Serious eating issues, Please HELP!!!

UpEarly

I can tell you what works for me...

I don't deny myself anything categorically. I had chocolate chip cookies and milk for my snack yesterday - but I only had 2 instead of the 6 that would have been my old "normal". Cutting out anything just gives you something to fixate on, IMO. You have to learn to eat the way you plan to live or you're just setting yourself up for failure. In sports they say, "you play like you practice." Unless you're planning to deny yourself those things forever, you need to learn HOW to eat them in healthy, moderate ways.

BrewerGeorge has hit the nail on the head! :-)

laurielou04

I agree, try not eliminating food types completely. Just eat smaller portion sizes. I tried the whole, I won't eat that or won't eat this and what would happen is I would do great for a couple days but I would always end up giving in to the cravings. What has worked for me is over time elminating certain types of foods (junk, fast food) and upping how much water I drink. I log everything I eat. It is so important! Eat on smaller dishes, tricks your mind into thinking you ate more since the dish was full to start with. When your cooking, measure out your ingrediants. (I used to make pasta and judge by glance what i thought a serving was, boy was i wrong!) When you think your hungry, drink water...most likely you are just thirsty.

This is just a couple of things that have helped me...hope it helps.
Good luck!

jkuhn71

Suggestion: don't cut out carbs like that. As you see, it leads to a binge.

Create a meal plan for yourself that includes complex carbs, lean protein, good fats, and vegetables. Get the crap out of your house, then go shopping and fill your fridge and cupboard with good stuff. Plan all your meals in advance, at least a day before and stick to your plan. For the first few weeks, it will be like training wheels. But after some time, you will have built an intuition on how to eat.

Very well said! I couldn't agree more!

jlowensby

Hmmm well I used to do that too..start eating healthy and then just give in and start eating what the rest of my family was eating. I am the cook at our house...and it ended up that I didn't want to make two different meals.

What changed that a couple months ago?? I couldn't even stand to see myself in the mirror anymore, I didn't want to have any pictures taken of me, anddd I felt very undesirable even though my husband was telling me daily I am sexy!

So, I sat down and I took a real hard look at myself...I want to see the woman my husband sees. I knew that meant clean eating, and I knew that I could have that piece of lasagna, but maybe it would be a smaller piece than everybody else and the rest of my plate would have a leafy green salad with lots of veggies. And lots of water! Soda completely cut out....My family could still have the foods they loved. I started small. Then I remembered, hey you do love eating fruits and veggies So I replaced half my plate with raw veggies and then just started getting lean meats in.

My sweet tooth is not terrible, it may be different for you...a yogurt would satisfy my sweet tooth cravings....
If I wanted a cookie I would split it with my son!

I don't keep a lot of junky food in the house at all. If its not there I won't be tempted! I have at most 16 oz of dairy a day. I started eating oatmeal in the morning to keep me fuller longer during the day. I eat meals about 3-4 hours apart. Before eating out or going to a family function I try to first eat something healthy at home.

I walk a lot because let's face it, I hate cardio! I strength train...

Most importantly? I have learned not to beat myself up, when I do slip. It is going to happen..NO ONE is perfect. Just realize what you did wrong and try to do better next time.

Okay that was a lot of words to just say add more raw veggies into your diet, eat leafy green salads (I used to eat fat free dressings now able to go without any dressing at all), drink lots of water, allow yourself to eat that craving, have some lean meat along with your meal at night...eat a good breakfast.

Hope some of that helped.....:) Good luck on your journey and use MFP for your support we are here for you

meerkat70

If allowing yourself 'one treat' is producing a binge, chances are you're being over-restrictive to start with. Getting healthy is about learning to be kind to yourself, in a positive, healthy way.

sweetiepie31612

Make a meal plan for the day and enter it in your food diary first thing in the morning. This will help you not to stray. If there is something you're craving...have it, but either save your calories for it or work it off at the gym later. Also, drink lots of water. It will help you from eating when you're bored and often times you THINK you're hungry, but are actaully thirsty. Good luck.

grassette

Losing that much weight so quickly is dangerous. And the yo-yo effect is the result of starving your body, and getting that end of famine response to kick in. I've been there, so I can relate. Advice: First stabilize both your diet and your weight. Make sure that you stop gaining. When you are ready to start again, do it slowly. Aim at losing 1 lb per week.

MinnieInMaine

I used to be exactly the same way (and can be again if I don't stay aware of myself) and found what helps for me is to not do any crash or extreme dieting like low carb, fasting, pills, etc but to eat reasonably and allow all yummy things in moderation.

Key # 1 - portion control. Start measuring/weighing your foods so you know you're only eating the right amounts and try to avoid having 2nds. Tweak your favorite recipes by using leaner meats, whole grain pastas and more veggies to get more bang for your buck (less calories, same or bigger portion).

Key #2 - don't LET it be the start of a downward spiral if you do overindulge. Get right back on track starting with your next meal, drink more water to help release the water weight and if you have time, exercise more to burn off the calories. None of that "oh well, I totally screwed up, might as well give up" attitude. That phrase is no longer in your vocabulary!

ETA: Just thought of Key #3 - every time yo make a change in your lifestyle to lose weight, ask yourself "can I do this for life?". This is so important because you'll find out what are the healthy ways and what are just quick fixes that won't work. Can you do low carb forever? Maybe - but how about focusing on moderate levels of carbs or more healthy carbs instead. Same with fats.

GrammyWhammy

I am a carb craver! Since I started MFP in August I've lost 22 pounds--with treats factored in! Most of my carbs are complex (whole grain, fruits and veggies, etc) but each day I allow myself one special treat. Sunday it was a piece of pumpkin pie with a dollop of whipped cream. Yesterday--a Peppermint Patty. Today, my reward will be a WW raspberry bar or two. Also, I'm watching my sodium intake VERY CAREFULLY. Don't give up! Give yourself a little slack and move on. If you constantly deprive yourself, you're setting yourself up for failure. And BTW, congrats on seeking help from a personal trainer. It's working for me. You'll find the perfect combination for YOU, too.

teri1956

I can tell you what works for me...

I don't deny myself anything categorically. I had chocolate chip cookies and milk for my snack yesterday - but I only had 2 instead of the 6 that would have been my old "normal". Cutting out anything just gives you something to fixate on, IMO. You have to learn to eat the way you plan to live or you're just setting yourself up for failure. In sports they say, "you play like you practice." Unless you're planning to deny yourself those things forever, you need to learn HOW to eat them in healthy, moderate ways.

In total agreement......... Brewer, you have a fan club!

BrewerGeorge has hit the nail on the head! :-)

blueyeb

If allowing yourself 'one treat' is producing a binge, chances are you're being over-restrictive to start with. Getting healthy is about learning to be kind to yourself, in a positive, healthy way.

Well stated :-)

awilson2010

I didn't read any other replies so I apologize if I'm repeating a lot of what was said, however the problem to me seems like you are trying to eliminate certain things in your "diet" (i use that term loosely cause I hate it lol) completely.

For me, eating habits are very much in my head. I succumb to head hunger WAY too often and that is my downfall. I tried cutting out carbs entirely, cold turkey, 100% and lost a few pounds fast as well, but because of that I gave in much easier. It didn't take much to fall off the wagon & I kept failing & failing.

I don't cut these things out completely, I allow myself to have them in moderation. I eat bread, but its always whole wheat or flax seed. I eat pasta, but its always whole wheat pasta in 1c servings once per week.

I haven't even cut out fast food entirely. If I want Taco Bell, I get Taco Bell as my treat for that week. I get one taco as a snack. However, in the days where I tried to tell myself 10000% no way would I ever eat it ever again, I was eating a full meal within a few days.

I also noticed that when I tried to say that I can only eat 5 times a day - 3 meals, and two snacks, thats it! - I would fail. I pack a grocery bag with indi bags of raw veggies, fruit, cottage cheese & sugar free jello and keep it in the fridge at work, and if I want a snack I go get one.

dolphin9803

I go through this alot as I'm a junk food junkie...lol BUT I have learned what workes for MEand that is I do the 30 min extra and have that snack that I want however I only allow myself to eat what it says and save the rest for another day . And like someone said earlier I stick to a Eat Healthy for 6 days and on the 7th I allow myself to splurge but I also make sure that the work out I did that mornin was longer then normal and make sure I drink all 8 glasses of water. Fridays are my splurge day because thats our pizza and movie night with the kids. Because in the past like you have cut everything out that I shouldn't be eating and then fail more often then not. Personally my way works well for me and I have yet to fail and have doing it since the middle of July granted I might not have lost as much weight as some but I have learned that I can't take everything away or it leads to a serious binge and complete failure.

kheavin0928

I definitely agree with what everyone else has been saying. Don't cut out everything completely, or you're going to want it more. For example, yesterday I decided that I wanted a candy bar. I initially picked up one that had 180 calories per serving (there were roughly two servings), but got the Hershey's Dark Chocolate candy bar instead which was 180 calories total, which was a win in my book! I got my chocolate without too many calories and I didn't feel deprived of feeding into my sweet tooth! Little things like that can make a big difference in your diet. Feel free to friend me if you would like, we all need support once in awhile! You got this!

SoDamnHungry

My best advice would be to not giving anything up. Just go to a calorie limit. And remember that if you mess up, you don't have to give up on the whole day. As soon as you realize what's happening, steer yourself back on track. And eat veggies with each meal so you feel like you're eating more.

Troll

i had the same problem. What worked for me was to quit cold turkey until the cravings totally went away. It worked with caffiene, then salt, then sugar. Dont keep them around. i didnt have cheat days, period, for about 3 months. When it dawned on me that i could be around ice cream, cake, coffee, etc without instantly turning into one of my dogs (if it smells good i HAVE TO EAT IT NOW) i allowed myself some. I bit my lip through birthdays with cookie cake, family meals with gravy, fried potatos, and fudge ice cream, mall visits right past starbucks...for 3 months. I wanted them, i almost got in a fist fight for my fiances gelato, and i dreaded family gatherings. But now i can say that i had a frozen coffee on saturday and it was so sweet i couldnt finish it. And i have a tub of ice cream in the freezer that i have barely touched. Now, a slice of cake isnt the beginning of a week long cake fest. I simply dont want caffiene or salt or sugar anymore. Personally i think you have to earn cheat days. you shouldnt just get them. If i miss workouts or eat poorly all week i did not earn a soda or gelato. Also, i think food rewards for weight loss efforts is bogus anyway.

vold94

I want to thank everybody for their words of advice. I am going to re-evaluate what I do now and take some of your words into action. Thanks so much for your time!

shannon_stallone

Everytime I attempt lo carb I end up wanting to binge...Try brown rice or a couple piece of wheat bread...Just think eating is 80% of the battle(my friend who is a personal trainer told me that)...I agree on having a small cheat day, where you can allow yourself to maybe have something you've been wanting all week...Or if you crave something just have it so you don't binge...I'm a huge dessert person and was completely cutting it out of my diet and it backfired on me...I started buying sugar free reeses cups and skinny cow icecreams for when I want something sweet..You can do it!! Just think of your goal!

jbeauchamp1

My advice from personal experience is don't tell yourself you can't have a certain thing....because you will ALWAYS want it more! The only thing that I have completely cut out is diet pop because it is not good for me and honestly I don't miss it. Nearly every ounce that I drink is water with the ocasional juice or regular pop (extremely rare). I find when you feel too restricted you are tempted to quit so instead I say if I want that I have to one either work out extra hard to make up for it and plan for it in my calories for the day or two I have it on my "cheat" day.

I do my best to be very strict and stay in my calories from Monday to Saturday. I weigh in on Sunday mornings and then that day is my day off of tracking and exercising. I do not go crazy and eat everything in site but that is my day to relax and if I want to eat something that I would not eat during the week or if we plan to go out to dinner. It works for me and maybe it would help you not feel so deprived of something.

Hang in there it gets easier....don't quit!

AniyahsMommy324

I have the same problem! I'll do GREAT for like 4 days and then I'll cave. Then I get really angry and upset with myself. So now when I feel the urge to cave I just keep telling myself it's not worth it because of how far I've come. 99% of the time it works!