I just try and keep myself as busy as possible! In the beginning it was a lot harder, but I think as time goes on it does get easier and the volume of the food noise becomes pretty quiet.
I find that sipping on tea (my favourite at the moment is peppermint and licorice tea) and keeping my fluids up helps a lot! And I prioritise getting enough protein and fibre in my meals :)
Getting enough protein and fiber is so important to keeping yourself full. I drink a lot of green tea during the day too. I just put a few tea bags in a mason jar, fill it up with water, and throw it in the fridge for a day. It is way too hot here for me to drink hot tea during the day.
the only thing that ever helped me was really tuning into my hunger signals and only eating when i felt physical hunger in my body- the mental stuff will be a challenge at first but it will go away with practice of assessing it and moving on. do activities you enjoy and are very absorbing- games, tik tok, crafting, art, reading.
chewing gum and drinking water if you have an oral fixation also helps!
I stay busy. If I'm at home, I just look in the mirror and that usually does the trick. I have also found that snacking on carrot sticks and drinking a low calorie or zero calorie carbonated beverage helps.
Plan my meals, and eat smaller, more frequent meals.
For example today I had breakfast at 8am - skyr/yoghurt, psyllium husk and frozen cherries, at 10am I had tuna salad with lettuce and low cal mayo, and a babybel. at 1pm I will have lunch - a burrito with 130g beef mince, salad, and a low carb wrap. then at 3pm I'll have a protein bar... and then at 5:30-6 I'll have dinner - buffalo chicken rice... and then an ice cream bar or fibre one bar!
I'm better at both sticking to my diet, and not thinking about food all day if my meals are planned.
Usually I log my meals in lose it the night before in bed.
Doing activities that engage my mind. Reading has me focusing hard on the world building and imagining what is happening better than watching tv does. Knitting and crochet makes me focus on my stitches and pattern changes more than scrolling through Reddit or Instagram.
Then there’s all the physical stuff I have to do, like my job, housework, going for walks, or weight lifting. Keeping my body moving keeps my mind off of food. The food noise gets loud when I stop moving.
Keeping water nearby, and since I like having something in my mouth, plenty of low calorie raw veggies and fruits. Gum is ok but it makes my jaw ache after a while. I like crunchy carrots or lettuce better.
Contrave. Turns out I'm addicted to food, and that medicine shuts that shit right up. Lost 20lbs so far in about 4 months.
That, and I'm in therapy and seeing a dietician, and trying to focus on being more fit so I can play better outdoors.
I also second those who say stay busy.
Best of luck.
It's a medicine that is part anti-depressant, half anti-addiction medicine, that is used to supplement weight loss efforts, especially when normal efforts aren't working as they should.
Obsessive and intrusive thoughts about food, far more than actual hunger. Most obese people have thoughts creeping in constantly during every waking hour.
I drink a lot of tea, spa water, and coffee; get a ton of fiber, volume eating, and have healthy calorie-budgeted snacks in my fridge. I tried ignoring food noise but it didn't work so I answer the noise with better choices.
I accept that I’m going to be uncomfortable with the emotions and impulses I have. I sit in the discomfort and think of something that could help distract or satisfy me. If I should eat, like if I’m actually hungry or feeling deprived or sick, then I’ll eat something (usually healthy or low cal, or a halo top lol). It’s better to have a maintenance day, than to make yourself miserable in the process of losing weight. Some days are going to be harder and you may need more fuel.
This is tough advice and willpower isn't a never-ending resource so it won't always work for food.
That said, I used this exact mindset to give up smoking cold turkey so it definitely works for other kinds of addiction.
Same. I used this mindset to stop smoking and it worked. With food I also find it more tricky, but I try to be very aware when it’s mere noise that can be accepted as unpleasant so that I just let myself be uncomfortable for the sake of reaching my goals… and when it is actual hunger cues or signs of deprivation or sth. Tricky indeed. What would you say is your strategy for that? Especially considering you also know the comparison to giving up smoking?
For me, I try to feel out whether the noise is coming from my brain or my stomach. If I can feel physical hunger cues, I eat. If it's just my brain then I try to distract with a sparkling water or a chewing gum.
But of course, willpower isn't a never-ending resource. Sometimes the answer is a small but filling snack like a babybel or a handful of nuts. And sometimes I just accept that I can't be perfect and the cravings will occasionally win. It's not like we can go cold turkey on food after all!
I just try and keep myself as busy as possible! In the beginning it was a lot harder, but I think as time goes on it does get easier and the volume of the food noise becomes pretty quiet. I find that sipping on tea (my favourite at the moment is peppermint and licorice tea) and keeping my fluids up helps a lot! And I prioritise getting enough protein and fibre in my meals :)
Getting enough protein and fiber is so important to keeping yourself full. I drink a lot of green tea during the day too. I just put a few tea bags in a mason jar, fill it up with water, and throw it in the fridge for a day. It is way too hot here for me to drink hot tea during the day.
the only thing that ever helped me was really tuning into my hunger signals and only eating when i felt physical hunger in my body- the mental stuff will be a challenge at first but it will go away with practice of assessing it and moving on. do activities you enjoy and are very absorbing- games, tik tok, crafting, art, reading. chewing gum and drinking water if you have an oral fixation also helps!
Just close the refrigerator door and let them talk among themselves
Haha! I like that way of thinking about it!
I stay busy. If I'm at home, I just look in the mirror and that usually does the trick. I have also found that snacking on carrot sticks and drinking a low calorie or zero calorie carbonated beverage helps.
Plan my meals, and eat smaller, more frequent meals. For example today I had breakfast at 8am - skyr/yoghurt, psyllium husk and frozen cherries, at 10am I had tuna salad with lettuce and low cal mayo, and a babybel. at 1pm I will have lunch - a burrito with 130g beef mince, salad, and a low carb wrap. then at 3pm I'll have a protein bar... and then at 5:30-6 I'll have dinner - buffalo chicken rice... and then an ice cream bar or fibre one bar! I'm better at both sticking to my diet, and not thinking about food all day if my meals are planned. Usually I log my meals in lose it the night before in bed.
This is really helpful, thank you
Zepbound
anti anxiety medication
Doing activities that engage my mind. Reading has me focusing hard on the world building and imagining what is happening better than watching tv does. Knitting and crochet makes me focus on my stitches and pattern changes more than scrolling through Reddit or Instagram. Then there’s all the physical stuff I have to do, like my job, housework, going for walks, or weight lifting. Keeping my body moving keeps my mind off of food. The food noise gets loud when I stop moving.
Right now, Wegovy. Food noise has dialled down from an all-encompassing 11/10 to a very manageable 1/10.
Keeping water nearby, and since I like having something in my mouth, plenty of low calorie raw veggies and fruits. Gum is ok but it makes my jaw ache after a while. I like crunchy carrots or lettuce better.
Contrave. Turns out I'm addicted to food, and that medicine shuts that shit right up. Lost 20lbs so far in about 4 months. That, and I'm in therapy and seeing a dietician, and trying to focus on being more fit so I can play better outdoors. I also second those who say stay busy. Best of luck.
Never heard of this!
It's a medicine that is part anti-depressant, half anti-addiction medicine, that is used to supplement weight loss efforts, especially when normal efforts aren't working as they should.
Amazing.
Becoming an ingredient household and drinking water all day. Food that’s ready to eat is food that’s about to be eaten.
What is food noise? Honestly
Obsessive and intrusive thoughts about food, far more than actual hunger. Most obese people have thoughts creeping in constantly during every waking hour.
Shit, I didn't know there was a name for that
I was prescribed fluoxetine…. Seems to be working
I drink a lot of tea, spa water, and coffee; get a ton of fiber, volume eating, and have healthy calorie-budgeted snacks in my fridge. I tried ignoring food noise but it didn't work so I answer the noise with better choices.
I accept that I’m going to be uncomfortable with the emotions and impulses I have. I sit in the discomfort and think of something that could help distract or satisfy me. If I should eat, like if I’m actually hungry or feeling deprived or sick, then I’ll eat something (usually healthy or low cal, or a halo top lol). It’s better to have a maintenance day, than to make yourself miserable in the process of losing weight. Some days are going to be harder and you may need more fuel.
This is tough advice and willpower isn't a never-ending resource so it won't always work for food. That said, I used this exact mindset to give up smoking cold turkey so it definitely works for other kinds of addiction.
Same. I used this mindset to stop smoking and it worked. With food I also find it more tricky, but I try to be very aware when it’s mere noise that can be accepted as unpleasant so that I just let myself be uncomfortable for the sake of reaching my goals… and when it is actual hunger cues or signs of deprivation or sth. Tricky indeed. What would you say is your strategy for that? Especially considering you also know the comparison to giving up smoking?
For me, I try to feel out whether the noise is coming from my brain or my stomach. If I can feel physical hunger cues, I eat. If it's just my brain then I try to distract with a sparkling water or a chewing gum. But of course, willpower isn't a never-ending resource. Sometimes the answer is a small but filling snack like a babybel or a handful of nuts. And sometimes I just accept that I can't be perfect and the cravings will occasionally win. It's not like we can go cold turkey on food after all!
Following!