My entire life, my head has been preoccupied with food noise. At all times of day, I am thinking about what I want to eat, what I shouldn’t eat, what I ate, when I should eat, what I regret eating, what I’m desiring, etc. It has been like way for as long as I can remember, and despite my best efforts to distract myself with other activities, I am unable to shake it. I have no idea how to stop it, and I only recently discovered that the majority of individuals do not have similar ideas. I believe I was born this way, despite the fact that my familial dynamics have contributed to this.I have relatively strong self-control in all other aspects of my life, so I don’t believe my continual thinking and indulging in food is the result of being undisciplined. The only advice I seem to hear is to be busier or to join Ozempic. I’m never not busy, so that’s out of the question, but I’m also 99 percent certain I don’t qualify for ozempic or other medications. Any advice?
For me, what works is to imagine how I would feel after eating it. Potato chips are difficult for me to resist, but I know that within 30 seconds to a minute, my enjoyment will fade, and I will wish I hadn’t eaten them. So I focus on it. Is 30 seconds of pleasure worth hours or days of discomfort? Symptoms may include weight gain, acne, bloating, and indigestion.
First, ensure that you are not eating things that trigger cravings. This involves avoiding high-sugar processed foods, junk food, and fast eats.
In my experience, frequent exercise reduces cravings and hunger. I can’t locate any studies on this, but I believe if you looked into it, you’d see that it’s true for the general population. For one thing, whether I’m out for a walk or a bike ride, I’m much further away from the kitchen! But I recall reading somewhere that this communicates to our metabolism that, as hunter-gatherers, we’re out looking for food, so we can keep burning calories.
Avoid sweets, including sugar-free sweets.
Drink plenty of pure water, not coffee or tea.
Reduce carbohydrate-rich foods such as potatoes, bread, and pasta.
Ensure that you consume adequate protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and fibre. This is often composed of meat (including fish) and colourful veggies.
Exercise regularly. At least a couple of times every week.
Skipping breakfast one day and exercising before lunch can help with this transition. Then, have a lunch with meat and vegetables but no roots or cereals. A large salad. Avoid sauces that are sweet, such as teriyaki sauce, as well as those that are fat-free but not low in calories.
Keep a dietary diary. Write down everything you consume, including the cream you put in your coffee. Everything. No judgements, just observations. Much of what we do is unconscious. Eating in front of the television and such. So, the first step is to become aware.
One way that works for me is to sleep. If I don’t eat when I wake up, I don’t feel hungry. If I feel hungry, a drink of water seems to alleviate it. I can go all day without eating anything. I subsequently realised that eating soon after waking up makes me feel sick to some level. Foods that I used to enjoy are no longer of interest.
However, as soon as I eat something, it’s all over. I feel hungry until I fall asleep again.
I’m not trying to make sense of anything; it’s just something to think about and discuss.
Put yourself in situations where you truly need to concentrate on what you’re doing. It could be chess, a musical instrument, art, or brain challenges. It could be martial arts or using power equipment. If it is something that requires your complete attention, you will forget about food. At least momentarily.
Intense workouts helped to reduce my appetite. It’s lot easier to push food out of my mind and force myself to stop eating if I stick to a strict training schedule - at least four days a week, and intensity is crucial.
Stick to three meals every day, then. Breakfast, lunch, and supper. Consume foods in moderation. There’s nothing wrong with eating a small amount of food as long as you can expend the calories. The most serious issue is when you lose control of your eating habits.