Seriouls have no self control with anything!
CassieR6
Posts: 280 Member
So as I have stated/complained about before I have a huge problem with control and motivation. So I say on a daily basis that I want to loose weight and get in shape for myself, my family, my husband, and my health. But what do I do, I sit here and eat candy at work or donuts if they have them. I swear I am going to have diabetes before I am 40. Lets put it this way, its only 9:19am and I have already had my coffee with creamer, a 3 Musketeer bar, a donut and a fun size Twix. That is so horrible! I mean I attempt to eat healthy. Like I brought for breakfast a Chobani Flip Yogurt, a turkey sandwich for lunch, and for snacks I have cauliflower with home made ranch, string cheese, and a fruit snack. But no I choose to eat the crap instead. I just for once want to find my damn self control and motivation again. I know its possible. Sorry for the rant everyone just wanted to say and maybe get some comments. Thank you!!
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Replies
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Where did the candy come from? Is there a way to get rid of it and not get more? Can you at least arrange so the doughnuts are out of your personal space?7
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The candy is at different desks in the office, we had the daycare on the reservation come around and trick or treat so its all the offices extra. As far as the donuts the guy who sits next door is out and they are from his sister who was bringing them to him so she gave them to me.0
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Log it. Be truthful about your intake. Watch what it does to your daily totals. Collect data. Learn what keeps you full. Learn what makes you happy. Find a good balance of both.
Honestly, with a light dinner I could make a candy bar, a doughnut, and coffee with creamer fit in my day.
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I have to make it a personal "rule" to not eat what other people bring in to work. Only the food I bring myself is allowed. Otherwise every little treat that shows up I give myself permission to have.
When it comes to work-food, I am all or nothing.12 -
Do you eat more at work than you do at home? If so, just have a smaller portion for dinner. Also, when you want the junk food, try drinking water. When I was coming off of sweets, I just went cold turkey and when I was really craving it, I had a small size of it. After a while, I stopped craving it and now I am completely done with it. It is doable.6
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The candy is at different desks in the office, we had the daycare on the reservation come around and trick or treat so its all the offices extra. As far as the donuts the guy who sits next door is out and they are from his sister who was bringing them to him so she gave them to me.
Ugh, my sympathies. Log it and move on. In the future though, you gotta say, "Not for me, thanks!" to stuff you don't want.
The problem with too much junk is that yes, you can make it fit, but only by leaving out other foods with actual nutritional value. And then you're still unsatisfied so you eat more. That's the case with me, anyway.11 -
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I struggle with the same thing. I've been on MFP for at least 5 or 6 years, and I'm only down maybe 10 pounds. I tend to do great in the mornings, but when I get tired in the afternoon and/or evening, I start eating anything and everything. Some days are better than others, of course. I do have a couple of suggestions that might be useful for you. One is to figure out how to avoid walking past the desks with candy, even if you have to go out of your way. The extra steps can only do you good. The other is to imagine that whatever is tempting you is filled with something you hate. Mine is black licorice. Even the thought of accidentally eating some is enough to ruin my appetite. I see a doughnut, and I think black licorice filling, imagine getting some of that in my mouth, and if my imagination is intense enough, I completely lose interest in the doughnut.
I came back to add that diabetes is no joke. It seemed that you tossed that "diabetes by the time I'm 40" out very loosely, but diabetes is serious. People lose body parts to amputation because of it, also their eyesight. Think about how serious that is. I've been thinking about that a lot because I recently was diagnosed with a prediabetes condition. All of a sudden it's not just vanity, it's my health. I don't want to play around with this anymore; must change my habits.9 -
So it's 9 am and you've had coffee with creamer, a 3 Musketeer bar, a donut and a fun size Twix, and you want to replace that with cauliflower and a string cheese? I'm not surprised that you're struggling! Give yourself a break and start small. I spent several months logging everything I ate without making a real effort to change anything, and it gave me some amazing insights into my eating habits. If you want to lose 40 pounds in two months, you're going to have to make major changes overnight. But if you want to lose 40 pounds in a year (which is around where I'm headed right now) you don't have to dramatically overhaul your diet. Just figure out your maintenance calories and start making changes that brings your calorie intake down to something comfortably below that number. It takes a lot of willpower to completely stop eating things that you love, but it takes surprisingly little willpower to eat a bit less of the things you love, while adding in things you like that are healthier or more filling.18
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There's food at my office all the time too. I used to eat it often reflexively just because it's there, and for me it's easier when I just don't snack. I eat my food at lunch time, eat breakfast and dinner at home (occasionally I am here super late and do bring dinner), and ignore the treats that show up, most of which aren't special and which I could easily buy myself if I really really wanted it.
There are rare exceptions (more often around the holidays) when the things that show up are worth eating, but I know when doing it that it will make it harder for me to ignore it than a hard-and-fast no snacking rule does.
The donuts are pretty easy as they are at breakfast and I just think to myself "you already ate breakfast!"
I think having a plan is good (and sounds like you have it, although I agree you need to be able to look forward to your meals and not feel deprived, so make sure you've considered that). I also think having it fit into a broader plan so that you can think about WHY you are doing what you are doing and remember why one day DOES matter (unless you decide in advance it's a splurge day, because it will be really worth the calories). For me, willpower was hard in part when I kept thinking "what's one more day" every single day.3 -
I bet you have more self control than you think. If someone had one doughnut on their desk and walked away for awhile would you go over and eat it? You stop yourself because it belongs to someone else and they would be mad at you for stealing their food.
Are you changing your diet a lot? I mean would you have ordinarily have brought yogurt, a turkey sandwich, cauliflower, cheese and fruit to work? Do you like that food or just feel you should eat that type of food?
I would start with logging your normal eating without changing type of food so much. The start adding in lower calorie options and reducing portion sizes of higher calorie stuff more slowly.
Don't make sweets into something that is a big deal. Candy and donuts are not rare. You can eat one a day every single day. If it is not worth the use of your calories then think of it that way and save them for something you really like not just things that are there.
You don't have to be perfect every day to lose weight. You had a higher calorie day. Learn from it, log it and move on.10 -
I'm with @MegaMooseEsq and @YepItsKriss, this "Like I brought for breakfast a Chobani Flip Yogurt, a turkey sandwich for lunch, and for snacks I have cauliflower with home made ranch, string cheese, and a fruit snack." sounds awful. I'd never succeed that way. You have enough to lose that you can just focus on CICO vs. food quality for now. Find your deficit and shoot for that for now instead trying to switch out types of food too, so soon.2
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Firstly, log it.
Second: calculate how much you have to exercise to burn off your sugary treat and do it! When I started my weight loss journey, exercise made me appreciate calories. The thought that you just worked so hard to burn off that fun sized chocolate stops you from having it next time (at least that's how I looked at it. I didn't want to waste my hour in the gym on just candy)
Thirdly: learn to say no. I know it can be hard to say no to friends and family when they bring you food but just do it once!1 -
A chobani flip has quite a bit of sugar. I would try to start my day off with something that has less sugar and more protein and fiber for breakfast. Some turkey bacon or sausage and eggs or oatmeal maybe. That sugar so early may be causing you to crave it more. Then for snacks mix fat with carbs. An apple with almond butter... and so forth.8
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Your post has inspired me to go home and throw away all my kids' Halloween candy tonight. I have no self control and it just stares at me from their trick or treat bags. I figure they would rather have a mom who is healthy in the long run rather than Halloween candy and a mom that's way over weight!6
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I just wanted to say I hear you. I have always found that if I don't have a bite of what I want I will end up angry, desperate and face-down in a bucket of Doritos by nightfall so I figure candy into my diet practically every day. I'm not ashamed to admit that, either. I am currently going through a hella hungry phase but that's after 18 months of dieting and a 60-lb. loss. All during that year and a half I was losing steadily and keeping things under control but I HAD to have my treats.
The thing is, though, if you do this...you have to log it. Don't say "I know if I don't have a bite, I'll overeat later," then have a (probably big...if you're anything like me) bite and mosey along. You MUST log your treat. It's food, after all...like any other food. No magical property, positive or negative, makes it un-log-worthy. It's still calories (and whatever macros you like to count). So work it into your day.
That's the best I can do right now...I see a lot of good advice above, though!
I do feel for you. I worked outside the home for 20 years. All year round it was a struggle of donuts in the lunchroom staring at me and releasing their scent as I walked by (I swear those things farted fresh-baked sugaryfreshdoughyicing when they sensed me on their radar...and they were grinning...THEY WERE GRINNING), then the holidays were...yeah. Never mind. I feel you, dawg. Hang in there.7 -
Today at work, I turned down free muffins and stopped after two slices of veggie pizza for lunch. A few months ago, I would have eaten the extra 1500 calories without thinking about it. Saying no gets easier everytime you do it.
Prelogging my entire day the night before helps me stay on track.11 -
Establish control over what goes in your mouth.
Stick with your own food.
Don't take anyone else's food.
If someone else offers their food, turn it down.
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Establish control over what goes in your mouth.
Stick with your own food.
Don't take anyone else's food.
If someone else offers their food, turn it down.
I hear similar things about men.
OP, self-control isn't easy. It's like a muscle you need to flex regularly to develop it. In the meantime, out of sight, out of mind.10 -
It seems like this thread addresses this topic, too.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10613774/the-importance-of-willpower-for-weight-loss0 -
Janice6543 wrote: »Today at work, I turned down free muffins and stopped after two slices of veggie pizza for lunch. A few months ago, I would have eaten the extra 1500 calories without thinking about it. Saying no gets easier everytime you do it.
Prelogging my entire day the night before helps me stay on track.
Prelogging definitely helps! If I have my whole day logged already I get lazy and won't eat something cuz I don't feel like logging it2 -
I haven’t cut anything out, just focused on CICO ... BUT my office always has a TON of snacks, pot lucks, etc. and we have some darn good cooks. So during the first year or so I mentally told myself that any office food had fallen on the floor or the cook had sneezed on it or they didn’t wash their hands, etc. so I’d want to avoid it! Lol - I didn’t tell the people who made things that so I wouldn’t offend them, but it was a mental trick that made it easier for me to say “no thanks.” Now I can indulge occasionally when it is something REALLY worth it (like homemade egg rolls!)4
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I def have a no work food rule and I just imagine all the people touching it, it sitting out all day, etc. Now, if my vendor brings in Voodo Donuts for the team, I’ll cut off a half & log it but that’s a rarity.
You can do it!2 -
What helped for me was to set daily calorie goals with the app and then log every bite I ate. Log it whether it's embarrassing or not and whether it puts you over your limit or not. Use a scale and log by weight. It kind of puts your eating habits right in your face. And then for me, the mindset that got built up wasn't so much willpower as selection. As in, I only have X amount of calories I can eat today. Is it really worthwhile to eat this crap in front of me when I can spend the calories on something much better instead? And by better, I meant both tastier and more nutritious. If I'm gonna have candy it's not gonna be crap like Twix or even 3 Musketeer. It's gonna be quality chocolate from a good chocolatier! And then I only have a few squares and put the rest away for later, because I need to save room for some good food.
Maybe it helps a little that my "downfall" temptation is toast. I love toast. I'll eat half a loaf of bread at a time if it's toasted. When I make sure to leave room in my diary for an evening snack, that snack will be toast. On a good day I can have 4 slices.
For the most part I settle into a daily routine where I eat more or less the same amount, and often the same foods, every day I'm at work and save variety for the weekends.5 -
MegaMooseEsq wrote: »So it's 9 am and you've had coffee with creamer, a 3 Musketeer bar, a donut and a fun size Twix, and you want to replace that with cauliflower and a string cheese? I'm not surprised that you're struggling! Give yourself a break and start small. I spent several months logging everything I ate without making a real effort to change anything, and it gave me some amazing insights into my eating habits. If you want to lose 40 pounds in two months, you're going to have to make major changes overnight. But if you want to lose 40 pounds in a year (which is around where I'm headed right now) you don't have to dramatically overhaul your diet. Just figure out your maintenance calories and start making changes that brings your calorie intake down to something comfortably below that number. It takes a lot of willpower to completely stop eating things that you love, but it takes surprisingly little willpower to eat a bit less of the things you love, while adding in things you like that are healthier or more filling.
Thank you! I've just recently started and some days I'm close to the calories I'm supposed to consume and others I'm like a few hundred over the limit, but I keep feeling depressed about it. And then I have the same problem the original poster has, I eat ice cream and cake etc at work. I'm staying truthful in my log though and I'm surprised to see where most of my calories come from. I guess I'm just gathering data and making small changes at this point.
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My motto- if it's not in the house, I won't eat it. Stay far, far away from temptation. If the people you live with eat junk/snack foods, have them hide it from you. I'm not kidding. I get MAD at my husband if he brings home junk. I tell him, if he wants it, just buy the single serving for himself and not enough to leave around. Keep all junk and snack foods out of your physical sight- studies show that if it's out of sight, our willpower increases. As soon as you see/smell it, it gets much harder to resist temptation. The other thing you can do is become educated about all the horrible ingredients they put into processed foods and become an avid label reader. Once you know what's lurking in those Oreos, you're gonna say "Yuck" instead of "Yum". The frosting on those store-bought cupcakes your co-worker brought in? Full of disgusting chemicals and fake ingredients, hydrogenated GMO soybean oils!This one works for me personally- usually just reading the label, finding out what kind of cancer causing crap is in it, and how many grams of fat and sugar are in each serving, is enough to deter me. You have to make yourself conscious of the process- what am I about to eat? Then analyze it- do you REALLY want to be eating hydrogenated soybean oil? Do you really want to eat that much fat/sugar in one sitting? 98% of the time, you'll decide it's just not worth it. The other 2% you might give in because you're having a bad day. It just helps to be conscious- "what does this do to my health?" If you don't think about what's in it or it's effects beyond that moment, it becomes too easy to give in. Think before you eat, stop and analyze.
You can also try having a set "cheat" meal day once per week so that you can allow yourself those indulgences guilt-free because you were 100% on point the rest of the week. I am maintaining a very lean weight now by eating super clean all week and indulging every Saturday. Buy all your indulgences in small containers or eat out so there will be none left over the next day, or just throw any leftovers away. This one day will not harm your weight loss if kept within reason. (don't binge excessively) Eat whatever you want on that day, just observe reasonable portion sizes.
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Feeling out of control can be so frustrating! I'm thinking a couple different things here. 1. Stop torturing yourself and saying how horrible you are. The guilt you feel just makes you go right back to eating, to make yourself feel better. 2. Instead of focusing on what foods you think are "healthy," for now just focus on eating fewer calories than you burn. For weight loss, it doesn't matter where those calories come from. Eat foods that you enjoy! I manage to eat ice cream most days of the week, for example.
One thing I decided early on was that I wasn't going to eat foods I didn't like just to lose weight. You'd be amazed how much easier it makes the entire process.0 -
When I first started out on my weight loss mission, one of my favourite snacks (because I will not everyone else will not survive the day if I am hangry) was homemade protein muffins, I've made all different flavours, they are tasty, filling and they are around 100-150 calories.
The basic mixture for a tray of 12 is 120g MyProtein Muffin Mix, 3 Tablespoons of Oil, a 125ml pot of low fat yoghurt and 100ml of semi-skimmed milk.
I have made so many variations:- Black Forest - with cocoa, dark chocolate chips and dried cherries (used berry flavoured yoghurt)
- Lemon & Chia - with lemon flavoured yoghurt, a splash of lemon juice and chia seeds
- Orange - with orange or peach yoghurt, used Orange Juice in place of the milk
- Blueberry - made with fresh blueberries and blueberry yoghurt
- Vanilla & Chocolate Chip - Just added choc chips
- Peanut Butter - just added PB
- Apple & Cinnamon - chopped apple and some dusted with some cinnamon infused sugar
I could happily choose one of those over a doughnut or some candy
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I'm very weak willed but I never touch office food. It's just a habit I never started. Say 'no thanks' until it's second nature. Don't look at the food. If someone hands it to you, say 'Thanks' and walk off with it and put it somewhere far away from yoru desk and out of sight. Hand it to the young men in the office hwo do sport five times a week. They'll love you for it.
As to general motivation (mine is/was terrible. I'm really working on it) I read books and watch videos by Kelly McGonigal who is a willpower scientist full of really practical tips on how to build your willpower. She has written books that non-scientists will understand.Have a look at them.2
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