Stop Obsessing About Food for Weight-Loss Success
Many people who need to lose weight think about eating from the time they rise until the time they go to bed. From the moment they open their eyes upon waking they begin contemplating their next meal. In order to successfully lose weight and keep it off for good it's absolutely necessary to stop the cycle of mindless eating and end the overwhelming obsession with food. It's impossible to lose weight and keep it off for good when daily life revolves around food.
Changing Your Reasons for Eating
People eat for a variety of reasons; some eat out of boredom, others overeat because they love the taste and texture of food, and others eat to fill a void in their lives. The first step in stopping your obsession with food is to determine why you're overeating and making unhealthy choices. Once you determine why you aren't eating properly, you can begin to make positive and permanent changes.
There's nothing wrong with enjoying a tasty meal or snack, but if you want to lose weight and improve your overall health, you must change your reasons for eating. Begin focusing on eating to nourish your body, and make a conscious decision to stop overeating. When thinking of food, consider the healthy benefits first and foremost. When you eat solely to nourish your body you'll begin to improve yourself on the inside, and the improvements on the outside will naturally follow.
What is it Worth to You?
Before you eat a huge piece of cake or have a second helping at mealtime, ask yourself what it's worth. An occasional piece of cake or an occasional second helping won't really matter, but if you continue to eat an excessive amount of fattening foods on a regular basis, it will eventually catch up with you. Before you know it you will pack on the pounds, and that one piece of cake or that extra helping you really didn't need will take its toll on your body. Calories add up quickly, and once you have consumed 3,500 extra calories, you will gain one pound of body fat. Is it really worth it?
To remain focused on a healthy weight-loss plan, weigh the pleasure you gain from food and the pleasure of being able to wear a smaller size. Would you rather eat an excessive amount of fattening foods and continue to gain weight, or would you rather lose weight and turn heads while wearing a tight-fitting pair of designer jeans? The choice is yours, and it's up to you to decide which scenario you want to make a reality.
Worthwhile Substitutions
Next time you're bored and begin to think of food, ask yourself if you're really even hungry. Many people forget what it's like to actually feel hunger because they regularly overeat, and they graze on goodies all day long. Allow yourself to become hungry before eating your next meal instead of relying on the clock, and eat to nourish your body instead of eating purely for pleasure. You'll take more pleasure in the foods you eat when you control your portions and eat when you're truly hungry.
If you are guilty of eating in an attempt to satisfy a need of some sort, instead of eating when you're bored, find a hobby to fill the void in your life. Find a satisfying activity to occupy your body and mind, and make sure that activity provides more satisfaction and pleasure than eating. Once you have a gratifying activity to think about and something to look forward to other than eating you'll stop obsessing about food and finally achieve weight-loss success.