him to show some considerations for my goals by not stocking our presses full of **** food. 24/7 access to junk food is not a requirement for anyone.....

On the housemates thing well thats a whole different issue, normally in shared accomodation you buy and prepare your own food, certainly in my experience eating food that didnt belong to you was considered to be well at the very least a bit rude..........

corkcomp

ali.c wrote: »

My Oh regularly eats things that are not in my food plan, biscuits, chocolate, bread, pasta ice cream etc. I have no problem with any of this but then if he wants chocolate he buys a bar or two he certainly doesnt feel the need to stock the presses with **** food. I do not expect him to change what I do expect is for him to show some considerations for my goals by not stocking our presses full of **** food. 24/7 access to junk food is not a requirement for anyone.....

On the housemates thing well thats a whole different issue, normally in shared accomodation you buy and prepare your own food, certainly in my experience eating food that didnt belong to you was considered to be well at the very least a bit rude..........

if i were to look in our kitchen right now i could find tons of crap food, and the freezer .. wooo thats even worse .. i have no problem walking right past it though .. i find if i eat a LOT of good food, enough so that im never actually hungry it isnt really an issue ... having said that, if i REALLY fancied a bowl of choc chip ice cream or a bar of choc etc i would have it, just not every day ..

ali.c

corkcomp wrote: »

if i were to look in our kitchen right now i could find tons of crap food, and the freezer .. wooo thats even worse .. i have no problem walking right past it though .. i find if i eat a LOT of good food, enough so that im never actually hungry it isnt really an issue ... having said that, if i REALLY fancied a bowl of choc chip ice cream or a bar of choc etc i would have it, just not every day ..

Good for you! But how is that helpful to someone who can't do that?*

My point is that for some people it is not that simple and while its all well and good saying will power is all you need and if you cant not eating something it is cause you have crap will power then that really is not particularly helpful. If you have a certain mentality about food it doesnt make sense to make things harder than they have to be. A supportive environment is sometimes the reasons why people fail to meet there goals. Ah go on have a slice of cake sure it wont kill you..... and no seriously eat some of this......

*incidentally when it comes to food I going through phases of eating really really clean not a bother about it and then through others where I really struggle with it. Its not a case of my having good will power half the time and crap will power the other half of the time.

corkcomp

ali.c wrote: »

Good for you! But how is that helpful to someone who can't do that?*

My point is that for some people it is not that simple and while its all well and good saying will power is all you need and if you cant not eating something it is cause you have crap will power then that really is not particularly helpful. If you have a certain mentality about food it doesnt make sense to make things harder than they have to be. A supportive environment is sometimes the reasons why people fail to meet there goals. Ah go on have a slice of cake sure it wont kill you..... and no seriously eat some of this......

*incidentally when it comes to food I going through phases of eating really really clean not a bother about it and then through others where I really struggle with it. Its not a case of my having good will power half the time and crap will power the other half of the time.

right. I guess there is no simpler way of putting it than: some people can have crap food around them and just avoid the temptation, others dont find it as easy, human nature i guess and people should go with WHATEVER works best for them

ali.c

corkcomp wrote: »

right. I guess there is no simpler way of putting it than: some people can have crap food around them and just avoid the temptation, others dont find it as easy, human nature i guess and people should go with WHATEVER works best for them

LOL its also fair to say that some foods are more tempting to some people than to others. Like I dont really like ice cream doesnt bother me at all if i dont eat it. Its not some feat of will power if I abstain its just that it didnt really tempt me all that much to begin with

Macha

ali.c wrote: »

LOL its also fair to say that some foods are more tempting to some people than to others. Like I dont really like ice cream doesnt bother me at all if i dont eat it. Its not some feat of will power if I abstain its just that it didnt really tempt me all that much to begin with

Yeah with ice-cream I can take it or leave it. Buttered toast/muffins/pancakes? Just can't let it pass me by...mmm...