THIS is why I can't lose weight

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elianama
elianama Posts: 12 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been doing some soul searching to try to figure out why I've been having such a hard time losing weight the last few years. I only have 10-20 pounds to lose but it's frustrating being "so close yet so far away." My clothes have been fitting a little tighter in the last couple weeks and I can't afford a new wardrobe so I've decided I need to do something about this and the sooner the better. Anyway, I've narrowed down the reasons why I'm having trouble to the following:

- Getting older (I'm 39)
- Snacking while cooking dinner. It's truly incessant - by the time I'm done cooking I am usually not that hungry, but I end up eating dinner anyway.
- Impulse-buying candy - especially chocolate-y candy - that happens to be on sale. The combination of chocolate and a good bargain are extremely hard to resist.

Getting older is something I'm gonna have to learn to deal with. Anyone have any tips on how to put an end to the other two? One thing I'm trying beginning today is to write down every time I avoid the temptation to engage in these behaviors. The idea is that writing it down is an act of recognition and reward for myself to help make up for the loss of enjoyment of the snack. We'll see how it goes.

Also, what is stopping YOU from losing weight?
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Replies

  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
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    Stop buying candy in the store, stop snacking while cooking or log it. It really comes down to will power.
  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
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    Snacking while cooking was a huge problem I used to have, and it added so many calories to my day without me even realizing how big of an impact it had. Honestly, the only thing you can do is stop doing it! I think what you're doing with writing down every time you don't snack while cooking is great, and it will really keep you motivated if you keep track. Like if you have 4 days in a row of not snacking while cooking, you want to get to 5! You don't want to start over at 1. It's all about breaking bad habits and creating good ones, and in my opinion it's the hardest part of weight loss. Once the bad habits are broken, it becomes so much easier.

    I'm sorry I can't help with the age thing or buying chocolate. I never buy it because I know I will eat it. Plus, if I do have chocolate, it might as well be the high quality expensive stuff! :)
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    Recognizing the problem is halfway to solving it .

    One of the keys, for me anyway, is diligently logging every morsel that goes in my mouth. While I don't weigh everything precisely it gives me a good handle on my caloric intake (and macro breakdown) and has been a real eye opener.

    Getting older sucks in some ways but it beats the alternative.

    My kryptonite is granola bars.......
  • mulderpf
    mulderpf Posts: 209 Member
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    If you're going to eat it, first weigh it, then log it. Either the calorie tally or the effort involved in constantly weighing and logging will hopefully discourage you from doing that. Make it a RULE.

    And if you're buying chocolates - make sure it fits into your calories for the day...
  • Katt1320
    Katt1320 Posts: 94 Member
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    Log log log log log. Everything! Even if you taste test something at the deli. I just bought a food scale and it's made my life so much better! No guessing or estimating, I know exactly what I'm getting, every time.

    I promise if you faithfully log that candy, you're going to see those numbers and decide against it next time. Logging is what keeps it all together.
  • mrso97
    mrso97 Posts: 147 Member
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    Recognizing the problem is halfway to solving it .

    One of the keys, for me anyway, is diligently logging every morsel that goes in my mouth. While I don't weigh everything precisely it gives me a good handle on my caloric intake (and macro breakdown) and has been a real eye opener.

    Getting older sucks in some ways but it beats the alternative.

    My kryptonite is granola bars.......

    i agree with logging everything you put in your mouth..you would be horrified to see how quickly "a bite here or a taste there" adds up! i suffer from the same thing..so i started writing it down and then i went online to add up what i had done...it added up to a whole meal! if you are aware of it...you will stop! its hard, it sucks, but it has to be done! :)
  • azwaa
    azwaa Posts: 81 Member
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    Trying chewing gum if the munching is getting you down. My weakness is potato chips, but I found that chomping on a piece of dentene gum takes away the urges and distracts me long enough to regroup and resist. Will power is one thing, but sometime the distraction can help. I keep packs all over the house, car, and purse and try really hard not to buy the temptation items in the first place.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Stop buying candy in the store, stop snacking while cooking or log it. It really comes down to will power.

    this!
  • 126siany
    126siany Posts: 1,386 Member
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    I agree that committing to logging absolutely EVERYTHING will help with the snacking while cooking syndrome. I'd also recommend cooking in big batches, as that way you don't have to face the temptation to snack while cooking on a daily basis.

    I don't keep anything that I feel "iffy" around in the house, as it's not worth it to me. If I absolutely can't live without some sort of useless, nutritionally devoid, diet-busting indulgence I will go buy one serving of it and enjoy it. You'd be surprised how much "out of sight" really is "out of mind" after a while, and also how much needing to get dressed, walk or drive to the store to buy that one silly item makes you say you can live without it.
  • PhilyPhresh
    PhilyPhresh Posts: 600 Member
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    - Getting older (I'm 39)
    Not a very good excuse. I workout with people that are in their 60s and are doing an awesome job at getting fit and staying in shape. Don't let excuses like "I'm too old" get the best of you. You CAN do it!
    [/quote]
    - Snacking while cooking dinner. It's truly incessant - by the time I'm done cooking I am usually not that hungry, but I end up eating dinner anyway.
    Have a little will power! If you can't control yourself to not eat just because food is in front of you then you will have a hard time succeeding at the rest of it... Try and find something to keep you busy or otherwise entertained while you are cooking and take your mind off the food!
    - Impulse-buying candy - especially chocolate-y candy - that happens to be on sale. The combination of chocolate and a good bargain are extremely hard to resist.
    Really, now you aren't even trying. :wink: A better "bargain" than buying chocolate on sale, is not buying the chocolate at all.

    Don't make excuses for yourself, they will only keep you down. You are in charge, its your life! Don't sell yourself short and let it be run by candy and snacking!
  • soulfulsally
    soulfulsally Posts: 326
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    Regarding the chocolate candy...what's been helping me is to think of certain candies (the ones with the worst ingredients) as poison. And poisoning ourselves intentionally is crazy, right? Not that I don't have chocolate just about every day, but this mentality keeps me reaching for the plain chocolate bars and not going for the fancier ones that have a bazillion weird ingredients in them.

    As far as candy on sale, if you don't buy it in the first place, that's saving even more money. LOL
  • ohnoetry
    ohnoetry Posts: 129
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    Oh god, I am the same with snacking and cooking! I try and portion out a small snack while I'm cooking so I still have enough calories left over and am still hungry when dinner is finally ready.

    As for the candy, yes it's hard to resist a bargain, but you're going to have to spend more money on bigger pants if you don't stop! :P But really, if you absolutely can't stop, maybe try freezing the chocolate and only having a small piece at a time?
  • soulfulsally
    soulfulsally Posts: 326
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    During the cooking, try chewing gum. It works wonders for me.
  • joe_d
    joe_d Posts: 73 Member
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    I too have had trouble with snacking while cooking dinner--lots of trouble! I used to be constantly after cheese, crackers, etc. What I try to do to fight this is to allow myself to snack on things that won't be bad for me. So I'll grab some baby carrots, or a celery stalk or two, etc.--something along those lines to try to stem the tide. If you're having a salad, you can prepare that first and maybe eat that while cooking. The other thing I do is to start drinking water--that's not a bad thing to do before dinner anyway, as it seems to help me getting the full feeling faster so I have greater portion control when I do sit down to eat.

    Of course what works the best is when we cook enough for more than one night (this is easier for us because my wife and I are empty nesters now). This is great for portion control on the first night (we cut the meal in half and pack away the extra before we eat). But on the second night reheating something you've set aside will go faster, and you'll be sitting down to eat more quickly--eliminating the need to snack while cooking.
  • stinkpurty
    stinkpurty Posts: 148
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    Chew gum or suck on a mint while preparing dinner. You want be tempted to take bites.

    Instead of bargain chocolate, buy some very good dark chocolate. Allow yourself one or two pieces as a treat. Savor each bite. Dark chocolate is an acquired taste, but it is so good once you get in to it.
  • gyure93
    gyure93 Posts: 7
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    I too used to be a HUGE snacker while cooking & STILL ate dinner. Since deciding that I have had enough (Monday), I have been drinking water while cooking instead of reaching for a snack or something else. Wishing you much luck!
  • Jester522
    Jester522 Posts: 392
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    Not a very good excuse. I workout with people that are in their 60s and are doing an awesome job at getting fit and staying in shape. Don't let excuses like "I'm too old" get the best of you. You CAN do it!


    I've seen men and women in their 50's and 60's with bodies that are fit for a museum art show. In fact, I like them better.

    Just gotta stop snacking while cooking, or don't cook when you're hungry! Prepare food ahead of time. I make all my food on Sunday and just allot it as needed through the week with the occasional freshly prepped dinner here and there. Save time, money, and uneccesary calories

    And, for most obvious reasons, stop the candy! Sweettoth is usually a sign of chromium deficiency. Chocolate especially has a chemical called phenylethylamine (PEA) also known as the "love molecule" which gives a nice smug feeling. Sugar also triggers epinephrine for short bursts to go along with the insulin spike. Sugar as a whole has similar hormonal effects to that of bi-polar syndrome and can lead to chronic depression.
  • janicedav55
    janicedav55 Posts: 4
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    I chew gum while cooking Since I cook for 2, I only cook those portions. No leftovers, no snacking later Instead of buying candy I buy nail polish Doing your nails is a great detrent from snacking
  • LeidaPrimal
    LeidaPrimal Posts: 198 Member
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    I snack when I cook, so I build in that snack in the food plan. Normally, it is something that can be a big pile of something for little claories, like shredded cabbage with coarse salt. Sometimes if I need protein, I will shred ham into tiny pieces. Or 2 cups of non-caloric jello if I have to bake & my plan allows for artificial sweeteners at the time. So, I set out my snack first.

    With impulse buying, I recommend Susan Alber's books "How to Soother Yourself without Food" and "But I deserve this choclate' which have the much better explanations and mind strategies on how to stop Mindless Eating, including impulse eating and shopping. Basically, the idea is to not do it.
  • Julicat6
    Julicat6 Posts: 231 Member
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    Trying chewing gum if the munching is getting you down.

    I also chew gum to help with the mindless munchies. I love the extra desserts gums, such great flavors. Don't buy the candy, if you know once it is in the house you will eat it, just leave it at the store. I have had to do that for a long time, I just view it as a snake in my pocket. If I pick it up, knowing what it is to me, then it's my fault if it bites me on the butt.( or in candy's case ends up there:laugh:

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