When Does It Get Easier?

clur85

It gets easy when you realise this is a change for life, not a quick fix. Accept that McDonald's etc. is a part of life and will be part of your life if that's what you like, but have the awareness to not eat it everyday.

BigMech

For me it was breaking the emotional attachment to food, and realizing that food is never going to make me happy. In fact it only did the opposite, as I would always feel guilty after eating something bad for me. Food is fuel for my body, and if I want my body to "run right", then I need to put in the right fuel and the right amount of it. If you don't take of and maintain your car, it will run badly and break down, same with your body.

Another thing I do, is think to myself how many miles would I have to run if I ate something above and beyond my daily calorie needs, and is it worth that effort. The answer is almost no.

MamaWalkingBear

I've been struggling with the same thing. One thing I do is work some of my cravings into my daily routine. I have a BK breakfast burrito in the morning. Yes the fat is not so good, but the protein is a plus.

When I want to eat the fridge, I usually focus on protein. That is one area that I seem not to get enough of on a daily basis. I keep small packets of salmon (and I love salmon) as a treat when I feel like this. It satisfies and makes me feel like I'm indulging

Good Luck!!!

wlkumpf

After a while of not eating something the cravings get a lot better, usually 2-3 weeks maybe? They say that about chocolate and sweeter foods. It worked for me for pop too, now it is like syrup to me.

As the scale goes down and your smaller size clothes fit better, you will gain motivation! Instead of giving it up, try substituting some things you really can't get out of your head.

Take a tortilla brown one side, flip and top with tomatoe sauce and low fat cheese. Turkey pepperoni if you must. The whole thing is crispy and delicious, way low on the calorie side too.

If you can't go without a muffin or bagal, fin a whole grain substitute and only take 1/4 with you and save the rest or find someone to share with. Find little ways that make you feel like you are cheating but falls within a normal range.

Give yourself 1 meal a week that you can plot out that doesn't take calories into account, or 1 desert. You can look forward to it all week long, plot and plan and dream and sometimes when I was doing good and the scale was agreeing with me, I didn't even eat it, I just needed that to dream about and know that I could, I had permission.

fbmandy55

>>>They will go away when you get results!<<<

1. Results are you payment for putting off instant gratification. The cost... not creeping off of your program at all for 6 days and having one cheat day per week. Pick one program and stick to it. When you start to see results they will motivate you to stick with it and you will generate the motivation/momentum that you are looking for.

>>>There is NO quick fix<<<

2. You are more of a sugar addict than a food addict. Case in point- you are currently eating food that isn't fullfilling you as much as sugar-laden food such as pizza, coke, or whatever the hell Bojangles are (I'm sure filled with sugar).

>>>The only way to kick a habit is to stop doing it<<<

My issue is that I've had the results. I lost weight constantly here last year. I lost 50lbs. I still am addicted to food and binge regularly. I haven't lost any additional weight in the 8 months so far this year.

Alex_is_Hawks

it is never easy, but nothing worth truly having is easy...we have to start looking at how we treat our bodies in the same light we apply to our lives...

you want it, you work for it...and you put in your blood sweat and tears...

eyesus34

Try to pinpoint what your feeling during these cravings (boredom, sadness, anxiety). If your bored go for a walk, if your sad call a friend, if your anxious write down what could be causing it. I usually tell myself to indulge cravings later but by not specifying exactly when, I forget about the craving. If that doesn't make it go away I'll write it down (large McDonald's fry, slice of red velvet cake, etc) along with the date and time then once a week I go through the slips of paper and see which one I still want. Most were just passing fancies but one or two just won't go away so I go ahead and indulge.

amyLhuff

Yes I think the majority of us on here are addicted but not so much to food cuz I doubt your craving carrots but we are addicted to all the chemicals and processed ingredients that is put in fast food not to mention the sugar and fat. The best thing for me is to pre log my day it helps me from slipping thru the drive thru if my day is planned out and i let myself have one cheat meal every other week where I can eat that cheese burger or pizza but I have to log it and that makes me cringe when I see how many calories I wasted on one thing when I could have had a whole day of food. So I've been doing this 4 weeks and yes I have cravings but it's normal when your changing a huge part of your life to want to revert back to your old ways. But that's never got me anywhere except feeling guilty, fat , and ugly. I'm done with all that I have a new baby and a wonderful husband there is no reason for me to feel like that again. Good luck but this is the best thing you will ever do for you and your family.

unkeptwalnut83

I tell myself that the purpose of food and eating is to fuel my body. As long as I am managing to have some amount of self-love that day, it tends to work. But then there are the other days.

mmarzipan

For me, it was hard the first couple of months and then I got used to the new diet. Although I have to say I didn't really have a new diet of things I could eat and things I couldn't. Make sure your daily goals are doable - that you are not setting yourself up for failure. Then take it one day at a time. If you stick to your plan, you will decide naturally what foods are priority and what foods are not. And you can have some Bojangles - I love me some BoBerry! - but you may need to alter your normal choices and sacrifice something later: small calorie differences can add up. For instance, Instead of a fried chicken biscuit, maybe have an egg biscuit or a plain biscuit with a spot of yogurt or dark chocolate. Have that brownie, but have a one inch brownie instead of a two inch brownie. On the day you really want the extra inch, go walk enough to "earn" it.

My thought is, denying yourself builds withdrawal and can lead to a binge which can lead to a feeling of failure and giving up. It's the cycle the fitness and dieting industry make money on.

And remember, fast food has alot of starchy goodness in it which is physically addictive: the more you eat, the more you depend on them. Your physical addiction will be overcome before your mental addiction; however, you need some carbs to survive. Just eat no more than a palm full of starch at each meal. A palm full - not a hand with all four fingers and thumb - that was really hard for me at first!

I have lost and kept off 30 lbs, and I eat what I want, but in smaller portions. Calories are sacred to me because I don't consume that many. I'm sure as heck not going to spend them on foods I don't want to eat! So, don't deny yourself and be miserable, but keep it in perspective. Best of luck to you. You can do it. Have realistic goals, make your choices and stick with them. And if you feel bad, don't beat yourself up. The next meal is another chance to do better.

tyresank

I totally agree with the poster above hastinbe.

This never goes away, and as someone who loves to eat, and use it as a past time.... it's been difficult at times. But I am motivated to get all of my weight off once and for good and not have to always be thinking about needing to loose, but just maintain. I have 38 lbs to go!! I have lost consitiantly 1.3 lbs for the last 9.5 months and just hit 60 lbs gone!! I have allowed a few cheat days for sure, otherwise I would have gone nucking futs! But the things I like to cheat with are bread :yawn: , and middle eastern food, greek food. The later are not that bad health wise actually, and I just allow for that in the total calories for the day. It sometimes means I have two very tiny meals to accomodate for the one splurge meal, but one a month or once every other month is not that big a deal! Now I take the time to think about if I want to eat something that I consider un-healthy and what the consequences will be. I often choose not to and go back to my boring hummus and veggies or other staples of my diet.

Good luck to you, and just hang in there...

kimmiedunne

I LOVE food! I know I love food - but I have still been able to resist the urge because I want to feel better about myself - and after losing nearly 85 pounds I do feel good about myself, which keeps me going! Also - your taste buds change. When I first started I cut out fast food, which I used to eat religiously. About 6 months in, I wanted Wendy's so I went and got it - the fries were greasy and too salty and the burger was greasy and didn't satisfy me like it used to - and I gained weight that week that I splurged. To me, it wasn't worth it. I haven't been to a fast food restaurant in 3 1/2 years and I don't miss it - and it's helped my family eat better too. If I crave something out, I usually end up at subway or a nice restaurant where I can choose healthy options. It's not easy...I still LOVE food...but I can make healthier versions of those food items and eat filling foods so I'm not craving something not good for me. But yes, I do splurge occasionally - of course you have to get soft ice cream every once in awhile! Hopefully it'll get easier for you as well!

lmfco46

Try to use the 80/20 rule.

Eat right 80% of the time and indulge in your cravings 20% of the time.

You'll see it will be much easier to stick to your goals when there's a day you know you can go nuts.

Also, don't tell yourself that you "can't" have something, that will just promote feelings of desperation and deprivation.
Instead, tell yourself that you "don't" eat that, it's an empowering yet simple swap of vocab that will pay off!

The more right choices you make the more pride you'll have about how you treat your body. It's a beautiful, wonderful thing, take care of it, don't feed it Bojangles! (BTW I have no idea what that is...)

Agreed!!

secretlobster

I've been maintaining my weight for about 3 years now after losing. It only got easier for me when fast food, soda, chips, and snacks were no longer part of my life. I never drink soda or eat fast food anymore, though I will occasionally have chips or something, but it's relatively rare. Previously, I ate Wendy's 3x a week at least, and I could have eaten an entire bag of Doritos in one sitting by myself. "Just eat it in moderation" didn't work for me, because "moderation" still meant it was part of my normal diet and that led to having addictive food in the house a lot of the time. The temptation caused me more internal strife than it was worth. Really, when you think about it, is a big mac worth the way you feel right now? I imagine not.

I can't remember the last time I've eaten fast food. It has no control over me anymore, none at all. It does take time but I think there's also a process where you find strength by resisting temptation at the start. It's when you leave the grocery store without buying the bag of chips. Or when you eat the sandwich instead of going out. Do that enough times, and the cravings will not be as bad, at least mentally. Because you won't feel like you MUST eat those things.

breyn2004

In my experience the temptation never really goes away, but your resistance to them increases. Along with understanding more about what makes a food healthy, the more disgusting that food is becomes revealed. The best motivation is seeing your own progress when you stick with it, then you have realistic expectations and know you can do it. I think one of the best reminders is to tell yourself "You are what you eat" when it comes to making food choices.

^^ This!

I'm two years in. In the beginning, I didn't care what I ate as long I was in my calorie budget. Didn't take me long to figure out that I couldn't eat very much food that way. If I wanted to eat more, I had to make smarter choices. I progressively stepped up my game (which still has a lot of room for improvement) and still to this day, try to improve daily. Now it's like a game. I'm trying to clean up my eating a lot. Not to be a clean eater necessarily, but to pointedly eat more whole foods, etc. Challenging myself daily to see where I can improve helps me stay on track. It's not always easy, but it does get easier! You will fall down at times, but get dust yourself and get back up. Tomorrow is always a new day. Don't let your cravings eat away at you. Have some of your guilty pleasures in moderation and slowly weed them out. Some may not agree with that and of course, it's just my personal opinion, but you want to build yourself up to a new lifestyle and if you're having a standoff with your favorite foods daily, you're going to torture yourself. I'm to the point now that if I eat pizza or something I feel like crap. Most importantly...keep your head up!

Happy Logging!

Treece68

To be truthful If I have a craving I eat it but I always log it and keep within my calories. I know that I have started and failed so many times because I was denying myself something I wanted and finally I couldn't take it and I would eat and eat and eat.
If you have problems with food then its going to be harder than some schmo who can take or leave sweets or bread or whatever it is you eat.

Crochetluvr

You never stop WANTING the not so good foods. It took me about a month going off everything cold turkey for me to regain control. I still eat the not so good stuff on occasion, but in small amounts and when I can work them into my day's numbers. YMMV.

mmarzipan

Well said Alex_is_Hawks!

homerjspartan

In my experience the temptation never really goes away, but your resistance to them increases. Along with understanding more about what makes a food healthy, the more disgusting that food is becomes revealed. The best motivation is seeing your own progress when you stick with it, then you have realistic expectations and know you can do it. I think one of the best reminders is to tell yourself "You are what you eat" when it comes to making food choices.

Completely agree. It wasn't until I read South Beach that I understood what makes food "good for you" or what a good or bad carb was. Knowing these things and what creates a lot of cravings helps you avoid them.

Also, there is no way I am going through this world without big f--king plates of nachos every now and then. Allow yourself to cheat sometimes. Make it a reward meal, or a night out with the kids, or something - maybe once a week. For that one meal, have a blast and just enjoy, but know when it is over that you are back on the wagon for the week.

PetuniaJoy

In the last six months, I have learned that if I consume even a small amount (1 tsp) of refined sugars, it will trigger overwhelming temptations. For me, it is actually easier to have no sweets than a small amount. In April, I began researching Clean Eating by Tosca Reno and my temptations have been completely curbed. I eat a lot of natural, healthy, "clean" foods so I no longer feel hungry. In fact, I now need to remind myself to eat. Following this plan has lead to so many benefits that I no longer crave the junk I see others eating. Fruit is my favorite treat now.

If you have a sweet tooth, you may also want to look into this episode of 60 minutes: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-57407294/is-sugar-toxic/

Another suggestion is Suicide by Sugar by Nancy Appleton.

Be strong!