Gluttony confusion

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So, as you can probably guess from the title of this post, I’ve been struggling lately with some worries about gluttony. Basically, I feel that I’ve been spending an inordinate amount of time worrying/thinking about food. I often find myself eating/wanting to eat for no other reason than the pleasure of eating, and at meals I end up trying to determine exactly how much food is too much/enough. It’s like a tug-of-war between eating too much and trying to avoid doing so. At the same time, I have a tendency towards scrupulosity, which I’m sure is also playing into this–probably started with worries about committing the sin of gluttony, which then spun into a sort of fixation on food in general. Grrr…
The weird thing is that I’m actually quite healthy, at a normal weight for my size. And it’s not like I’m some sort of recluse who’s become singularly obsessed; I still have a functional social life and am pretty normal in other respects. So there’s no physical evidence that I’m struggling with this, but I am. Any advice, folks?
 
  1. Try not to skip meals unless it’s a fast day, eat a little even when you DON’T feel like eating
  2. Don’t eat between meals, try to drink water only between meals
  3. If you can let someone else determine for you what and how much you will eat, then do so and mortify your own desires and preferences
  4. Put a Catholic calendar on the wall and pay attention to feast days and fast days of the liturgical calendar, for instance eat in a simpler way on Fridays and abstain from meat, on Sundays and Solemnities on the other hand make sure you eat something you enjoy and have some dessert if you want
  5. If you are a member of a family or have roommates then share meals together when possible. Don’t eat out by yourself!–feast days can sometimes be an exception but even then so much the better if you can eat with others.
  6. Fasting is no more than one full meal and two snacks if necessary, not amounting to a second full meal. Alternately, some people fast on bread and water. Fasting is not starvation and it is not dieting and don’t fast in such a way that it would impair you from doing your duties adequately and safely. The only required fast days are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. It’s also good and recommended to fast on the day before major feast days/solemnities.
  7. If you cook by yourself/eat by yourself then have some simplicity about it and don’t eat elaborately or expensively
  8. Share with the needy, donate to a food pantry or international hunger program, volunteer to serve at a meal program for the poor, etc
  9. St Therese of Lisieux tried to “mortify” her pleasure in food but eventually gave up and just mentally offered the various foods to Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
  10. Say grace before meals asking God to bless the food and bless you, and thank Him after the meal for what good things He gives!
These are my advice and ideas.
 
How does someone know if they ate too much? Lets say for example I am not hungry but I eat, would that be considered gluttony>
 
The man thing is …reason

and the *virtue of temperance *

and I encourage you not to scruple about it.

This can be a common difficulty…as St. Augustine wrote in his Confessions:

And who, O Lord, is he who is not in some degree carried away beyond the bounds of necessity?

of course we need to seek to live by temperance…and avoid sin…but realize in humility that this can be a difficult area…so try not to scruple
 
Catechism:

1806 Prudence is the virtue that disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it; "the prudent man looks where he is going."65 "Keep sane and sober for your prayers."66 Prudence is “right reason in action,” writes St. Thomas Aquinas, following Aristotle.67 It is not to be confused with timidity or fear, nor with duplicity or dissimulation. It is called auriga virtutum (the charioteer of the virtues); it guides the other virtues by setting rule and measure. It is prudence that immediately guides the judgment of conscience. The prudent man determines and directs his conduct in accordance with this judgment. With the help of this virtue we apply moral principles to particular cases without error and overcome doubts about the good to achieve and the evil to avoid.

1809 Temperance is the moral virtue that moderates the attraction of pleasures and provides balance in the use of created goods. It ensures the will’s mastery over instincts and keeps desires within the limits of what is honorable. The temperate person directs the sensitive appetites toward what is good and maintains a healthy discretion: "Do not follow your inclination and strength, walking according to the desires of your heart."72 Temperance is often praised in the Old Testament: "Do not follow your base desires, but restrain your appetites."73 In the New Testament it is called “moderation” or “sobriety.” We ought "to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world."74
To live well is nothing other than to love God with all one's heart, with all one's soul and with all one's efforts; from this it comes about that love is kept whole and uncorrupted (through temperance). No misfortune can disturb it (and this is fortitude). It obeys only [God] (and this is justice), and is careful in discerning things, so as not to be surprised by deceit or trickery (and this is prudence).75
 
Thanks guys! This helps; it’s nice to get some (name removed by moderator)ut from outside and not have the question just rattling around in my own head.
 
the_Hatter said:
So, as you can probably guess from the title of this post, I’ve been struggling lately with some worries about gluttony. Basically, I feel that I’ve been spending an inordinate amount of time worrying/thinking about food. I often find myself eating/wanting to eat for no other reason than the pleasure of eating, and at meals I end up trying to determine exactly how much food is too much/enough. It’s like a tug-of-war between eating too much and trying to avoid doing so. At the same time, I have a tendency towards scrupulosity, which I’m sure is also playing into this–probably started with worries about committing the sin of gluttony, which then spun into a sort of fixation on food in general. Grrr…
The weird thing is that I’m actually quite healthy, at a normal weight for my size. And it’s not like I’m some sort of recluse who’s become singularly obsessed; I still have a functional social life and am pretty normal in other respects. So there’s no physical evidence that I’m struggling with this, but I am. Any advice, folks?
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I totally understand your obsession with food. I, too, think often about food. I am also a normal weight and even on the thin side. My obsession involves watching all the food network shows and spending endless hours looking at menus of restaurants and keeping a meticulous daily calorie log. When am done eating, I contemplate what I will eat at the next meal - always!

When I think my obsession is getting the better of me, I offer up my suffering to the Lord for the conversion of sinners. I have also recently decided to stop watching shows about food. It only makes me think of food more!

My thoughts for you are that you offer up your suffering for the salvation of souls and/or for the souls in purgatory (or other spiritual request). Also, when you eat, you may want to pick the less desirable food item (e.g., eat the unsweetened brand of cereal verses the sweet kind) and/or you can decide to not add salt to your food. Making small sacrifices like these can help you grow spiritually.

I hope this helps. You are not alone in this. I will pray for you.
 
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