Can't stop eating...almost back to my start weight :(

intuen

same suggestion. if pizza and sweets are problems for you, I get that. Then don't let them in the house, because they're not your friends. maybe learn how to make yourself some substitutes that fill your cravings...the cauliflower-crust pizza or portabella mushroom pizza. someone had a nice recipe for that microwave cake in a cup done low-calorie style with apple sauce.

You've done such an amazing job and it's a pretty rare person who maintains like you have for so long, so I hope you're not down on yourself, because I'm all admiration for you. what you have achieved is so much bigger than any pizza, any piece of cake. You can live without those, but you can't live without your health and vitality.

8happy8

This is about habits,habits is what keep us thin or keep us fat, you have to change that. How do you develop habits, with time and patience. If you eat food that causes you to binge every morning. Shoot to eat better options 3x a week. Is that so hard? No, once you get the hang of that, got it down solid, then do 7 days a week. Same with exercise. I couldn't even walk 10mins. What i would do is start off walking 8 minutes, taking a break, then walking another 2. People would say "you won't accomplish anything like that." They missed the point my view isn't to "lose weight" it was to build "habits." The habit of doing something daily. Once i was doing something daily, then i would increase the time. those 10mins turned in to 1hr and 30minutes. Hopefully you get my point of gradual progression.

I have never posted on here before but i just love this philosophy of making new habits. This sounds like the real answer to me. Thank you for posting it.

be_patient

we are literally the same person. except i have no control over what food comes into my house; my parents do. But YOU do! Don't buy foods that you know will send you on a binge...and if you absolutely must, buy a small portion, such as a bar of chocolate rather than a block. A packet of chips, not a bag. xxx

adorable_aly

I agree with those who are saying make habits. I feel that the reason why you binge and then crash diet, is maybe because you haven't got the moderation thing down yet. I would try slowly going back to eating healthier but making sure you incorporate a treat everyday, a donut, going out for Mexican etc. also something that really helped me was telling myself that if I still wanted it I could just have it tomorrow. I'm not sure why saying this to myself works, but it does, and means I can fit my craving into my calories for the next day.

Try just making one change sticking to it, and then making another.

pinkraynedropjacki

we are literally the same person. except i have no control over what food comes into my house; my parents do. But YOU do! Don't buy foods that you know will send you on a binge...and if you absolutely must, buy a small portion, such as a bar of chocolate rather than a block. A packet of chips, not a bag. xxx

No control over what comes into the house is a pathetic excuse sorry...YOU have control over what you eat though. Unless it's being forced fed upon you, then YOU alone are responsible for what you put in your mouth.

mum212

first of all hun you need self control and then you will start saying no to that extra doughnut, you need to eat in moderation and control yourself and if you eat over then burn off those extra calories by going for a walk or gym you don't need to excersise like crazy all you need it to make the effort to burn off those extra calories, even if its something like dancing at home just get motivated x once you see the weight drop again you will then be motivated x

LavenderBouquet

This is almost my exact situation right now, so I am definitely feeling you. Bumping to read responses later.

paulbear75

I so could relate, for me is that I have addictive behavior and my mind always gets the best of me. Moderation is a foreign word to me but MFP is a tool that is keeping me in check. In the past I would binge on the weekend and say the hell with it and this binge would last for 6 months, with MFP I have the community sending words of encouragement. It sounds strange but it's been helping me so far. best wishes and have a great journey

deksgrl

I just LOVE FOOD and don't want to cut calories and exercise like a freak again. Every Sunday or Monday is a "new start" for me for six months now, and it's getting so old...I cut enough calories from my binges to maintain my weight, but not lose. I just can't say no to the donut shop some mornings, desserts at night, or overeating pizza or Mexican when going out.

This is your problem right here... You don't want to diet and exercise like a freak again. You set your up for failure by trying to sprint a marathon. this takes time, it takes patience.

Donuts are okay "some" mornings, deserts at night are okay, mexican is okay, and so is pizza. the problem is "OVER CONSUMPTION." To many calories, that's the problem.

^^This.

That said, I too find that once I go overboard on the sugar, it is harder to keep things under control. I read a study that showed a link between excess sugar consumption and stimulation of the hormone "ghrelin" which is what tells your body you are hungry. When these hormones are out of whack, it makes it very difficult to overcome. Some of us then think there is something wrong with us mentally or emotionally wondering why we don't have the willpower of other people to just stop eating.

What I do is stock up on greek yogurt and fruit, and use those for snacks. There are those who say "sugar is sugar" whatever the form, but I definitely notice a difference between eating healthier sources versus junk. After I wean myself away from the junk and start eating more normally and within my calories, then it is easier to stick to it and I can again eat whatever I want in moderation again.

momzeeee

Wow, you guys are so supportive, esp. this above last post (Mahana). I've never looked at it that way, and that means a lot...thanks so much. I hate that others feel the same way, although it's nice to know there is someone empathizing with you.

Also, as far as keeping things in the house...I usually don't. If I want a donut or pizza, I get my gams moving and take the quickest mode of transportation to that place. That's what I mean, I'm talking out.of.control. cravings. If any of you that are like me want to be friends and try to resume motivation...friend me!

I did alternate day intermittent fasting, as laid out in Dr. James Johnson's book, The Alternate Day Diet. I had a lot of food triggers and this plan totally broke those. That's because you only 'diet' every other day. So on the calorie restricted days you got to look forward to the next day, where you ate normal calories and could have all the foods you craved. Thing is, after you do it for a few months you realize you no longer crave those foods, even when you can have them It took took me about 6 months to lose 40 pounds, only dieting half the time, and I transitioned into maintenance with a totally different relationship with food. Might be worth borrowing the book from the library-otherwise there's a group here, search for JUDDD to find it

watcheronthewall

Ugh I completely understand how you feel, its incredibly frustrating to work so hard and feel so proud of yourself and that you're really getting somewhere to then completely lose control. It is a completely legitimate problem and it needs to be dealt with properly but it's not easy. I think there are several things that you/we need to put in place to deal with this stuff.

1. Make sure to eat enough proper food regardless of what else you eat! Have 3 good (whole foods etc) meals a day plus 2-3 snacks (fruit and veg or even meat, toast or whatever)
2. Put in place a regular (doesn't have to be anything big) exercise routine - 30 mins a day is probably ideal, can be walking or whatever you feel like
3. Keep a food log and look at what is happening when you binge or compulsively eat. What are your triggers? What are you struggling to cope with? What can you do to cope differently? - you can find templates online.
4. Have a look online or in the library for a good self-help program, perhaps CBT-based. One thing these recommend is finding alternative ways to cope with stress, anxiety, depression etc such as relaxation or breathing techniques or distraction techniques. What I would say is that it is not good enough to try to put these in to place when you're in the middle of a binge or about to have one - it needs to be practiced outside of 'danger' times so that it becomes a habit.

I hope this helps. Good luck.

What I would say is that it is im

cfriend71

It's so easy to get on the wrong track, but just try your best! I am taking products to help me stay on track, they are all natural supplements and I have lost 29 lbs now since April 27th.

Loving this!

FrankieTrailBlazer

"Accept", "Embrace" and "Own" the fact that processed foods are created by corporations that understand the human neural circuitry better than most of us and create "food-like" items that create chronic low-dose reinforcing addiction to sugar, oil, and salt.

Kessler, David A. - The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0rFEbGYnEE

1) "Sugar (including artificial sweeteners), fat and salt a highly stimulating and reinforcing."
2) "We are living in a food carnival"
3) "We are eating adult baby food"
4) "We are just self-stimulating and eating for reward"
5) "Depriving oneself of foods one 'wants' doesnt work and is only self torment."
6) "Food choices need to emotionally resonate or will be rejected. Knowledge not enough." -
7) Its not about "knowing" what is bad. A "critical perceptual shift" (at emotional level), a visceral reaction, is required to change ones habits. Around 30:00 in above link
8) "If one understands whats driving overeating, then one will understand whats driving anxieties depressions phobias overeating etc because these are the same brain circuits that get triggered" (as other opioid stimulus/reward brain responses)
9) "We need to change how we respond to queues by changes to who we are" [lifestyle change]
10) "Unless we change how we look at food, we will never change our neural circuitry" [eating patterns]

Without an visceral rejection of "sh!tty" processed foods then it is all just lip service ending in repetition of the same patterns of mistakes.

You can do it!

k_winder

I've been experiencing the same issue lately.

I have found the only thing that helps me is to NOT buy the foods I know I will binge on (cookies, ice cream, chips/salsa, sugary cereals) and to insist to my husband that I don't NEED to go get ice cream or whatever sweet treat with him all the time (that guy has a turbo-charged metabolism, lucky man can eat whatever he wants and he never gains a single pound).

When going out to eat, I try to eat at restaurants that offer low-calorie menu options (Applebee's has options under 550 calories; Olive Garden has a lower-calorie menu; many of the non-pasta related dishes at Red Lobster aren't so bad; if going to Qdoba or Chipotle getting a naked burrito/burrito bowl is better than getting one with the tortilla, eating at Subway can be lower-cal if you cut out the cheese and use sauces like mustard instead of mayo, etc).

Francl27

That's how most of us ended here, quite frankly. There's no magic pill or miracle that suddenly gives you the willpower to do it. Either you have it, or you don't.

That being said, you set yourself for failure the first time, by losing too much too fast, instead of doing it slowly and forming good habits at the same time. Losing weight doesn't have to be that hard. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. It's just about eating less.

judychicken

Bump

jakidb

what about a BEFORE PIC to motivate you. My fiance came across a BEFORE pic that i didn't even realize existed while cleaning the garage and showed it to me. I was totally disgusted! He was like, "babe, this can be your motivation pic". I ripped the pic apart but trust me when I say the "visual" is totally embedded in my memory. Right now I'm expecting but I eat only enough to keep me and the baby healthy--nothing more but as soon as I drop my load, it's back on track.

Perhaps a "before photo" will inspire you

djrn144

I can totally relate to this too. I can't keep trigger foods in the house but sometimes any food is a trigger. I started seeing a therapist to find out why I use food in place of dealing with my feelings. It has actually helped me figure out healthier ways to take care of myself in these circumstances. Something to think about, hang in there.

askeates

The best advice... remember this is a LIFESTYLE change, not a diet! Which means you need to find the way for you to successfully lose the weight and then maintain the weight with very little difference.

Maybe you need to think about an exercise that you enjoy doing, and make that your change that is maintainable, just food for thought.

Feed_the_Bears

Eat More 2 Weigh Less. If you're not starving yourself, sugar cravings are easier to overcome. Focus your efforts not on restrictions, "don't eat sugar", but focus it on the possitive actions you will do "fill up on whole unprocessed foods first so I don't crave". Good luck.