How do I change my thinking?

Elzecat

Other than getting a self-help book to help me rewire my brain, anybody have tricks that keep them from thinking about fatty foods?

I find that I stop thinking about my favorite indulgences when I enjoy them.

There's no need to completely cut anything out of your life. Have a small amount, enjoy it, and move on.

^^^^

clarkeje1

I think that if you eat a little bit of what you are craving it helps with the obsessive thoughts about "bad" foods. Say I am craving McDonalds and I go and eat one plain cheeseburger, that usually helps to satisfy my craving while still keeping me under my calorie goal, rather than getting a big mac, large fry, and large coke and totally ruining the hard work that I put in. That helps me because if I am hungry and craving something I seriously can't stop thinking about it either!

OfficerFuzzy

Put all these fatty foods in a blender and then try to eat them that way.
This will only fail if it tastes good.
Maybe put a little kale in it to make sure it tastes bad.

Moderation is a good tool. I think the best way to do it is promise yourself you'll get that certain thing you love like once a week, or once a month so then you can tell yourself, "I can have XXX in X days. I just have to wait until then."

For example once every two weeks I allow myself some Starbucks.
Make your cravings part of the plan.

teenhamodic

yea it's offensive/hard but if you don't want to hear these kinds of things and all you want is a pity party... you're at the wrong site.

No, I don't want a pity party. I was just asking for advice. Thanks for your feedback.

getting advice is one thing and definitely a lot of people have offered their opinions on what to do. i'm not going to be any different. there are things that work for some people and there are things that didnt work.

you'll need to find what works for you - and you dont have to feel like you're depriving yourself because you can have a cheat day. *mindblown*

seriously... nothing anyone will say will help you unless you are actually willing to change.

maybe look at yourself in the mirror butt naked and see for yourself that things need to change. maybe you need a change in partner.

diet is 100x more important than exercise.

It is interesting you are suggesting I go as far as getting rid of someone I love. You know nothing about my life, so it's kind of intrusive and I would appreciate if you would stop suggesting that. I don't think I need to go that far. I am willing to look at myself. My partner will stay with me regardless of my decisions and may even follow. You never know.

I apologize for going to the extreme, and which may have clouded the helpfulness of my posts. more to the point, in referencing your first post - there is no magic trick and even getting a self help book is throwing money away. one thing that you can see which is consistent from all of the replies is that it requires diligence.

the 10 months before i got married, i wanted to lose weight - at least 15lbs. Done - but there wasn't a magic trick or self help book i read but rather sweat, determination and eating right.

I may not have been as constructive as other people but i've been around too many people who are all talk and are the very same people who complain. but as you can see from my posts, i tell them like it is.

anyway i wish you the best and again, i apologize.

Just because you did it without a self help book does not mean a book might not be helpful to others. Certainly there is no magic trick, but just as certainly there is no single right way change ones thinking. Different things work for different people.

thanks for reaffirming what i already said about different things working for different people - however, how many books is one going to read, or how many times are they going to read the same book before actually putting it to work?

the one thing i did say that worked for everyone is diligence.

BitterGoil

yea it's offensive/hard but if you don't want to hear these kinds of things and all you want is a pity party... you're at the wrong site.

No, I don't want a pity party. I was just asking for advice. Thanks for your feedback.

getting advice is one thing and definitely a lot of people have offered their opinions on what to do. i'm not going to be any different. there are things that work for some people and there are things that didnt work.

you'll need to find what works for you - and you dont have to feel like you're depriving yourself because you can have a cheat day. *mindblown*

seriously... nothing anyone will say will help you unless you are actually willing to change.

maybe look at yourself in the mirror butt naked and see for yourself that things need to change. maybe you need a change in partner.

diet is 100x more important than exercise.

It is interesting you are suggesting I go as far as getting rid of someone I love. You know nothing about my life, so it's kind of intrusive and I would appreciate if you would stop suggesting that. I don't think I need to go that far. I am willing to look at myself. My partner will stay with me regardless of my decisions and may even follow. You never know.

I apologize for going to the extreme, and which may have clouded the helpfulness of my posts. more to the point, in referencing your first post - there is no magic trick and even getting a self help book is throwing money away. one thing that you can see which is consistent from all of the replies is that it requires diligence.

the 10 months before i got married, i wanted to lose weight - at least 15lbs. Done - but there wasn't a magic trick or self help book i read but rather sweat, determination and eating right.

I may not have been as constructive as other people but i've been around too many people who are all talk and are the very same people who complain. but as you can see from my posts, i tell them like it is.

anyway i wish you the best and again, i apologize.

I appreciate a straight-talker, I'm pretty much the same way. I also understand it's a tough road and there is no sugar-coating when it comes to this stuff. I just couldn't break up with someone I love when it's something I have to deal with in myself. Thanks.

BitterGoil

I was "trying" to lose weight for a few months before coming onto MFP and logging religiously. That's when the actual weight loss started, before that it was just super frustrating: I was trying to be "careful" but with no real framework and so many calories would sneak in. And I'd succumb to cravings all the time. I let myself pig out for a few weeks to get it out of my system, gained a few more pounds (but under 5), and finally hit a point where I could resolve to be serious. Now that I'm starting to see some weight go, I don't even want to binge anymore, it feels too good to see my body coming back to the way I want it. But I think I needed to let myself say screw it for a bit and go on a bit of a bender before I could really tighten the reins again.

I have the same issue with my partner too - we LOVE to eat together, and when we're traveling it's a delicious disaster. But now I make sure that I'm in charge of the shopping and the cooking, so that I can make meals that are lean but still delicious, and he can add in cheese, oil, sour cream, etc. as he wants to the final product. And I try to keep eating out to a minimum, because it's just too easy to not know what you're actually eating and eat too much of it.

I've recently gone on a bender actually: Thai drunken noodles, chili cheese fries, and Taco Bell a couple weeks ago! I also did some chili cheese fries this week. I think this is where I gained my my last 5 lbs. It's good to see that I'm not alone about the indulgent, bad habit kind of partner...I hope he will think about his health, too, when he sees how serious I get.

BitterGoil

Buy something in the fast food category and let it sit in the bag in your car with the logo showing until it goes putrid. That ought to cure you!

It (Egg McMuffin) cured me. It only took one sunny afternoon. The thought of fast food now makes me gag.

Wow, that's an interesting and unorthodox idea. I love all the unusual ideas people think of. Thanks!

doveyloveysara

I just wanted to say that THANK YOU for posting this and all the advice people have given out.
I have the EXACT same issue as you, same down to being able to resist sweets, but not a cheeseburger for the life of me.

Hopefully I'll be able to put some of these to use and be able to knock out the fast food long enough to rewire my way of thinking and start seeing results.

lambchoplewis

I have put things in my mouth that I love and actually spit it out in the sink, turned on water and disposal and ground the remaining food down the drain!!! I have been know to think about the food and even eat it if just in the trash!!! Yuk but.... I need to completely get rid of it!!!

BitterGoil

Thanks so much everybody for all your feedback on my question! You guys are awesome!!! :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

BitterGoil

I just wanted to say that THANK YOU for posting this and all the advice people have given out.
I have the EXACT same issue as you, same down to being able to resist sweets, but not a cheeseburger for the life of me.

Hopefully I'll be able to put some of these to use and be able to knock out the fast food long enough to rewire my way of thinking and start seeing results.

You're welcome! Good luck to you! :flowerforyou: