Community Support is Important

verysilentscarlett

I'm having a hard time with the sugar cravings still. My bf brings home his fav treats and puts them up high...I find them...I get a stool...I eat them when he's out of the room or asleep. He's literally hid it from me before like a child. It's just sadly not realistic to remove them from the environment as much as I've tried. I have to keep holding myself accountable. I feel like saying don't bring it home is really not addressing my own need for self control around it. We all need to learn how to cope with things around us that trigger certain behaviors. I love candy! I love how convenient it is and even how it makes me feel, but it's a temporary experience that gives me frustrating results. I looked at the peanut butter cup today like it was just a weight med. Feeling depressed that it's such a fight for me.

snowflake954

Are you weighing and measuring all these treats? Do they fit into your daily calorie goal? THAT is the question you need to answer. Whether you buy the treats or your BF does, it's you eating them, and if you're over goal, the damage is yours.

cmriverside

We all need to learn how to cope with things around us that trigger certain behaviors

You said it yourself.

Is it easy? No.

If you can have one and quit then it's not a problem. Like snowflake954 said above, log it and move on.

It doesn't sound like (from your post) that is what is happening here. It sounds like a five year old sneaking things, rebellion.

The only person you're hurting is yourself, right? At some point while you were growing up did someone tell you that you are "bad" or that there's something wrong with you? That can be your "trigger."

Food is often used as bribes or as rewards for children. THAT can be your trigger.

Hiding and stealing, sneaking, is something many people do due to shame. Shame about their weight, shame about their inability to stop eating something. For a lot of people (I'm one) food compulsion is a problem. Add to that a decreased calorie limit when trying to lose weight and it can all create a vicious cycle pushed forward by hunger and psychological issues.

Eat enough. Watch your protein, fat, and fiber to make sure you're reaching those numbers. The protein, fat and fiber numbers on the FOOD diary are MINIMUM Goals to hit. Not stay under.

If you eat enough of the right foods you may find this compulsion becomes manageable or you may find - like me - that some foods have to be off-limits 99% of the time. Not one bite.

sollyn23l2

cmriverside wrote: »

We all need to learn how to cope with things around us that trigger certain behaviors

You said it yourself.

Is it easy? No.

If you can have one and quit then it's not a problem. Like snowflake954 said above, log it and move on.

It doesn't sound like (from your post) that is what is happening here. It sounds like a five year old sneaking things, rebellion.

The only person you're hurting is yourself, right? At some point while you were growing up did someone tell you that you are "bad" or that there's something wrong with you? That can be your "trigger."

Food is often used as bribes or as rewards for children. THAT can be your trigger.

Hiding and stealing, sneaking, is something many people do due to shame. Shame about their weight, shame about their inability to stop eating something. For a lot of people (I'm one) food compulsion is a problem. Add to that a decreased calorie limit when trying to lose weight and it can all create a vicious cycle pushed forward by hunger and psychological issues.

Eat enough. Watch your protein, fat, and fiber to make sure you're reaching those numbers. The protein, fat and fiber numbers on the FOOD diary are MINIMUM Goals to hit. Not stay under.

If you eat enough of the right foods you may find this compulsion becomes manageable or you may find - like me - that some foods have to be off-limits 99% of the time. Not one bite.

💯

kshama2001

cmriverside wrote: »

We all need to learn how to cope with things around us that trigger certain behaviors

...Eat enough. Watch your protein, fat, and fiber to make sure you're reaching those numbers. The protein, fat and fiber numbers on the FOOD diary are MINIMUM Goals to hit. Not stay under.

If you eat enough of the right foods you may find this compulsion becomes manageable or you may find - like me - that some foods have to be off-limits 99% of the time. Not one bite.

Really important for me to not have cravings:

• Hitting my protein and fiber minimums
• Plus regular exercise, and increased exercise in times of increased stress
• And having my sleep hygiene on point every single day so I get good sleep
• And therapy

BeanieBean93

Let yourself eat them. You might find they eventually lose their luster. Give yourself the freedom to eat them if you want them. And if you want them, eat them, log it. Rinse and repeat until you either A. lose interest, B. decide they aren't worth the consequences of eating them, or C. learn to regulate your desire for the food versus your desire to hit your goals and reach a balance.

springlering62

I don’t know if this will help, but for me, logging everything revealed to me just how many calories I was eating in a day.

I was (and still am) shocked.

I also quickly learned how much exercise it takes to “burn” that peanut butter cup- another eye opener for me.

What about substitutes? I can make a darn good peanut butter cup homemade ice cream or smoothie that’s still satisfying, but I use sugar free syrups, peanut butter powder, maybe a pinch of cacao.

One of the things that worked early on for me was stumbling into a smoothie concoction that tasted just like a Wendy’s Frostie. Being able to have a giant Frostie for breakfast felt illicit, but still good since it was way the heck less than a peice of candy or the real thing.

I often had a second for an afternoon snack, they were so good.

Nowadays, I have red velvet or devils food pancakes, supplemented with lotsa protein powder/egg whites/cottage cheese/yogurt with Greek cream cheese, rolled up to look like Swiss Rolls. I can have a whole plate, plus a coffee with froth and sugar free caramel syrup glaze on top for 411 calories. Bonus, with all that protein it easily holds me til lunch.

Get creative.

verysilentscarlett

I've been thinking about how much sugar I'm eating within a week. I like one cookie a day...that's like 1k extra cals that I don't need in addition to whatever else I binge on! Thinking of my cals on a weekly basis rather than daily has been helping you guys are all awesome. Thank you so much for your feedback!!!!!!!

verysilentscarlett

I needed your feedback and tough/respectful love, truly. I hear my inner guide tell me to stop and then my compulsiveness keeps moving forward. I do face the shame and sneaking just like a little kid. One thing I'm doing is water, water, water to water down whatever I eat- it makes a difference! I'm seeing my little patch of stretch marks starting to resolve as well. Lots of sunshine, swimming, and hula hooping. I did have some success yesterday. Gotta keep it up today...wish me luck. My bf got us apple pie cuz of the work being done on the house this morning.

serpentegena

It wouldn't hurt to find healthier snacks that you enjoy. You can try experimenting until you come across something you enjoy, then make it your go-to when times are rough. Some good choices to test would be fresh fruit, protein bites (some of them are really chocolatey!), or salty/savory snacks. Have you tried something like pickles? They're salty and crunchy, and yet guilt free. I have a jar in the fridge at all times, and sometimes I bring a bowl of mini pickles to my desk when I'm working.

Another thing I would say is that regular physical activity is partly what got me off the candy. The endorphin and dopamine spike I get after a run or a workout has replaced my cravings for candy a long time ago. And I have an honest-to-god sweet tooth, as does my boyfriend. If he could (and I let him), he'd be baking desserts every day!

Finally, it's nice that your BF got you both apple pie as a kind and thoughtful gesture. However, if you have a goal in your life, for yourself, to lose unwanted weight and have a healthier lifestyle, his support and encouragement are essential. That support includes making healthy choices together, and avoiding less healthy ones. If you two live together, it's best that you ask for his help and support to your healthy objective. Good communication will come a long way! Just my two cents.