Split Personality in regards to eating! Need advice!

jewel3

So I seem to have a split Personality when it comes to eating. The healthy thin girl inside of me wars greatly with the fat junk food loving side. I will do great controlling my eating most of the day and then totally bomb at supper. There are no real triggers and I'm not emotion eating. Any advice on how to stay consistent??

L1zardQueen

What happens at supper time? Are you creating this sumptuous meal that you cannot resist seconds?

jewel3

No I don't ever eat seconds. I guess the biggest problem is struggling with fatigue after work compounded with busy evenings that lead to eating out.

kardsharp

Log your food before you eat it. Treat yourself to a little something sweet to signal to your body that supper is over! These are working for me.

nutmegoreo

Prep your supper the day or week before (I meal prep and freeze things in serving sizes, so I have a big selection of stuff). This way you have no excuses to stop somewhere along the way as you head home. It's much easier knowing that you have something nutritious and tasty all ready for you and won't take any longer than the microwave. I agree with a small treat each day. Knowing that you can have something like a single serving of ice cream or a couple squares of chocolate each day can help take the pressure off. It sounds like you might be trying to be too strict and limiting yourself too much.

kommodevaran

Understand that this is perfectly normal, and it's a problem because of how our brains have evolved, and how our environment has evolved. One part (the ancient one) is there to keep you alive, by making sure you get in enough food, and it evolved in a time when food was scarce. The other part (the modern one) is responsible for language, thinking ahead, resisting temptation and delaying gratification. The two parts will often argue. The old part doesn't need much. The new part is finicky. If you're tired, resentful and hungy, you're giving the old part the upper hand. But if you eat a healthy diet, eat food you like, do things you find meaningful, get enough rest, have meaningful relationships, your neocortex at least has a chance of letting you do what the rational you want.

88olds

Plan supper around things you actually like.

Also, make sure you don’t have your calories set too low. Loads of folks come on here with their calories set to the absolute minimum, say they have great, terrific and even awesome days, but run off the rails in the evening.

The combination of tired and hungry is a hard battle to fight. And not necessary. Plan for an appealing supper. Allow for a snack. I’ve found that knowing something is coming later can help keep me in check.

If we are patient, our program only needs to be good enough.

pookajunebug

Hi Jewel3,

I also have a history with this type of behavior, so you truly are not alone. I will eat well throughout the day, have a great plan for dinner, and then when I get home from work and/or school, I just want to eat junk because hey, it's comforting and the day was stressful. I got into this habit for a few months earlier this year and I'm finally starting to pull myself out of it. It's hard and takes time! It also takes reprogramming of your brain, or at least it did for me.

One of the things that helped me through this was working out RIGHT when I got home. I know fatigue sets in at the end of the day and this may seem counter intuitive, but for me, it worked. When I get home and I'm exhausted from a stressful day, I walk to my closet and bypass the kitchen completely. I get dressed in my gear without giving myself the opportunity to even sit down. I put on my headphones and head outside (or go to the gym) for at least an hour. After I get home from busting my butt (whether it's running or weight training or even power jogging around my neighborhood and doing intervals of calisthenics), I am in a better mindset in regards to what I am going to put in my body that night. For me, I don't want to waste the past 1-2 hours of hard work just for an unhealthy meal. Think about it; if you're putting in the work and the pain and you're a sweating, smelly albeit healthy and committed person standing in the kitchen, you won't want that energy and commitment wasted on a huge cheeseburger and fries (unless it's a lean beef patty and homemade baked fries of course). For me, this is how I reprogrammed my brain. Giving myself the opportunity to hang out when I get home and have a snack, chill, etc., put me in a situation where my brain and body would associate that down time with food. By removing the down time and replacing it with exercise, my mind was able to refocus on how I felt afterwards and what I wanted that energy to represent in terms of food.

Just my two cents. I hope it helps. Whatever you find that can help you through this though, know that you have a TON of support on MFP! Feel free to add me! I'm always looking for new people to collaborate with on here!

xo

Jess

MELinTexas2018

i was the same way. weeks ago i wanted to start this journey and every morning i would start with a nice healthy shake and do great until dinner. then it all went downhill fast.
i'm not sure what happened but i kicked myself into gear and i think i can do it. also, every saturday i am going to allow myself to eat a meal of anything i want, so it will be easier to get through Sunday through Friday of staying away from junk foods if i know i get them on saturday.

MELinTexas2018

kardsharp wrote: »

Log your food before you eat it. Treat yourself to a little something sweet to signal to your body that supper is over! These are working for me.

i like this idea. my biggest problem was eating after dinner was over, and that's a great idea. TFS