Non-diets: stop when you're full etc psychology of diets.
jaz050465
Posts: 3,508 Member
I've read a number of books on the psychology of diets that say counting calories only leads to binging and feelings of low self esteem. This is true for me but not sure if I can lose weight by using this other method. There are lots of books like this- Paul McKenna, Eating Less by Gillian Riley etc. I'd be really interested in hearing from people who have tried this. Or- is counting calories the only way. I'm 48 and at the upper end of my healthy weight so that makes it much harder.
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The only way to lose weight is to eat at a caloric deficit. The only way to make sure you DO eat at a caloric deficit is to track your calories.
Binging is often the result of a low-calorie diet. That has nothing to do in itself with counting calories, but with the deficit you set for yourself. If you are prone to binging, set your eyes on a slow-paced, healthy weight loss which will not make you feel hungry, by counting calories and setting a deficit of 15% of your TDEE or so.
Low self-esteem... I have no idea why that would be. My self esteem got a huge boost from losing weight and getting healthy. I'd argue the opposite: Counting calories taught me HOW to eat and WHAT to eat, which makes me feel in control, because now I understand how to do this, which in turn did wonders for my self esteem.
So I'm not sure if those books really say that or it's a misunderstanding, but if they do ... they're pretty wrong.
Edit to add: Age doesn't really matter, you will see on this site a lot of people much older than you who have done this successfully. Also, being already in "normal" range means you will have to lose weight slowly, but also that there's not that much to lose, so that's actually a good thing.0 -
Because I've not much to lose, my TDEE is quite low. I suppose I need to jut accept that and decide what's more important to me- eating higher calories or being thinner.
The lack os self esteem is due to the binging.0 -
I think Paul McKenna is a hypnotist? I always thought it would be fascinating to be hypnotized, but think it's outside of my price range right now. And I'm a bit chicken about stuff like that. I tried a diet once that said to just eat when your stomach growled, but that was a disaster for me! I mean, I eat because I love tasty food. That is the bottom line! The more in control of it I get, the higher my self esteem actually gets. Low esteem = lack of control for me. That is why I like this site. Always a thread of encouragement somewhere when I need it! My two cents anyway :-)0
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I think Paul McKenna is a hypnotist? I always thought it would be fascinating to be hypnotized, but think it's outside of my price range right now. And I'm a bit chicken about stuff like that. I tried a diet once that said to just eat when your stomach growled, but that was a disaster for me! I mean, I eat because I love tasty food. That is the bottom line! The more in control of it I get, the higher my self esteem actually gets. Low esteem = lack of control for me. That is why I like this site. Always a thread of encouragement somewhere when I need it! My two cents anyway :-)
He is, but a lot of his book is just psychology- similar to other books with the same theme.
The stomach growl thing seems severe- it's not that I'm looking into.0 -
Because I've not much to lose, my TDEE is quite low. I suppose I need to jut accept that and decide what's more important to me- eating higher calories or being thinner.
The lack os self esteem is due to the binging.
I'm 5'3.75" and 122 lbs... I understand low TDEE issues, but 1100-1200 calories can be very filling, as long as they're the right kind of food.
It took few months of trial and error to find out the composition of food that makes me feel full and happy. I've raised my protein first (which made me feel very full and obliterated binging desires), then my fats and fibers (gave me a better digestion and a healthier look), and dropped carbs (the main culprit when it comes to feeling hungry because it spikes your insulin levels). That worked wonders for me. I switched my snacks to stuff that is very filling - such as roasted almonds and dark chocolate, and I save about 200 calories for the night to snack on
I understand the guilt/shame/low self esteem that comes from binging (I was bulimic as a teenager, so probably much worse than what you're experiencing now), but gaining control over my diet by learning what makes me full and what gives me cravings solved all those issues. I haven't had any of these feelings in over a decade. Recovery is easy as long as you learn to be in control - knowledge is power!0 -
That is why I like this site. Always a thread of encouragement somewhere when I need it! My two cents anyway :-)
nordakota has a great point there. The best perk of this site IMO is the social aspect - among millions of users it's easy to find those that were in your situation, that can relate completely, and that have succeeded. So my advice is to find those successful people, send them a friend request telling them you are looking for inspiration, and then browse through their diaries, see their habits and try to find ideas there:)0 -
Because I've not much to lose, my TDEE is quite low. I suppose I need to jut accept that and decide what's more important to me- eating higher calories or being thinner.
The lack os self esteem is due to the binging.
I'm 5'3.75" and 122 lbs... I understand low TDEE issues, but 1100-1200 calories can be very filling, as long as they're the right kind of food.
It took few months of trial and error to find out the composition of food that makes me feel full and happy. I've raised my protein first (which made me feel very full and obliterated binging desires), then my fats and fibers (gave me a better digestion and a healthier look), and dropped carbs (the main culprit when it comes to feeling hungry because it spikes your insulin levels). That worked wonders for me. I switched my snacks to stuff that is very filling - such as roasted almonds and dark chocolate, and I save about 200 calories for the night to snack on
I understand the guilt/shame/low self esteem that comes from binging (I was bulimic as a teenager, so probably much worse than what you're experiencing now), but gaining control over my diet by learning what makes me full and what gives me cravings solved all those issues. I haven't had any of these feelings in over a decade. Recovery is easy as long as you learn to be in control - knowledge is power!
Thanks. I was bulimic as a teenager too so worry when I binge. I don't binge on huge quantities but to me , it's the not being in control bit which I don't like. Going for a slap up meal of 1500 cals would not worry me, but eating three low fat yogurts in a row of 250 cals would- if that makes sense.
I'll try to rethink what I eat and look at people's diaries- great idea. Thanks0
