Portion sizes -- US v. UK

* In Psychology 1  in University, we learned that there are 4 things that make you want to eat:

1. Low blood sugar
2. Low level of nutrients in the cells
3. Empty stomach
4. Sensing food (e.g. seeing or smelling it).

Overweight people are more likely to respond to reason #4 than to the other reasons.

There's actually a very substanital amount of evidence that compulsive overeating has absolutely nothing to do with any physical signals (hunger, blood sugar, smell, etc.) and that in fact these physical cues are often "faulty" (for lack of a better word) in people with eating issues because they've been overridden by cues such as lonliness, boredom, anxiety, depression, etc. In essence this often boils down to two reasons: trying to "stuff" feelings or trying to fill a perceived or subconscious emptiness....

No excuses, reasons, or whatever.  I just very simply love food.  I love the smell of it cooking, I love the textures, the tastes, the everything about it.

I LOVE FOOD and I'm not ashamed to say it!

No excuses, reasons, or whatever. I just very simply love food. I love the smell of it cooking, I love the textures, the tastes, the everything about it.

I LOVE FOOD and I'm not ashamed to say it!

AMEN to that!!!

Funny thing is I met 2 of my really good friends here in DC through weightwatchers boards. We all love food - so we eat out, sometimes healthy, sometimes not, but we bond over food. We've bonded over more than that now, but it all seems to come back to food.

No excuses, reasons, or whatever.  I just very simply love food.  I love the smell of it cooking, I love the textures, the tastes, the everything about it.

I LOVE FOOD and I'm not ashamed to say it!

Me too! You know how all diet programs ask you why you're eating? Do you eat out of boredom? When you're stressed? When you're sad? All those silly questions. NO! I EAT BECAUSE I LOVE TO!!

I like thinking about food, talking about it, reading about it, shopping for it, cooking it, etc.

But I also know that, for the sake of my own health, I need to keep a rein on my eating. So that's what I do. But, for me, there's no psychology to it.

I like thinking about food, talking about it, reading about it, shopping for it, cooking it, etc.

But I also know that, for the sake of my own health, I need to keep a rein on my eating. So that's what I do. But, for me, there's no psychology to it.

The funny (and awful) thing for me is that I do it for both reasons. When I'm feeling happy and on an even-keel, I love talking, reading, shopping, cooking and eating. But when I'm feeling down on myself, on life, or whatever, I go to the other extreme and it becomes a punishment of sorts - I know I'm "using" it the way people use drugs and I know it's hurting me, and it becomes a never-ending cycle of eating 'cause I feel bad, feeling bad because I'm eating. I have a long and very f****ed up relationship with food, eating and my body.... 

I know I'm "using" it the way people use drugs and I know it's hurting me, and it becomes a never-ending cycle of eating 'cause I feel bad, feeling bad because I'm eating. I have a long and very f****ed up relationship with food, eating and my body.... 

Anne, you may think you need to lose a few pounds, but you're far from morbidly obese -- so I wouldn't really compare your overeating to drug use! You're not really harming your health! But I do know what you mean about having a f***ed up food relationship. I really did in my teens, but now food and I are just madly in love with each other. It's a healthy relationship now!

Anne, you may think you need to lose a few pounds, but you're far from morbidly obese -- so I wouldn't really compare your overeating to drug use! You're not really harming your health! But I do know what you mean about having a f***ed up food relationship. I really did in my teens, but now food and I are just madly in love with each other. It's a healthy relationship now!

Thanks, H. But I still binge sometimes. Like not tasting what I'm eating - just stuffing as much as I can in my stomach to choke down feelings that I don't want to feel.... Eating huge amounts when I'm not hungry, but am feeling self-conscious 'cause it's easier to concentrate on eating than on myself. For real - I still fall into really bad patterns. Lots of therapy has made it more managable, but I still have my moments.... I used to be bullimic though, so at least I'm not going down that road anymore....

Thanks, H. But I still binge sometimes. Like not tasting what I'm eating - just stuffing as much as I can in my stomach to choke down feelings that I don't want to feel.... Eating huge amounts when I'm not hungry, but am feeling self-conscious 'cause it's easier to concentrate on eating than on myself. For real - I still fall into really bad patterns. Lots of therapy has made it more managable, but I still have my moments.... I used to be bullimic though, so at least I'm not going down that road anymore....

Wow. Glad you're doing better, Anne. Hugs xxx

Wow. Glad you're doing better, Anne. Hugs xxx

  It's a horrid thing to get stuck in. I try to talk about it as often and as openly as I can because it's a weird sort of "sickness" (for lack of a better word) and when you're in it, at least for me, you're aware that it seems weird and you're convinced that no one else does it. It's like you step outside of yourself and can see what you're doing, but you can't stop, and you think it's making you feel better until you're finished, but then you feel worse and feel like you have to compensate for it somehow - which is where the bullimia comes in - or compulsive exercise which I did too. In fact I got help when I saw a flyer at my gym about it.... But finding out other people do the same thing can really help....

Anne-
Familiar issues! Glad to hear you are doing better with it- always a constant struggle.
(Ever drive through one fast food place, then hide the bag and drive through another so the folks at the window wouldn't "notice" how much you are eating??? My mother thought it was nuts, but one of her friends is an ex-binger, and we were laughing about it. . . )
Anyway- I'm another that's been in the same boat- am now weight watchering and going to a structured gym 3xs a week so I don't overexert. It takes constant vigilance and its so hard to assess your feelings rather than stuff them down with food, hoping the discomfort and pain will deaden your emotional hurt.
Stay strong, and good luck!

(Ever drive through one fast food place, then hide the bag and drive through another so the folks at the window wouldn't "notice" how much you are eating???

Yup. I think that's a pretty common one! Or try to make it sound like there are other people in the room when you're ordering delivery food so they won't think you're ordering only for yourself.... Secrecy and shame are HUGE parts of compulsive eating. And of bullimia too. Sorry if this is TMI for some, but I used to go to the drug store, buy laxatives and crouch over the trunk of my car taking them out of the box while it was still in the bag so no one would know....

Again, not trying to be gross or upsetting to anyone - just trying to take a bit of the secrecy out of some pretty soul-destroying behaviours in case anyone is doing it and thinking they're alone....

Anyway- I'm another that's been in the same boat- am now weight watchering and going to a structured gym 3xs a week so I don't overexert.

Good for you!!! I still struggle to find the happy medium sometimes - being sensible and healthy without getting carried away....

its so hard to assess your feelings rather than stuff them down with food, hoping the discomfort and pain will deaden your emotional hurt.

Absolutely. You know those little fridge magnets with "today I'm feeling" and little cartoon character faces each displaying an emotion? My therapist once gave me one and asked me to chose what I was feeling and I pointed to about 7 of them, mostly negative, and she pointed out that that was an awful lot of feelings to be swirling around in me all at once - it was a means of showing me that I wasn't nuts to sometimes want to find a way to turn them all off!

Stay strong, and good luck!

Thanks MissyMo!!! You too!!! 

I remember going to  a  fitness club and  the guy talking to me  about  my  goals..and  he asked  "Why do I want to exercise?"  "Is there any celebrity i want to look like?"  and I told him  I exercise so I can eat  what I want..  he was  surprised...  we got in to this  conversation about eating and  dating  and  did  I  eat on dates..  and even asked if I ordered   desserts..it was  quite funny after all. I even mentioned  that I was   a teacher and I  don't want be so tired..  that's it..  he  didn't know what else  to say...  (To echo peedal   and the rest  .. I love food too..  It has always been a good  thing  growing up..  so you do what you have to  do  ..)  then the gym guy admitted  that he liked  beer but knew he had  to  keep  fit to not get a  gut..

I got into a period of my life that I fear ever getting back to - drinking so much then coming home and binge eating, mindlessly. I'd wake up and wonder "what did i eat last night"? THen I'd realize how much it was and be so ashamed  . It was a vicious cycle - I was depressed and am so glad to not be there anymore. Nights have happened like that again, but never as frequently as that year. I gained 20lbs in a year. Not pretty. Still trying to get it all off.

My biology teacher told me in college that your fat cells as you get larger will split and divided and fill up.
When you lose weight they empty but won't go away..they are sitting there wanting to be filled up so you are battling your body not to fill the cells up..

Glad to see I am not the only "big girl" on here. 

I spent 3 weeks on Holiday in the UK and lost 15 lbs while I was there. I ate good food, walked my big fat butt off and felt good doing it. I could BREATH  and it was so nice to just feel good.  Well I been back in the states now for 6 weeks and I have gained it all back and then some.  Food does not taste as good, it is greasy, HUGE portins which I EAT ALL OF, I can't breath for the junk in the air and I feel tired and worn out all the time. 
As a fat person (size 20) YUP A BIG GIRL, I do have to say that it was a relief to see other fat people in the UK. LMAO I guess that can be choked up to breaking down a stereotype I had about the British.  I was really shocked to see so many overweight people there.  It seemed that there were far more heavy people in the Midlands (and BIG built...tall and broad boned) then in other parts.  Was that just me or is theree is ther something to that observation?