I need help!!

AmyNaylor7205

So I have been on this "fitness jouney" since July. I have lost about 20 pounds which is good, but lately I haven't been giving it my all like I did in the beginning. I workout daily, working out isnt the issue. The issue is the food. I am having a really hard time trying to cut my sugar down, and my sodium too. Actually, most days I have a hard time saying no to snacking in general. I eat when I am emotional and Its very hard to control it. I can't just cut out buying all the bad things because my family shouldn't have to suffer. I have already made alterations to my cooking to make it healthy, I shouldn't cut out their treats because I can't control myself. THis scares me because of the holidays coming up. I'm going to have to LITERALLY get my hubby to hide their halloween candy too because I am I cant say no to chocolate.

I would like for yall to give me tips on how to control the urge to snack 24/7 and how to re-motivate myself to get back into the game 100%. I was feeling so good about myself a few weeks ago, but something along the way has changed that for me. Someone PLEASE give me some advice!!!!!

Thanks,
Amy

dls06

You can't cut out buying bad things because it's ok for your family to eat bad things?

Sidesteal

It's possible that you need to examine the individual food choices you are making within your alloted calories. If you are choosing foods with poor satiety it can lead you to cheat/feel hungry/etc.

It is also possible that your deficit is too large, but based on your progress it seems that your deficit is within the realm of normal.

melsinct

First, you will have to dig deep to find your motivation. It seems like with weight loss, if your head isn't in the game you will be doomed to backslide. Remember how much happier you are 20 pounds lighter. Remember how happy you were to go down a pants size. For me, just looking at my pants I wore 20 pounds ago is motivation enough to keep on the right track.

Second. I am a big daytime snacker. If I am sitting at my desk, all I want to do is snack. I try to eat satisfying snacks like almonds, yogurt, hard boiled eggs, or celery and peanut butter. If I am having a "bottomless pit" day where i just can't stop eating, I eat lots of low cal stuff, like cut up vegetables and hummus or dip. If I need something crunchy/salty, I turn to things like Pop Chips where I get a lot of bang for my snacking buck without blowing through calories.

dreambodin2011

hey Amy - I am sure there are many MANY people who can totally relate to what you are saying - and I am one of them. I constantly think about 'how long' can I keep this up????

SNACKING used to be my curse...or my middle name!! lol It is a battle still. I live in hope that I will continue to get used to my new lifestyle...that my urge to snack will continue to slide - that I will be able to keep it to a moderate and balanced level without too much effort.

It has gotten easier, so I know I'm on the right path.
I've found it helps to keep connected to my purpose and reason WHY I want to stay slim (or lose weight). A highly visual image or your goals will keep you reminded WHY YOU DON'T want to polish off that whole block of chocolate and why you DO NOT NEED to eat those delicious sour cream chips.
Let's face it - bad food tastes GOOD but it doesn't make you FEEL GOOD....
Keep positive images/influences highly visual - that's my strongest advice. And decide what you will allow - an indulgence once a week, or whatever it might be - and stick to it - no exceptions! Stay strong - you can do this!

morganadk2_deleted

Are you eating to enough? Are eating back your exercise calories, oh and water , water, water!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficit

Go to the tools section and figure out your BMI:

Generally someone with a BMI over 32 can do a 1000 calorie a day (2 lbs a week) deficit
With a BMI of 30 to 32 a deficit of 750 calories is generally correct (about 1.5 lbs a week)
With a BMI of 28 to 30 a deficit of 500 calories is about right (about 1 lb a week)
With a BMI of 26 to 28 a deficit of about 300 calories is perfect (about 1/2 lb a week)
and below 26... well this is where we get fuzzy. See now you're no longer talking about being overweight, so while it's still ok to have a small deficit, you really should shift your focus more towards muscle building, and reducing fat. This means it is EXTRA important to eat your exercise calories as your body needs to KNOW it's ok to burn fat stores, and the only way it will know is if you keep giving it the calories it needs to not enter the famine response (starvation mode).

This is just a part of it! please read the link above

AmyNaylor7205

You can't cut out buying bad things because it's ok for your family to eat bad things?

My family eats healthy, but I do allow my kids to have an occasional treat such as a cookie or chips.

ameyc2002

supply the house with lots fresh fruit and veggies, i like to snack myself helps having good things around to chose from... just got to step back from the chocolates, that advice is for me as well. i am a lil worried about halloween myself but we can do it. i feel awesome now i can go out and play with my kids.

goodluck
add me we can support eachother

LadyDaenerys

I've fallen into your situation MANY times and I have to say that keeping healither choices around is what helped me. People at work aren't on a diet and I've been offered donuts, pizza, and even skittles yesterday! I've done somthing I never knew I could and that was SAY NO! I couldn't believe that I was able to turn the other way to PIZZA!! I used to write on my hand "DONT EAT" as a reminder not to snack on bad food. I also would do things like wear a braclet that I bought to remind me of that promise to myself too. I keep a picture of a cleberity I wanna look like taped to my dash to help my motovation and willpower.I cant believe I can say no to PANCAKES! I heart pancakes but as the popular saying goes "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels"

Now im having an issus of being stuck at 168-170 and cant break through! any ideas?

cramernh

Youve admitted that you are an emotional eater and turn to the wrong foods to console yourself with... For you to recognize the triggers is only half the battle.

You have to learn how to combat that.

My next comment - PLEASE dont take it the wrong way..... but... is there a reason why your family cant be supportive and reduce the amount of temptation foods in the house? You sound to me as you cant control your urges for the wrong foods so why torture yourself having it around? If you cant control yourself, then they really need to step up THEIR game and not have it there so easily accessible... 'out of sight out of mind'...

I find having plenty of jugs of water really helps me to keep in balance... I drink so much of it, now its like second-nature... Last night after eating my last meal, I put two glasses of ice cold water in front of me. My husband sat next to me and ate a whole bowl of popcorn with melted butter... I wanted none of it. He then got up and made himself an ice-cream sundae... and I wanted none of it... why? I know that eating it will get me nowhere but off my MFP charts... I had preplanned ahead the meals/foods I was going to eat for the day and kept in mind the last three weeks of using MFP/my doctor's guidelines, that I want to keep losing weight.. I LOVE the excitement of seeing a loss of weight...


Instead of dreading the upcoming holidays, learn to focus on the positive - you CAN pre-plan ahead of time what you will do, what you will make, how you will control it, what measures to take when the 'urge' happens.. You can control emotional eating - you have to WANT to control it... you might be having a stressful time in your life where it might not be feasible to be 100%, but with a little refocusing and structure, you can make it happen.

Honestly, I work as a chef for a living.. there is NO TIME to eat anything... I cant taste-test half the foods they make because of food allergies/sensitivities and thats fine by me! I dont need the extra calories! Hell, even the executive chef noticed I was 'melting like budduh' - and THAT is a compliment!! LOL! I can at least share with people the popularity of the dish Im making, even though I cant eat most of what I prepare... (I make a MEAN old school alfredo!!!)

Everything is possible. The problem is 10%, the other 90% is you dealing with that problem. Dont let the 10% be the demise of your efforts to lose weight.... get the family to support your efforts... even if it means them cutting back on THEIR bad eating habits...

lostsoul2216

its simple really. also teaches the kids proper nutrition.

Substitute things like chocolate, pizza and all the fattening foods for snacks with bananas, apples, oranges, dole fruit cups, things of that nature.

There are good calories and bad calories. Foods like the snacks I mentioned have low calories, high vitamin content, and are much healthier than things like potato chips.

You also have to teach the kids not to go for things like eating mcdonalds all the time. Teach them healthy foods and you yourself will see healthy foods and it is a win win situation

brynakrauth

Snacking is a habit. You have created an environment that feeds your habit. Change your environment. Get out of the kitchen and keep a diary to find out what you are feeling inside when you want to go for a snack. It's probably NOT that you are hungry. You are feeding something else inside of you. Figure out what that is (lonely, sad, insecure, bored, tired, etc.) and then you can decide how to deal with the emotions and leave the snacking behind.

I also agree, you need to teach your children about healthy eating so they don't grow up with the same problems you have. This is a country of snackers. We don't need to snack all the freaking time. It's ridiculous. According to my kids' teachers, I have to send 3 snacks to school with them every day and I wonder, what the hell are we teaching our kids??? I tell them "hey, how about you eat breakfast, lunch and dinner and if your belly is really telling you you're hungry in between, eat an apple." Crying out loud it makes me insane. We are teaching our kids to use food all day long. It's not necessary and I guarantee you, half of the time they eat simply out of boredom or because some teacher says "Hey everyone, it's snack time!" UGH!!!!! OR, they eat the snack and skip the good food at lunch time (I see kids do this all the time because they aren't that hungry because they ate some crappy snack right before lunch).

Sorry, I'll get off my soap box. But my gawd, we have to lead the way for these kids so they don't grow up with type 2 diabetes and problems with obesity. GET OFF THE CRACK........I mean SNACK

vim_n_vigor

How 'bad' are the snacks that your family has? We do allow a certain amount of the 'bad' stuff in our house to help teach our kids to make better choices, but it is no where near enough that I could binge on it even if I ate it all. The point is to teach them better eating habits too. My kids can choose a pop-tart or chocolate for a snack sometimes, and they know it isn't the best choice. If they have the high sugar stuff for one snack, then their other snack is extra healthy - fruit, veg, cheese/crackers, etc. If they learn moderation now, then hopefully they won't ever look and feel like I do now.

That being said, what you put in your mouth is your choice. You choose to snack, binge on these foods. You have to accept that to be able to control it. You can give yourself a small amount of calories a day for your 'bad' foods, or you can save up for a bigger treat once a week, once a month, etc. Or you can cut them out completely until you feel like you can control your actions better. Either way, it is a conscious choice you have to make.

nukebhs83

i know what you mean about not having the will power to say no to sweets. when my daughter was little and i was on another one of my "diets" i wouldnt deprive her of sweets but i would buy things that i really didnt like--you know like circus peanuts--then wouldnt eat them (at least not all at once) never developed a taste for them but after a while ate them anyway. i realized that wouldnt work so just quit trying AGAIN. also, on another "diet" once i thought i would just fix her plate and then eat only what she left on the plate--realized she didnt leave much so the next day i would add more to it so she couldnt finish everything. (yes, i know---strange) now i have finally realized that i am the only one that can do this. you have to decide that you want this. when you decide that you can do anything--even with temptation in the house or office--you will achieve your goal. i know because back in march i went 5 weeks without so much as a bite of anything sweet and that was with 5 birthdays (including my own) in the office and my family for april. however---i have not maintained that level of dedication---i am trying to do that now---i have a family reunion at the end of the month. good luck and if you need words of encouragement or a pat on the back or a good swift kick in the rear---friend me and i will be here for you.

sloanie1

You are NOT alone! There are a lot like us...I am a food addict with an all or nothing mentality...when I get into the wrong mindset NOTHING can snap me out of it! Like someone else said, you have to dig really deep, you have to make the commitment, write down your goals and own them..my psych told me relapsing is part of the journey...it's not failure, it's called learning...YOU can do this, you have already proved that, you just need to WANT it and then the rest will follow xxxx

AloyMomNwife

You can't cut out buying bad things because it's ok for your family to eat bad things?

The only way not to be tempted is to NOT BUY YUMMY FOOD!! If it's not good for you its not good for your family. I know how you feel, I can't have chips or cookies around for my kids because I will definitely eat them without portion control. So I just don't buy them anymore. If I want to treat them to some sweets I take them out for ice cream or something. It's a one time thing so it won't be staring at me every time I open the freezer.
Kids get used to the healthy snacks. And also, it's important to teach them now how to lead a healthy lifestyle so they don't have to become MFP members in the future. Have the snack on cheese and wheat crackers. It's healthy, kids tend to like it and it's not very appealing to us moms as a binging snack. You're not making them suffer (maybe your husband), you're watching after their health (sounds prettier and more optimistic than making them suffer with you).
Good luck and find that motivation... 20 lbs since summer is amazing!! Keep up the good work so you can treat yourself to some goodies during the winter holidays!

lizpfennig

You can't cut out buying bad things because it's ok for your family to eat bad things?

I have to question this too??? No one said to not buy snacks for your family, but why aren't they eating fruits and veggies and low fat snack, etc. You lead by example and if you continue to buy crap for your family you will keep the cycle going and your kids will be facing the same problems in 20-30 years that you're facing now. You need to create good eating habits for your whole family.

Now that that's out of the way…
1. CONGRATS on 20lbs!!! Celebrate your amazing accomplishment.
2. Buy only healthy snacks. Read your labels and compare products. For instance… look at how many raisins you can eat for 60 calories vs. how many grapes. You'll find that the grapes will fill you up way more than the tiny box of raisins.
3. Eat high protein/low carb snacks. They will fill you up longer. My personal favorite is jerky of every variety. It's a great snack. Another good snack is protein bars (but please make sure you read the labels). I tend to cut mine in half and only have a half for snack, and if I need the other half later it's available.
4. Snacking is good as long as it's regimented, it keeps you from getting ravenous so you won't eat quite as much at mealtime.
5. Try to "pack your meals and snacks" each day. Even if you are home all day, take time in the morning to pack or make your lunch and set aside your allotted snacks for the day and only eat from your "lunch box". It may control your eating and help you ration out your food.

Good luck!

LadyDaenerys

Agreed! HIGH PROTIEN!!!! I never felt as full as I do when I eat snack higher in protien! I eat pepperoni and cheese.. I know high in fat but with Atkins its no matter anyways

AmyNaylor7205

OK EVERYONE,

Just to let everyone know, my children who are 6 and 2, eat a healthy diet FULL of fruits and veggies and lean meats. They snack on fruit and raw veggies w/ dip just as I do. They are very active children and they are healthy.I do buy cookies and things for them to have on occasion. I understand where some of you are coming from saying I shouldn't have it in the house, but the problem is with me and I'm not going to take their occasional goodies away because I have a problem. And its not like I sit there and let them eat junk food all day. I don't want people to tell me what I should and should not do with my kids, but to give me advice about how I can curb the snacking. ; )

Oh and guess what, I do take my kids to Mcdonalds every once in a while!!! Call me a ba parent if u like ; )

Sorry but some of yall just come off a little judgemental..But I guess I asked for it since I wrote the post huh

AmyNaylor7205

and to those who are actually giving advice that is actually for me, thanks!!

lostsoul2216

wow we try to offer advice and think we are being judgemental... this makes me wonder why people bother offering advice if people take it the wrong way.

it's your life, your diet. you want to screw it up then by all means it is your choice. You asked the question for advice. perhaps that needs help on diet too.

cramernh

wow we try to offer advice and think we are being judgemental... this makes me wonder why people bother offering advice if people take it the wrong way.

it's your life, your diet. you want to screw it up then by all means it is your choice. You asked the question for advice. perhaps that needs help on diet too.

WOW.... I agree!

No one was mean, rude, cruel or hurtful at all!!! Clearly admitting that there is junk food in the house to begin with was the universal flag for all of us to say "get rid of it so it doesnt tempt you anymore" - if you dont trust yourself with it in the house, dont bring it home...

No one passed judgement on you in fact, this was the most sincere, and genuine thread - I believe everyone took into consideration of everything you posted... and to be honest - we are all right with our comments....

If you want to justify having the junk food in the house for the kids for that once in a great-while, that is your perogative... but clearly you cant even trust yourself with it in the house - again, another thing you have admitted. So - everyone's shared the same solution - get rid of the junk food. You dont need it, the kids dont need it... its part of the problem and making your solution worse...

Im sorry but its not often I say this, but everyone was AWESOME on this thread......