No really, how do you say NO to foods and habits you've had your whole life?

mrsdrshot

I've yo-yo dieted a few times, and the things that keep coming back to me are 1. Mindless eating (Oh look, one cookie left on that plate) and 2. Being brought up not to waste food (oh look, we shouldn't throw that last cookie away, that would be wasteful.)

So, what do you do to crack that weirdo code in your brain that says "pick it up, put it in your mouth!"

Recently I've resorted to saying, out loud, things like "nope, not going to eat the rest of the kids' mac n cheese - here I go, putting it in the trash" and then dumping it. Or "Nope, not going to eat the doritos at this party. Eating the blueberries instead." I imagine that if anyone is actually listening, it sounds like I'm a crazy person, but it's helping some.

sashayoung72

I track everything I eat, so knowing i'm going to have to put that cookie on there or that spoonful of mac and cheese stops me. I usually track then eat so i have to think what I'm doing, and that moment of hesitation stops me from eating something I don't mean to.

Christine_72

Strengthen that willpower. This happened to me last night.. There were 4 cookies left sitting there worth 400 calories. I would have eaten them all, as I was reaching over to grab one. I just said NO, it is not worth it and I'll regret it big time tomorrow as they would have put me over. I still cant believe I resisted, as this used to be unheard of for me lol
The more you say no, the easier it will get. I've had a pack of my favourite chocolate sitting in my cupboard for weeks, and I'm too scared to open it, partly because I'll probably eat the whole pack and because it just wont be worth it...

Christine_72

Oh and I also Prelog my day every morning, and do my best to stick with it.

Kalikel

I don't put more on the plate than I know I can eat. "Don't waste food" is too ingrained in me. I feel like I'm committing some kind of sin, lol.

As for saying, "No," I don't really have to. I decided that the stuff was off limits and that's that. The "Should I?" isn't a thing. I know I'm not. Sometimes other people's food looks or smells good, but it's not the food I eat, so I just enjoy the smell and my ever-improving waistline and health.

KateTii

For me, I had to cut all of my favourite "junk" foods out for two weeks as I could not say no to them and could not control how much of it I ate. Anything in the lollies/chips/chocolate/deep fried category as well as cheese, bread and pasta. I was able to go cold turkey no problem, but I needed those two weeks of absolutely no junk food in order to build my control over portion size. Halfway through the two weeks, I found MFP and by the end of the two weeks logging was a habit.

Now it's super easy to say no to "junk" (even the really good stuff in the office). I only allow myself to have "junk" after dinner, once all my meals are logged and eaten. The food gets logged first to see how it fits and THEN eaten. I find it much easier to say no during the day if I know I can say yes later.

Now the hardest part is the judgement from co-workers over me constantly saying no.

"Oh, you don't want this delicious caramel slice I made? Why not? You're already skinny. That's so boring. I couldn't do that"

karyabc

the day that I realized that the cookie or whatever is not forbidden, it's not bad, and I learned to listen to my body, that day the cravings were gone. I practice moderation like a lot, if I want something I make space in my day for it or just save it for tomorrow.

and I know with the whole throw away things to the trash is hard, but damn it I'm not a garbage can either, so yes I save the most that I can and the other bye bye

karyabc

btw like Christine said, trust the process, it's a lot of trial and error, you are going to get so much better at it , including your willpower.

Kalikel

karyabc wrote: »

the day that I realized that the cookie or whatever is not forbidden, it's not bad, and I learned to listen to my body, that day the cravings were gone. I practice moderation like a lot, if I want something I make space in my day for it or just save it for tomorrow.

and I know with the whole throw away things to the trash is hard, but damn it I'm not a garbage can either, so yes I save the most that I can and the other bye bye

These are such good points. Knowing that it's going to end up waste one way or the other is helpful! I just grew up with very old people who had lived through the depression and some had survived the holocaust and it was like, "DO NOT WASTE FOOD!" It's so ingrained. If there's one kernel of corn in the can, it must be scraped out. Food is not to be wasted. It's hard to get past.

Also, knowing that you can eat the stuff any time you choose makes it a LOT easier to choose not to. That's a really good point.

A+++ on the post. Maybe if I read the part about me not being a garbage can, it'll sink in at some point.

Laughter_Girl

Seems like you've received a few good tips so far. I can honestly say that I was just determined to lose the weight and refused to eat junk unless I could fit it into my daily caloric intake. Many people have told me that I have remarkable willpower, and I reckon they're right. I am currently at my goal weight (down 85 lbs.), but I still log and exhibit that same willpower I had when I was trying to lose. I can admit that I love and eat chips, frozen yogurt, ice cream, French fries, and pizza; however, I eat all of that in moderation. Once you make up your mind, changing those habits will become easier than you think. You can do it...even if you do have to talk to yourself aloud!!!

Mr_Knight

Find something you want more.

Christine_72

Mr_Knight wrote: »

Find something you want more.

Yep, what's more important... Getting down to your goal weight or scoffing that cake?

A friend of mine has a picture of herself at her largest stuck on her fridge, which helps put her off of overeating.

karyabc

Kalikel wrote: »

karyabc wrote: »

the day that I realized that the cookie or whatever is not forbidden, it's not bad, and I learned to listen to my body, that day the cravings were gone. I practice moderation like a lot, if I want something I make space in my day for it or just save it for tomorrow.

and I know with the whole throw away things to the trash is hard, but damn it I'm not a garbage can either, so yes I save the most that I can and the other bye bye

These are such good points. Knowing that it's going to end up waste one way or the other is helpful! I just grew up with very old people who had lived through the depression and some had survived the holocaust and it was like, "DO NOT WASTE FOOD!" It's so ingrained. If there's one kernel of corn in the can, it must be scraped out. Food is not to be wasted. It's hard to get past.

Also, knowing that you can eat the stuff any time you choose makes it a LOT easier to choose not to. That's a really good point.

A+++ on the post. Maybe if I read the part about me not being a garbage can, it'll sink in at some point.

thanks! I'm glad it helps. I perfectly understand you, I too come from a family of not throwing food and finish all that is in your plate.

MKEgal

To develop your "no" ability, instead of telling yourself "no", tell yourself "later".
"If I still want this 5 minutes from now, I can have a serving."
Then set a timer.
Go for a walk, brush your teeth, check email, whatever, just get away from the food.
Think about how much it will "cost" in terms of activity, or what other food you'll have to cut so
you can have this. Will you still be satisfied with smaller portions of healthy food?

In 5 minutes, if you still want a cookie, have a cookie. _A_ cookie.
Next time, set the timer for 10 minutes.
Eventually, tell yourself "tomorrow".
You're not denying yourself, you're giving yourself permission AND time to think it over.

You can't take the joy out of eating & expect to stick with this life change.
I like peanut butter. Used to have several PBJ's for dinner. (Now, I cringe at the calorie count.)
So I have some for breakfast, pretty much every day.

Some things I can't do that with. Oreos, for example. It's much easier for me to pass them by in the store than
to only have a couple a day when they're sitting in my house. I still buy them once in a while (like maybe every
3 months) because I like them. I like them a lot. But I understand that I'm setting back my weight-loss goal when
I do this, and I understand that the package will be gone in a couple days, at most.
So I have little "no" ability in person, short-term denial, but I'm pretty good at long-term denial.
I work with it instead of fighting it.

pearso21123

I'm one of those people who look at the food and ask myself, "Is this worth the cost?" It helps that I don't have a major sweet tooth.

Not wasting food is a whole other issue. I don't know how many times I have told my kids, "We don't throw away food in this house!" But, we have a farm so every food can get eaten by something, though it might not be a human, therefore, it's not being wasted (so I tell myself when I throw good food to the pigs).

swift13b

My pantry is currently overflowing with treat foods at the moment, which used to be unheard of for me! I used to polish off a big bag of doritos or a block of chocolate in just a few days but now things are lasting weeks, if not months. I actually forget about them and buy myself new treats and then get home and see that I still have 3 other kinds of chocolate already... oops! Don't get me wrong, I still eat these things on an almost daily basis, I'm just used to eating the smaller portions now. If I'm eating chocolate, I break off the pieces I want, weigh them and then put the packet back in the pantry and shut the door. I don't bring the whole packet over to wherever I'm eating and leave it sitting around. Same with chips and popcorn. Out of sight, out of mind.

As for mealtimes, maybe you need to use smaller plates and give yourself smaller servings. That way you don't have food left on the plate to worry about. Then once you've finished the first serve, wait at least 5 minutes and maybe drink a glass of water before deciding whether you want to go back for more. In terms of your kids meals, if they're regularly leaving food behind it sounds like you should be giving them smaller portions too.

gaelicstorm26

I avoid it by having small servings and really enjoying them. I also make sure that I'm enjoying what I eat. Last night I wanted something a little sweet and my family went to a buffet. There was a slice of chocolate pie so I grabbed it and really, after two bites, it wasn't worth it. It didn't taste good enough to waste calories on.

I also make sure that I let my sweet tooth have things that I've worked into my day. I eat ice cream a lot. But because I have trouble with portion control and because I'm diabetic, I buy ice cream bars instead of pints or gallons. I don't have to really measure anything and it's already single-serving for me.

Ironmaiden4life

karyabc wrote: »

the day that I realized that the cookie or whatever is not forbidden, it's not bad, and I learned to listen to my body, that day the cravings were gone. I practice moderation like a lot, if I want something I make space in my day for it or just save it for tomorrow.

and I know with the whole throw away things to the trash is hard, but damn it I'm not a garbage can either, so yes I save the most that I can and the other bye bye

^^^This

toolzz

I think the fact that you recognise the reasons you might overeat - mindless eating, not wasting food....is the beginning of making better choices. I am the queen of ziplocks....just about any kind of food can be saved in a baggies or plastic container...nothing needs to be eaten all at once. Food is in endless supply....there is no risk of famine in most of our lives....learn the appropriate amount based on your tastes and calorie limits and stick with it. You're on your way, it won't always be easy or fun but being at a happy/healthy weight is much better than that last cookie

Christine_72

pearso21123 wrote: »

I'm one of those people who look at the food and ask myself, "Is this worth the cost?" It helps that I don't have a major sweet tooth.

Not wasting food is a whole other issue. I don't know how many times I have told my kids, "We don't throw away food in this house!" But, we have a farm so every food can get eaten by something, though it might not be a human, therefore, it's not being wasted (so I tell myself when I throw good food to the pigs).

I used to give my leftovers to my dog, but now she needs to lose weight

So now they either go in the fridge for tomorrow or in the bin.

Mr_Knight

christinev297 wrote: »

I used to give my leftovers to my dog, but now she needs to lose weight

:drinker: