Staying on a diet but being sad

hublaur

Hi!
So I've been wanting to lose weight for a while. I don't have that much weight to lose but still. But I just can't do it. I guess I mist be addicted to food or something. You know like if I don't ever eat bread or a little desert or something, I just get depressed literally. But I know these kinds of food are actually the ones I should cut out of my diet but it makes me miserable. I wanted to know if this ever happened to anyone and how did you deal with it? And also is it possible to lose weight even if I do eat a desert once in a while or bread? I'm new to this diet thing so yeah I need help!

neanderthin

Losing weight isn't about what you eat, it's about how much you eat.........this confusion has created the billion dollar industry it is today.

auddii

You don't have to cut any foods out of your diet, and if it makes you sad, it's not going to be sustainable. If you keep "falling off the wagon", then you won't lose the weight. If you eat the foods you like in reasonable portions and stay within your calorie limit, then there is no wagon.

Also, since you say that you have only a little weight to lose, make sure your goals are reasonable. If you have it set to lose two pounds a week, it's going to give you an unreasonably low calorie goal, which again will be hard to sustain. Make sure your goal is to lose .5 - 1lb per week depending on how little you have to lose. It will come off slower, but faster than it not coming off at all if you can't keep to your goals!

Sassyallday

Everyone wants to eat the foods that they enjoy. You will see, if you read more of the posts by the members of this community, that everyone takes a different approach to reaching their calorie goals. Some are gluten free, some are "clean eaters" who eat unprocessed foods. Others are vegetarian or vegan. Whatever the pool of foods from which you choose, you should definitely include the foods you consider to be "treats".

I try to limit the high calorie carbs and stick to whole grains. So, some of my favorite carbs are:
Popcorn
Brown rice blends (my favorite way to cook is to bake at 325 with vegetable or chicken broth)
Light whole grain breads (I can have a sandwich without overdoing bread calories)
Grits (a 1/4 cup uncooked portion makes plenty for one) w/1/4 cup of shredded cheese
Tortilla chips (you get about 12 for a serving)

I use some of my carb calories for cocktails. I love the occasional martini! And, yes, the occasional brownie, piece of birthday cake or sweet potato fries. Just keep track and let those be only one of the many food choices you make.

Sassyallday

You don't have to cut any foods out of your diet, and if it makes you sad, it's not going to be sustainable. If you keep "falling off the wagon", then you won't lose the weight. If you eat the foods you like in reasonable portions and stay within your calorie limit, then there is no wagon.

Also, since you say that you have only a little weight to lose, make sure your goals are reasonable. If you have it set to lose two pounds a week, it's going to give you an unreasonably low calorie goal, which again will be hard to sustain. Make sure your goal is to lose .5 - 1lb per week depending on how little you have to lose. It will come off slower, but faster than it not coming off at all if you can't keep to your goals!

Yes, this!

MaryJane_8810002

You should not have to cut these foods out, just smaller portions and make better decisions.I.E. Instead of store bought brownies why not make your own with rice flour and egg whites?

Ninkyou

You don't have to cut any foods out of your diet, and if it makes you sad, it's not going to be sustainable. If you keep "falling off the wagon", then you won't lose the weight. If you eat the foods you like in reasonable portions and stay within your calorie limit, then there is no wagon.

Also, since you say that you have only a little weight to lose, make sure your goals are reasonable. If you have it set to lose two pounds a week, it's going to give you an unreasonably low calorie goal, which again will be hard to sustain. Make sure your goal is to lose .5 - 1lb per week depending on how little you have to lose. It will come off slower, but faster than it not coming off at all if you can't keep to your goals!

This 100%. you don't have to be so restrictive or miserable. Eat the foods you love in a quantity that fits within your calorie goal.

I have not cut out a single thing from my diet. I have ice cream literally every night. I had McDonald's yesterday. I've lost 43 lbs eating this way, which is the way I plan on eating for the rest of my life. There's no wagon to fall off of when you do it this way.

R_Queenie

I would suggest adding some friends for daily support / motivation and watching their food choices for ideas. I eat pizza (my happy food). I eat it a LOT. And as long as I make good choices other places and fit the numbers I continue to lose.

Changes that are torture will not be something that you will continue---and this approach will fail 100% of the time.

SherryTeach

I agree that you don't have to cut out anything, just eat less of it. I decided to make a hobby of researching, experimenting, and cooking more food. I've found it really satisfying to discover dishes or snacks that I like even more than the stuff I used to eat. For instance, I found whole grain sandwich thins: toasted with butter and orange marmalade. Somersaults Dutch Cocoa snacks, turkey chili, kale chips, hummus, chocolate pumpkin muffins. It's all good. And the process of engaging my mind, paying attention and admiring my food has been good for my spirit.

kaned_ferret

You don't have to cut any foods out of your diet, and if it makes you sad, it's not going to be sustainable. If you keep "falling off the wagon", then you won't lose the weight. If you eat the foods you like in reasonable portions and stay within your calorie limit, then there is no wagon.

Also, since you say that you have only a little weight to lose, make sure your goals are reasonable. If you have it set to lose two pounds a week, it's going to give you an unreasonably low calorie goal, which again will be hard to sustain. Make sure your goal is to lose .5 - 1lb per week depending on how little you have to lose. It will come off slower, but faster than it not coming off at all if you can't keep to your goals!

Brilliant!

NaomiJFoster

It's not that you have to learn how to not eat. You have to relearn how to eat effectively. You don't have to give up anything at all. Just make adjustments to proportions and ratios. Since you're on this website, it's actually going to end up being much more simple than you think it will be. Not necessarily EASY, but not complicated. Log what you eat and look at your numbers at the end of each day. After a few weeks, you'll see where you need to make adjustments. It's just shifting though, not eliminating. And it certainly should never make you feel miserable.

Kaelitr0n

This depression in the absence of some foods is a pretty well documented phenomenon. It's very likely that you're addicted to whatever chemical response they cause. Why don't you try doing the 21-day sugar detox? Or a Whole30?

Both of these programs will help you get over your dependency on certain food items (namely, sugar/excess carbohydrates). They're really tough to stick to and you feel really lousy for a good portion of the program, but if you stick with it, you suddenly wake up and everything is just wonderful. They act as kind of a reset button for you and your dietary choices/cravings. Then, you can go into a healthier eating regime with a clear head