Hi Everyone - I need immediate suggestions ....pls

Firsttaina

Hi my name is Tonie. I am the mother of the young man behind me in my picture. I am really wishing to loose weight. I have managed to get myself back into the GYM and I think am doing a good job during my workouts. BUT!, I have very bad sugar cravings and me eating is certainly not under control. I know that certainly I am an emotional eater, so when thing go array I eat. I also know though that there are ways to curb that, but I am wondering what to focus on. I have in the past done an absolutely no sugar /no carb intake for at least two weeks to clean my system out, and that's how I have gained control. I just wondered what others knew or thought about my problem.

PS: Although I have been going to the Gym (30 min. Cardio/30 min Resistance4/5days) for about a month now I have not seen any weight loss. I am certain its becasue of my over eating - I believe this site will help immensely, but I need to control my sugar fits. Someone Help

Tonie

Firsttaina

Hi my name is Tonie. I am the mother of the young man behind me in my picture. I am really wishing to loose weight. I have managed to get myself back into the GYM and I think am doing a good job during my workouts. BUT!, I have very bad sugar cravings and me eating is certainly not under control. I know that certainly I am an emotional eater, so when thing go array I eat. I also know though that there are ways to curb that, but I am wondering what to focus on. I have in the past done an absolutely no sugar /no carb intake for at least two weeks to clean my system out, and that's how I have gained control. I just wondered what others knew or thought about my problem.

PS: Although I have been going to the Gym (30 min. Cardio/30 min Resistance4/5days) for about a month now I have not seen any weight loss. I am certain its becasue of my over eating - I believe this site will help immensely, but I need to control my sugar fits. Someone Help

Tonie

yoginimary

Baby steps. If you completely give up sugar - how long can you reasonably do this? Sure it helps to give it up for a few weeks - to get out of the habit of eating sweets everyday, but will you make it though the next birthday party? I find, having the same issues, that I do better if I plan my sweets - usually once a week, sometimes every two weeks. Planning my meals also helps. Apples cooked in the microwave with a little cinnamon helps too.
I try to only do things I can continue for the long term. I'm not going to give up chocolate, but I can give up having it everyday (or twice a day :blushing: ). This is the way I have stopped eating: fried foods, white flour, white pasta, etc - but never absolutely.

Good luck.

REB89

if i have a sweet craving i have one or two squares of 70% dark cocoa chocolate, it's way too rich to eat much more than that, it's relitatively healthy as choclate goes and it gives me my fix!

diannholland1965

Let me answer your question with a question or two.
1.) these cravings are they all the time?
2.) are they really bad at a certain time of the day?
3.) what where you doing Before and during the cravings?
The reason I ask is because:
1A) if they are all of the time then it is a habit craving and there are different ways to curb them. Like taking less and less sugar over a period of time. and at the same time replaceing it with a healthy habit. IE: Fruit instead.
AND, If they are only at a certain time of the month that they are normal, a women’s body wants extra carbs to aid in the loss of energy it takes for your body to flush itself once a month.
2A) If you notice them at the same time everyday, then it means that at that time your body thinks it needs a carb boost. so it thinks that fastest energy carb IE sugar. For this a glass of water and a piece of fresh fruit works very well for me.
3.) Like above if it is the afternoon and you are getting the afternoon sleepies, it is because you are carb crashing. However sometimes you can have memories of being given candy as a child for doing a certain activity. Like when you wash the dishes your Mom may have given you a candy bar. Or after you eat everything on your plate you always got desert.
Most all of these I found are satisfies with a piece of fresh fruit and a glass of water. :drinker:
Do not beat yourself up, this takes time to get over, But I promise that it will happen!
--Diann...

Jodywin

You may also want to change you workout a bit. if you do the same workout over and over for long periods of time your body gets used to it and you wont see any change. So try to increase your cardio by 15 minutes. They say you dont start to burn fat until after 30 minutes. I also have the sweet cravings all the time... I try to eat an apple which fills me up as well. I eat one every day before I head home from work, it helps so when I get home Im not starving and I dont snack on junk food. Grapes are also a great treat that is healthy. Good luck and stay strong!

Chrissy78

:flowerforyou: Hi Tonie, I'm new here, and still experimenting. I have those sugar cravings too, so you're not alone. I have cut out all of my sugary drinks, and that has helped me a lot, and when I have those cravings I have been having some dried fruit. I like the welchs berry medley, and when that just doesn't work, I head for the reeses pieces, but I only have 10-15, just enough to get me through.

juliara

I know a little cause i was studying to be a personal trainer, never finished. But i hope i can help a little. From what i've learned, eating is the number one thing. Slowly switch everything to whole grain, sugar free, low fat, etc.... Don't start right away at 1200 calories, it doesn't always work, everyone's different. Start around 1600 per day for 1 week and go from there. If you eat healthy it's enough food. Start by eating every 3 hours alittle something half apple, half sandwich etc....to keep your metabelisum going. Cardio bring it up to 45 min at least 3 to 5 times a week. Bring ur heart rate to target. Measure ur foods and keep track of everything u eat and make sure u keep track of ur water intake also. And remember not always can you see results right away because you are building muscle. So it can take about 3 or 4 weeks to see something. Have a God Healthy Day :happy:

Firsttaina

Thanks....I know your right. And I will try and do those things that I know I can do long term. I have known this before. As you must know that this is not my first time dieting and attempting to be health and fitness conscious. In the past I have reached my goals, but it didn't feel as difficult. I am just trying to go workout by workout and trusting that after each I will feel better and aI always do. Just need to get a hold on the dieting aspect. I know its yet another level of feeling better.

Thanks again Tonie

Firsttaina

Hi Diann, Thanks for responding...I will certainly be trying your technique of a glass of water with a jpiece of fruit. When I am in control that seems to work for me. I am just feeling a bit like I am not in control...that my cravings are somehow controlling me and therefore sabotaging my fitness goals, since even if working out well, my diet is bad.

To answer your questions....I want to say Yes all of the above. I definitely notice it more out of control when my period is coming on, which it recently has and boy if I tell you all the pure junk that I ate..You'd throw up for me. I also notice that whenever I go through a moment of upset...i run for food, in particular junk food/ sugar. Also I suffer from a sever case of carb crashing as you called it. Once I have anything sweet its like taking a sleeping pill. I have although gone to the doctor and had everything check out and they don't come up with anything like diabetes, though they say I should be aware that I can cause that illness.
And so when I am not PMS, I do feel a hunger for sweets late evening and almost always after every meal I want something a little sweet. So yes I know I am a CARB MESS!

I will although be applying your recommendation. Thank you, Tonie

Firsttaina

Thank you. I will try those tips. Especially the altering my cardio. I was just doing 20 to 30 min, but I was trying to be kind with myself, just for getting to the gym...i didn't want to scare myself by going over board. but I guess I am on my second month, so I could step it up a notch.

PS: Just wanted to also mentioned your baby and you are beautiful together. God Bless you and your family. Tonie

lockedcj7

I use hard candy to help get over the sugar cravings. They're around 25 Calories each and the cinnamon flavor seems to have some appetite suppressant qualities. It's got to be better than a bowl of ice cream or half a bag of Oreos.

As for the over-eating, the research is pretty clear. When a person thinks they are doing everything right and still can't lose weight, they are almost certainly underestimating the calories they are consuming.

When I need to get a handle on things, I restrict myself to packaged foods, fruits and vegetables. That way, I can keep up with the calories easier and get my weight loss back on track.

Firsttaina

Wow...thanks although your echoing what others have shared, you also reminded me of things I've been told in the past when I was on other Weight loss programs. I will certainly be bringing my cardio up to 45 min. I've done 20/30 min for the last month. And I will begin to log my foods and concentrate on achieving it all gradually as you suggest.

Thank you, though....you should really think about going back and completing your personal trainer certification...you think it all out well and explain it in a very convincing and logical way.

Have a blessed day ~ Tonie

catlover

Hi Tonie,

I agree with others that if you think you are overeating, you are probably eating more than you think. I put measuring cups and spoons and a small scale along with a note pad and paper on the counter where I prepare food and for one week I weighed and measured EVERYTHING that was not premeasured for me. Then I went to the settings area on the site and redid my meal set up--which you can do. I put breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, evening snack as my meals and recorded everything I ate and when I ate it. Do that for one week, ignoring all the limits and flags that appear on the screen. That will give you an accurate count of calories you take in. Make sure you log your exercise calories. I've done the "no carbs for two weeks" on South Beach and it does seem to be effective. However, once I eat it again, I tend to overeat. This time, I just included healthy carbs and skipped the "carb fasting."

Firsttaina

Hey thank you very much for your input...it was/is valuable. Can you tell me how you went about changing your settings to include the meals and snacks as you wanted to. I am going to be trying what you've suggested regarding keeping the tools on the kitchen counter where I do meal preparations. I do have a scale and all. I will be as regimented as possible for as long as I can be and I know that the logging in aspect of this site will definitely be useful to see my progress.

Thanks again....Tonie