Help pls! anyone have the same problem??

Jsarah140

Hi! I have been determined to lose weight and give it 100% probably every other month since I was at school. I’m now 25.
I have great will power when focused, but I suffer with a weird craving problem .. I get random cravings and have to go and get it no matter what .. I have this so often, it’s always unhealthy things, and I can’t seem to kick it. I tell myself that whatever I am craving will still be for sale when I’ve lost weight etc but I play the spoilt brat and won’t settle until I get it! Also, I know a small bit of what you want is okay.. but this is what throws me off the wagon and it’s literally all of the time. I get my cravings … and then I think ‘ah I’ve ruined it now, I’ll start again for real next week’. And then repeat. I just don’t know how something so petty can stand in between me doing what I want the most, but obviously it does as it’s gone on for almost 10 years! it’s clearly psychological. I’ve seen/read about ladies three times my size that have absolutely smashed it and I think ‘how did they do it?’ Surely I can! I know what I need to do and how to do it. I really just wanted to know if anyone was/has been in the same boat? Please tell me if you have had this problem and how you overcome it because I am so unhappy rn 😩 x

cwolfman13

You have to find a way to get out of the all or nothing mentality. As long as that is the mentality, you'll really never win. A big part of this is realizing that individual food items or an individual meal doesn't define "healthy" or not...a healthy diet is cumulative of everything in totality

I eat pretty healthy for the most part...and that's the important part...but I also love pizza, get cravings for pub grub, and like yesterday, a good fast food burger from Blake's (local FF joint). In the grand scheme of my diet (noun) as a whole, these things are pretty irrelevant as they aren't everyday. I have pizza night most Friday nights with the family...and typically eat out for lunch once or twice per week. I have something sweet for desert most nights, and that doesn't magically undo all of my other nutrition.

To lose weight you just need to be hitting your calorie targets most of the time...and most of the time people can fit craving treats into a deficit calorie target that isn't overly aggressive and reasonable. Overly aggressive weight loss goals are also an issue and typically not sustainable for very long so you end up going into cycles of binging and restricting rather than just cruising along with a more reasonable plan that allows you to enjoy some freedom in your choices.

Jsarah140

Thanks for your reply .. YES! That is me. ‘All or nothing’ mentality has been an mindset for me every time. Simply because I fall off the wagon when having the odd treat so I choose to cut them completely so I know what’s what… and then evidently cave and fall off the wagon anyway. Can’t win! So do you have pizza the Friday nights and then straight back with a healthy breakfast Saturday morning? I wish I could do this. I wake up and think ‘F it I messed it up last night anyway so may aswell have a bacon butty and start again tomorrow’ - I KNOW this is an awful mentality .. but this is my acknowledged problem 😩 I just really want a solution to sticking to a controlled restricted diet and if I do have an unhealthy craving to be able to attend to it in moderation and bounce back & move on! X

COGypsy

Jsarah140 wrote: »

Thanks for your reply .. YES! That is me. ‘All or nothing’ mentality has been an mindset for me every time. Simply because I fall off the wagon when having the odd treat so I choose to cut them completely so I know what’s what… and then evidently cave and fall off the wagon anyway. Can’t win! So do you have pizza the Friday nights and then straight back with a healthy breakfast Saturday morning? I wish I could do this. I wake up and think ‘F it I messed it up last night anyway so may aswell have a bacon butty and start again tomorrow’ - I KNOW this is an awful mentality .. but this is my acknowledged problem 😩 I just really want a solution to sticking to a controlled restricted diet and if I do have an unhealthy craving to be able to attend to it in moderation and bounce back & move on! X

A "controlled restricted diet" is probably part of your problem. For me, when I decide that some particular foods are "bad" and only particular foods are "healthy", then all I can think about and the absolute only thing I want to eat are the things on my "bad" list. Food is food, it's not inherently bad or good. Some has lots of vitamins, some has lots of protein, and some just tastes really good. There's a place for all of those things in a balanced diet.

Think about it kind of like your budget. If you splurge on some new doodad, do you say, "well F it" and spend all your savings, max out your credit cards, and take out a loan while you're at it? It's not so different with calories. Meet your nutritional needs (pay your bills) and enjoy what's left (new doodads). Or sometimes it makes sense to save your extra money for something bigger, right? In the same way, maybe it makes sense to eat a few calories less for a few days so that you can have a bigger treat later on. Or realize that if you splurge on something like a bacon butty, realize you'll just eat lighter the rest of the day and then it fits in just fine. As long as you're making conscious choices about what you eat and when, it will probably work out just fine in the overall scheme of things.

Jsarah140

I LOVE this budget anatomy! Really made perspective for me. Thank you! and everything you have explained makes sense and has helped with my mentality towards it , thank you x