I need help. I spent 14 years in the trades, 10 years as a concrete wall man. I went a very comfortable 250 (at 6'0 even), and yeah, I'll say it, built like a brick craphouse. I probably ate 3,000 calories a day, but my workload and activity level (I played softball and volleyball, rode bike occasionally), so I could get away with eating, yeah, pretty much whatever I wanted. Then I wrecked my elbow, had TJ surgery, and was out 18 months. Because I didn't change my eating habits, I went up to about 315. I finally got back with rehab to where I could work, but my old company wouldn't take me back, so I got on as a mason tender, and I spent 4 years doing that, and that got me right back into shape. I was back down to 250, felt like I more or less had the stamina of a bull, and could once again, eat without worry. Then when I was 33, we ran out of work, I went to school, became a network/IT guy, and now I sit at a desk all day. I have tried, SAVAGELY hard to change my eating habits. I eat a lot of veggies. I eat less red meat. I have almost eliminated soda. I don't eat a lot of candy/sweets. But I just love to EAT. I enjoy cooking, creating dishes, and experimenting in the kitchen. If I'm full, I find myself wishing I weren't. I am seeing a dietician. She keeps trying to ask me WHY I eat, like, I'm sure she thinks I'm depressed, or sad, or bored. I am not depressed. I think any of my friends and family would tell you depressed is not one thing that I am. I'm not sad, and I'm surely not bored. I always have things to do. Very active with my time. that doesn't always mean PHYSICALLY active, but my time is always accounted for. I'm not eating to fill some void in my life, I just wish I could explain to her, and make her understand, cooking, making food, I really enjoy it, it's like a passion/hobby, and I mean, I'll sit at work for my last few hours of the day sometimes when I know I'll have the kitchen to myself for a few hours, thinking about something new I might like to try for a meal or dinner. And yes, I know that I make portions too big sometimes, and I eat more than I should, but if I LIKE something I'm eating, I won't stop eating after a small portion. Call it lack of self control, whatever.....it is what it is. Maybe I'm mentally ill. Is there anyone perusing this thread that understands where I'm coming from? OH.......and working out. SUCKS. I can't do it. I'm trying, but I can not. Up until I was kinda squeezed out of the mason tender job, I never had to work out to have a big build. My jobs did that for me. This is something I'm trying to force myself to do, and I've bought a bike, and am utilizing once or twice a week, but even that I find boring, becauuse nobody my age wants to just ride 10 - 15 miles even, just for the sake of riding. EDIT: Suppose I should bite the bullet.......right now I'm at 6' and 280. I had a stress test done, my heart is in supposedly fine shape, to my surprise. My ultimate goal is to be 245, and that's something my dietician agrees with. We both agree that to be 245 and not 'fat' though that I'll have to get faithful to working out and maintaining my muscle mass.