How do you fight the "evil" inner voice?

lallaloolly

I would say, you have to think about the fact that you are making excuses. While you're making them.

i think this is a great answer. especially in the beginning, the evil temptation voice will speak, but if you make yourself ignore it, no matter how hard (heck, go lock yourself in a room and cry it out if you have to, that's what happened to me when i put down ciggies. almost 10 days of high emotion, and then it just got easier). if you make yourself get through it, and don't make excuses, then eventually when temptation does rear its head, it's like swatting away a fly to ignore it. easy. but you have to make yourself get through the hard part. there is no easy way around forming new/better habits.

fteale

Harsh as it sounds - NO ONE DESERVES CHOCOLATE

It isn't a reward.

KBDaukas

If you truly need/deserve a pick-me-up, substitute food for something else. I, for example, buy something purple. I have purple, pens, purple shirts, purple hole punch, etc... Doesn't matter what it is, just so long as it isn't food...

carolynnjoy

I've told myself I am not rewarding myself with food or feeling guilty about food. If I want easy mac or a chocolate shake, I make sure that I have the calories for it. Healthy people can eat a treat and they don't gain 5 pounds or eat 12 of them. I want to be healthy so I have to think like a healthy person. No more feeling guilty for food. I will decide what I want to eat...look at my calories and then decide if it is worth it or doable. Easy Mac and chocolate shakes are not the devil...it is over indulging in them that is the devil. Take away your guilt....don't allow there to be an evil inner voice with food. If something sounds good, be accountable to a reasonable portion and enjoy it. I have no will power and have to have something really yummy everyday....it is amazing how telling myself I can have anything I want I have been able to control myself. Being accountable for what we eat doesn't mean never eating something you enjoy or that isn't the most healthy choice.
We have to learn a healthy mentality towards food. The days I have a really long good work out, I know that I will be able to enjoy a higher calorie food. So I figure my portion, eat it and enjoy it. I still make sure that I have filled the rest of my day with fruits, veggies, lean meats..."healthy food". If at the end of the day I don't have calories for something yummy, then I make a choice to eat something different and save that treat for the next day.
I have also looked for foods that are like a treat for me. A handful of frozen strawberries with vanilla, stevia and a little bit of water, blended up makes a yummy sorbet type treat. If I am craving ice cream, that will fill the craving for under 100 calories...if it doesn't, then I know that tomorrow, I just need to plan my calories to allow for a moderate size serving.
Make your "evil" inner voice your personal voice of accountability. Next time it tells you that you deserve a chocolate shake...look at your calories and say, yes I do...but I only have calories for half of the shake or I really need to wait for tomorrow, or I'd better go to the gym and then I can get one on the way home. Don't deprive, be accountable.
The way MFP figures our caloric goals is taking how many calories we need to survive, and subtracts x amount of calories so we can lose weight without working out. If we work out, then we have more calories to play around with. We can enjoy un healthy food while losing weight, if we do it the smart way having the majority of our food be healthy and smart and then planning for the treats in moderation.

SarahofTwins

I tell that evil voice to shut the hell on up! lol Actually I try to substitute it with lots of water, fruits, or veggies....but usually I remind myself why I hated being fat and how people would just give me all these weird looks bc of my weight. Stay strong!!

Daroadar

All the wonderful people have wonderful ideas. Pick one that works for you. I have a couple I use together. I have an old picture of myself that I use to keep me zeroed in on my goal. I also try to have about 100 calories at the end of the day I can use anyway I want. I don't always use them, but they are there most nights for me to use them anyway I see fit. This keeps me on target for my weight and fitness goals and I can "cheat" whenever I want! I hope this makes sense and can be helpful to you!

Keep up the good work!

ncwmark

I have two steps that work fairly good for me in these situations.

The first one is a behavioral modification I am trying. I try to never eat anything as soon as it is ready or when I first see it. I'm trying to make contemplating the food in front of me a part of my eating routine. This not only includes thinking about the candy bar before picking it up (or hopefully not picking it up) while in line at the convenience store, but also thinking about the salad or chicken breast I've prepared for myself at home. I just mentally examine the food and objectively decide if consuming it is a good thing or a bad thing. I'm working on not impulsively eating anything.

If it's a good thing, I then buy/eat it.

If it's a bad thing, I say the following words (when I'm alone, I even say them out loud): "What I want, this can't give me."

That usually is enough to get me thinking about the changes I want to make, the reasons I'm making these changes, and how those changes are more important than the candy bar.

That isn't to say I don't ever treat myself, but it seems to help most of the time.

bmw4deb

I drug it :laugh: just kidding ! I use this site a lot to help avoid splurges
I love looking at the success pics, I also keep a lot of low calorie snacks
on hand I love the carmel corn rice cakes.

DESIREE1210

I just try to keep busy with something else until that feeling passes. I also know I feel great, I look great and I can't wait to feel and look better, that's huge for me.

MissMoxy08

I can relate to this...
How about changing the idea of what you deserve?
I had to focus on changing my "I deserve this chocolate bar" to "I deserve to be treated with respect and concern... even by myself."
It's a big mindset change, but one worth making

*Like*

MissMoxy08

Scream out loud, "Get behind me Satan"

lol I love this one.

sam23030

Sometimes if I've almost set my mind on having that bad food, I will log it into my diary and then think about what I'm going to be eating for the rest of the day, for dinner etc. Most times this treat will push your calories so far out you just can't justify it. Then I go back and delete the naughty item and feel such a great sense of relief that I haven't actually eaten it and in fact I now have spare calories for the day and choose a healthy treat.

Easier said than in practice! Or sometimes I will force myself to eat something healthy and once I've had that I usually feel satisfied and stop thinking about food or can think a bit more realistically about the choices I make.

Good luck!!

MissMoxy08

All these have been so helpful. I spent years being on the other end where I was encouraged to eat whatever I wanted whenever I wanted to keep my weight up. Now I'm having to completely retrain myself and break all those bad habits and it has not been easy. I'll definitely be putting some of these tricks to use!

Kristinemillar

I take every Saturday off... Period!!

I spend that day with friends and family doing all the things I'd like... Eating the occasional chocolate bar, some take out for tea maybe but certainly eat lunch at a local cafe (where you never know the calorie counts)....

I never feel guilty, and look forward to my treat day which helps me not crave treats during the rest of the week.

bcattoes

Drag that voice to the gym (or wherever you workout) and beat the @#$%# out of it. Then have a fruit & yogurt smoothie instead of a milkshake and relax.

mamarundrc

I plan out my day first thing in the morning (or the night before). This helps me see the bigger picture of my day and make healthy choices. If halfway through the day I am craving something that isn't planned, I will look at what I have planned and make a conscious decision if I want to change it up. I find that 90% of the time, I stick with my planned meal and save the craving meal for another day. If I am still thinking about that craving meal a few days later, then I work it into my plan.

Also, look for healthier alternatives to what you want to eat. For instance, you have you chocolate shake- you can make a protein shake that includes chocolate but has more beneifit to you. Instead of easy mac, find a healthier version of mac and cheese on line. There are tons of recipes out there that make the horrible comfort foods a little healthier.

Find non-food alternatives to sooth yourself. I used to be a very emotional eater. This is something that I have been working on. If I am having a bad or stressful day, before I give in to the food I will take a nice hot shower, sit down and read a book for 30 minutes, or go for a run. If after that I am still wound up then I will think about giving in to the evil voice.

ladybg81

I just stopped listening. Some days (like yesterday) are a lot harder than others but this morning when I looked at my diary and saw that I ate pretty well yesterday and did not get that snickers I desperately wanted, I felt so good about myself. And I lost a pound this morning so that tells me right there that my willpower is paying off. One thing that I think for me has been key, is still having dessert EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. Now it is skinny cow instead of a homemade brownie and full fat ice cream but I still get that sweet yumminess that I crave and feel okay about it. I have no advise other than you have to be strong and not give in. It sucks but look at you now. Now you have guilt because you over indulged and are posting about it. Just stop. Simple as that. That sounds awefully harsh doesn't it. Let me add then: if these junk foods fit into your daily allotment, you can have them and still lose weight. BUT, and it is a big but, you will only lose weight, you will not be HEALTHY which I think is ultimately what we all want.

Ali_TSO

You just have to consider how bad you really want to make this change. There are positive triggers as well as negative triggers. Find what motivated you to begin this journey in the first place. Keep your eye on the prize. No one can make you want to do this. You have to dig deep and find something within yourself. Good luck!

Very well said. :happy:

nichole325

I drug it :laugh: just kidding ! I use this site a lot to help avoid splurges
I love looking at the success pics, I also keep a lot of low calorie snacks
on hand I love the carmel corn rice cakes.

I LOVEEEE the mint chocolate rice cakes the 100 calorie packs...they are sooooooooooo YUMMY!

getxsleazyy

haha my evil little voice just tells me i'm fat and disgusting and that if i have that small cup of cereal i can't have anything else for the day and i don't care that you're not thirsty chug a litre of water anyways.....soz haha