I want to eat everything

FireDog3

Any tips on how to keep your mouth shut and not eat everything in front of you??
My diet is clean at home but once i get to work i want to eat all the snacks and food. I literally wont think twice to eat. I used to weigh 175 i went up to 214, then to 194 and now im currently at 210😞 i have a serious problem

springlering62

Start logging your food, weighing it by gram and recoding it honestly.

Make a note of times you feel particularly peckish.

What did you do beforehand? What had you eaten earlier?

Or, times you feel particularly satisfied. What food do you think led to that?

For me, I find protein to be very satiating so I set my protein macro much higher than normal.

Lately, I’m noticing air popped popcorn, which isn’t high protein, is very filling, too. Probably the fiber content.

Days I do weight training (I don’t record weight sessions as exercise because they’re so stop’n’go), those days I can almost guarantee I’ll be famished two or three hours later. Even though I don’t give myself exercise calories those days, I do intentionally eat extra for those workouts.

I also find that hot drinks make me slow down, sip, and savor. That can “kill some time” between snacks. For me, a sugar free chai latte fits the bill perfectly.

I also pre-log my day, including snacks. I know if I have three snacks in the afternoon, generally with a workout tucked in the middle, that gives me 60-90 minutes between snacks if I pace myself. I can do that. It helps to have it all already laid out in the morning so I can see how the food day will pass.

Careful logging also helps me weigh decisions: three Oreos versus a large bowl of fruit, cottage cheese, blueberry balsamic and a spoonful of grape nuts? 12 Potato chips with lunch versus a large bowl of popcorn with margarine and soy sauce?

After a while you learn to budget those calories and invest them in the most satisfaction.

csplatt

I pre log my food from the day. When I want to eat, it should be the item I have planned for my next snack to be. It takes a few weeks to adjust to the new habit of saying no to unplanned items. In the long-term, it’s probably not mentally healthy to never accept an unplanned food item. But you will have gotten so good at tracking that you know what to say yes to and how it fits into your day.

knotmel

Some great strategies above, but I wanted to add something that I found drives my work snacking. I’m not sure if this is true for you, but my problem with the snacks at work is that I got into a habit of rewarding myself with a snack (chips plus a Dr Pepper) every afternoon. The thought process is something like, “Look, I’m working hard at my desk, I deserve a treat!” Since I don’t buy those things at home, they’re not available, and I can’t have them and am not derailed (though I still crave a little treat at that time, because it’s a habit).

I’ve switched the habit to eating a bag of crunchy broad beans (more protein and fiber, so actually more filling if I am hungry, and I genuinely find the sweet sriracha flavor to be super delicious) and a flavored sparkling water (no calories, but still fun—I actually started with caffeinated sparkling water so that I was only removing the sugar at first instead of sugar and caffeine). It’s not quite as “rewarding”, but it lets me keep going without ruminating on the snack I totally definitely deserve for actually doing my job all day long. (In a perfect world, I’d address the psychology here instead of just substituting snacks. But this works for me for now.)

If this is true for you, too, is there something you can do to reward yourself in a way that better aligns with your goals?

Chef_Barbell

I would make room for the things I enjoy eating. Life is too short to stick to a diet that is miserable. 🤷‍♀️

Hiawassee88

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1044322/clean-dirty-missing-the-point
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1189534/dirty-calories-vs-clean-calories
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10093394/clean-eating-vs-moderation-what-works-for-you/p1

Start here. Clean vs. Dirty Foods

Bargaining with yourself and gutting it out. It doesn't work because we are not computerized machines. Using self-negotiation to avoid all of the dirty foods. It's only working for you until you get to work. It takes true grit to eat only clean foods. The stats say we may be able to hold out until the 5 year mark when there's a dirty food reckoning. A dirty food bender that goes on for days and days, maybe months.

The balanced and sustainable way to change the way you eat forever - moderate all of the foods you eat. Elimination diets don't work. Moderating your portions will transform your thinking about food. Stop assigning moral judgments to food. Clean eating, guilty pleasures, cheat days and dirty foods.

Our bodies don't know the difference between home, vehicles and work. They don't know anything about a special event vs. a regular old day. About the only thing we can change in this crazy world of ours is to retool our thinking about the foods we eat. Validate your own choices. Two words. Portion Control.

BecomeAnAnimal

Yes, portion control!!

What I’ve found very helpful and motivating is setting a weekly goal on where you want your weight to land. Focus on that and don’t cheat on yourself. Each week, you’ll thank yourself and your willpower.

sbelletti

It took me awhile to get there, but I had to make the mental decision that losing weight was more important to me than eating everything I wanted. And I mean REALLY made that decision (not just a wish.) Once that decision was made, it was so much easier to say Nope, I can't have that unless I have the calories allotted for it. Have you had that discussion with yourself? There are certainly ways to make it easier to adjust your way of eating and lifestyle, but they'll be hard to stick to if you aren't fully committed to the process. Good luck!

Cecyyaya

I have the same problem. I lost my weight and have gained 30 pounds because of over eating. It started off with a mentality of "just this time" and before I know it I was three sizes bigger. This time I trying to be more mindful of the food selection and portions. It's hard because I got used to big portions but I am trying. I am one week in and take it one day at at time. The food I love the most is tortilla and I am trying to enjoy one at dinner time. I used to eat up to four per meal. I don't want to do away with the food I love but I have to be realistic that I need to cut back on high calorie food and add more healthy fruits and vegetables and lean protein. My goal is to have a balance for the rest of my life. I wish you luck.

sollyn23l2

I'm another vote for logging everything you eat. Studies have shown that, even if you don't count calories, the mere act of having to acknowledge and write down every single bite that goes into your mouth will cause you to eat fewer calories, as you are more aware of eating, and each time you think "dammit, now I have to write that down. Ugh".

Alatariel75

sollyn23l2 wrote: »

I'm another vote for logging everything you eat. Studies have shown that, even if you don't count calories, the mere act of having to acknowledge and write down every single bite that goes into your mouth will cause you to eat fewer calories, as you are more aware of eating, and each time you think "dammit, now I have to write that down. Ugh".

Yup, this and in fact I have a rule of not eating it until I've logged it. It really helps me out the brakes on when I have to see it there in black and white in the context of my day. If I eat it then log it, it's too easy to say "well I've eaten it not, I can't un-eat it" and just let it derail me.

MsCzar

I too, was doing great as long as I was eating at home during the pandemic. Once work resumed, I regained a quick stone almost overnight.
My job comes with the constant temptation of non-stop delicious free food all day long. Everything is always top rate and darned near irresistible. I have tried every strategy and the best I've been able to manage is a slightly less epic fail.
Some things that have been somewhat helpful:
I look at all the thin people in the room and notice they are not nearly as obsessed with food as I am; I watch and try to pace my eating with theirs. Still, I feel the constant old compulsion to grab a handful of chocolates and quietly drop them in my pockets.
I try to make better work meal choices - no I do not need fries with that!
If meals are provided at work, I don't eat anything outside of work since I usually reach or exceed my calorie target before lunch.
When I feel powerless in the face of temptation, I choose the ONE item I want most and just have it. I figure that's better than the non-stop feed I would typically do.
Time limits - Waiting X amount of time before cruising the snack table... or even better, NOT cruising the snack table at all.
On days off, I cut back my calories to about 1000 per day if I've overdone it at work until I average out the week.