Too much temptation

Unbelievable89

Hey everyone,

I have only been at this for 5 days, but it's already becoming a struggle! I have done so well to stay away from all the bad foods and stick to small meals...but the people I work with all eat fast food for lunch EVERY day, and buy chips, chocolates, energy drinks...if it's unhealthy, they have it. And quite often they buy things for me without me asking - usually a 500ml energy drink! - and my husband loves his Mcdonalds...it's so hard for me to stay on track with all this yummy stuff around.

Whenever I'm given the energy drinks I hide them in my handbag and take them home. I haven't actually had one yet (my husband ends up stealing them) but it's seriously hard work knowing it's in my house for up to a week and doing everything to avoid it!!

Has anybody else struggled with other people's eating habits making you feel out of control? For instance today, I met my hubby for lunch and I wanted to get sushi - but he complained that sushi was a 10min drive and Mcdonalds was just around the corner. I felt bad so ended up getting Mcd's...and I've felt sick all day because since I haven't had it in so long I'm actually starting to find it's not that nice.

If anyone has any ideas or what I can do to help manage my temptations, I would really appreciate it!! I'm worried I'm going to give in one day, and once I do it all goes downhill from there

bucket0

I have a similar situation at work so I totally get how you feel there. Personally, I told everyone that I appreciated the thought but that I couldn't eat what they were eating. Adter a couple of weeks two coworkers started eating healthier with me bc they saw I was losing weight. I work in a large grocery store so there are a lot of coworkers and a lot of temptations, but even just having teo people on board has made a huuuuge difference. In the end though it's all about will power.

The husband's a different issue lol

Unbelievable89

Haha...these people would never eat healthy! Whenever we have group shared lunches its hot chips, pizza and KFC (gross!!). I know I can't change them and it's definitely going to come down to will power for me. Are there any tricks to use when you're feeling tempted? Anything you do or focus on?How do I keep my will power?!

gemmamummy

Why not just have McDonalds chips on a Friday and explain that to colleagues. That way you are not missing out. A little bit of what you love is a good thing. My husband LOVE's chocolate and often bring cadbury twirls home. When I was in weightloss, he would break me a small piece off and I'd have that, so I'd still get the choccy taste but without the guilt and sugar/fat of a whole bar. If you put this in your diary it wont inpact on your kcals too much.

I can honestly say that I had a small piece of choccy nearly everyday throughout my weigh loss period, my husband used to put the rest of the bar/bag out of my reach, so all I had was the quota!

veredit

Whenever I see a Mcd hamburger, or even the lights of a KFC, I think that eating those is at least 60 minutes of hard cardio...do I have the power for those minutes? If I do, I can eat a hamburger, if not, I just have a glass of water.

acpgee

The food culture at my workplace is awful. There are sweets and treats lying on top of the filing cabinets. It's a minefield of temptation. Yesterday alone I spotted cherry bakewells, a carrot cake, milk choco Liebniz, cinnamon rolls, madeleins, a lemon drizzle cake, mini lemon and raspberry cakes, two boxes of chocolate bonbons, and a box of Lindor.

People buy cake to mark *any* occasion. Birthday, birthday of offspring, going on leave, returning from vacation, project completed on time, even resignations.

pragmacat

I once had a boss who heard I was on a diet and literally dropped a Big Mac on my desk. So mean!

I try to make sure that I eat whatever I had packed for myself BEFORE allowing myself one of the office treats. And even then, I try and make it a once a week or less treat. Basically - get full on healthy food, let myself have a little taste, and that's it.

It's still hard though. Just remember the big picture goal! A healthier, stronger you!

triumpet

Your breaking bad habits & make healthier ones. Once you are a few weeks in things will be easier.
I found when I was tempted, I'd eat it then feel cr@p & beat myself up about it. I keep that memory with me, I don't want to feel like that so I don't over indulge. I plan everything meals first, then what's left for salty snacks, beer, wine etc
I will eat a few less calories every day if I've got an event coming up & do a bit more exercise so that I've got calories to play with.
But at the end of the day this is your choice, your health, your life.
I always carry fruit with me & I don't take money to to work, if someone buys you a soda, don't keep it, pour it away, it cost you nothing!!

Minouche1922

I thought you can eat anything you like as long as it is within your calorie allowance. I occasionally eat pizza, etc and my favourite lunch, sausage roll followed by Belgian bun from Percy Ingle. I burn a few more calories on that day.

TavistockToad

why cant you eat a burger or an energy drink and still lose weight?

IIFYM!

sabeth1brave

Husband saboteurs are the worst. Yours won't drive 10 minutes out of his way? That's discouraging. Here's the battle strategy I've had to develop to cope with the fastfood brainwashing we've been subjected to since we all were little kids who became addicted to salty, crappy food. When my husband insists on McD's, I insist we have to walk in. He groans. Then I get McD grilled chicken salad with low-cal dressing. And bottled water. Hubby gets ticked over paying for bottled water, so I have fun making the experience slightly irritating. (My weird version of aversion therapy to fight all the fastfood brainwashing that equates crappy fast food with smiles and fun times.) I also get 2 packs of apple slices. I eat an apple slice or drink a sip of water every time I'm tempted to eat some of his fries. It's oddly more fun if I have to go buy a 2nd bottle of water! If I succeed in overcoming temptation, then I buy a sugar-free, flavored iced coffee with skim milk as we're leaving. Good luck! Looking forward to reading strategies from others.

dammitjanet0161

Conversation between me and other half last night when deciding what to have for dinner after I had been to the gym (not much food in the house):

Him: do you fancy a curry for dinner then?
Me: no thanks, I've just been to the gym so I want to be good and I'm not even very hungry
HIm: Oh. Fish and chips then?

This was after a hard boot camp class at the gym so I had bumped my remaining cals up to around 800-900, but still...

ETA - I'm not saying he is 'sabotaging' me as he isn't shoving food into my mouth etc etc - it amuses me more than anything

Madame_Goldbricker

You & ONLY you are responsible for what food you put in your mouth. If you want to eat it & IIFIYM in then eat it. If you don't want to eat it then don't. Nobody can expect anybody else to change their eating habits to suit them.

Pre prepare your food for work/make choices that work for you. People are allowed to say 'no thank you' & have their food choices respected.

hsygh

You're fighting an uphill battle right now, but it's worth it, I promise! The reality is, unhealthy food will be around you for the rest of your life, but it doesn't have to be miserable.

As someone who was in the same boat not too long ago, my advice is that preparation is your best friend. Make time to make a delicious lunch that they'll WISH they were eating. I remember during a pizza party at work, I brought my own personal chicken fajita bake to eat instead, and people were going NUTS over the smell.

I know preparing food, especially when you're always working and on the go is difficult, but try it out. You'll get faster at it and it is so worth it. Good luck!

bridgie101

there's a special kind of zen place you can find inside yourself if you take care to look for it. You can lose it pretty fast too so it's good to take the odd moment to reconnect with it during the day.

You're just you, pootling along, doing your thing. Right now, your thing involves becoming less of a woman. Right? That's your personal little hobby right now.

you're into it, you're having fun with it... it's your little quiet pastime.

Now, nobody needs to be involved. What the people around you eat, if you are in the right headspace, is merely entertainment for you. it's amusement. They're packing in those chips, those burgers, those sugary drinks. They're eating heart attacks on a stick. that's cool. That's their thing, right now. That's what they're into, their quiet little pastime...

The husband wanting Mackers - well, you went his way this time, he can go your way next time. or you can stop at both shops while his mackers goes cold. Be happy. Be unruffled - but make up your mind and do it.

Make sure that at home you have things like steak, and oven fries, and salad doings. You can always make a dinner in ten minutes that has far, far fewer calories than his fast food, is far more satisfying, and costs less.

Men will eat takeaways if the wife doesn't cook their tea. Sad but true, they don't usually complain, they just follow along. As the woman in the family you are the leader of the family's diet, so just take it easy, take it slowly, and one meal after another, slowly make them all get cooked at home.
'
It can become a fun hobby working out what will be for dinner. You can wait a long time hungry knowing that your dinner is going to be delicious. And as you set about changing family habits you can call to someone in the family 'hey darling, can you give me a wee hand with this salad?' and slowly train them into taking some initiative too.

It can be painless so long as you don't fear time. You have all the time in the world.

And remember: any day below maintenance is a good day.

CA_Underdog

> I felt bad so ended up getting Mcd's...and I've felt sick all day
> If anyone has any ideas or what I can do to help manage my temptations,

It's good you realize YOUR temptations caused you grief in this scenario. Your husband didn't make you order fries! One trick I use is to prepare ahead of time a go-to meal at fast food places I may end up. Knowing your husband is a Mickey D's fan, set aside 15 minutes one evening to read the nutritional info and find semi-healthy choices. They doubtless have yogurt, oatmeal, salads, etc.

At a glance, I would pick the Premium Southwest Salad w/ Grilled Chicken. 290 kcal, 27g protein, 7g fiber, 2.5g saturated fat, 650mg sodium. This certainly wouldn't ruin my day!

Unbelievable89

Thanks guys, that's a lot of really good advice! It's definitely nobody else's fault but my own for eating crap food. I know it's OK to have it as long as you stay under maintenance, but the biggest problem is that even 3 slices of pizza is half my daily intake! And an energy drink is almost 1/4 of it.

And because I only have free range foods, I won't eat anything chicken from Mcd's...haha, Im a difficult person!! I do like the idea of buying water and apple slices from there though, that would drive his absolutely nuts!! He would probably stop going pretty quick!

I really appreciate all the replies. I'll definitely be taking everything on board.

skinnyinnotime

Perhaps they won't be quite so tempting anymore...you said the Mc D's you had wasn't really that nice.

I found the same thing, like chocolate, I used to eat 2-3 bars a day and thought I NEEDED it. I still have some when I want but I certainly don't NEED it and it's not as incredibly tasty as it once was!

LouieShoe

I want to echo what CA_Underdog said; my family (my son particularly) likes burgers. We did cut back on going out for that kind of food, but when we did go out, I would bring a simple sandwich and carrots or something else that's fast to prepare and healthy. Once you get over feeling weird about bringing your own food to McDs, it works great. Like you mentioned, now the food itself doesn't taste good to me anymore, so I bring my own food because I like it better, not so much because I'm trying to lose or maintain my weight. I'd try that out - just make a PBJ or something and bring it along with you. You can do it!

asciiqwerty

make sure you're eating enough especially protein and fat - this will help keep you full and manage your craving

do check that you haven't set yourself too low a goal (weekly weight loss) as this encourages a binge/fast cycle which can be unhealthy

Here's a great link:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

McDonalds in itself isn't evil - the now do (in the UK) some quite big salads with grilled chicken.

it's all about making choices - and being accountable for them >> eat it . log it

the following thread is really helpful, especially on selecting items from the database and weighing solids measuring liquids
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide

eldamiano

Hey everyone,

I have only been at this for 5 days, but it's already becoming a struggle! I have done so well to stay away from all the bad foods and stick to small meals...but the people I work with all eat fast food for lunch EVERY day, and buy chips, chocolates, energy drinks...if it's unhealthy, they have it. And quite often they buy things for me without me asking - usually a 500ml energy drink! - and my husband loves his Mcdonalds...it's so hard for me to stay on track with all this yummy stuff around.

Whenever I'm given the energy drinks I hide them in my handbag and take them home. I haven't actually had one yet (my husband ends up stealing them) but it's seriously hard work knowing it's in my house for up to a week and doing everything to avoid it!!

Has anybody else struggled with other people's eating habits making you feel out of control? For instance today, I met my hubby for lunch and I wanted to get sushi - but he complained that sushi was a 10min drive and Mcdonalds was just around the corner. I felt bad so ended up getting Mcd's...and I've felt sick all day because since I haven't had it in so long I'm actually starting to find it's not that nice.

If anyone has any ideas or what I can do to help manage my temptations, I would really appreciate it!! I'm worried I'm going to give in one day, and once I do it all goes downhill from there

If people had no problem with losing weight, there would be no such thing as the MFP forum...

asciiqwerty

If people had no problem with losing weight, there would be no such thing as the MFP forum...

^^^ so true
weightloss is conceptually simple, but getting it right is not easy, it takes effort and dedication as well as some trial and error

Unknown

This content has been removed.

asciiqwerty

*fast food* is great - the faster the better - my favourites are rabbit(29.8mph), and venison(30mph), tuna(43.5mph)
though i like them *slow cooked*

animal speeds from : http://www.speedofanimals.com/

_Zardoz_

Hey everyone,

I have only been at this for 5 days, but it's already becoming a struggle! I have done so well to stay away from all the bad foods and stick to small meals...but the people I work with all eat fast food for lunch EVERY day, and buy chips, chocolates, energy drinks...if it's unhealthy, they have it. And quite often they buy things for me without me asking - usually a 500ml energy drink! - and my husband loves his Mcdonalds...it's so hard for me to stay on track with all this yummy stuff around.

Whenever I'm given the energy drinks I hide them in my handbag and take them home. I haven't actually had one yet (my husband ends up stealing them) but it's seriously hard work knowing it's in my house for up to a week and doing everything to avoid it!!

Has anybody else struggled with other people's eating habits making you feel out of control? For instance today, I met my hubby for lunch and I wanted to get sushi - but he complained that sushi was a 10min drive and Mcdonalds was just around the corner. I felt bad so ended up getting Mcd's...and I've felt sick all day because since I haven't had it in so long I'm actually starting to find it's not that nice.

If anyone has any ideas or what I can do to help manage my temptations, I would really appreciate it!! I'm worried I'm going to give in one day, and once I do it all goes downhill from there

The first thing I see in your post is the labelling of foods as 'Healthy' and 'unhealthy'. In reality food is just food those labels are meaningless. Even so called healthy foods can be bad for you the same way unhealthy ones can be good. they all provide your body with something. If you can get the idea of unhealthy foods out of your head that could help you in how you view these things.

Your other problems seem to stem from a loack of control. there is nothing wrong with having an occasional MAcdonalds, but if one didn't fit into your goals for the day why did you not just say that no you were going to go to the sushi place and 10 minutes was not far. You need to take control you are the one who is responsible for what goes into your body so make sure you get what you need.

As for your co workers buying you things just say thanks but no thanks and politely refuse. If you don't tell people you don't want something how are they supposed to know. Take control of situations

Good luck

levitateme

Well, what did you get from McDonald's? All fast food restaurants have their nutritional information available online. The grilled chicken wraps have less than 400 calories each. You have to make informed choices to be successful with this.

nomorebingesgirl2014

Great post. ????