HELP! No self control :(

AGreen54
AGreen54 Posts: 100 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm having trouble controlling myself not to eat junk food and seconds or even thirds at dinner. Lately I've been eating unhealthy things like cookies, pie, cake, and meals with a huge amount of calories in them. It's hard to control my eating habits when the food is just sitting in the kitchen. I don't buy it myself but others in the house do. Any tips please?? Thanks in advance.

Replies

  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    Find things to put in your mouth that aren't that high in calories. Celery, carrots, radishes, even nuts . . . I put a bowl of them on the table so that I can sit and chat and keep eating without maxing out.

    Find munchies that you can grab that aren't bad . . . like popcorn - plain or with something like soy sauce. If you can't stop yourself, eat that.

    Drink water and eat the ice.

    And just WALK OUT OF THE KITCHEN. If you don't bring food into your room there will be no food when you're there.
  • debjae
    debjae Posts: 242
    I totally understand the temptations. When you are living with others who are not concerned about their eating habits it is hard. I have to agree Walk out of the kitchen.
  • Thin1979
    Thin1979 Posts: 48
    Put your scale at the entrance of your kitchen. If you have to step over it you will think twice.
  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,785 Member
    You have to want this bad enough to walk away from the bad stuff. When that happens walking away is easy.
  • marvelscale
    marvelscale Posts: 135
    Find things to put in your mouth that aren't that high in calories. Celery, carrots, radishes, even nuts . . . I put a bowl of them on the table so that I can sit and chat and keep eating without maxing out.

    Find munchies that you can grab that aren't bad . . . like popcorn - plain or with something like soy sauce. If you can't stop yourself, eat that.

    Drink water and eat the ice.

    And just WALK OUT OF THE KITCHEN. If you don't bring food into your room there will be no food when you're there.

    I agree with the popcorn - it can get filling even if it's just air popped, no salt, no butter!
  • moonpieto
    moonpieto Posts: 76 Member
    One word: prioritize.
  • meeper123
    meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
    I'm having trouble controlling myself not to eat junk food and seconds or even thirds at dinner. Lately I've been eating unhealthy things like cookies, pie, cake, and meals with a huge amount of calories in them. It's hard to control my eating habits when the food is just sitting in the kitchen. I don't buy it myself but others in the house do. Any tips please?? Thanks in advance.

    I understand :) it happens a lot when dieting are you depriving yourself? I have chocolate cravings a lot so I bought a bunch of fiber one brownies and I let myself have one a day. Craving salt? try eating Hummus with some fresh veggies only 2 tbls of hummus. What are your calorie goals? You have to make it work for you, but in the end it does take some selfcontrol. My mom use to always say "How much do you want it?"
  • escape4asecond
    escape4asecond Posts: 40
    And just WALK OUT OF THE KITCHEN. If you don't bring food into your room there will be no food when you're there.

    Excellent answer! I have to WALK OUT OF THE KITCHEN often. Sometimes, I realize I'm just exhausted and want to eat to maintain energy, so I go take a nap. Or I go for a walk. Both of those keep the calories away...and sometimes I need one and sometimes the other.
  • Henrye4185
    Henrye4185 Posts: 18
    Trust me my friend, I have been there. I had an episode just last week. I learned a trick that worked for me: DRINK LOTS OF WATER.
    My stomach filled up with water and I didn't have room to put anything. Of course this followed my small portioned meal as I wanted to go back for just "one more bite". But after drinking the water I didn't have the room.
  • deineira
    deineira Posts: 75 Member
    I think trying to find healthier snacks is important if you are a person who really needs to snack. Hopefully you can minimize that habit over time, but replacing chips with crackers or crunchy fruit, like a cucumber or something might be a good start. I keep low calorie things like fruits and cherry tomatoes, pickles (although these have a lot of salt) around and that helps me fill my desire to snack but for relatively few calories. I also snack on things like turkey and grilled chicken. The protein fills me up and again, there are relatively few calories.

    Also, try a piece of hard candy or chewing gum when you want something sweet, or frozen fruit is a great snack that fulfills the sweet and cold treat craving. It's not ice cream, but it will keep you mouth busy for very few calories.

    But, like the other posters said, will power is important. You just have to want to get healthy and lose weight more than you want to be overweight. If you want it badly enough, hopefully that can help you make better choices. A cheat day is also helpful since you know you can look forward to one day or one meal a week when you're not depriving yourself. And when you do slip up and cheat, don't use it is a slippery slope for a week of bad eating. Get back on the wagon the next meal, or the next day, and move forward.

    I wish you the best of luck. Many of us have been where you are, and we've pushed through, so you can too!
  • country91
    country91 Posts: 77 Member
    You have to want this bad enough to walk away from the bad stuff. When that happens walking away is easy.

    This!, sometimes giving into your temptation is not a good thing. If you have a little, your gonna want alot - depends on the person. You have to train your mind. Food is an addiction, just like smoking in my opinion. It takes alot of self control but you can do it! :)
  • peacemongernc
    peacemongernc Posts: 253 Member
    I haven't read the other responses so I apologize if this has already been said.

    Two things come to my mind when reading your post. One is that maybe something like gum would help a little. I discovered it helped me when I was doing some baking a few months ago. It is the only thing I could think of to keep me from tasting my recipes as I cooked. It might help you.

    Another thought is that I wonder if something is going on with you that it making it harder for you to ignore the foods you don't need to be eating. I have found that if I eat a lot of fiber and cut back drastically on refined, simple carbs, it is usually easier for me to ignore cakes and candies and cookies. It is important that I ignore them because often if I take the first bite, it is all over. But if I focus on high fiber and whole grains, AND try to eat my carbs at meals opposite my proteins and fats, it is easier to turn my back on sweets.
  • lilpoindexter
    lilpoindexter Posts: 1,122 Member
    The way I was able to deal with this, and kick alcohol and sodas was being truthful, and recording absolutuely everything that when in my mouth in my food log, down to a ketchup packet...I would routinely see 3000-3500 calorie days, with little to no exercise...that was a shocker.
    If that doesn't open your eyes, maybe you are not ready to begin your weight loss journey.
  • peacemongernc
    peacemongernc Posts: 253 Member
    Oh! Two other ideas! I found that pickles will often get me through a tough spot. I can eat a couple of sweet pickle spears, or a couple of dill pickle spears, and sometimes it will hold off my salt or sweet cravings.

    And the other thing is to not let yourself go too long between meals/snacks. If you plan your meals and snacks, and space them every 2 to 3 hours, it might make you feel a little more in control.

    One other thing: chug a glass of water until you feel full... once again, it won't last long, but sometimes it will buy you enough time to regain your focus.
  • wilmnoca
    wilmnoca Posts: 416 Member
    Take 10 dollars and go buy gum in every flavor. Y'know, they have mint chocolate chip gum now(Extra), strawberry shortcake, tropical flavors, apple pie, Whatever! Chew what your craving.
  • faithchange
    faithchange Posts: 311 Member
    Know why your giving into the temptation. Its not hunger. As many say on here, you have to want it BAD enough to make the change. I think many of us, including myself have all been in your shoes. It took me 2 years to get out. I still have my days, but nothing like I was. Now as I have and am still losing the weight, I allow myself the sweets I love (only chocolate...hahha) but in moderation.

    I have cookies in my house and other stuff...it doesn't phase me to have them. I have them for my kids, but they too don't eat them everyday.

    You need discipline and NO ONE but yourself can give that to you. Ask yourself as you go for the extra plate of food or the sweets, why are you doing it? Are you bored, angry, upset, ect....you probably aren't hungry. Are you drinking water...drink a cup before each meal to help fill you up. Log your meals and only allow yourself that amount, don't go back for seconds and thirds.

    Step away from the temptation, it'll take time.

    You must love yourself and that's it....plain and simple. To love yourself you must make the difficult change and discipline yourself and know it will take time.

    There you go, the cold hard true!

    Good Luck and hope you start today...loving yourself to know your worth a healthier change! :)
  • Santi36
    Santi36 Posts: 2 Member
    The easiest thing is to not have the food. If you have no choice what other buy, you can try putting the all the junk food in one cabinet and refrain for ever opening that cabinet. Do whatever you have to do, you can even put a lock on it. you can also try going to bed earlier to prevent you from eating when you are bored ( I do a lot of bored eating).You are going to find out that if you go around two weeks eating completely healthy your not going to miss any of those things. Its a hard thing to do but once you start seeing results you will start getting more and more motivated. GOOD LUCK!
  • LaurenMHunter
    LaurenMHunter Posts: 3
    Low calorie snacks! I'm a person who gets very munchy especially late at night. It's nice to grab fruit/veggies/100 calorie snacks and know that I'm not ruining my entire day.
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
    The first step is acknowledging that you have a problem. So congrats there, you're already closer to controlling it.

    Some tips:
    -Give yourself very small portion sizes. Then when you go for thirds, you'll have eaten much less than if you started out will a full plate.
    -If you have a craving that won't go away, go outside for a run or walk.
    -Don't ever eat straight out of the bag.
    -Find healthy substitutes that are filling. I always go for hot chocolate with skim milk. Filling but low on the cals.
    -Get out of the house. Work at the library or something.
    -Simply stop buying the products that give you the worst cravings. At the same time, don't deprive yourself. This might look like no more ice cream in the freezer at home, but going to an ice cream shop for a cone once a week.
  • Ashleyspal
    Ashleyspal Posts: 6
    CHEW GUM! A good, delicious snack that leaves me satisfied is also Veggie Straws. If you like crunch and salt, these are the way to go. The portion size is also 38 straws. If you take your time and eat them one at a time, it will feel like a ton.

    Also, I used to have issues with fast food. The issue was that I would eat it mindlessly. Constantly. I put a note to myself in my car to call a friend while I drove anywhere. This kept me from going through a drive thru. I had to be hard on myself and I had to sometimes fight with myself, but in the end it worked.

    Now, I am eating so much healthier, the thought of a drive thru is not appetizing. I've read up on fast food and all the awful stuff they do and how terrible the food is.

    Do some research on the effects of larger portions and be hungry for a week while you get used to smaller portions. Go to the gym so you will feel bad about undoing the work.

    These are all things that worked for me.
  • popzork
    popzork Posts: 78 Member
    The hardest, yet most rewarding thing you can do for food cravings is to eliminate all that stuff from your system. As a previous posted said - go for two (to three) weeks without eating processed, junk, or fast food. Very very hard to do, but once you clean your system, the cravings go away.

    Even more rewarding is that when you do eat something like that again, it doesn't taste as good.

    Also, you will feel AMAZING. You will notice that after lunch, you don't feel tired. You sleep better and wake up easier.

    Again, very hard to beat the cravings but the reward is enormous!
  • LydsVille77
    LydsVille77 Posts: 126 Member
    Brushing and flossing right after dinner tends to help me not want to put food in my mouth again in the evenings. (most of the time). Fact is... *kitten* happens. If we had perfect self control we wouldn't be here in the first place. Try low calorie treats that still feel like a treat, i love the skinny cow caramel clusters (120 cals per serving) and meringue cookies from miss meringue. You can have like 13 cookies for 110 calories!!!
  • wlkumpf
    wlkumpf Posts: 241 Member
    get strong tasting toothpaste and brush often (I hate the taste of foods with that).
    LEave a bowl of prewashed grapes or carrots sitting out. Most people really like these and will grab something when they walk in the kitchen, why not make is something healthy.
    Plan and enter your day's plan ahead of time. Then think about all the work it will be to change it after the fact.
    Have your family get on board. I substiute blue corn chips now and will count out a serving with tons of salsa, I don't deny myself, just make substitutions.
    Keep SF jello in your fridge and fat free cool whip, simple to make, stores nicely and is a major major yummy "desert" type treat!
    If you can't resist it, do not let it come in the house. I will not buy certain foods for my family because I have no will power! If my family can't understand that and get on board we have more problems than my weight.
    Make your calories count. If you are depriving yourself by only eating salads as a planned meal, you will cheat and crave and fall hard. Plan to fit in your healthy grains and options. I just searched the top 100 superfoods today and am ordering quinoa, chia, certain rices and some fruit leather (for my son) on amazon. Make those calories count! If you eat salads to get minimum calories and plan the rest to cheat on junk foods, you will be more hungry than a junk food or pop can fill up. Plan healthy for best use of your calories to fill you up!

    I hate drinking water, I wish I could use that option, I last a few days and then just can't force myself anymore :( I need more will power there.

    OH!!!!! forgot!!!!! 2 tips. Once you start to loose weight it helps you motivate to keep going, so try really hard for a few weeks and once you see the results really kicking it it should help you keep going at it. SEcondly!!!! Allow yourself a cheat. If you are going to a birthday party allow yourself a piece of cake, if you are going shopping get a salad but get that new desert they have at your restaurant. Rules: be realistic, a 1500 piece of lava cake isn't the same as a small slice of cheesecake. Also, ONCE a week. plan it out. I aim for saturdays or sunday usually and plan all week for what my "treat" will be! This week it was a bowl of ice cream (edy's lighter option) with lite syrup on it. You know what, I just need to dream, I will often pass once I get to my cheat day. I just need the dream and knowing I do have permission to have it. I then find the willpower to pass :)

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