I'm an older adult that has been significantly overweight my entire life. Borderline morbidly obese (or morbidly obese?) as a child, but then significantly overweight as an adult. Weight maintenance has always been a struggle as has food addiction and self-medication with food.
Stunningly, that has all changed with the birth of my twins. The first month was a serious struggle and I was drinking beer and eating Snickers to get through the nights with them. Near the end of the first month, I realized that I wasn't even enjoying what I was eating. I thought "why am I eating all of these calories and this unhealthy crap when I'm not even enjoying it?".
Around the same time, I was taking my dog for a walk and saw some children running nonstop in a game of tag and thought "I could never keep up with them" and that made me sad. I want the stamina and endurance to keep up with my children (a challenge already for older parents, but more so when one is overweight).
At this point, I just made the change. I literally have zero time in the day for exercise so aside from forcing 10-15 pushups at least once per day (I didn't even have a chance yesterday for that!), I have no formal exercise. I'm always running around the house, taking care of my babies, cleaning, walking the dog, and so on, but there is no gym, my weights are stuck in a corner without room to be laid out (and I wouldn't even have time for them anyway). So, I'm already working with a very low "calories out" baseline. Seems unfair, but oh well.
However, the lifelong struggle with food is absent and that bewilders me. I used to be damn near haunted by food. How to force myself away from pizza, wings, how not to eat chicken skin, how to resist this, that, and the other deep fried thing. You get the idea. It's not an issue. It's not self control, it's not finding those foods disgusting, I've just become entirely apathetic about them. I now just order or make the lowest calorie item possible, and go through the laborious, tedious job of chewing and swallowing before returning to real issues of importance. I even leave food on my plate intentionally (e.g., rice) when I feel the portion is too large! My beautiful wife still has cupboards and fridge brimming with unhealthy snacks, but I've no interest in them - even if they are expiring. They can go in the trash if she doesn't eat them. There is zero craving for any of it. No interest in any bad food (or food, in general).
Even without the exercise, the weight has melted right off. I expect that I am going to be average weight (if not underweight) within 2 to 3 more months. It's astounding. Not the weight loss, per se, but the complete lack of power food has over me. Imagine being a lifelong alcoholic and waking up one morning realizing that you could socially drink without any additional temptation! That your spouse can drink wine at dinner and keep alcohol in the fridge and it has no influence on you!
I'd think I was depressed except that I'm full of happiness and love with my life, my family, my work, and everything else. I guess that explains that the food addiction was food filling holes in my emotional self?
Anyway, just wanted to share with some community. Food addiction is horrible and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I don't think I "deserved" to lose this addiction after so many decades of this food monkey on my back, but I'm so thankful that he's gone. No more looking at pictures of food, imagining the taste of foods that I can't have, trying to achieve the taste of unhealthy food with healthy ingredients, and so on.
Side note: Excuse any typos, this was quickly typed out before I move onto things that need to be done (i.e., time is a very limited resource).
Hooray!
EDIT: I should also add that I was struggling for a few years with gout and the past year with severe dry eyes and the weight loss seems to have eliminated the former and greatly reduced the latter. Tremendously wonderful!
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