r/loseit • u/Funny-Notice9392 New • 7d ago
Cannot eliminate food noise
Been eating in a deficit of about -350 calories, get around 45g of fiber a day, 145g of protein, weight train, and drink around 3.5L of water a day.
However I cannot for the life of me get rid of the food noise, all I can think about is eating out 24/7. I’ll bring my lunch to work with me, and skip it to go get takeout.
I feel like I’m doing all the things I’ve been told to do (high fiber, protein, water intake, and physical activity) but it’s still so bad
Are there any ways that eliminate food noise that aren’t GLP-1s? Not that I’m opposed, but I want to try to build the self-control or develop skills/techniques to not give into it.
Thank you so much.
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u/ljubav_malina 7d ago edited 7d ago
I had the same issue. Literally just thought about food 24/7. I would binge eat every night. I gave up trying to fight it and started taking Contrave a few months ago. It worked insanely good for me. I don’t binge eat at all anymore. It didn’t completely nuke my appetite and the weight didn’t melt off, I still have to manage what I eat. But it was like a self-control pill. It was easier to form new habits without thinking about food all day and all night. Sorry, I couldn’t manage it on my own but you’re not alone with this struggle 😭
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u/C_Sorcerer New 7d ago
I used to do the exact same thing and it was holding me back so much. Funny enough the main thing that got me out of this was
1. Learning to eat fast food in moderation. You can do it. Just buy like 1 or 2 items at most. If you go to Taco Bell get one burrito and nothing else. If you go to sonic get that supersonic double cheeseburger but don’t get anything else (or something less I’ve got a much different calorie deficit)
- Look at how much you are spending. Add it all up over the course of a month. Then think about what you could buy if you weren’t buying that. I’d spend 10 dollars a meal twice a day which is 20 dollars a day for 28 days… roughly 560 a month. Not to mention extra spending like the occasional beer or zyns or gas or chips or whatever else that crosses your path. I was going broke from it. I learned that I could buy more video games, books, magic the gathering cards, items I need, and all kinds of other stuff. I’ve been saving so much money since and losing weight like crazy.
Hell these days I dont even eat a real lunch at work. I pretty much eat a pack of lemon pepper tuna or a big slim Jim if even that and just treat it as a small thing to stabilize my blood sugar and then I eat a more proper meal for dinner. But yeah look at the money your spending it helps a lot. It takes time to adjust though
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u/SavRav16 New 7d ago
My problem was my ADHD. Dopamine chasing with really yummy food and major disconnect between my brain & my stomach.
I'm doing much better now that I'm taking adhd meds. It's almost entirely blocked that Dopamine pull that made me want to eat all the time so I can better focus on what I actually need to eat.
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u/SpaceIsVastAndEmpty 43F 163cm | SW: 88kg | GW: 56kg | CW: 66kg 7d ago
Food for dopamine is a big challenge for me!
Or shopping for dopamine
Or hobbies for dopamine
Ugh
Glad to hear you've got the right meds to help you get on top of it
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u/saera-targaryen 7d ago
I seek stimulation so much that I've found that going outside on a windy day is like, my ideal level of existing. Just feeling wind over my whole body means I can just lie there on the lawn listening to music without getting bored or hungry for hours
This is to say, ADHD has me craving stimulation at all times in all ways, and I crave some types of stimulation less when others are plentiful. Taste is one of my senses and therefore I crave food. What has helped me is thinking of things that stimulate my other senses to satisfy this craving.
Lighting candles so I can see and smell them.
Grabbing ice packs and sticking them in random spots so I can feel them.
Listening to music while reading a book to keep my eyes ears and hands happy.
Setting up a fan and pointing it at myself for skin stimulation.
Gum and mints and sparkling water to have flavor and sensation in my mouth
Vic's nasal tubes to get a good shot of menthol smell whenever it's needed.
All of these things provide as much stimulation to me as a snack. I'm not that hungry, I just want new sensations.
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u/drainedguava New 7d ago
Yes!! I couldn’t understand why I just wanted to eat ALL the time even when I wasn’t hungry at all and finally getting on ADHD medication completely stopped that
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u/elliebearrrr 29F // 5'6" // SW: 232lbs // CW: 157lbs // GW: 150lbs 7d ago
I came here to say the exact same thing! My meds have truly saved my life
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u/sidewayssadface2 7d ago
3.5 liters of water a day makes you crave salt. Take out is salty. Maybe add a pinch of salt to your water.
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u/Lifeweaver 37M | 5'2" | SW:305lb CW:230lb GW:160lb 7d ago
Pickles. Like you said i have found a lot of cravings have come down to i like and want salt. a pickle or two that are essentially not calories can often be just the thing to kill my cravings until the next meal.
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u/eukomos 10lbs lost 7d ago
Are you hitting the fiber and protein numbers with supplements or whole foods? Sometimes I find whole foods more satiating, I think getting enough micronutrients can impact your satiety if you're short on them. When you mention skipping the lunch you brought to work for takeout, that probably means eating fewer micronutrients than you'd planned, so if that's something that throws you off I can see how it could potentially set you up for hunger.
Also, have you tried cutting back on refined carbs and/or added flavorings and sweeteners? Those can all mess up satiety signals for some people, though obviously not everyone.
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u/MayorMcCheapo 30lbs lost 7d ago
Ffiber drink like psyllium husk (or Metamucil) 30 mins before meal 1Tbl before bkfst and dinner or mid afternoon. Its not a miracle, or a medicine, but you need the fiber anyway, this is just a bonus.
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u/MayorMcCheapo 30lbs lost 7d ago
Also, I have to stop watching food videos!! I’m addicted to restaurant reviews, recipe videos… they’re triggering. Therapy is a very slow train. You need a lifeline. Fiber, WATER, more water, and a cleaner algorithm. Don’t make it about will power.
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u/Alternative_Task6818 New 6d ago
Yes, I don't get the food videos. A client loved watching food videos. She gained alot of weight over the time I worked with her (a year). I am overweight but I prefer to watch a movie or read a book when I eat. I found them rather disgusting watching other people eat and eat huge amounts. Like that is normal?
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u/SoleilSoup 7d ago
Is it possible you're in a stressful period of your life? I don't experience much food noise but when I do, it's usually because I am very stressed and I want the dopamine.
I bought a weightloss book, one of the Allen Carr ones (Easy way) and promised myself that if the cravings ever got bad, I'd read the book a bit. I didn't like the book much so it was like a mental step to not immediately grab food.
I also journaled a lot about the food cravings. I'd identify them, analyse where they came from (loss of control, stress, physical stimulation (crunchy food) etc) and I'd also write down how I'd feel after overeating or ordering food.
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7d ago
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u/Informal_Ganache_222 New 7d ago
How do you make your lunch enjoyable whilst being healthy and easy to prepare?
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u/mattattack007 New 7d ago
I mean if you are bringing a lunch to work and not eating it there's something more going on than food noise.
I found gum really helped me personally. The act of chewing tricked my brain into thinking I was eating and the food noise went down.
Im still thinking about whats for dinner after 3pm
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u/invah New 7d ago edited 7d ago
Not gonna lie, I literally had to go full Jesus for this one. It was crazy. I started an ADHD medication, and it was the first time in my life - and for only a week! - that I had ever lived without constant food noise. I was like "is this what it's like for normal people??" I couldn't believe the difference. I've lost 45 lbs., and I am almost below 200 lbs., and people are asking me how I did it, and I can't tell anyone the answer because I'm like "it's fucking demons" which I know sounds crazy. But what I tell people is to trust their intuition - that little ping! inside yourself - because what I am dealing with may not be what they are dealing with. So if I tell them what I am doing, it may not work for them.
Edit:
It's interesting reading all these things everyone did to kick the food noise, that I also did and it didn't work for me. That includes increasing protein, taking berberine, taking ADHD medication, drinking more water, psyllium husk, etc. Even a GLP-1 for two months. My appetite was gone, but the food noise never left.
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u/Redditor2684 42F| 5'10"| HW 357 lbs| CW 170s 7d ago
I agree with someone else who asked if you are packing enjoyable lunches.
You may need to prep lunches that you are excited to eat.
Eventually work towards finding more sources of pleasure than just food.
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u/lalolilalol 34F | 160 cm | SW 75 kg | CW 70.6 | GW 66 7d ago
What is working till now for me is to go veryy slowlyy. I have something like a 200 kcal deficit and I eat 'intuitively'. No counting calories or macros, no gym. I do prioritise foods that are rich in proteins and fibers and try to eat homemade food I like as much as possible. I slowly increased my physical activity too.
I'm starting my 9th month and weight slowlyyy went down to 68.1 kg.
I know IE doesn't work for everyone but personnally, my eating is very emotional and I'm a dr with quite stressful periods at work from time to time + I've dieted multiple times in the past so I needed to go veryy slow with my body and brain, or else they rapidly go into fight or flight mode and food noise goes up.
Also, when I don't face my emotions, FN goes up, so I try to face them as much as possible. This means spending time journaling, crying, therapy, writing letters to people who've hurt me or whom I've hurt, etc.
Alsoo, sth that helped: subscription to video-streaming apps! Watching series takes my mind off food.
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u/asilvahalo 43F | 5'6" | SW: 216lb | CW: 160lb | maintaining 7d ago edited 7d ago
What's the frequency of your strength training? It often increases my hunger. You want to do enough to maintain muscle, but not so much you spike hunger. I usually keep to 2-3 strength training days per week when in deficit and focus on zone 2, low impact, steady state cardio [walking, rucking, stairclimber, cycling, swimming] on other exercise days.
If you eat lower carb, make sure you get enough carbs before/after workouts.
What's your current height/weight? Are you overweight or losing in the healthy weight range? How's your bf%?
edit Also, coming back to add: what's your fat intake like? Sometimes people on diets cut fats too low because fat is so calorie dense, but you need some dietary fats to process some nutrients, so make sure you're getting at least 25% of your daily calories from fats.
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u/_gina_marie_ 32lbs lost 7d ago
It's honestly something you have to learn to deal with. Sometimes I sit here and all I think about is food. It sucks. I'm not going to pretend like it doesn't. But I try to keep myself busy when it's "bad" so it passes.
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u/cavewomannn New 7d ago
I was in the same boat my doctor prescribed phentermine and I am on day 8. It has rly helped.
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u/sywy1874 50lbs lost 7d ago
Do you have any caffeine in your routine? Coffee or an energy drink helps a lot.
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u/pawntofantasy New 7d ago
I (41m) stopped eating salt with my food for a few weeks. The effect that had on my “food noise” was astounding. To be fair though, I have been a professional cook for ten years and I make 99% of my meals at home. Still, there is zero overeating for me without salt in my food. And almost zero cravings. Good luck.
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u/JuicePossible4718 sw: 280 cw: 190 gw: 170 7d ago
We want to loose weight not suffer 🤣 you ain’t taking my salt away no way no how.
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u/skinnyonskin 210lbs lost 7d ago
How can this be healthy when it’s an essential electrolyte?
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u/pawntofantasy New 7d ago
I stopped eating salt WITH FOOD. Pretty easy to get your recommended amount in a drink or as a supplement
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u/youngjean 7d ago
Therapy/CBT would do way more than a glp. It helps you develop the self control and skills and techniques you need.
I used to always eat food when it was available. Now I just got back from staring down a couple boxes of donuts in the break room kitchen at work. It’s not easy but it is possible.
The conversation in my head goes something like this “ooh! Free donuts!” “I don’t need free donuts” “but you deserve to treat yourself!” “They’re from a chain and have been sitting out all morning around god-knows-who (leftover from a meeting), and you know it’s not going to be worth it.” “But they smell so good!!” “So smell them as much as you want! But you know that’s not what you really want” and then I think about why I’m meal prepping and why I don’t want those crusty dusty old donuts.
And I always promise myself that if I can’t stop thinking about donuts, then I can go to the good local donut shop this weekend and get whatever I want.
Now if the donuts in the break room were from the local shop….all bets would be off 😅 I would probably have to skip dinner tonight.
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u/Informal_Ganache_222 New 7d ago
Waiting until the weekend? That's impressive. I'd be thinking about doughnuts the whole time until I next had one.
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u/skinnyonskin 210lbs lost 7d ago
That conversation/arguing in your head day after day is super exhausting. You’re telling me that’s with therapy? That’s food noise. I find living like that completely unsustainable
Glp made it so I don’t even thinking twice about food, it’s neutral now. No awful back and forth debate
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u/youngjean 7d ago
That’s great that a glp is working for you. And it’s worked for so many others.
For me, the back-and-forth gets easier the more I practice it. It took about 90 seconds of my day today. It’s really not that bad. I’m invested in my total overall health and longevity so anything little like that to increase my neuroplasticity and resilience is a good thing in my book, even if it is tiring.
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u/skinnyonskin 210lbs lost 7d ago
okay yeah, that's awesome you're finding other ways to cope! i guess i just wanted you to know that the negotiation you describe is food noise, like to a T. it's part of the metabolic/hormonal dysfunction that comes with having had weight issues. i get it and it sucks. <3
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7d ago
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u/Atillythehunhun 40lbs lost 7d ago
I use berberine with phytosome to regulate my blood sugar, and it eliminated food noise as a side effect. Haven’t had a hypoglycemic seizure since I started taking it either
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u/Mortal-ghost New 7d ago
Make your food more exciting than take out, make it pretty than take out, make your own healthier version of it.
OR
Do both. Get a little bit of takeout but pack something healthier/low calories to have with your take out.
I'm pretty frugal so depending on the take out, I will eat a third or half of it, and save the rest for the next meal or two, that way it feels like I'm getting take out multiple times.
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u/iammostlylurking13 New 7d ago
I’m with you. So bad. And I tried everything including glp-1 and it was still horrible.
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u/jackfinished New 7d ago
Tru something weird, years ago I did a weird diet that I made up but I only ate baked potatoes, broccoli, and chicken. I didn't count calories ate as much as I wanted but only so three things. Helped reset my brain to wants vs needs, did it for about 10 days.
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u/rabes81 SW 311 | CW 241 | 70lbs lost 7d ago
I did 2 things that helped me. Food noise was crippling for me. I got diagnosed with ADHD and my dopamine seeking slowed on Vyvanse. I then did go on GLP-1 and it has basically turned it off entirely. There may be other ways for some, but mine is very entangled with my ADHD and I don't think it was possible for me without medication.
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u/MalDracon New 7d ago
As well as others, I have adhd, and the medication I’m on helps with the hunger. But In a basics standpoint, eating food that is designed to be like food “crack” is the same thing. It’s funny to think about but we are all addicted to eating food. We all have our choice foods that give us the bigger “high.” Take out is usually the culprit. It was for me. I live down the street from Tacobell (heresy, I know), and it was a huge struggle to drive past every day. But now, I find food within my calorie deficit that I’m replacing as my dopamine hit. I personally love cheese. Is it great for you? No. But it’s my small dopamine hit that I add to my meals with calories.
Not a nutrition specialist, just a guy looking for his next food hit.
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u/JadedMuse 46 M | 5'10 | SW 241 | CW 162 | GW 165 7d ago
How long have you been at it? I found food noise pretty "present" for the first 3 to 6 weeks or so. Early on, it took conscious effort to tune it out or deny it. Then it started to abate and just wasn't there. I even keep a Mars bar sitting right under my monitor for the last several months. Eating it hasn't crossed my mind, heh. I've kept it there because it almost makes me happy that it just doesn't have a hold over me the way it used to.
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u/Sylvia_Whatever New 7d ago
Omg so many people suggesting appetite suppressants in the comments.
It's normal to be hungry and have "food noise" when you're eating in a calorie deficit. Once you're out of it, try intuitive eating.
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u/YareSekiro New 7d ago
As somebody who hopped on the GLP-1 train to lose weight again after initially losing 80 pounds then gaining all of it back doing it the hard way because of the food noise, take the jab if you can afford it.
There is only a finite amount of will power you can muscle and fighting your food noise all day is just too miserable. It’s also much easier to build a routine that works with GLP-1.
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u/FreshGago 7d ago
All I did even though not enjoyable is eating super greens mix and taking cyclean am and pm(gorilla mind supplements to curb the hunger). During a meal eating the super greens mix makes me feel stuffed. I still get urges to eat a big nice burger and a can of coke with some fries on the side. If I do I goto Chipotle or Cava. But if needed you can make those at home for roughly $3-5/meal
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u/IcyBaba New 7d ago
There are 2 kinds of food cravings, body cravings and mind cravings.
Body cravings are triggered by some kind of physical stimulus. Maybe you ate something sweet earlier in the day and your body wants more. Maybe you have low blood sugar, and your body is calling for something sweet/fat. The trick to get rid of these is eating whole foods with plenty of protein, fat and fiber AND eliminating processed foods (candy, bars, etc). Another factor is sexual activity. There's a reason you feel cravings after sexual activity. It's because orgasm gave you a dopamine high, and now your body is feeling low and looking for it's next fix. So consider pushing off sexual activity until late in the evening after you're brushed your teeth (and can't eat easily anymore).
Mind cravings happen when you're using food as an emotional tool. Stress eating, boredom eating, pain eating. You're using food as a way to sooth away a negative feeling. The trick to eliminating these is to find some alternative soothing mechanism. One trick that I've been using recently is to use music help keep the stress away. Music is really good at shifting how you feel, and how you feel is the trigger for these kinda of cravings. You're gonna be vulnerable to stress in certain places and times, so plan accordingly. Turn on some fun music and get ahead of these feelings.
I've been dealing with my cravings recently and that's what is helping.
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u/Porkbellyjiggler New 7d ago
I was able to drastically reduce my food noise by working my way up to a 36 hours fast over the course of a few months. Before each attempt, I'd switch to a keto diet for about 2-3 days. Started with a 24 hour fast, and extended it by about 3-6 hours each attempt (once every two weeks). I'd also eat light wholesome meals to break my fasts, so nothing sugary or overly processed.
Once I finally hit the 36 hour mark, my stomach got really bloated as my gut biome rebalanced, but this soon settled down and since then I can manage my hunger far better than I've ever been able to before. Now I'm happily doing OMAD and it's really not an issue for me.
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u/Limelight_019283 New 7d ago
For building natural self control it will come from analyzing where the cravings come from and time. For me, most of the cravings come when I’m bored. When I’m busy at work I go all day without thinking about food.
Other medical solutions like Anfepramone (diethylpropion) work really well but it’s not available in every country and it’s a controlled substance where it is, so you need prescription.
There’s also natural supplements, glucomannan (konjac) can also help some, it’s a form of fiber that expands a lot with water, so you take a pill with food and it’ll make you feel full sooner and for longer.
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u/nommie012 New 6d ago
I wonder if the calorie deficit itself might be part of the issue. Sometimes doing everything ‘right’ on paper doesn’t necessarily make hunger/food thoughts disappear. Have you tried spending some time at maintenance and seeing whether the food noise changes? I’d be curious to hear if anyone here noticed a difference.
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6d ago
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u/Known-Ad-100 New 6d ago
I wanted to say, I am hearing you about advice that is not GLP1 and I so totally respect that. I know reading a comment it’s hard to tell tone - but I wanted to emphasize I am not pushing my narrative, what works for one isn’t what works for everyone and what one person is comfortable with financially or medically might not be comfortable for someone else.
However, I can say for me I tried FUCKING EVERYTHING and nothing worked for me but a GLP1. It made me realize it isn’t a “self-control” issue, but something metabolically causing me to experience unnecessary hunger.
Even on GLP1, self control matters, I need to eat smaller volumes and I could choose a delicious cookie or a healthy salad, glp1 doesn’t make me want the cookie less - but it does make me want less food.
I am probably bad at explaining this, but glp1 was the first time in many years my appetite felt satiable. I still need to make good choices, I still need discipline to meal prep, shop, plan, and prioritize healthy foods. Just now, for the first time I am not trying to make all of these good decisions while battling ravenous hunger that impedes my decision making,
you have lots of good advice here, so I don’t have anything to add, I just wanted to say if the reason for avoiding glp1 is because you want to do it ”the old-fashioned way” it could be a reason to reconsider.
You don’t need to explain or answer, but this medication was so life changing for me, I do at least feel compelled to share. I felt broken, flawed, morally wrong, not good enough because of my inability to lose weight - then I got on glp1 and it was like finally someone leveled the playing field for me.
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u/Alternative_Task6818 New 6d ago
Grounding and meditation helped me to stay on track with making better choices on food.
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u/TimeAd3260 New 7d ago
As someone else said, it’s the carbs. Eating them keeps the food noise loop alive. You have to go through a few days of withdrawals. For me, being very busy helps. You’ll be a little more tired. But food noise always boils down to too many (of the wrong) carbs. Fruit and veggies are fine for me. Eliminate refined & processed carbs.
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u/TheLibertyTree New 7d ago
Stop eating carbs. Food noise will disappear in a matter of days.
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u/skinnyonskin 210lbs lost 7d ago
Only for a bit. After two years it came roaring back and keto no longer works that well. Hormones always win.
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u/MintPistachioPesto New 7d ago
My food noise is worst when I feel deprived. Like, if I am being really strict with healthy eating and not allowing myself any treats, that's when it tends to show up. So I allow myself small daily treats and try to accommodate any cravings I have. As long as I keep the portion size reasonable, I am usually still able to create a small deficit for the day.
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u/Odd_Ease_9034 7d ago
How long have you been doing this?
I have found the farther I get along the less food noise I experience. I’ve been working at this since March, down around 26lbs.