I'm frustrated and about to give up.

Baby43204

I seem to not be handling my sweet tooth well. I do ok while I am at work but then when I get home I can't control it. So I gave up on working out until I get my eating under control. Do anyone have any advice cause I love big bowls of ice cream.

xtina315

I eat treats all the time. Its about moderation. I eat chocolate everyday and just fit it into my calorie allotment. You do not have to give up everything to lose weight you just need to eat a calorie deficit.

cmriverside

Some people (and I'm one of them) have a hard time stopping once they start eating sugary stuff, or even potato chips in my case.

I had to stop buying things like packages of cookies or half gallons of ice cream. Since I live alone, I would eat the whole thing and not stop. Until you can get a grip on your compulsion, just don't buy the stuff. I stopped buying cereal and crackers for a while, too. Pretzels, never again. The decision is made in the store.

Some people preach moderation, but I'm not able to do that - even nine years on. I am able to have one serving if I'm at a restaurant or if it's all I have, but if it's in my house, I'll eat it as soon as I feel the slightest twinge of hunger.

I believe some people just have a harder time, that maybe their brain signals to keep eating it in a stronger way than some other people, or their psychological makeup is such that it's difficult to get a handle on it. There is a lot of debate around this, and I think that if you haven't experienced this it's pretty hard to explain or to understand.

I find if I work out I am less apt to eat too many carbs. Keep up your exercise. It helps.

Seffell

xtina315 wrote: »

I eat treats all the time. Its about moderation. I eat chocolate everyday and just fit it into my calorie allotment. You do not have to give up everything to lose weight you just need to eat a calorie deficit.

I'm the other way around and was just going to advice you try the opposite. I can't eat just a bit of ice cream or chocolate without craving more for the rest of the day. If I don't have any then I'm fine. I just don't crave at all. I can go without even remembering it exists for days. But if I decide to have some then I can't stop.
Everyone is different of course (obviously from the post above and mine) and you have to see what works for you.

LuckyNumbers

I second the advice to keep exercising. It's good for you, and many people report that they WANT to eat more nutritious foods when they are in an exercise routine.

As far the sweet tooth, you have a few options:
1. Fit it into your calorie goal and stick with it.
2. Stop bringing it into your house.
3. If #2 is not an option because other people are bringing it into the house, ask them to work with you. Perhaps they can put it in another fridge, hide it from you, or they may be willing to stop buying it in order to support you.

Finally, if the food is in the house, and it can't be out of sight for some reason, make yourself busy. Do some chores, read a book, go for a walk, ANYTHING to avoid setting off a binge. It's not easy, but it's definitely doable.

kandell

Try getting more fruit into your diet. The natural sweetness can be a pretty good substitute. I like frozen berries as a snack :] Also, DEFINITELY don't buy junk food. If you don't have it around, it's a lot harder to cave to a craving.

not_a_runner

I have found that a LARGE meal late at night works great for me. I am usually so full I don't want to eat any sweets after.
If I do, mini/individual things are sometimes a better option. I find it much harder to binge on mini candy bars!
Have you ever seen Arctic Zero or other low cal ice cream options? The whole pint is about 300 calories for some.
Another thing that works for me is protein. There are protein bars that taste like candy bars, but it's not, so I won't over eat with them.
Plain Greek yogurt mixed with protein and fruit is another go to at night.

cmriverside

@LuckyNumbers, on #3 in your list - I agree if other people bring it in, it is an issue. Baby43204, can you think of it as "Theirs" and not yours, therefore it's not yours to eat?

That would be the only mindset that would work for me if other people had stuff in my house. I'm good about not taking things that don't belong to me. Whatever it takes. Giving up is not an option if I want to be at a healthy weight. Food I need to avoid is all over the place, at work, at church, at other peoples' houses. There has to be something I tell myself in each situation, and it's a different thing in each situation.

Seffell

kandell wrote: »

Also, DEFINITELY don't buy junk food. If you don't have it around, it's a lot harder to cave to a craving.

That's not always possible. And I don't consider ice cream or chocolate junk. My son has no reason to lose weigh so he can have ice cream or chocolate. Same goes for the other family members.
OP - if you live alone - by all means, don't buy any of the things you think can sabotage your diet - makes sense, right?
Otherwise, just stop eating any of these for a few days and see how it goes. Binge eating has a habitual part and just breaking the habit can help. Might sound unlikely but after a few days you won't crave them as much as you do now.

mccraee

I don't have ice cream in the house....but once a week I have some. I either buy a small pint (and share) or go out for a scoop.

dopeysmelly

mccraee wrote: »

I don't have ice cream in the house....but once a week I have some. I either buy a small pint (and share) or go out for a scoop.

^This. If you have it in the house for other people, then this might make a good compromise - go out altogether for a scoop once a week, or once a month or whatever. Let's face it, ice cream isn't exactly healthy for anyone, and if it's for kids, then it would give you an opportunity to chat about eating healthy etc.

If you indulge in the evening (which I do after kid's in bed), I just go brush my teeth, and if necessary, take myself to bed and read. if it's in the house, I want to eat it.

CraigontheCoast

For me, working out is one of the keys to not overeating. The thought of how crappy it feels to work out when I'm overstuffed is one piece of my motivation to not do it in the first place. Feeling lighter and enjoying my workout is more valuable to me than the food. On my rest days I'm much more likely to give in to cravings.

blh202

cmriverside wrote: »

Some people (and I'm one of them) have a hard time stopping once they start eating sugary stuff, or even potato chips in my case.

I had to stop buying things like packages of cookies or half gallons of ice cream. Since I live alone, I would eat the whole thing and not stop. Until you can get a grip on your compulsion, just don't buy the stuff. I stopped buying cereal and crackers for a while, too. Pretzels, never again. The decision is made in the store.

Some people preach moderation, but I'm not able to do that - even nine years on. I am able to have one serving if I'm at a restaurant or if it's all I have, but if it's in my house, I'll eat it as soon as I feel the slightest twinge of hunger.

I believe some people just have a harder time, that maybe their brain signals to keep eating it in a stronger way than some other people, or their psychological makeup is such that it's difficult to get a handle on it. There is a lot of debate around this, and I think that if you haven't experienced this it's pretty hard to explain or to understand.

I find if I work out I am less apt to eat too many carbs. Keep up your exercise. It helps.

I am in total agreement with you. One bite and I can't stop.

DoreenaV1975

Eat it, but adjust all your other calories... You will (most likely ) find you wont have enough calories to eat for the rest of the day and that will change your mind about ice cream. I say this from watching my husband, who used to have a big "sweet-tooth" and couldn't control it.
He joined MFP about a month and a half ago. I help him with his logging and when he asks me "How many calories will this (insert sweet treat here) take up?" when he finds out it's "a lot" he says "It's not worth it"! He's lost over 13 pounds in 5 weeks. I've lost 25 pounds in 6 months, now maintaining an over 28 pound loss for approximately 6 months.
Not to say he/we don't enjoy treats we just enjoy them in moderation.
And there are days were I/we splurge BIG TIME, holidays, vacations, going out w/ friends... but we always just cut back for a while following that splurge until we've dropped the pounds (if we gain) and then we're back on track again. I gained 11 pounds when we were in Spain and lost all of it w/in a couple of weeks of coming back home (I suspect a large part of it was water weight though).
Once you learn the tools, it really is EASY!

concordancia

Why would you give up exercise?! If you think you are snacking because of the exercise, just eat back your calories with filling foods! The endorphins from exercise are similar to those released with sugary, fatty foods but the exercise can help your body process the sugars.

If you slip up, you can try again tomorrow; I you give up, nothing is going to change.

It helps me to measure out one serving and to eat it without distractions. Just sit down, preferably at the table, and enjoy it.

Dana_E

Maybe you could buy the tiny containers of ice cream and get tiny spoons to match. Eat it slowly and mindfully savor every bite. Sometimes the visual cue of a full container (bowl, plate, carton) no matter what size, plus the number of repetitions to eat the food (small spoon vs large) can signal the brain that you've had enough, even if it isn't much. Or designate an ice cream treat day once a week to look forward to, fit it into your calorie allotment, and make sure you splurge on the really good stuff like a fancy pants gelato or a locally made gourmet flavor. As a binge eater, these tactics have helped me.
But above all, don't give up! I know it's frustrating, but you can do this.

emdeesea

Some people have trigger foods that they can't control. One of mine is ice cream. Another is Nutella. Once I start I cannot stop so I just don't keep it in the house. I have oodles of control over everything else and can easily walk away from anything else. Just not those two things. You just have to recognize that you may very well not be able to control it.

I keep little mints for when I need a sweet fix, although my sweet tooth is nowhere near where it used to be.

try2again

Baby43204 wrote: »

I seem to not be handling my sweet tooth well. I do ok while I am at work but then when I get home I can't control it. So I gave up on working out until I get my eating under control. Do anyone have any advice cause I love big bowls of ice cream.

Strictly speaking, working out isn't required for weight loss, but I don't understand the correlation you're making here. Why would not working out help you get a sweet tooth under control? If anything, a little movement will help mitigate the excess calories.

That said, I have a sweet tooth as well and mostly try to fit it into my day, though my ultimate goal is to reduce the amount of calories I waste on it. I doubt there are many women who can work a "big bowl" of ice cream in on a regular basis, though. Weigh out the actual serving size and try eating it really slowly. And as has been mentioned, if you don't have to have it in the house, it's much easier to go without

Dana_E

try2again wrote: »

Strictly speaking, working out isn't required for weight loss, but I don't understand the correlation you're making here. Why would not working out help you get a sweet tooth under control? If anything, a little movement will help mitigate the excess calories.

I don't know about the OP, but for some reason, I can't undertake an exercise program until I have my food intake under control. It's a mental/emotional energy thing.

shuki_cotren

I have the EXACT same problem it seems. I am fed up with myself for all the garbage I have been putting in my body.

The only thing that works for me is eliminating all sweets and treats from my house--- anything that I will go to when I am craving. So, I let my kids and husband still have their cereal around because I don't usually crave a bowl of sugary cereal. But that is the only treat in the house besides raisins, nuts, and seeds.

I cannot follow "everything in moderation" because I simply don't have the willpower. So if there is a party at work, or a birthday party the trick I have found out is either do not attend, or if you feel you must attend then bring your own food. Something you find delicious but it is healthy. For instance, fresh strawberries or fruit salad. Maybe a little coconut milk cream from the top of a can for "cool whip".

shuki_cotren

I also have done an elimination diet (paleo, whole30) and it has worked wonders to get rid of my cravings and motivate me to eat healthy. Bread, muffins, etc (even if "healthy") make me want sweets. So if you can go on an elimination diet for a month or so like I did a few years ago, the habits I formed from that lasted a LONG time. It did not last forever though, so I think for my intense cravings I need to do a repeat of the elimination diet (cutting out all grains/gluten) at least once every 6 months.