What is wrong with me....

candifeola

1) Get that crap out of your house! Out of sight, out of mind. If you feel must keep it around for your partner or kiddies, write their names all over it so you know it's not for you and put it way high up in a cupboard somewhere. This is what I do with my Hubs cookies. Oh, also buy treats that are just for you. There are some low cal snack bars and protein bars out there that are pretty darn tasty!

2) Plan your eating for the day and pre log it as much as you can. Before you eat anything, come on to MFP, see what you've planned to eat, notice those treats aren't on here but a piece of fruit and some yogurt is. Go for the fruit and yogurt and forget about the junk.

3) If you do happen to want something extra, look it up and/or log it first The calories may shock you right out of eating it!

If you're just bored, instead of reaching into the fridge or cupboard, get your exercise clothes on and go for a walk or head to the gym. Or call a friend, or pick up a good book, or come online and see what's up on the MFP boards. Anything to distract you...

No more mindless eating!

YES!

unapologetically_crystal

first off, welcome! you need to get that kind of stuff out of your house. give it away.. trash it.. pour dish soap on it.. whatever it is that you need to do other then eating it.. UNLESS you would like to indulge LIGHTLY within calories. considering you are just starting out.. i think it best to get rid of it. okay.. to stop the mindless eating.. EAT. find something filling. for instance i like to grab a yogurt because it will fill me... vs a candy bar. which that candy bar idea would actually fuel a ton more hunger.. because its sugary goodness actually makes you WANT MORE. this is just the beginning. its gonna be rough. do you like fruit?? eat an apple when you are hungry. i hear drinking water when you are hungry helps.

you mentioned coffee... i have and still do use coffee sometimes to fill the void of eating. (gotta watch your sugar and creamer.. or artificial sweeteners though unless you dont use any of that)

also keep yourself busy doing other things where you wont want to randomly eat. another thing i have tried is snacking.. meaning make your daily food into smaller meals that you can eat more frequently.

and as far as whats wrong with you... YOU ARE HUMAN!

bethannien

Nothing is wrong with you, but it does take time to develop new habits. One thing I do is look at the calories and figure out how long I need to exercise to burn the item off. Then you can have the treat only after you workout. Walking 3 miles so you can eat that candy bar makes you really think about how bad do really want it.

Yes! Figuring out how much exercise I'd need to do to burn off something that is devoid of nutrients has gone a long way to help me kick the mindless eating. I've really only been going strong for a week now, so I'm certainly not an expert. But don't beat yourself up. Just decide you're going to do it, get the "junk" out of your house, and log everything.

Also, I find that making a grocery list and making my husband ban me from buying anything that isn't on it helps.

serenere

you need to stay away from these temptations when you go shopping. If you have some stock in your house, immediately get rid of them! out of sight out of mind.

terigirod

I used to have that problem...not so much now...i keep myself busy...either being on the computer, sitting outside, taking a walk, playing with my grandchildren, reading, anything to keep me from going to the fridge or cupboard to find something to eat. i also make sure I have bottled water with me at all times...that seems to help. U will find out what works for u. It won't happen over nite, but u will find out what works...don't give up, hang in there!!!!

lj8576

must.....resist...............CADBURY.......Too hard especially the crème eggs

Donald_Dozier_50

If you don't have those items in your house, you will not eat them. I have the same problem that's why I will not even buy 100 calories snack packs, I'd probably eat them all at once. I keep vegetables and fruit, makes me think twice as if I'm really hungry or not really.

Agreed. I had to get rid of the 100 calorie packs too.

unFATuated

Do you eat them out of the box? I found that was my biggest issue - just munching out of the box and then I couldn't really see how much I'd eaten. You might find it easier not to have those things in the house for now, but you can work them into your daily allowance. I find working out the recommended serving and taking that amount out of the box and putting it on a plate, then sitting down with my cuppa and enjoying them is the best way to go about it. Don't deprive yourself, and don't say 'Well, I've messed up now, might as well eat junk the rest of the day!' Log it, eat as best you can for the rest of the day and start fresh tomorrow.

highervibes

If you know certain foods are triggers for you, I would recommend getting rid of them IN THE SHORT TERM. After you've lost a bit of weight and gained a bit of confidence, add them back and try the moderation thing. I find having some weight loss under the belt is an excellent motivator so maybe just banish the binge worthy food until you get a foothold?

Lemmynade

Try to get into the habit of logging things BEFORE you actually eat them. You may not alwaysbe successful, but the more you do it, the easier that parts get. Once you've logged something, it's easier to think about how it will effect your day, and if you do that before you eat it, you have a chance to decide if you actually want to eat it.

This has been working for me. I love to cook, and often get excited about what I'm cooking for dinner while still at work. I'll log it, and when I get home, I'm craving that meal so much that I get a lot of satisfaction from it. I also took the time on Sunday to portion out 100 calorie bags of grapes and pineapple. Those are the only fruits that settle this massive sweet tooth of mine! Plus 100 calories of fruit tends to keep me more full and satisfied than 100 calories of cookie/cake/candy.

jenner1981

I still do that at times. I don't however have any bad foods in my house. So if I do binge it wont be as bad as far as calories go. It is easy for me to eat and not even realize how much I ate so I do find not having those things in my house helps.

Pixi_Rex

Down the back of your neck? How do you do that? Seriously I want to know.

slim4health56

Oh, the habit of it all!

Habits are difficult to break and almost impossible to break if you don't replace the old habit with a new habit (lots of good advice posted previously about doing other things instead of eating). Post notes to yourself if that's what it takes to stay out of the candy (or get rid of the candy altogether), and post a note on the fridge. You need a plan (preparation), you need to be mindful of this plan, and you need a replacement activity to fill the void. Sometimes, it's not easy, but it's possible.

Cranquistador

Log it and move on.

whierd

It is a process, getting used to a new lifestyle. One thing to remember is to log everything honestly. Face the truth of how much you are consuming. If you are embarrassed, make you diary private. This will make you more mindful of what you eat and help you start making better choices.

Pre-plan your day. The night before, decide what you are going to eat, prep as much of it as you can, and try to stick with it. I oftentimes just want convenience, so having food prepped helps me to just grab and go.

sokkache

Honestly, it takes hard work and real determination, but once you can stop the cravings for at least 4 days. Don't eat or drink anything that's "bad" for you for 4 days. Once you can get it out of your cycle and eat healthier, your body will adapt much better and you will crave these foods less often. It seriously only takes a couple of days for the cravings to go away and you will feel so good about it too. I did this and just started to say "I don't eat that" and put it back in the fridge and I have never been happier with my diet and myself in general.

I still eat what I want but now I can limit myself to the suggested serving size lol, and sometimes less, which is a feat in itself.

Margiewar

If I see it, I will eat it! I took all the chips and cookies that my daughter and husband have and put them out of sight.

whierd

If I see it, I will eat it! I took all the chips and cookies that my daughter and husband have and put them out of sight.

That is fine to start, but eventually you have to confront and overcome the negative relationship with food.

luv4hiztorah

I don't think any thing is WRONG with you!! We slip and fall...do we just lie on the floor? Nope we get up and keep on moving!!

You might want to make some lifestyle changes (I am learning that). Not having food like that in your house might be more temptation that you can handle (I know I couldn't do it).

I need to make healthier food choices...the FOOD section here is quite eye opening!!

Good luck...you are not alone.

sbrownallison

Good ideas here. I find I must control my environment (not buy items that are trigger foods for me). Once your system rids itself of these type of foods, you will, in all likelihood, feel much more in control. At this stage of your journey, you may want to cut back on sugar so as to get your system in gear. Once that happens, you probably won't have the cravings. But if you do, have a piece of fruit.

marysidneyherbert

I ate a couple of extra (big) snickerdoodle cookies yesterday and then decided to go ahead and do an extra workout video so I could keep my calories right for the day. I did a relatively easy one (Leslie Sansone walking), but I nevertheless got the calories back in the black, and I felt a lot better physically and emotionally. Once I know what it takes to make up for it in workout calories, I figure, maybe next time I will think twice.

madmiya

nothing's wrong. you're human. and as multi-taskers we follow the systems we set up so we can do other things also. i.e. autopilot

1. don't buy anymore junk food
2. make a rule not to eat/and.

meaning if you're eating, you're only eating. so you're eating "mindfully" you aren't distracted and can stop when you feel satisfied rather than inhale everything because you're watching something else.

this is huge btw. will change your life. good luck.

Mctraill

Thank you all for your replies I am back on track lots of advice here all of which I haven taken on board...thanks again...

SierraZulu

I find knowing I have to log it, makes me think twice about what I eat and makes me more aware of what I'm doing. So, that mindless snacking I used to do doesn't happen anymore. When you write it down, it becomes real!

crisb2

I don't buy the stuff that makes me scarf down the whole bag, keep a few treats for hubby, but try to pick things that he likes and i wouldn't be inclined to binge on.
Also, have your goals front and center, in your mind and if possible VISUALLY. I have a photo of my skinnier self in the kitchen, as soon as I walk in I see it. And I put all of my skinny clothes at the front of the closet, so that I see them every day and see what I'm missing out on.

Maidofmer

I still do it. been on here for almost a year, on and off admittedly, but the other day, I made a nice salad, some chicken, veggies, a nice healthy meal, while eating a big Hershey bar and thinking about the chocolate milk that I bought for my daughter.

KenishaFitness

I understand where you are coming from. I have done that. I could be in the process logging in my food and then I realize that I am eating more then what I want to put in. I often try to distant myself from them by doing other things that will keep me busy so I want be "Mindless Eating"

starusue

I used to that too. What i would do is try keeping myself busy by cleaning my room and all over the house including my car. If you want something unhealthy. Do not eat it. Get a fruit instead. Or a veggie.
Try avoiding fake foods. Its best to make your own.
If you want fruit juice, try making your own, if you want to add sugar to a pitcher of fruit juice you can make a simple syrup with 1/4 cup of sugar abd 1/4 of water and boil it in a sause pan until it disovles and pour it into the pitcher.
If you want to store buy it. I recommend the brand naked, since it doesnt have high fructose sugar soy or any of that stuff that keep the fat on or V8. Those are the ones i know of so far.
If you want chips and want salty, supoosibly satly things help. But dont eat to much cause it has sodium, and sodium makes you bloat and keep the water instead of letting the water cleanse your body.
You should make one day in the month only one day like if you choose the 24 of every month its going to be like that forever. so make one day a day where you dont have to worry about what you eat. but that doesnt mean your going to eat the whole bag of chips or w.e it is, just means you eat until you are full. not over that or it will make you sick to your stomach.
try balancing your meals.
what i also do to keep me from eating junk food is walk for 60 mins 3 times a day, wear your sun screen. walk to your destination. more often instead of using your car.
you can get this app called charity walk, if you have a smart phone, so every time you walk 1 mile the app donates 25 cents to the place you want to donate. maybe that can motivate you. or tell your self if i loes 5 pounds before my piggy day then i can have a piggy day, if i dont then i cant have one until next month.
I hope this helps.
we can keep in touch.

Nicolee_2014

I ate mainly because I'm bored.

I always wanted to be a stay at home Mum - now I am, I don't know what to do with myself. I'm hoping when my littlies get a bit bigger it won't be so hard.

matthewsism

i'd say take it easy on yourself for a start. that's hard enough but i think it's necessary. forgive yourself for slipping. it's already been said but i will in my way, when i binge my way through a box of some delectable treat that i bought with all good intentions i just don't buy it again. but i stare longingly at the package and i may joke about it to reiterate to myself that i am powerless over scrummy, nutty, chocolatey whatsits so i mustn't buy them. and if i just have to, i look for something small and alone instead of crowded in a box. but i'll probably have to nip that in the bud too. in my own time.