Finding motivation(survival) when the vanity is over

surreychic

Years ago I used to decide I wanted to look great for the beach, or maybe a date, or a dance or an event. I wanted to look the best I could. My willpower was muchos strong.

Now I am a mum with a two year old. To be honest I look awful, I'm tired a lot (which I suspect is influenced heavily by a high carb diet and caffeine intake). I love bread, oatcakes and cereals - I am a "healthy" overeater. I managed, quite a few years ago to gain a couple of stone within months because they served freshly cooked bread and butter all day long (I worked in the marketing department at a head restaurant chain). The foods I overeat on are everywhere.

I love eating and to be honest I eat to control my energy levels and my mood. My husband is slightly overweight but that's from eating "the bad stuff" like fatty foods. So he is on a health kick and insists that we have bread in the house as it's not "normal" to keep it in the house. I find this so tough.

So my points are firstly, what I think would work for me is to just not have it there. This causes conflict with my husband and my parents when they stay. hey don't think it's healthy to not keep cereals and bread in the house and they all get cross with me as they don't think I have a healthy approach to it. yet I keep telling them I don't do moderation well, they say I just need to be disciplined. If I overrate on cakes (which I could do I think) but I think people would understand more. I just overeat carbs, simple. I crave them when slightly stressed, hormonal or down.

surreychic

Whoop sorry I posted this too early!

So to conclude my first point. I need my binge foods out of the house. This is providing resistance from the family who think I am crackers.

Secondly, I need goals - does anyone else find this? They can be small, i.e. a 5k run, a holiday, but without goals I get complacent.

I don't want to be the person that misses out on life because I'm eating all day. That's what was happening. I was feeling too sick and full to function - which is madness. I was also doing the same thing everyday.

Any way just my thoughts for the day x

Josyurtos23

Hi there!

Just to let you know I'm in the same boat as you, I am at the heaviest I ever was and I'm not as motivated as I used to be. I do feel your pain with the carbs. The only advice I have is:

Based on my experience, start small by changing over to a clean eating diet. If you google "power foods list 2014" that will give you a good start. Choose a weight loss plan that involves carbs that are whole grain like ww pasta, brown rice, quinoa, bulgar etc. (you can find recipes online for all)

Try ^^ this for a week or two, you will find that sometimes by eating whole grain, some of the simple carb cravings go away (not completely). And also pay attention to how you feel.

Or you can limit yourself to have bread or cake (a serving label size portion) to only once a day.

If you find that bread,cakes etc are a trigger food then don't be afraid to remove them from the house or put in a different area so that they aren't accessible.


Hope this helps.
Regards
Onefatgurl

battybecks

Bread is my weakness too! I absolutely love warm crusty homemade bread - or proper bakery bread. All the bread!

The way I do it is I restrict myself to bread only at weekends - I have a bacon or sausage sandwich in a nice crust roll, or ciabatta, or whatever, and then I don't really eat bread during the week. It's about having 'a little' of what you fancy.

If you're in the UK, Warburton's do a sandwich thin that's only 100kcals, and is quite nice. But you might end up eating the whole packet in one sitting ...

My bf still eats bread. In fact, he has to, or he'll waste away. He was already quite thin, and he's losing weight too because of the healthier dinners. I'm quite good at just leaving his bread - partly because I can't be bothered to exercise off the extra calories it'd give me, and partly because he only buys the mini loaves now, and if I ate it all he'd have no food and would be upset!

Just bear in mind that you don't have to give something up completely - just adjust your attitude to it so it's a treat food rather than an everyday food. I think I'd be more likely to binge if I cut bread out completely ...

Lizzy622

First! You may want to get your thyroid levels checked. After my son was born, I was very tired, forgetful and had horrible carb cravings. I put it all to being a mom of three but a visit to the doctor several years later reveled I was hypothyroid and fairly bad too.

If it is not that how about finding a bread your husband likes but that you are not too fond of(something you can say "no" to). I can't control myself with good crusty Italian bread but can be satisfied with one slice of rye bread.

Sunbrooke

I used to be the receptionist at a hospice and we have fresh baked cookies all day! Ofcourse I felt like they would give me a boost when I was feeling tired. I wonder if buying a juicer and making up a couple of bottles of veggie juice would help. You could keep them in the fridge and easily grab one to sip on when you are feeling like you need some energy.

surreychic

Hi there!

Just to let you know I'm in the same boat as you, I am at the heaviest I ever was and I'm not as motivated as I used to be. I do feel your pain with the carbs. The only advice I have is:

Based on my experience, start small by changing over to a clean eating diet. If you google "power foods list 2014" that will give you a good start. Choose a weight loss plan that involves carbs that are whole grain like ww pasta, brown rice, quinoa, bulgar etc. (you can find recipes online for all)

Try ^^ this for a week or two, you will find that sometimes by eating whole grain, some of the simple carb cravings go away (not completely). And also pay attention to how you feel.



Or you can limit yourself to have bread or cake (a serving label size portion) to only once a day.

If you find that bread,cakes etc are a trigger food then don't be afraid to remove them from the house or put in a different area so that they aren't accessible.

Hi,

Thanks so much for your advice and post. How have you been getting on trying to limit the white carbs (I am presuming you are doing this).I definitely think limiting my access to them helps with my , ahem, willpower.

I'm going to try the "clean diet" I noticed at the gym they do a specific balanced diet to follow for 6 weeks, I got excited at the thought of it (I'm sad like that), it seemed to limit cereals and sugar foods, so I'm going to give it a go.

Thank you for posting!

surreychic

Bread is my weakness too! I absolutely love warm crusty homemade bread - or proper bakery bread. All the bread!

The way I do it is I restrict myself to bread only at weekends - I have a bacon or sausage sandwich in a nice crust roll, or ciabatta, or whatever, and then I don't really eat bread during the week. It's about having 'a little' of what you fancy.

If you're in the UK, Warburton's do a sandwich thin that's only 100kcals, and is quite nice. But you might end up eating the whole packet in one sitting ...

My bf still eats bread. In fact, he has to, or he'll waste away. He was already quite thin, and he's losing weight too because of the healthier dinners. I'm quite good at just leaving his bread - partly because I can't be bothered to exercise off the extra calories it'd give me, and partly because he only buys the mini loaves now, and if I ate it all he'd have no food and would be upset!

Just bear in mind that you don't have to give something up completely - just adjust your attitude to it so it's a treat food rather than an everyday food. I think I'd be more likely to binge if I cut bread out completely ...

Another bread lover!I love it that you can can emphasise with my pain/euphoria with regards to bread. I think it's a great advice to limit my access to it. I love the Warbuton's sandwich thins, just as I was reading it I thought of my last experience with that bread... and hanging my head in shame, my son got one sandwich out of it, the rest disappeared within seconds! then I read your next sentence "but you might eat the whole pack in one sitting" oh the shame.

It sounds like you are doing really well laying off the bread- well done!

surreychic

Hi Lizzy,

Thank you for replying, Oh I am sorry to hear you suffered with low thyroid. I am definitely going to get mine checked.

I think the rye bread idea is fantastic but my husband is a white bread lover! I can just force 50:50 down him sometimes. Rye would be better for me though as I don't find it so addictive as bread. My husband can do moderation with bread, he doesn't understand at all how someone could eat more than two slices.

Thanks for posting, I feel more reassured my the posts on here.

x

surreychic

I used to be the receptionist at a hospice and we have fresh baked cookies all day! Ofcourse I felt like they would give me a boost when I was feeling tired. I wonder if buying a juicer and making up a couple of bottles of veggie juice would help. You could keep them in the fridge and easily grab one to sip on when you are feeling like you need some energy.

That's great advice. We have a juicer, it would be good to have something as a "quick fix" I would try raw veg but funnily enough don't reach for them when I'm low, but maybe I would be more likely if it was a juice. I worry a bit though I comfort eat with bread and it isn't hunger I'm answering !