CW: Overeating Issues

[bluepianist]

So for a while now I've had a bad relationship with food. I always resort to sugar/carbs and I'll finish off a whole package of something by myself in one sitting. It really makes me feel gross and unhappy afterwards. I can feel my body changing with it too which is even more stressful....overall having bad body image issues too. I'm not sure why I can't fight these urges to eat. A few years ago I was an exercise fanatic...always on a sports team so my appetite was fairly normal...still had cravings, but not as much and my body could handle the food because of my metabolism at the time. Now with the big C (covid) I'm afraid to join college intramurals/clubs because of risk of spread---and I'm also bad at doing workouts at home. I'm not sure what will help at this point. Any thoughts?

[Hidden]

Are there any zoom fitness classes that you could do?

[Blueruth]

You just need to rethink food. There is more to it than this but here are some tips...Are you waiting until you are hungry or eating regularly? That will make you crave and your inner devil takes over. That is when I order in for lunch instead of making it. Low density foods fill you up more than high density foods. Almost all processed food is high density. Most veggies and fruits are low density. It takes a little while to make that switch but you can if you track and take it slow. The message here is you do not have to be hungry to lose weight. (Side note: juice is no better than a sugar drink where sugar intake is concerned.)Sugar is addictive. Carbs generate sugar. I can totally vouch for that. Last winter I went through a period where I was craving ice cream like crazy (it was med related). I was able to kick it but it took a while. It was a little like kicking a drug or smoking. In this case only working at it will help.

Track your food intake. That is the only way to really learn where your weakness is. Fitness pal is the most popular. It is a pain but truly it is about self education. What are the bad foods? How can I make better choices?

I like Noom. If you can pay for that I highly recommend it. You are exactly their target audience. It is like have a nutritionist and teacher but virtual. I am not a novice to nutrition but I still learned a ton. I can also recommend PlateJoy. You get a menu and shopping list. They basically teach you how to make meals. I use it for healthy but quick meals. I don't want to spend all day in the kitchen or figuring out what to eat so I let it tell me. It is not free but you probably save money if you are buying a lot of takeout and processed food.

We all know exercise is important but you do not need to spend an hour every day at the gym. In fact they now think that doesn't do that much for weight loss and it isn't sustainable for most. Just move. Dance in your living room. Go for walks. Work them into something else if you must such as the long way around campus or stairs instead of elevator. Online youtube classes. All that matters is your are moving and it isn't a total chore. Hope that starts to get you in the right direction.

[Blueruth]

Here is some more information. If you can't read it send me a PM and I can send you a gift link. nytimes.com/2022/01/03/well...