any advice?

katysmith77

after a weekend off the wagon (again), eating until i'm so full that I physically can't eat another thing... I'm determined that from tomorrow morning i will be back to eating healthily and exercising, but feel like I've been here so SO many times before!

the most i've lost at a time is a few pounds, then i just put it back on and give up. I just can't find the motivation for more than a few days? its like as soon as i tell myself i'm being healthy is when i automatically rebel and reach for the crisps/cakes and just binge on it! I feel so depressed when i'm not just eating the things i want, and i get so tired and can't motivate myself to exercise.

it doesn't help that my closest friend and boyfriend are really slim and eat rubbish all the time - the thing is, they know when to stop and I don't! so if i join them, they stop after a normal portion size, but i just go mad, it's like i'm possessed!

I so desperately need this to be the turning point as my weight is slipping up by a pound or so every month it seems and i just feel so revolting in my clothes that are now not fitting me, i need it to go the other way... just wanted to know if anyone else has been in the same position, and what they did?!

Koshkaxo

My advice would be, in the beginning dont cut all "bad foods" completely out. Just reduce your intake or limit yourself to one unhealthy option a day. Healthy eating is a lifestyle change and a big one at that, gradual change you can manage is.much better than all or nothing. My bf is a healthy weight but has a very physically demanding job and can get away with eating a lot of take out and fast food. I know how hard it is to say no when it is right in your face. Maybe you could also try eating your snack when they are eating their foods so you dont feel left out?

Also, put your snacks onto the correct portion size and then hide away the rest, even tape it up or whatever you have to do. Its more work to go retrieve that second portion rather than just keep eating

Good luck on your journey!

MissTomGettingThin

My advice would be, in the beginning dont cut all "bad foods" completely out. Just reduce your intake or limit yourself to one unhealthy option a day. Healthy eating is a lifestyle change and a big one at that, gradual change you can manage is.much better than all or nothing. My bf is a healthy weight but has a very physically demanding job and can get away with eating a lot of take out and fast food. I know how hard it is to say no when it is right in your face. Maybe you could also try eating your snack when they are eating their foods so you dont feel left out?

Also, put your snacks onto the correct portion size and then hide away the rest, even tape it up or whatever you have to do. Its more work to go retrieve that second portion rather than just keep eating

Good luck on your journey!

this!

Great advice.
Good Luck

Cheryl4726

Hi,

Don't try to change everything in one day, some people can throw their old eating habits out the window and appear to over night become perfect healthy eaters, but I think for most of us it's not that simple otherwise there would be no overweight people.

I love chocolate, and could quite easily eat my way through a sharing bag of giant chocolate buttons, if you live in the UK you will know the ones I'm talking about, I was shocked one day when I read that there were 900 cals in that bag. Since deciding to change the way I eat and lose weight, I've still allowed myself chocolate, but have changed to ones that say for 'X' pieces, it's 'X' cals ,I work out what fits in to my allowance and I put those into a bowl and put the rest away in a cupboard where it can't be seen, or buy a set of scales and weigh portion size.

I still have crisps, but leave those for a weekend when I can do extra exercises to burn a bit more off, to give me a bigger allowance, during the week if I want a Salt and Vinegar treat I now eat Snack a Jacks, less cals and fat.

Mostly for me, the biggest change has been portion control, being a vegetarian, I normally eat different to my partner, but at the weekend, he would cook for us both (something vegetarian), he would always share everything evenly between us, and I never said no that's too much, so I was eating the same as him, which was not good as he does a physical job and I sit at a desk all day, and also being a man, his calorie allowance is more than mine, now we work out how much I can have and stick to it. I have also added fruit to my diet, which is something I rarely ate before.

You also sound like a friend I work with, she is dieting at the moment (there are 3 of us doing it together), if she thinks she's dieting then she has trouble sticking to it, so to start with she was just watching her portion sizes, and was trying to keep to her daily allowance for calories or just under, I think she has now lowered her allowance a little, she has lost quite a bit but over a slower rate, but a loss is a loss. It's sort of tricking your mind into thinking your not dieting when you actually are.

We all have bad days, but when you do just draw a line under it and move on, tomorrow is a new day, don't beat yourself up over yesterday, you can't change it, and worrying about it will only affect the next day and possibly make you do the same again.

Good luck :flowerforyou:

Extra thought........ I plan what I will eat either one or two days in advance, meals and snacks, so if I fancy a treat I know if it will fit in to my allowance or not.

MoonMeliMelo

hey there,

I'm exactly the same than you, whenever I start eating some junk food, I just don't stop until I am physically sick and then I spend the next few hours angry at myself. Everybody says you should have what you like, but in small quantities... I can't do that, no self control at all.

I find that what really helps, when you want to diet, is to stick to eating healthy for a few days, until the junk food is out of your system. A sort of detox, if you like. You'll find after a few days you don't really want that junk food anymore, you'd rather stick to your diet.

And then, I guess watching people eat junk food makes me realize it is junk food and it puts me off, if that makes sense.

Anyway, try the detox thing, it works for me everytime! And the success stories on MFP.

Good luck!

katysmith77

Thanks everyone for such motivational words! I'm going to take that all on board and try to alter a few smaller things like reducing portion size and swapping bad snacks etc, i guess the all or nothing approach isn't for me (as i've been so unsuccessful doing it this way) and I need to make gradual changes.

I've started today by keeping healthy snacks ready for those low points, and i sat an ate a smaller dinner and made it last 20 mins (a meal which would usually have been a 5-10 minute job!). I also found a coffee after my lunch reduced my desire for that chocolate fix and i've been tracking absolutely everyone, but not setting my calorie goal too low so i don't feel deprived.

back to the gym tomorrow night as well!

PS - I really agree with the point that after a few days of really healthy eating that junk food becomes less appealing, just the same way as a few days of junk and all you want is junk!!

Thanks again all, feeling much more positive today!