My motivation leaves me over and over again.

myself05

Hello everyone,
I just don't know what to do, maybe one of you guys has some advice for me.
I really do have problems motivating myself. First there are days, when I'm very good. I eat healthy, not too much and I exercise as much as possible and I barely crave any sweets.
But then my motivation slowly disappears. The next time I buy my groceries I take sweets with me and other unhealthy stuff. The worst thing is: I eat almost all of it within one day, once it is in my flat. I really really binge. Badly. Until my stomach aches and I'd like to purge (but I'm too afraid to actually do it and I also understand, that this is no real solution). I just keep eating for days. And then there's a turning point, coming out of nowhere. In a rage attack I throw all my unhealthy food away and start eating normal again. And exercise.
It's a vicious circle. I can't keep my motivation. And I'm soo sick of it! I don't want to be like this. I hate binging, but I just can't stop it, although my brain is like "see, you're doing it again. You've realised it. So just stop." It doesn't work.
I'm tired of it. Does anyone make similar experiences or even have a tip how to escape this vicious circle?

sullyboo

I'd say you maybe need to speak to someone professional as binging to the extent you want to be sick is not a good sign and I'd suggest you probably need help. Good for you in speaking up about this but I really think you need proper help and advice.

lutzsher

You have already completed step 1 . . . you are aware this is a problem for you and are sick of it . . .

I have had issues with this as well so when I feel myself leaning toward my old habits I revert back to the "one day at a time" philosophy.

I have a sign hanging on my fridge and my closet door in my bedroom (so is the first thing I see every morning) that says:

I CREATE MYSELF WITH THE CHOICES I MAKE EACH DAY (thank Bob Greene for that)

Every morning wake up and promise yourself that you will stay dedicated to your health that day by eating healthy, within proper portions, and getting in some exercise, even if it is just a light walk. If you need to chop this up into 2 1/2 days even.

I figured that even I could stay motivated for one day! Before you know it you have completed a week, and so on.

Don't look at the big picture as it is just too overwhelming. Just focus on one day at a time.

autumnridge

#1 DO NOT PURGE! It is extremely damaging to your internal organs and the digestive bile from the stomach eventually rots your teeth! Yuck! I agree that it is difficult to stay motivated, particularly over the Holidays when everyone around you seems to be over indulging in food and drink. If you can just get past all the "crap" in the store and bring home only the healthy stuff, it would be helpful. When you are on the verge of eating something you should not, can you tell yourself I'm going to do this little chore, or do some exercise, etc. and if you are still really in need of eating something then you will have it. Many times, the urge passes when your mind goes to something else. Call someone you haven't seen in sometime. Think of some charitable thing you might do for an elderly neighbor. Sit down and write out a list of why you should or should not not be making the behavioral changes you need to make your body healthy. Think of ways you can change your recipes so that they're lower in fat and sugar. Keep your mind active and your body in motion. Good luck!

Fat4Fuel2

The binge is your body's way of saying it needs more fuel. Try upping your calories by about 200 or eat your exercise calories. Eating more might keep you feeling full to a point that you don't feel a need to binge. Also, moderation. If you want a sweet or what ever, have a small peice and work it into your calories. This way, you won't feel deprived calorie wise or favorite food wise. You might not lose weight as fast, but you'll be able to stick to it better and not feel guilty if you do have a cookie or an individual size bag of chips. Just plan it into your calories.

myself05

Thanks for your replys.
Professional help is rather out of the question, as I've never told anybody about this problem. I know my parents will be incredibly worried and I don't want them to be. And I don't want to stress my friends either. Actually I'm a strong personality. So I always tell to myself, I will make it on my own. Without help.
But the idea of motivating myself day for day is a good one. I think I'm really overstrained, because I look at myself and know that it will be a long journey to change the way I look like.

And sshepro: That's the problem about it: I almost never feel hungry when I binge. I don't need more fuel; it mostly happens at days when I really ate enough. It's just a craving for food. Although I don't want to. But I have to. That's weird.

novaboi24

Have you tried cheat meals? Cheat meals are meals that you can have 2 to 4 times a week to keep you going on your healthy routine. For example, I would have 1 cheat meal of unhealthy foods; chicken and chips (similar to KFC). However, I know that I will be definitely burning this off by working extra harder. You can start off with as many cheat meals you want but reduce it overtime and be reasonable. The reason for this is to STOP yourself from stuffing your face with 5 times worth of cheat meals in one go. Good luck and HAVE FUN

seventwenty

One thing I do when feeling underwhelmed is say to myself, "Power through it until you want to stop." About 1/4 way into my routine I think, "Screw it, I made it this far. Balls to the wall!" Then I reward myself w/ something like raspberry sherbet.

EDIT: As for the junk food, one person a while back told me the best way to shop in a grocery store is to never go down the asiles. Here's why: What's on the grocery store perimeter? Fresh fruit, fresh veggies, fresh meat, dairy, grains. And those products don't have sweeteners, preservatives, etc. What's down the asiles? Packed food w/ sugars, sodium, artificial flavors etc. Now, some asiles you need to go down; I need the cereal asile (for oatmeal) and the spice asile (for obvious reasons). I also like flavored seltzer water. But other than that, I avoid the asiles. Why? I'll eat what's down there.

As for more professional help, well that might be nice, but take a notepad and write out everything that's bumming you out and everything that's making you happy. Get deep into it. Try to find "why" in everything you write. The more effort you do, the better. It may be emotionally painful to see some of the stuff you write, but at least it's in front of you. Later on, go back and try to write solutions to the things that bum you out, and try to stick to as many solutions as possible. Do a daily tally, and don't think about the things you didn't do. "I wish I could have done more," (well don't we all?) is not as good as "Well I did as much as I could, and it was a lot." It's not the best advice, but it's something to get you started. If you can see results in other areas of your life, it will be easier to motivate yourself to be healthier. Remember, it's not an overnight goal; it's a process.

allaboutaleah

you may need to talk to a eating disorder specialist (not saying you have one), but you are showing some signs, I use to work at an eating disorder facility. This may not be something you can tackle alone. don't be afraid to ask for help. & definetly DO NOT PURGE