How to finally be stable?

iwannabeskinny11

My weight bounces like a ping-pong ball... I lost 40 lbs, then just gained back 20.
If I eat clean, I typically don't eat enough, and don't get all the nutrients I need... If I eat a little extra, I eat a LOT extra and go wayyyy over my calorie and nutrient needs...
I just can't seem to figure out how to balance it all out?

purple4sure05

There's no easy answer to this. Everyone is different. But there are steps you can take to try to prevent overeating the bad foods. Of course your main plan should be to eat clean as much as possible. Experiment with clean foods and see if you can find enough of them that you enjoy, and make sure to get as many food groups in each meal as possible.

I too have an issue with overeating once I take even one bite of junk. I suggest separating your less healthy food into portion sizes and then bringing it with you to eat it somewhere later on. That way, you can't go back for seconds but you can still enjoy the foods you love in moderation. It's helped me, but like I said, you have to find what works the best for you personally. Maybe also try weighing yourself more regularly so that you notice when your weight starts going up again.

JonathanBB

There was a great article a few months ago in the New York Times Sunday magazine section on changing habits. Bottom line: it's not easy (shocking, right?). The author was trying to quit having cookies as an afternoon snack at the office. He tried replacing it with various things until he found something that worked and in the process figured out what he really wanted because it wasn't the cookie. Figured out what he wanted was a break from the computer/desk and going to get the cookie was the excuse to get up and walk to the far end of the office, socialize for a little bit and then get back to work. So he replaced it with just getting up to walk around the office and talk to people for 10 minutes.

Long winded way of saying you need to figure out what need you are trying to satisfy when you go way over with eating. When it happens right down everything you can think of about time, place mood, what happened right before, what was going on, and then look for the pattern and then experiment with alternatives: hitting the gym, going to a movie, taking a walk, drinking 8 gallons of water, sticking pins in a voodoo doll, buying a new book,...whatever you think might work, and if it doesn't repeat process until you find something that does work.

JonathanBB

correction: write, not right.