How to eat less?

emmmuhlee34689

Hey my name is Emily. All my life I have been skinny. Almost unhealthy at some points. I was always able to eat whatever I wanted (I have a huge sweet tooth) and I never gained any weight. I was put on a new medicine and one of the major side effects is that it makes you not feel satisfied. I have gained 60 pounds in a year and am unhappy with my body. Some people say "who cares" and some say "that's good" and others say "lose weight". I know that the medicine has helped me tremendously so I'm not going to change it. I've started using the Couch to 5K app and this one and am hoping to lose weight. My main issue is that I am always craving carbs in addition to never feeling satisfied (see a problem here?). Does anyone have any ways to curb those craving and to eat less in general? Btw, I'm 5'7 and 176 lbs. I am also 18 years old and female.

maschauer1

Eat fiber, it will fill you up, take longer to digest and is healthier. So that is veggies, potatoes. Roast them, so good. Dont slather them with fats though. Good luck.

Hearts_2015

Welcome Emily Perhaps it's not so much cutting the cravings as it is adjusting some of your choices. Logging your foods ahead of time including fruits, veggies, healthy fats, protein etc. If you enjoy treats and have no issue controlling yourself with them you can moderate your portions from what you'd have eaten in the past. I'm not great at moderating some types of simple carbs yet so I've put some on the 'shelf' so to speak for the time being.

Planning ahead really does help, when you leave the house have your food packed up for the day until you return so you're not tempted to grab something unplanned.

Take good care, you'll do great here
Hearts

jnv7594

maschauer1 wrote: »

Eat fiber, it will fill you up, take longer to digest and is healthier. So that is veggies, potatoes. Roast them, so good. Dont slather them with fats though. Good luck.

There is nothing wrong with eating fats. Fat does not make you gain weight or hinder weight loss, eating a calorie surplus does. Fats will also satiate hunger. I eat real full fat butter (usually grass fed), cheese, etc., and I'm still losing weight. Try incorporating some protien rich foods. I just know for me personally these keep me full. Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, chicken, nuts, etc.

emartins1975

I used to be just like you! HUGE sweet tooth... no matter what I tried and I thought I tried everything..I couldn't stop! until I found Keto. I never thought I would ever stop craving carbs...ever! Now I eat under 20 grams of carbs a day...I feel so satisfied I don't even miss sweets. I've never felt so good; full of energy. Add me. .. let's motivate eachother.

emartins1975

emartins1975 wrote: »

I used to be just like you! HUGE sweet tooth... no matter what I tried and I thought I tried everything..I couldn't stop! until I found Keto. I never thought I would ever stop craving carbs...ever! Now I eat under 20 grams of carbs a day...I feel so satisfied I don't even miss sweets. I've never felt so good; full of energy. Add me. .. let's motivate eachother.

emartins1975

jnv7594 wrote: »

maschauer1 wrote: »

Eat fiber, it will fill you up, take longer to digest and is healthier. So that is veggies, potatoes. Roast them, so good. Dont slather them with fats though. Good luck.

There is nothing wrong with eating fats. Fat does not make you gain weight or hinder weight loss, eating a calorie surplus does. Fats will also satiate hunger. I eat real full fat butter (usually grass fed), cheese, etc., and I'm still losing weight. Try incorporating some protien rich foods. I just know for me personally these keep me full. Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, chicken, nuts, etc.

I completely agree!!

jessicaswenson9

I feel like I can relate to this so much! I used to be really thing and eat everything and never gain and i was skinny fat and probably unhealthy too and then I gained 20 in like 3 months! Learning to love my body and get it back down sure has been difficult! I also always have cravings! even when it is a really good day with lots of protein fiber and good fats! I am willing to help you along your journey though! If you are too. I am gonna send you a request, feel free to add me!

RaspberryTickleChicken

Hello & Welcome to MFP!

What I have found that worked for me to feel satisfied for longer periods of time was to eat a lot of lean proteins (chicken, turkey) and high fiber veggies (broccoli, spinach).

In regards to the carb cravings, medications especially those for depression focuses on the part of the brain that increases serotonin. That is why 'comfort food' for many actually does 'comfort' because it replicates the effects of the meds.

Having said that, carb cravings is a tougher challenge to overcome but simply being mindful of it is a great first step.

Try not to buy or stock any of the nutritious poor go-to carbs; mine was Doritos. Instead, try simple swaps to what you are currently consuming. Like, choose quinoa instead of white rice. Choose dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate. Choose whole wheat or multi grain bread instead of white bread. Try plain popcorn when you have the urge to munch on something. Top off popcorn with some paprika, chili powder mix for a nice bold flavor. There are literally tons of other healthier options to satisfy that carb cravings but you have to read LOTS of food label, be proactive to make conscious decisions, and think outside of the box.

For example, if you love chips ask yourself 'why do I like them?' Then find healthier alternatives that gives you a similar experience. I liked chips for that crunch factor so I substituted chips for cheese & crackers. The worse tactic to cravings is to deprive because that tends to lead to binging. SO the best strategy is to yield to it with proper portions of healthier versions.

Best of luck to you!

thepinkshoe

Lots of fibre rich food, protein and water helps me!

kao1

Hi Emily!
For what it's worth, here's what I've tried--
--perimeter shop the grocery store...all the foods that get me in trouble are on the inside aisles, so I don't even go there! Fruits, veggies, etc are all on the perimeter. I don't even bring the junk into my house. Can't think of all the times I opened up my pantry/fridge looking for something junky to eat and thank goodness it wasn't there!!! So I read a book/watched tv/drank tea/etc instead!
--only eat when your tummy rumbles....this means you're really hungry. When your tummy rumbles, smile, do a little happy dance, and eat something delicious and *unprocessed*! If your tummy'so not rumbling, have something like tea. Some plain unsweetened teas actually taste "sweet" and/or are designed to stave off hunger. Check out the tea section at the grocery store!
-the more carbs I eat, the more carbs I crave. Same for junk food. It's like putting booze in front of a recovering alcoholic! So I tend to best just avoiding the temptation and staying away, treating added sugar/carbs like the addiction that they are! (Unrefined whole grains and carbs from unprocessed fruit etc are fine for me though!)
Best of luck!