Easier??? Never.

tiffanygil

I'm really just writing this topic to stop myself from going back into the kitchen and grabbing another snack. I keep waiting for this new journey to get so cemented in my psyche that I don't have to struggle yet here I am. I'm literally having to pull out all the stops just to prevent myself from going to get more of the ice cream and PB sandwiches my mother in law brought for my kids. (for the 5th or 6th time.... Ive lost count) So I know what your thinking, its not going to kill you to do it once. I know right? Well here is the problem I'm running into. 1 cheat day turns into 2-3. I used to be hard pressed to get in 1200 cals now I struggle to stay below 1600. Also you would think this would have been a problem in the beginning. It wasn't so why am I dealing with it now???

I swear I was so freaking committed the first 9 months of all this that it should have stopped all the "bad" habits. Well in a way it did but did it make me quit liking bad foods?.... no. Its just frustrating some days and today I am frustrated. i work so freaking hard and I've seen how easy it is to fall off the wagon gain all your weight back and then some. Frankly it scares me.....So thank you for listening to me rant, and hopefully I can stop thinking about the cool creamy concoction made by the devil himself......got my mint tea, a book in mind, and I am going out on the porch to listen to the rain, and pray Have a great weekend everyone!

foxfirekenzie

Oh! I feel your pain! I am a junkie for ice cream as well. Damn that delicious mixture!

I just looked at your photos and I am sooo impressed! Just look at how far you've come! That is am amazing feat and you should be proud of your accomplishments. You look fantastic and your beautiful smile just jumps off your face.

It is good to vent and it is great that you did to keep it all in check. Keep up the hard work and keep that positive outlook that gets us all farther, it will be worth it when you are able to run and play to your hearts content.

Thanks for letting me know that I am not the only one the ice cream demon chases.

khk2010

I hear you. Almost 6 months for me and right now it is really hard. Stay strong!

mangorabbit

^_^

Good for you for finding things to keep you from those evil tempting treats!
For what it is worth, as someone with a bit of a sweet tooth who is nolonger allowed ice cream, I find that frozen banana is not a terrible substitue when I think I'm gonna spaz out if I don't get something of that ilk. (I know it is not really what you are after...but still.)

I often find that after making progress is when it gets a bit slippery for me - I feel better, I think I am looking more fit...so why keep trying? (Oh right, because backwards is FAR easier than maintaining or forward progress!)

Remember not to deprive yourself totally of the things you love - this is a lifestyle, and unless you are planning on yearning for that ice cream from afar forever (oh so sad!!), every so often do have a bit of those 'bad for you' things. A wee bit may be enough to keep you from building it up in your mind as this HUGE thing that you love. (Every time I do that it ends in overeating and pain...)

And remember:
'If it was easy, everyone would do it!'

mem50

I feel the pain for the both of you too!!! I would love nothing better then to go and get a half gallon of that particular devils confection and eat the whole darn thing. I have been fighting with that problem for the past week. So far I have not gone off the deep end. It's been close. I was doing well myself and then hit the stall out zone. Still there. NOT liking it at all. I know it will pass.

That's one of the many things I love about this site. You can vent and stay away from the fridge at the same time. LOL So lets all stay strong and keep focused.

oreganoqueen

One of my friends mentioned this recipe for making ice cream using just bananas. I've not tried it yet as I don't have a blender, but apparently it works rather well.

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/tips-techniques/stepbystep-instructions-for-oneingredient-ice-cream-097170

tiffanygil

One of my friends mentioned this recipe for making ice cream using just bananas. I've not tried it yet as I don't have a blender, but apparently it works rather well.

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/tips-techniques/stepbystep-instructions-for-oneingredient-ice-cream-097170

ohh will have to try that looks good with maybe some sugar free chocolate syrup!

ChellieIrish

Ohh Tiffy I know that feeling ohh too well :blushing: my guilty pleasure is still B&J Cookie Dough icecream ... I used to have the big 500ml tub but now every so often I have the little snack size one ... I honestly couldn't :noway: give that up completely :laugh:

I dunno if you have the make over there but I freeze Muller Light yoghurts and they are so tasty and the consistency of icecream works for me and always in the freezer :bigsmile:

Wolfena

I feel your pain!

I reached my goal in November 2006.... every day is still a struggle. Maintenance is hard work that takes daily thought and effort - I do not think it'll ever come "naturally" to me.

AnnaPixie

You look amazing hun. What an inspiration you are :bigsmile:

As for the food battle, I guess it never stops. But some days are easier than others. I dont think its wrong to give in to the ice cream devil, just as long as you keep an eye on your weight. If you go 5lbs over, then cut back again. I think that's the only way to keep control while not depriving yourself. Well, that's my plan this time anyhow :bigsmile:

amtrust

I'm constantly battling. Obesity is everywhere in my family. I can easily put on weight...and more difficult to get it off. I binge....badly. You're so right. One cheat day turns into more....

That's why I'm always coming back to this site this year. I don't get motivation from anywhere else. Not even my husband...who just finished off a pint of Ben and Jerry's and is now eating Mac 'n' Cheese.

Such. a. daily. battle. :explode:

shellgib

I have found that just knowing that I have to log my foods will keep me in check. I have literally had 1 dorito! just cause i wanted to taste it so bad. And then I logged it and stopped. The first bite is always the best anyways. And I dish out my ice cream into the 1/2 cup measuring cup before it goes in the bowl and that's usually all it takes to get over the urge to eat the entire pint.

OH AND I HAVE TO SAY.... I LOVE MINT TEA TOO!!!! :drinker: :drinker: it really seems to help curb the cravings and satisfies the need for something sweet after dinner and before bed!

oh and writing out a vent post on MFP helps too

Congrats on your accomplishments and good luck for the future!!

DJackson230

Confucious say... Know thyself... As long as you know your problem and are willing to face it... You will be fine. In the past you ignored your problem, but now it makes u mad as a wet hen... My friend Tiff, food will always be a thorn in our side, but we can stop it from becoming a bulge in our side... The fight is never ending... My name is Don Jackson and I am a foodaholic... I am in good shape now, but we must continue forward or we will go backward. In the past, I would stop dieting when I got to my goal, but the body is strange... It always wants to go back to where it was... We have to fight Regression to the mean.... Love ya Tiff

tattoodfreek

Unfortunately I have no words of wisdom to offer you, as I am in the same boat. I think maintaining is actually harder than losing, because you no longer have a finish line, or something to strive for. The weekly weigh ins and seeing a loss are no longer there as a reward for you, so fighting for what you have already done is all the reward there is. I, too, used to struggle to fill up 1200 calories. I'm not really sure what I was eating. Now I struggle to stay under 2000! And my mind knows that 2000 would be ok, IF I could bring myself to be eating healthy foods! But I find myself bingeing on ice cream, chocolates, and junk I don't even like that much. I found myself totally stuffed to the gills, eating cold stuffing from a tupperware bowl at midnight in front of the fridge the other night.

I have kept my calories set at a pound loss a week, just to help keep that 500 calorie cushion there. I wish I knew what I was searching for with food. A friend said to me that the mistake we make is in thinking that once we reach our goals, we will just be so happy and blissful with our new bodies that maintaining will be easy. I find myself looking overly critically at myself now. Moreso than when I was heavier. Maybe it's just all the stress of the reality check. We are always going to have to be watching our calories, over thinking every bite, planning how we are going to compensate for overages, punishing ourselves for our mistakes, expecting perfection. It's overwhelming to think it never really ends. I think I need therapy

superwmn

I've learned that I can't handle a cheat day. It just turns into a huge binge. Instead, I eat in moderation daily and once a week am less strict for one meal or event. I refer to this as my 'free' meal, but it's not a 'free-for-all'. I still make choices. If we're at dinner, I'll have one piece of bread with butter from the bread basket whereas on a regular day I wouldn't have any bread from the basket. I'll have an extra bite or two of dessert. I take in more calories but because I'm never 'off' my diet, I no longer binge for days at a time.

And if I do eat more than I wanted at a free meal, no matter. I move on. It's behind me and starting right this second I am eating when I'm hungry, stopping when I'm full, and eating foods that make me feel good (like salads and fish) and don't leave me 'hung over'.

YOU CAN DO IT!!!!

Charmagne

NutritionDivaRD

Wow, I am actually at the beginning of my journey but I experienced a day like this myself yesterday and blogged about it. I accept that I will have these days every now and then for the rest of my life. *sigh*

You look AMAZING! Looking at your profile pics was inspiring because its where I hope to be this time next year. CONGRATS on your success!

I once worked with a woman who was very thin and always had been. In my mind she never had to worry about her weight. But the more time I spent with her the more I learned that she worried about her weight every single day, just like I do. She never lets herself get more than 5 lbs past her goal weight. She wasn't obsessive about it, just careful. I learned a lot from here. She does what I should have been doing all along! 12 years later we are still friends even though we don't work together anymore. She's in her 50s now and still trim and slim as ever. She definitely knows how to maintain and she has the same struggles any of us have.

Keep your chin up! You're doing FANTASTIC and you're someone I look up to.

deshaine

You look fantastic! Such a dramatic transformation!

My idea/suggestion to keep temptation at bay: to put a picture of your FAT self next to the deliousness... Then every time you go to sneak a snack you will be reminded of the AWSOMENESS that YOU HAVE BECOME and will be less likely to actually take the snack.



JMHO... HTH... GL.