BMI addendum

So do I. My wife and I buy shit loads of vegetables every week and eat them. Although I do enjoy eating healthy food and trying like hell to lose weight I still have almost overwhelming cravings. Beer.. Bagels... Fuck..

Suggestion: Try whole wheat carb sources. They tend to be more filling and, once you get used to the texture, more enjoyable. And when you absolutely just want a cupcake, get a GOOD cupcake. If you're going to blow your diet, do so for something that's worth it.

Although I do enjoy eating healthy food and trying like hell to lose weight I still have almost overwhelming cravings. Beer.. Bagels... Fuck..

Door #3. The other two are fattening.

True! It's much, much easier to lose weight when you are having regular, anticipated fun sex. Sigh...

I had a large frozen yogurt for lunch. 450 calories with 11 grams of protein and active something or others, I didn't even think about food until around 4:30, which is a record for me.

Can't live on frozen yogurt, though. It was tasty but I'd get tired of it pretty fast.

Here's what I don't get. I got diagnosed with celiac disease two years ago. I was able to eliminate gluten from my diet. No bread. No cake. No pizza. No pasta. No beer! I was (am) a beer snob. Those were some of my favorite things. Not a problem at all.

Why can't I do the same thing with my weight? My BMI is in the mid 30's. Why is it so hard to do for my weight what was so easy to do for my intestines? I'm guessing it's the same reason that people don't worry about carbon emissions. The gut reaction to gluten is relatively immediate and quite painful. BMI is a risk factor for something that's going to happen in the fuuuuuture. I can worry about that tomorrow...

Intellectually I can see the problem, but damned if I can get my psychology to agree.... Good luck PAL.

Since being diagnosed with Type II diabetes, I've been in a wrestling match with carbohydrates. The thing is, I have to eat them sometimes, or my brain goes all floogy and I lose my ability to walk in a straight line. At the same time, I can't eat too much carbs at any one time or my vision blurs and I get easily confused, ravenous, and sleepy.

You're dealing with lifestyle-related occasional overweight, so it's hard for me to empathize. And Type II diabetes is notoriously unpredictable. But I will say that there are times I will walk into a restaurant, with a good handle on my intake, and say, "I will have the vegetable soup and a side order of french fries," and enjoy the result more than any casual fry eater ever would. And I actually function as the rational pancreas I should be.

David (ex FDA comissioner) Kessler has a new book about dieting. If I understand him correctly, his advice when approaching a cupcake is to think of it as its components: sugar (carbs) and grease. It's less appetizing that way. You can look at any snack that way- chicken wings are the fattiest part of the bird, and the dips are made of grease and sugar or grease and salt ...

Strangely, Joe, that doesn't work for me.

What were the four food groups as Terry Pratchett mentioned them? "Sugar, Starch, Grease, and Burnt Crunchy Bits"?

I found that eliminating almost all baked goods was key to losing weight. Flour is not your friend.

Of course, I'm assuming what you're craving isn't carbohydrates, of which there is plenty in vegetables, fruits, and legumes, but bread, cakes, crackers, etc.

I can feel your pain. Years ago my parents went o the Zone while I was away at college. I came back for winter holiday and nearly lost my mind. No (decent) bread. No bagels. No cereal. No pasta. I finally went over to a friend's house and ate half a pizza, which is half a pizza more than I ever ate. My friends thought I was nuts. I could not wait to get back to the dining hall.

Pal,
Have you noticed a correlation between fatigue and hunger for carbs? Whenever I have a bad night, I really crave bland,salty foods the next day which just happen to be carbs: potatoes, popcorn, oatmeal.
A very skinny guy I know told me that he ballooned up in weight years ago when he worked the night shift...

My post-vacation diet was going well until Wednesday, when a
[key scary music here]
SUMMER COLD
struck. After 2.5 days of packing healthy lunches and not being hungry, I had an irrational need to feed my snot...Cheetos! The magic food that tastes like cheese, but it isn't!
My symptoms are much improved, so I am back on the wagon. But sometimes you just need that super-processed, bad-for-you crap.
You can trust me - I'm an MD, too.

oh Dr. Pal, how I sympathize!!!! I would KILL for a bagel right now. Or some cake. Or pizza. Or...crap crap CRAP. GET IT OUT OF MY MIND.

At least we're suffering together, right?

Yes, but it's still suffering.

I let myself off the hook on weekends, for the most part. It lets me not be an asshole out at dinner.

We'll see what monday brings.

The best way to reduce carb cravings is 50+ minutes of high effort aerobic exercise. You won't do it with a diet, and it sounds like you're already slipping. Stay with whatever aerobic work you can do for an hour and do it at least four times a week - if you can't sustain an hour's effort, get in good enough shape so that you can. Stop dieting and start changing how you behave relative to your calorie balance.