What can I do to stop this vicious cycle, (kinda long)

ziggygirl2003

Just so ya know, this is about food and it's control over my life, if this doesn't interest you I completly understand if you move on to other posts. If you also have problems with food, or even some amazingly helpful suggestions, I would be completly grateful for the support and help that I desperately need.

I've started my food adjustments last December, doing well for a few months and then getting off track for several months. I stoped watching what I ate and entering my food, gaining back about 7 pounds from the 20 that I lost. I decided to get back on my weight lost and did well for the last couple of weeks, but had a horrible day yesterday.

Here is my problem with food, most days I can do really great, eating under my calorie goal or pretty darn close, making good decisions on my food choices and not feel like I'm neglecting my self of food. But yesterday, all I could think about was eating, and I wasn't even hungry. I was to the point in thinking that I'm already over by 200 calories, what does it matter now. Well that ended up putting me over 800 calories over and once I entered all my food and saw that number, I felt so horrible, and that just made me want to eat more, since food can be very comforting to me. The problem is, if I don't give in to my cravings that's all I'll be able to think about for the rest of the day, and if I do give in I feel so horrible about not having control over myself and I get so down. I don't want to spend the next year of my weight loss, in a constant state of depression, because of food.

I know the occasional one day over isn't going to completely ruin what I've done up until this point, but is there something I can do that may make my days over less drastic, or possibly something that can make me feel not so depressed about one silly day of losing control.

I know a good way to not cave in to cravings is to not have those food items in the house, but that's a bit of a problem for me since I live with three others, who are not eating the same way I do. Yesterday I would not have eaten that Nutty Buddy bar, which are horrible calorie wise, if somebody else had not bought them yesterday, and that was when I gave up yesterday.

I need suggestions, if anybody has any, for someone like me who can't necessarly control the food available in the house and how I can handle those nasty cravings, and days where all I can think about is eating.

Thank you to those who took the time to read through my rant, and a big thanks to those you will be willing to give some advice and support that I am in desperate need of.

kdiamond

Ok, here are my thoughts. Take it for what its worth.

1) Don't buy junk and keep it in the house. If it isn't there, you can't eat it. Trust me, I could never keep nutty buddys in the house, I would get a "weak" moment (we all get them sometimes) and eat them.

2) Find a hobby. Sounds like you're bored. I also like to eat when I'm bored, because it is something to do. Find something to do on free time, or take a walk, anything to get your mind off of the food.

Good luck. It is a hard trick to learn and usually requires some trial and error.

LolasEpicJourney

I work in a coffee/donut shop. I caved and ate 6 donut holes the other day. Nearly 500calories wasted. I was so incredibly angry. Yet with each one I kept thinking how wonderful it tasted - and if I ate one - what was one more. It is incredibly frustrating.
I dont tend to buy junk for the house. My hubby likes salty food - but I am not a fan so een when he buys junk I am usually okay...

What I try to do it just not think about it. When you crave those things other people are brining in - find something healthy to eat. Drink a tonne of water. I have heard pickles are good at curbing sweets cravings.. maybe eat some dill pickles?

tamanella

I totally struggle with this same issue and I wish I really knew what to do. My thoughts are to choose lower calories items when the urges come, like veggies or fruits. One thing to do when you go over is to do some exercise to counter the calories. I'm just starting out seriously myself. Not sure if this helps you, but I'd love to be a friend to encourage you to keep going. Feel free to friend me if you want. Good luck!

crazytxmom

Mmm... Nutty Buddy bars...

Sorry, that wasn't helpful. When I've got a massive food craving like that I have found that chewing some sugar-free mint gum helps. Mostly because everything tastes gross when your mouth is all minty. I often chew gum while cooking so I can resist nibbling also.

You might also try going for a walk or doing a work-out video. If you go long enough you might be able to burn enough calories to sit back & enjoy that treat.

Good luck!!

wickedcricket

where do you keep the junk food? in a pantry or cabinet? if it's a pantry, keep your scale in there too. My scale is in my pantry which is actually the size of a closet so i basically have to step ON the scale to get food off the shelf. If that's not a deterrent, I don't know what is

pauljsolie

Ok, here are my thoughts. Take it for what its worth.

1) Don't buy junk and keep it in the house. If it isn't there, you can't eat it. Trust me, I could never keep nutty buddys in the house, I would get a "weak" moment (we all get them sometimes) and eat them.

2) Find a hobby. Sounds like you're bored. I also like to eat when I'm bored, because it is something to do. Find something to do on free time, or take a walk, anything to get your mind off of the food.

Good luck. It is a hard trick to learn and usually requires some trial and error.

Good advice. I'd also add this:
Make a deal with yourself. Everytime you overindulge, like I did on cream cheese and bagels once, you MUST burn those caloreis off the next day. This doesn't excuse you from your regularly scheduled workout either. You must do that AND burn off the excess calories from the previous day. It may not work for you but that is what I do and it has really curbed my desire to pig out so to speak. The day I went crazy with the bagels, I had to do almost 70 minutes on my elliptical, which I hate in the first place. Good luck and hope you get things under control.

Melroxsox

Honestly...if you workout diligently every day then you actually don't have to deprive yourself constantly. This doesn't mean eat a bunch of crappy processed foods because you're working out. But you can give yourself more knee room. Me for instance... I am a low carber / low GI most days due to my Pcos(poly cystic ovarian syndrome). But I workout for at LEAST 45 mins a day to ensure that if I do have my carb cravings or food cravings then I can have a taste of something. Its sort of an insurance policy in a way:) hope this helps u a little!

routerguy666

Flipping through your journal, you don't eat a lot throughout the day, and what's being eaten totals up to pretty high carbs and very low proteins. Reverse those two and you probably won't feel nearly as hungry all the time.

Boooie

I totally understand what you have said.... Ive been where you are and still am,Im a comfort eater, if im down ill eat, if im bored i will eat, now, food might make me feel better for a few minutes while im eating it but that feeling you get when you have given in to that craving is horrible. Is it worth feeling that bad after giving in to that urge, no its not. When i was still losing weight(now maintaining) before i gave into a craving/ urge i asked myself if i really did want that food more often then not i didn't so i left it alone. If on weigh in day i still had that urge for something a bit high in calories then i would have it. Now im maintaining i still have days where i want to bury my head in the fridge to look for something naughty, so now all week i stick to a plan for losing weight and at weekends i eat what i want and so far ive kept the weight off and not gained. Like someone else says it does sound like you could use something more to occupy your self also, when a craving hits why not do some kind of work out so if you do give in and eat it you have at least done some damage repair to help.... This journey may seem long and hard but keep at it the end results are so worth it xx

fabi8081

I agree with Kdiamond. Get a hobby you have to much time on your hands to think of food. When you get a craving go for a walk/run. When I first started we had a bag of sour cream and onion lays in the house. I had 3 and wanted to keep going. I could've finished the bag but I went for a jog and was proud of myself that I didn't eat the chips. And I had the added benefit of more calories burned. You need to occupy your time with something other than food.
I've heard brushing your teeth and drinking a glass of water are good ways to curb cravings.

brandimacleod

Hi! I understand food obsession. I have recently begun working the OA 12 steps. It helps me. My eating, in fact my life, had become unmanageble. I binged non stop for the past 5 years. One thing I have learned in OA is that there are foods for me that are "triggers". They are like a gateway drug leading me on to more and more...lol!

Knowing what my triggers are helps me to avoid those foods entirely one day at a time. If I think about longer than that I get sad. The food voice in my head freaks out at the thought of not having oreos ever again. But it is pretty easy for me not to have oreos today. And if I don't have oreos today, then I probably won't go have McDonalds, and then I won't have buttered popcorn or icecream later....you get the idea.

I also find that the healthier I eat, the less I crave unhealthy foods. And when all else fails, and I am having a day filled with cravings that just won't go away, I do non-food things. For me, those things are going to the salon for mani/pedi, taking a bath, going to the pool to swim (for me I never eat in the water). Also, walking away from it. Literally. I will take my dogs on a long walk in the neighborhood. Also, shopping at thrift stores. First, there isn't food there. Secondly, the stuff is kinda dirty so I wouldn't want food with dirty hands anyway. Just think about what you like to do that you never equate food with, and go for it. Because some days...you just crave foods you don't need.

Also, bloggin, emailing your friends and just encouraging others on this site really helps too.

Last, and most important, you are human and imperfect. In fact, if you were really perfect, you would be boring. So, be glad that you are imperfect, and occasionally you are going to eat too much. Who cares? it isn't the end of the world. Don't beat yourself up over it. Just say, "Oopsy!" and laugh and move on.

Hope you have a great day today.

cheshirechic

What usually helps me with really intense cravings (and it helps to be a foodie!), is that I ask myself, "Is this the absolute best [piece of chocolate/piece of cake/cookie/brownie] that I could imagine having?" If it's not, then I pass. I don't want to "spend" calories on mediocre food.

If you feel that you just want to keep eating, try to plan and enter your whole day of eating into MFP early in the day. This helps me stick to it, so I'm not surprised by how many calories I've gone over.

I hope this helps, and I can empathize

gbelltx

What I do not see in your diary is breakfast, fluids, exercise which are all key factors in trying to live healthy. Someone already mentioned finding a hobby to keep your mind off eating the wrong foods. Maybe go as far as keeping track of why you’re eating certain foods and then try to recognize the behaviors prior to getting bored, stressed and find something to do besides eat. Do not think everything is going to change overnight as it will take some time to develop new habits. Even though you have others in your home ask them to take part in what you are doing to help you or find some friends on this site who can support you through the tough times. There are tons of people on this site who can help support you. Nothing will change unless you want it to change.. You can do this..

lilfunch

first water second do something else or 15 min and I mean anything else ...clean, fold laundry, go for a walk, sit ups, read any thing and usualy it will pass. three stop beating yourself up, it happens if you have to have it well sit and eat it but enjoy it an then let it go. you have to like who you are not what you look like but who you are inside, you can do this!

hikeout470

Ok, here are my thoughts. Take it for what its worth.

1) Don't buy junk and keep it in the house. If it isn't there, you can't eat it. Trust me, I could never keep nutty buddys in the house, I would get a "weak" moment (we all get them sometimes) and eat them.

2) Find a hobby. Sounds like you're bored. I also like to eat when I'm bored, because it is something to do. Find something to do on free time, or take a walk, anything to get your mind off of the food.

Good luck. It is a hard trick to learn and usually requires some trial and error.

Good advice. I'd also add this:
Make a deal with yourself. Everytime you overindulge, like I did on cream cheese and bagels once, you MUST burn those caloreis off the next day. This doesn't excuse you from your regularly scheduled workout either. You must do that AND burn off the excess calories from the previous day. It may not work for you but that is what I do and it has really curbed my desire to pig out so to speak. The day I went crazy with the bagels, I had to do almost 70 minutes on my elliptical, which I hate in the first place. Good luck and hope you get things under control.

This is a great idea... Also I think the strength training helps with feeling stronger both physically and mentally.

Kat5343

I found that I no longer crave chocolate. Early on in my diet I would have a teaspoon of peanut butter whenever I craved chocolate. That gave me a whopping 100 calories but it curbed m craving for something sweet and gave me some added protein as a bonus. I have almost lost 50 pounds now and I have found that I crave a smaller me more than something sweet. I live with a husband, 2 teenagers, and a 7-year-old and none of them are on a diet so there are lots of food I can't eat. Another suggestions is maybe taking 1 bite of something you are craving and not eating the whole thing. Always remember...don't let one bad day set you back...just start fresh tomorrow...Good luck!!!!

italianissima

Hi,

I get that way too sometimes. Here are my ideas:

Simply shake your head a few times and say no. Just doing this will stops you in your tracks.

Tell yourself, I can have it later. I usually forget and move on. Later, I might remember I want it and again I'll tell myself that I'll eat it later.

If I just feel like I need to eat, or I need something in my mouth: Pickles! There are 0 calorie pickles out there! Gum works, too. Egg whites are very low cal. Sometimes, I'll make an egg white and spinach omelette in a non-stick pan. Or make hard-boiled eggs and just eat the whites.

Sometimes I'm just thirsty and didn't realize it. Sounds dumb, but it's true. I'll drink water, or make hot tea, or make coffee! All of those have no calories too.

Along with all of the above, sometimes I tell myself that I just need to talk a walk. When I do, I clear my head, I get happy from my music, and I usually forget that I was hungry. Or, time has passed and it's time for my next meal.

Which brings me to my final point. It's possible you are just hungry! Plain and simple. If you time your "feedings" right, you will eat when the time is right. I try to eat 5-6 times a day, every 3 hours. That means: breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack. This will require a little math. If you can have 1,500 for example do this:
Breakfast- 400
Snack 1- 100
Lunch- 400
Snack 2- 100
Dinner- 400
Snack 3- 100
Play with the number a little, but this gives you an idea. This will keep your blood sugar stable- you will avoid cravings, and it keeps you knowing that there's more food to come!

Good luck!

helenoftroy1

people might not agree with this so I'm saying it in hushed tones so nobody can hear me!
I work on a week basis. I want a deficit of 7000 calories a week to get a 2lb loss. If I go over one day I know I have to go under the next day by that amount.
As I said hushed tones!

I also think I've taken to cooking the things I like, like cheesecake! When it comes around to eating a slice, I for some reason don't fancy it quite so much as I've tasted bits of it etc.

I'm very strict with myself nowadays and operate a no nonsense policy so if I can't trust myself with it, I won't even let it near me! I have to constantly watch tv programmes of fat people losing weight and coming on here for success stories. I also talk about it A LOT!!! I'm a little obsessed but for now unfortunately I have to be and hopefully this will start to lessen. (I think it has already)
Good luck and be strong, someone said the other day it's like a white knuckle ride sometimes and you just have to say NO! and go through what drug addicts go through. Awful but very rewarding when you win the battle!

khk2010

Comfort eater here too.
2 suggestions that have helped me a lot.

Write. Journal. Write when you are "hungry", upset, or whatever. Even if you think there is nothing to write just start and go with it. Write your feelings and acknowledge why you really want to eat.

Exercise. Make it a habit. Turn to some kind of exercise when you want to eat for comfort. Have weights around or head out for a walk.

These have helped me a lot. Good luck and hang in there.

espinozAgal

What usually helps me with really intense cravings (and it helps to be a foodie!), is that I ask myself, "Is this the absolute best [piece of chocolate/piece of cake/cookie/brownie] that I could imagine having?" If it's not, then I pass. I don't want to "spend" calories on mediocre food.

If you feel that you just want to keep eating, try to plan and enter your whole day of eating into MFP early in the day. This helps me stick to it, so I'm not surprised by how many calories I've gone over.

I hope this helps, and I can empathize

I very much agree with this. If you are going to spend your VERY valuable calories, spend them on the best!