Where Does Self Control Come From?

Jane1320

Hi,

I could never order girl scout cookies and not be called by them, I might be able to stay away for awhile but inevitably something would happen, I would get tired, or stressed and there would be the cookies. I consider myself a compulsive overeater and food addict, what I learned in many years in overeaters anonymous is not to buy the stuff....think about it....it's like an alcholic buying beer and trying not to drink it....I just started MFP this past Sunday and had bought cookies the Friday before....they're almost gone.....I won't be buying anymore junk food for a while....I'm going to keep things in the house that are kind of fun to eat but lo-cal, like sugar free jello, lowfat yogurt etc. PS I have poured dish detergent over junk food just not to eat it You're playing with fire

anubis609

I think self control might just come from eating the heart of a girl scout. They seem to be the devil's minions for delivering the caloric goods according to everyone's #1 vice for indulgence temptation :devil:

katlou2

Great comments everyone! Thanks so much. So many things made sense in different ways. I mean, I know that self control comes from within but all the different views made me see some things differently.

ajswriter

I didn't order any girl scout cookies this year, but a co-worker brought a package of Thin Mints (my favorite) and when she left the room, I ate the last six she had and hid the wrapper, then claimed ignorance at where the cookies went. (We work at a college, so leave food out and the students...well....) I need a twelve-step! lol

Steen918

I have tried to completely eliminate sweets, chocolate, etc from my diet and my house. Guess what...it doesn't work. Your favorite things will always still be in this world. You will be confronted with the sweets at work, the family trips to Dairy Queen, the Girls Scouts in the family who you want to support. This time, I'm trying something new and it works. I'm not getting rid of those things from my cupboards. There is ice cream in the freezer and Girl Scout cookies in the cupboard. But if/when my calories for the day are still open enough to allow for a treat, I look at the label, I take out the serving size, I put it on a plate, and I put the rest of the box back away in the cupboard. Only eat the serving size, and if you do it slowly enough, you'll be satisfied! Better yet, if you do it in the middle of the day, you still have time to work out. The best thing for me about doing it this way, is that I don't crave those things anymore! It's easier to just say no because I don't need it. I used to need chocolate to get through my day at work. Now i open the drawer, see those Dove Chocolates, and think "I don't need that" and take a swig of water. YOU CAN DO IT IF YOU JUST BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!!!

ltlemermaid

girl scout cookies are yummy especially the samoas...my fav!

what I do is get only 1 box and ration it so it lasts longer. I tell myself sure I can eat the box now but I won't have any for another day...that usually works for me since I am limited. I try to make my 1 box stretch the longest.

spcopps

My DH and children still eat everything they want and more LOL. I am the only one in a family of 5 who is watching my calories and trying to make a healthy change. I have noticed if I EAT my meals plus healthy snack during the day I don't want the "unmentionables". There was a candy bar on my counter the entire day and when DH got home I said to him.."you know, that has been there all day and not once have I been tempted to eat it". I am a chocolate FREAK but I eat chocolate rice cakes with peanut butter, Strawberries dipped in hershey's non fat chocolate, or have a homemade mocha with 0% milk, splenda and no calorie no sugar chocolate flavoring. These things always curb my chocolate cravings!

hooah_mj

I know my weakness (there are a lot of them). I know my strengths (there are few) When it comes to weight loss and lifestyle change. I started here last June and for 4 months had great focus and results (27 pounds). I was doing it, making good choices, exercising and losing weight and feeling better. Then the MFP honeymoon was over and "normal" eating habits started again. I had learned enough to maintain(sort of) but that's not good enough, I still need to lose 50 pounds!

Today there were 4 boxes of girl scout cookies delivered to me ( I only remember ordering 2, but didn't want to argue) So all day long those cookies sat on my desk and I had all the will power in the world because I know me... I can't eat just a bite of something, it triggers some maniac that can't quit. I get home and my daughter sees them and so I opened the box for her. Well that is all it took. so 4 Thin Mints and 10 Somoas later I sit down to type this because how do you do it? Where does Self Control and discipline come from? I really need to find that place and live there. I feel very frustrated with myself.

I know, I know... Brush it off, tomorrow is another day, don't look back, it's all in the past (like 5 minutes ago, I can still taste the chocolaty goodness)

Any tips, advice, or butt kickin all appreciated...

Take care people of MFP and STAY AWAY FROM THE GIRL SCOUTS!!!!!

Oh, katlou2! You just voiced my cries of yesterday :sad: THIN MINTS... and I too "can still taste the chocolaty goodness"!!!

Aside from my absolute (few-and-far-between) favs, I wait. I'll imagine the last time I gave in, the feeling afterward, the workout afterward, the scale afterward....ALL THE AFTERWARDS, and that has finally been enough to get me to want this me more than the crap :happy:

LMP1979

I definitely had to practice on my self control. Two things worked for me:

1) Out of Sight, out of mind. Get up, and put it away!
2) The clock. If I want something I will give myself a time limit. I have to wait until another 20 minutes, or wait until 4pm..or whenever. In the mean time, distract yourself, find something else to do and drink some water. Usually, I find myself forgetting about it and after awhile the self control came alot easier at saying NO !!


You CAN do it! Just don't give up.

pandafoo

omg, thin mints and samoas! i love those things! i used to also indulge in fast food binges for as long as week, or i could easily polish off a bag of potato chips. i realized that i overate mostly out of emotional reasons, but it ultimately came down to not respecting my body or myself. in the past several months, i've made lots of strides in nurturing myself, so it's much easier to not use food to allay my self-doubts, etc.

for yourself, the reasons could be different, and next time you're tempted to overeat and give up all self control, pause and think: are you bored? stressed? once you figure out the cause, you can do something that will deal with that true issue -- instead of using food as a proxy. but also, i've found it helpful to remind myself of my motivations to become healthier and stronger.

however, if you still want to indulge in a treat, i've found one great technique is to take out 1 or 2 pieces of chocolate, or portion out a serving size of chips, then put the container away. then i'll try to eat it slowly and mindfully, and it's so much satisfying that way.

all of us mess up at times, but even so, we need to forgive ourselves and not give into feelings of guilt, frustration, or blame. what we can do is to analyze why we did it, and then try to take measures to deal with it differently in the future. it's definitely a process, but the journey gets easier over time, esp. with the great community here!

Sarahbear83

You are not a weak person for giving into temptation. Eventually most people will. Especially in the earlier stages of making healthy changes to their lifestyles. It's easier, at this point in the game, to just remove the temptation all together. Even if you ordered 4 boxes of cookies, give some away to co-workers or family before you get home or leave them in the break room at work. If you have to have some cookies, take out a serving and go for a walk while your family enjoys the rest of the box and/or puts away the package. Get rid of it as fast as you can so you aren't facing constant temptation and then beating yourself up for 'failing' when you can't resist it anymore.

ajax03

:sad: **just finished my 8TH Carmel Delight **

autumn13

I don't have self control either........if the stuff is in the house is calls out to me.......and I won't stop at just one or two either.

The only way for me is to NOT have it in the house.

I'm not really tempted to buy it at the store.....as long as I'm not hungry when I'm shopping..

So....I'm not too thrilled when others bring stuff in the house I don't want to eat.

aflane

THis is going to sound weird, but my salvation is a cup of hot cocoa. Nearly every day since New Year's, someone has brought donuts (my MAJOR weekness), coffee cake, cupcakes or some other baked good to the office (minimum of 200 cals for a donut, prob more for the other stuff). I bring a travel mug of hot cocoa (about 100 cals) to work every day, and then I just walk away from the office kitchen. I slowly sip my yummy cocoa (non-diet, I want to enjoy it!) and haven't had a baked good yet this year.

Now people at the office are coming up to me asking me how I'm losing weight, with all the kitchen treats available. I've got my cocoa, and I don't feel like I'm missing anything.

My point is, find something that will satisfy you, measure it out.... ENJOY IT, and walk away from the bad temptation. Stay with the controlled treat.

shyaamist

This may sound silly, but I refuse to buy girl scout cookies simply because I don't feel $3.50 if worth it! I'm trying to use this thought process on other foods as well... so far, so good! :flowerforyou:

TheMrsFitnessGeek

I had ordered a case of GS tagalongs before the diet started and then they came after I started dieting. No I didn't even open them, I sold them. My self control comes from wanting this weight loss and body reformation more than I will ever want the cookies or breads or fats. To me it's a question of how bad do I want this. If I give in that means I don't want it very bad. I don't give in!

This is exactly how I feel! You have to want it more than you want anything else. I have had to learn self control, and it has been hard. I don't want to insult anyone or say no ( I also can't have just one lol). I had 2 Do-si-dos yesterday and I ordered 12 boxes from my daughter to help make her goal. I am selling the rest. I worked those two cookies into my plan, and that is all I will have. SO my self control tactic is : Want better for yourself more than ANYTHING else in the world..including Do-si-dos ;P

BigBoneSista

Personally just like I use to talk myself into over eating I will talk myself out of eating food that isn't going to lead me towards my goal. I'm just determined to succeed.

My husband just came home from the orient and my neighbor made him his favorite homemade almond cake. My fav also. She sent me the reciepe and I inputted it in here. If I slice the cake in 12 slices, each slice is over 800 calories. 800 CALORIES!! So guess what? It use to be my fav. For 800 calories I can have a healthy feast! After seeing those numbers I know longer wanted a slice. Its so not worth it.

BrandNewMia

Food is just food and will always be there. I don't NEED to eat GS cookies now, because next year, after I have reached my goal weight, I can order a box or two (that is, if I still want them or do not talk myself out of it). McDonald's isn't going anywhere, I don't have to miss their french fries and filet-o-fish sandwiches because they will ALWAYS be around and I can get one later. This is my attitude towards the foods I used to love and eat all the time. Luckily, the healthier I eat, the more my tastes are changing and I prefer more nutritious foods - I think by the time I reach my goal, I will probably not want the junk food anymore.

And I agree with logging food ahead of time. I plan at least 1 day in advance (sometimes 2), and if I want a treat I put it on my diary first, then work the whole day around it. Eating a diet high in protein will help curb the sugar cravings, this has worked for me. I find preventing the cravings is much easier than trying to fight them once they have arrived.

Where does my self control come from? From my desire to reach my goal and not let anything stop me. FOOD doesn't control me. I still have an occasional oopsie but I don't let it get me down, I don't wait until the next day to get back on the wagon, I jump right back on immediatly. You have seen success in the past so you know you can do it! Believe in yourself, I know it's cheesy, but if you KNOW you can do it, you WILL.

ETA: and I also agree with the people that said to set mini-goals. I have my first mini-goal coming up, and knowing that I need to lose 3 pounds in a little over 2 weeks keeps me from snacking on junk because I am SO CLOSE to reaching that little goal! I have mini goals planned for every couple of months to help me stay on track, it's working so far

reasonablyvain

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/554929


There are some really good tips there, it's really helped me to deal with reducing my calories more this week! In the end you just have to remind yourself that you are a grown up who can make decisions especially about what you put into your body. Recognize that you absolutely can say no to chocolate, or scout cookies or whatever and that saying you can't is really just an excuse. Once you have said no there's a wonderful feeling of power that follows and the more you do it the easier it gets. Try to identify all of the thought processes you use to convince yourself it's ok to eat more. A major one is the classic "I already ate to much may as well stuff my face today and start fresh tomorrow."

sophiajackson99

Rather than try to control myself, I try to look at the drive behind the idea that I'm not getting enough, or not getting what I want. When that changes, when I believe that I'm getting enough and what I need, there is no need for control. I know I'm a radical here, but that's what I believe. Self control day in and day, was exhausting and not maintainable (for me).

I think of it like alcohol. When I was 18 and not allowed to drink, it was the most interesting and exciting thing in the world. When I turned 21 and could have it for breakfast if I wanted, the desire faded. I can have cookies if I want. A whole box if I need it. I just don't usually want them now. For me, the freedom takes away the need for self control.

DaddyMantz

You should just log your calories and move on. Try to stay under your daily goal and you will be fine. Even if you go over a little, it's ok.

I have found that since I switched over to eating 6 meals a day(5 for women), with protein at every meal, I have hardly ever been hungry. I had a piece of cake for my birthday yesterday and kept it very small. I just wasn't that hungry. You don't need a lot of willpower if you aren't that hungry.

It takes 21 days to create a good habit. Really not that long when you think about it.