very discouraged

laceycrab1993

Hello everyone, I am new to the forum. I have been doing Mfp on my phone for about 2 weeks. I had lost about 2 lbs then had a major setback eating badly for the last 6 days.. just need some motivation .. what do you all do to satisfy your cravings thanks in advance

Reedern

I had to do a lot of research to find foods that were similar to what I was craving but healthier... then I try to make sure I burn enough calories to cover what I can't go without. Each week gets easier I hope!~

sexycheesemonkey

Well it depends on the craving...for sweets try fruit (strawberries are my favorite) if you want something really sweet add some sweetener (1pkt) to the fruit s craving like hunger...I usually try to eat a piece of lean meat or some veggies, a hardboiled egg is good too.

Lady_Chilli

For me, I had to 'get in the zone', to complete what I set out to accomplish. So I threw out all the unhealthy food so I couldnt be tempted to eat crap, I bought some fitness DVD's which I vowed to do as often as I could and signed up for MFP.
I log everything I eat and all the exercise that I do and look back to reflect every now and again.

To curb the hunger cravings I bought a pack of Rhubarb and custard boiled sweets and put them in the cupboard. When the craving for food got too bad I'd go get a glass of water then have a sweet. Hardly any calories but it just seemed to curb the craving.

You have to change the way you look at food. Is this good for me? Could I eat somethnig healthier? If I eat this doughnut its adding to my problem, its leading to me feeling unhappy etc etc.

You really got to want it bad to truely suceed, but the first couple of days are the worst.

laceycrab1993

I guess I just need some variety I get tired.of the same things.. how often do yall work out?

soccermom004

First stop beating yourself up, that is the first step to failure. you will have bad days, weeks, months, whatever, if it happens move on. This is not a one day, week, month, year thing. This is a life style change-forever. If you have a bad day you can't just say I screwed up, they is no point now! You need to say, I made some bad choices, now for some good ones. I started this a year ago and have now lost 40 pounds, which is 10 pounds more than my goal. I made small changes daily and slowly made exercise a almost daily part of my life. I could barely walk a mile and now I can run 4! I eat probably 90% healthy. If I am going to indulge I plan for it with extra exercise and better eating the rest of the day. I eat pizza and stuff but it is on occasion and I plan it. You can do this but treat yourself with love and grace! Look at other peoples food diaries, often you can get good ideas from them.

grapenutSF

out with temptations and in with the good, which includes delicious, healthy food and lots of inspiration.

Inspiration here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7X38PCf7kao

and

here
http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

laceycrab1993

Thank you soccermom! I will definitely look at other food diaries!

choirgirl1130

might be helpful to identify what caused your setback into eating badly....forming new habits can be challenging, but my experience in the fitness/nutrition/healthcare has shown me there is a strong emotional connection to food....sometimes it's a certain place or activity centered around food, relationships, negative feelings, our hormones LOL! i know i am prone to emotional eating when i am bored or feeling lonely. the great news is we are always capable of change, starting RIGHT NOW! even if you have been eating badly today, you can change that by making healthy choices at your next meal. one day at a time :0)
BEST WISHES TO YOU ON YOUR JOURNEY!
YOU CAN DO IT!!!

Kap10

Like Lady Chilli I have had to get into a zone and focus on the objective. Rather than changing my lifestyle I have changed portion size,helped by things like eating with a tea spoon rather than shovel .. sorry spoon or fork. I have cut out my nemesis Cheese. Otherwise nothing is really different and I am not down to eating things that do not satisfy me.

The fact I can follow what I eat on MFP means I can avoid over eating. Also get encouraged by other MFP'ers

Keep going don't be discouraged, friend every body that helps you in this thread


BTW My name is Kap and I am a cheeseaholic!

OceansForever

I had to change what I eat completely. Once I started eating healthy, it cut down my cravings. I eat very balanced and make sure I plan my day ahead, even log MFP ahead of time to see where I am at with the calories. I usually have some fruits to snack on in the afternoons since most of my cravings used to be after lunch or dinner.

If I still feel like eating anything after dinner, I just drink some tea instead. I used to drink a glass of wine at night and that was the hardest to give up but once I started logging the drinks as well, it was easy to drop (too much empty calories). Only when I exercised a lot during the day and hat a bunch of calories left over, I would have some. Now I am not even doing that anymore as I rather make sure I get enough protein if I still have some calories left over.

Sorry, went on a tangent here for a little bit but that's my experience.

Healthy balance food for me means: legumes, grain, fruit and veggies. When I cover them all through out the day, I get enough calories, protein, sugars and plenty of fiber and that has helped me with my cravings.

Good luck!

Queenb62303

Is very important to eat a vairety of foods so you dont get bored or binge! have you looked at the SKINNYTASTE.COM website? it has lots of healthy recipes that are delicious! also you s hould do workouts that you can enjoy ...Do a variety of those 3 times a week for 30 minutes so you dont plateau- walking, running, dancing in your underwear when no one is looking- i know im no the only one that does this!! Stay positive, it takes time and effort!! You didnt gain all your weight over night, so youre not going to lose it over night. Something that I have also found that helps is to log my food in for the day so I know how many calories I will take in, and how much exercise I need to do! Hope this helps!..and drink lots of water!!

Marybet1

Please, everyone, remember that our bodies are 1/3 of the whole. Our mind and spirits are just as important to our overall health.
I'm in recovery from bulimia and emotional eating. What has been a lifesaver for me is a 12-step program.... Eating Disorders Anonymous focuses on the reality that we are not in control BUT there is a Higher Power than me (I call it Great Wisdom) that I pray to every morning and every night.
What I've realized over the past week is that I crave salty/sweet when I am scared/anxious. That ah-ha has been really helpful for me...journaling about my feelings instead of grabbing for my short-term comfort food keeps me from beating myself up and sabotaging my recovery. So does calling a friend in recovery who understands that the unhealthy behavior is just part of recovery.

I do not subscribe to any religion and being in EDA doesn't require that you do.
Check it out if you like. http://www.eatingdisordersanonymous.org

Best to you all!

laceycrab1993

Thank you so much everyone! I never realized how motivating a forum can be. I'm definitely excited to start over tomorrow and do things the right way!

jamiem1102

What usually helps me is Frozen Yogurt (These bars are awesome: http://www.teamyasso.com/). Sometimes I'll do fresh berries with non-fat cool whip (it's like 20 cals)... and that really helps. Sometimes you just have to find good alternatives that get the job done.

For me, salty cravings are a littler more difficult to satisfy... so usually I'll just opt to eat what i want in tiny portions. ...which isn't completely satisfying, but it gets the job done.

MaximalLife

My cravings are strong, and I need to actually see a vision of me fat to feel the pain - really feel the pain to overcome my desire for bad foods.
To see this through, look deep inside and answer for yourself:
Why do I want to be fit?
And attach great pleasure to that as you set this goal.

And then answer for yourself this:
Why don't I want to be fat?
Attach great pain to all the reasons you do not want to be fat.

Few people can actually do this which is why most people fail.
This is the key to internal motivation.

This is how I keep my resolve most of the time.

bella_babe_86

Anything crunchy is good, IDK what it is or if it has any real value but for me things that crunch really help, I guess because its like a chip. Carrots, nuts, granola, and fruits like apples. These keep me going and if I really want to cheat I try to count every single chip or whatever it is im snacking on and workout a little extra!

Kissybiz

Hello everyone, I am new to the forum. I have been doing Mfp on my phone for about 2 weeks. I had lost about 2 lbs then had a major setback eating badly for the last 6 days.. just need some motivation .. what do you all do to satisfy your cravings thanks in advance

Welcome. I suggest getting a good network of motivated friends on here to help support and inspire you. As far as the cravings, I can only say, if it's a trigger food (mine is chips, salt, chocolate) that once you start you can't stop.. STOP. I don't keep it in the house.. I can't. It's a mental/emotional thing for most of us, but if you can get over the hump of temptation, you'll feel good about making good decisions one meal at a time.

To satisfy my cravings, I usually have almonds, yogurt or something healthy if it's within my daily calories. Boring I know.

christinajohnson

I think it's just about getting back on the wagon and being dedicated to your goals. When I start to slide off track I try to ask myself, is this bowl of ice cream or this extra slice of pizza more important than a healthy lifestyle, how will I actually feel about this in an hour?

I try to find healthier compromises and to make my own versus buying pre-packaged meals:
1. I like hearty, creamy soups: so instead of 2 cups of milk, I will use 1 cup of low-fat or skim milk, 1 cup of water with a bouillon cube with some corn starch.
2. Low sodium bacon versus thick cut bacon.
3. Olive Oil Smart Balance instead of real butter.
4. Making my own salad dressings instead of buying them.
5. Steam versus frying, frying with broth instead of oil or butter.
6. Chocolate Ovaltine or Chocolate Almond Milk instead of Chocolate Milk.
7. Making quiche with plain greek yogurt and fewer eggs.
8. Eat light yogurt, instead of full fat fruit on the bottom.
9. Half the serving size of Pringles or chips.
10. Small single servings of ice creams that I enjoy.
11. 12 small bagels versus the larger bagel 6 packs.


The issue with me is proportion control and how to eat out without eating and drinking my weight in food, but I'm getting better at it. I've had to learn how to forgive myself and go one day at a time.

Susancarole

This may not help you, but I keep snacks very handy in very small doses. Substitutions don't do it for me, so I keep the actual stuff I tend to crave, but not enough to binge. I keep one salty or bread item and one sweet item handy. I freeze or put the large quantities where it becomes a hassle to get them, or where by the time I get them, the urge has passed. I know it's painful sometimes to buyt the teeniest quanity of something knowing you save money by buying in bulk, but the best way to keep stuff out of reach is to leave it at the grocery store!

Knowing these snacks are there for whenever I want honestly makes me "save" them and I don't seem to need them. When they aren't there, I crave them badly! Here are some of those items: hershey's kisses - only 2 at 24 calories each, the 1oz bag of potato chips, a few skinny hard breadsticks, the 60-calorie sugar-free Jello pudding, any of the 100-cal snack packs would work. The trick for me is to fool my mind into thinking I'm not deprived. Then if I do need to indulge, the amounts make it impossible to binge.

Last, I thought would be fine with the fat-free or sugar-free coffee creamers. No. When I did those, my mindset was that I was being "good" so I still craved something "bad". I indulge with the regular creamer and it alone helps me not crave the chocolate or chips later in the day.

Best of luck to you!

stormieweather

Give yourself some motivational aids. A fat photo of yourself on the fridge. Hang a pair of pants or a dress you want to fit into beside your mirror. Inspirational sayings taped to your computer, your closet door, your car dash. Remind yourself constantly of what you want to achieve and that you are strong enough to do so...if you want it badly enough.