Telling myself no and discipline

lorib642
lorib642 Posts: 1,942 Member
edited November 2019 in Motivation and Support
When I come home from work, I sometimes overindulge because I feel like, I had a rough day and deserve a treat or an alcoholic drink. I was saying that and the other person said, how about telling yourself “no” to overeating.

It probably sounds silly. “Just say no” I don’t know how people develop discipline. But, I plan on saying no to extra dessert on Thursday.



Replies

  • broccolini992
    broccolini992 Posts: 9 Member
    Thursday seems like the day to say yes! I find it difficult to say no to myself too, but every time I resist the urge to get something unhealthy or go through the drive thru I find it really rewarding and I end up being pleased with myself! Something that I use (that may help you too) is the app Habitica - you can set habits you would like to develop and you get rewards for your character when you do those habits. I have one set up for "resisted unhealthy craving" and the ping for marking that I did it again is very satisfying!
  • lorib642
    lorib642 Posts: 1,942 Member
    @broccolini992 thank you. I will check out that app
  • meemunoz
    meemunoz Posts: 11 Member
    I have the same struggle- and think the habit tracker app is a good idea. Thanks for the suggestion!
  • neugebauer52
    neugebauer52 Posts: 1,120 Member
    Seems to me that mankind doesn't react kindly to "NO!" So I give myself choices and try not to go the route of food / beverages / alcohol: a foot massage at the local spa, doing some charity wok or just a walk to the local park. I also keep some very strong lozenges at home (Fisherman's Friend) One of them and I instantly forget about any food or drinks.
  • Shortgirlrunning
    Shortgirlrunning Posts: 1,020 Member
    I also come up with other ways to treat myself besides food. Rough day and need to unwind? My favorite true crime podcast and a hot bath will do the trick. Or I pop in one of my favorite movies (I have a few favorites I deliberately don’t watch often) and pop a bowl of popcorn.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,592 Member
    broccolini992 wrote: »
    Thursday seems like the day to say yes!

    Are Thursdays usually a stressful day for you? For me, it's usually Tuesdays.

    When I have a rough day, I usually exercise or do more exercise than usual. I find it helps burn stress.

  • ReenieHJ
    ReenieHJ Posts: 9,724 Member
    Sometimes it's not easy to do but when I get that feeling, I just either walk away or find something lo-cal and won't kill my day. 40 cal. fudge pops have helped me through some moments; trouble is I can polish off a box of 18 within a few days. :( So I don't buy them all the time. Chewing gum also helps me at certain times.

    I have to say, having been a binge-er all my life, it feels good to come on here and know I'm not alone in that. I look around at my family and friends and nobody else I know is that way. At least that I'm aware of but then I've been more of a closet binge-er so who knows. :(
  • nighthawk584
    nighthawk584 Posts: 2,023 Member
    If I need a little motivation to say no, I look at my lab report from last April and the 6 month checkup in Oct. From the worst of my life to the best in over 25 years.
  • lorib642
    lorib642 Posts: 1,942 Member
    @Machka9. Just this Thursday, Thanksgiving, will have many temptations. @nighthawk584 that is terrific.
  • kristen8000
    kristen8000 Posts: 747 Member
    I think it's you WANT to lose weight OR you WANT "X" food. Or at least it is for me. When I have goals (whether it's to fit into clothes or being a certain weight), I'm in it, so saying no to myself is easy. Most things just aren't worth not reaching what I want.

    But when I started this I decided to plan my day around the fact that "I'll want x". So I left room for wine, cereal at night, dessert, etc. I just ate less at other times.

    My suggestion is to not say "no" but to figure out how to fit the things you know you'll want into your day so you don't feel like you are being punished.
  • RelCanonical
    RelCanonical Posts: 3,882 Member
    neugebauer52 wrote: »
    Seems to me that mankind doesn't react kindly to "NO!" So I give myself choices and try not to go the route of food / beverages / alcohol: a foot massage at the local spa, doing some charity wok or just a walk to the local park. I also keep some very strong lozenges at home (Fisherman's Friend) One of them and I instantly forget about any food or drinks.

    I'm the same way, I don't react well to "no", so instead I just find other things to say "yes" to. For me it has been watching all the youtube I want until I feel better, or if it's in the budget, thrift shopping.
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,099 Member
    Don't and can't are two words that have completely different effects on peoples mind. Saying I don't do something, to me is more empowering than can't, which implies restriction.
  • PWHF
    PWHF Posts: 221 Member
    I'm reading a book all about this at the moment. They talk about how forced self-discipline is doomed to fail and instead going through gradual personality change and visualizing the sort of person you want to be (eg someone who chooses healthy options and doesn't crave bad stuff and is overall healthy) is better. It's called 'Psycho-Cybernetics' (I read the original and now going through the 'New' version).

    It's very good, worth checking out if you struggling with forcing yourself to do/not do something.

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