Don't know what to do anymore

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So I have some problems:

1. I don't really like to eat salads. I but a bag of salad mix, or a head of romaine, and it goes bad before I've gotten halfway through it. The kind of salads I like, end up being 450 calories or something ridiculous like that. Otherwise, I'm hungry 30 minutes after eating it.

2. I can't seem to find bread or wraps that don't end up making my sandwich 300 calories. Or maybe I need to make different types of sandwiches.

3. I need some kind of junkfood-like substitute for the actually stuff I crave. Chips? Candy? When I don't have it, I go grocery shopping and end up buying some very unhealthy stuff even though I don't intend to. And then I binge on it.

4. I really try to eat vegetables. Again, many of them go bad before I eat them. I buy bags of frozen vegetable stir fry, but find I need to smother them in teriyaki sauce to really enjoy them. Raw cut vegetables - I gotta have ranch to eat them.

How the hell do I break these habits/addictions? Sometimes I just feel hopeless. I need more self control.

Dairy Queen - pumpkin pie blizzards are amazing! It has taken all I have not to go get one, and that's mostly because I can't afford to waste the money and the closest one is across town.

Someone brought in a bag of candy yesterday at work, I ate SIX pieces (Twix, Snickers) instead of controlling myself and having one or two and working them into my calories.

It's like I just give up once I've made one bad choice and make six more bad choices before bed time.

I need to exercise but I don't want those exercise calories to be an excuse for not eating well.

I log my calories in the morning and by the afternoon, I've blown it so bad that I just don't bother logging the rest of the day.

I really want to be healthy, but it's like I'm addicted to a drug that just won't let me go! I don't want to give up but I don't know what to do anymore..



Just had to get that out there.
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Replies

  • scarletgenesis
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    How many calories are you aiming for each day. 450 calories for a salad that serves as a meal and fills you up isn't that bad, especially if you have some kind of protein in it.

    So you don't care for veggies. Or is it just some veggies? Spinach? Cooked or raw?
  • Espressocycle
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
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    Salads don't do it for me, but I have been known to make mashed cauliflower with a little potato and butter and eat a whole bowl. Or cabbage cooked with a little apple cider. Or a huge plate of spaghetti squash with some grated parmesan. All super low cal, super filling things.
  • DoingItForME724
    DoingItForME724 Posts: 130 Member
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    I feel the exact same way....

    the only "healthy" stuff I like is broccoli, squash, asparugus but i add butter and salt!


    I hope someone else has advice.....i just love good food and to me good filling food is not a salad or veggies.
  • msbeeblebrox
    msbeeblebrox Posts: 133 Member
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    Pasta tastes good. Cookies and cake taste good. Alcohol tastes good. We all know that.
    If you're trying to make changes in your diet, it's going to be difficult. Eating vegetables when you're used to daily blizzards is going to take some time for your palate to adjust to. Stop saying that you can't and just suck it up and do it.
  • smiling_sushi
    smiling_sushi Posts: 46 Member
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    Let me see if I can help a bit :)

    I don't really like salad either! I agree, it's really not very filling. Honestly, I can't remember the last time I had a salad. If you feel like you must eat some though, try making a small side salad in addition to something else small that's more filling.

    I found the best way to deal with high calorie sandwiches is to just eat an open faced sandwich instead. One thing I like to do is get some canned chicken, mix it with a little ranch and pepper, and put that on topped of a piece of toasted bread. It's pretty filling and missing the extra calories from the other slice of bread :)

    Chips and salsa can be a good, healthy snack. Just buy baked tortilla chips instead of regular ones and fat free salsa. As for candy, I find that some super dark chocolate can help curb some cravings - it's decently healthy because it's low in dairy, and you tend to eat less of it because of how rich it is.

    I'm terrible with veggies too, but I'm working on it! If you really need a sauce for your veggies (I often do too) I've found that Walden Farms dressings are great for adding some no-calorie flavor. The Walden Farms brand dressings aren't very thick, but I think they taste pretty good :)

    I'm an ice cream addict too. My way of dealing with that has been switching to frozen yogurt. It's not a perfect substitute, but it generally helps with any cravings I have.

    I know you can do this! It just takes a little time and effort. Don't try to change too much at once, and don't beat yourself up if you have a bad day. We all have bad days, you just have to tell yourself you'll try harder tomorrow :)
  • Evey_bee
    Evey_bee Posts: 77 Member
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    I hardly ever eat salads unless I can add quinoa/other stuff to make it a full meal and manage to stick to a 1200 limit. I try to eat a good balance of foods, although I do really enjoy vegetables.
    For stir frys I often just put soy sauce and mirin on my veggies instead of a jar of sauce(I too love teriyaki). Try eating veggies in stews, soups, healthier/homemade sauces.
  • CaptainPhil
    CaptainPhil Posts: 8 Member
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    My salads are spinach salad with some cheese and meat in it (usually salami or similar. With a light dressing i get a lot of green, protein to help fill me up, and I am satisfied for hours after.

    For my sugar fix I have a snack of a protein smoothing with frozen fruit, non-fat vanilla yogurt, flax seeds, and a scoop of protein powder. Helps my sweet tooth stop bothering me

    For meals a hamburger patty with cheese and an egg on top. No bread. Side salad or sweet potatoes or both.

    This has helped me a lot.
  • wildmustng87
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    My goal is 1450cal a day. I actually don't mind most veggies, maybe it's just a habit of smothering them with sauce or spices that is my problem.

    I think part of it is that I find something healthy that I like.. like cantaloupe over the summer.. that I say OH I like this! and then I focus on it so much that I burn myself out on it.

    I have a bunch of spaghetti squash and acorn squash from my garden, I just haven't been able to find good recipes for it yet. I spend hours looking at recipes some days and get overwhelmed and only end up getting two or three recipes out of them all and they're never for the ingredients I already have at home. Or, I try and don't cook them well. My mom didn't like to cook and I'm now living across the country from my family and trying to learn on my own, and I get discouraged sometimes. I lack the ability to cook things without following a recipe, or the confidence. So then making dinner becomes a big ordeal and sometimes I take the easy way out and buy fast food or something.

    When I eat higher-calorie meals and see that I only have 400cals left for the day after I eat lunch, it's like I panic and give up, thinking there's no way I can stay under my calorie goal anyways so why try? When I don't eat the higher cal stuff I'm starving all day and end up bingeing at night. (Edit: I just changed my goals from 2lbs/week to 1.5lbs/week, I WAS trying to restrict to 1200cal/day. With the 1450 I may not have such a problem with this? I hope.)

    I just can't seem to win!
    I don't know what's wrong with me.
  • madblondebint
    madblondebint Posts: 17 Member
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    How many pounds a week have you set to lose? It might be worth reducing this and take a bit longer over your weight loss than give up now. You can always increase it later when you get into the swing of things.
  • wildmustng87
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    Pasta tastes good. Cookies and cake taste good. Alcohol tastes good. We all know that.
    If you're trying to make changes in your diet, it's going to be difficult. Eating vegetables when you're used to daily blizzards is going to take some time for your palate to adjust to. Stop saying that you can't and just suck it up and do it.

    I didn't say I can't do it, I asked for help and advice.

    Daily blizzards? I didn't say that either. It's a very rare treat for me.

    But it's ok, I figured I would get comments like this one. :)


    Thanks to everyone else offering advice, I already have some new items for the grocery list and I really appreciate it!
  • MdmAcolyte
    MdmAcolyte Posts: 382 Member
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    Are you exercising and eating your exercise calories? If you want a 600 calorie sandwich ~ incorporate into your calories and talk a walk and burn some eatable calories to earn it. ;)
  • kristen6022
    kristen6022 Posts: 1,926 Member
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    If you want it bad enough, you'll figure out ways of doing it. I'm sorry, not being mean, but no one but YOU can make the decision to experiment with what works for you...I'll give you a few tips though...

    I live alone so I get what you mean about food going bad, but I buy all fresh veggies (nothing ever frozen, don't like them) and I plan all my meals for the week so I actually use them. I eat BIG salads (like 1/2 bags of mixed lettuce, big salads) with a lean protein (baked salmon, grilled chicken or extra lean ground turkey crumbled) and low calorie extras (some of my favs are light cheese, black beans, jarred jalapenos, real bacon bits, etc). My favorite dressings are Bolthouse Farms and a Fat Free Italian from Aldi. Neither of them are over 50 calories for 2 tbsp. So, my tip here is to use 1/2 the bag - the calorie count on lettuce is LOW and find one you really like (I prefer butter lettuce and romaine and sometimes spinach). Everyone I work with are JEALOUS over my salads because they are so yummy and big and I still maintain my 45 pound loss! I typically will have greek yogurt and/or cottage cheese (great sources of protein) with my salads at lunch - my calorie count is never above 450 for everything...

    I very rarely eat veggies raw because without dip I can't stand them. I cook all my veggies and might have 2-3 servings for dinner instead of a grain. I also find that quinoa and cous cous are two grains I can't live without. It makes it so I limit my exposure to pasta and rice. Try a new veggie every week and experiment with what you like. I use to HATE brussel sprouts but I found out that if you roast them with some olive oil (good for you) and garlic they are HEAVENLY. During my journey I discovered that asparagus, snow peas, broccoli and green beans are things I'll never be able to live without.

    I found that if I have one chocolate I have 5 chocolates, so if people have them around work I just don't eat any. I can't stop and I'd rather just not have it. I keep low cal, high protein snacks (beef jerky, almonds, etc) in my snack drawer so I can eat something better for me when temptations arise.

    I really hope you find your way and you keep to this. It's so worth it in the long run - I never thought I'd feel and look as good as I do now in my 30's. I'm more fit and slender now than I was even in high school. It's all about finding what works for you and sticking with it. And not feeling bad if you treat yourself once in a while. It's a lifestyle change not a diet. Who wants to do all this hard work to stop and gain it all back?
  • Baloostika
    Baloostika Posts: 203 Member
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    You're not yet ready to lose weight cos you haven't made up ur mind. It's not easy but I mean, we all did it the hard way and are all trying to lose the weight. Just make up ur mind.
  • schell81
    schell81 Posts: 187 Member
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    I log my meals the night before, helps me greatly with keeping my calories in check. I'm not sure how many calories you're eating but I don't see anything wrong with a 300 calorie sandwich. My lunch is usually between 300-400 calories.
    For snacks I have come across a few options that I love.
    Potato sticks, they come in potato chip flavours. I get them at the grocery store in the natural food aisle. a portion is 240 and it's a huge bowl full. I think it's 64 sticks.
    100 calorie smart pop helps me too when I want something crunchy.
    Nilla wafers 8 cookies is 110 calories
    Special K fruit crisps. Too good, remind me of pop tarts.
    As for cravings like dairy queen (yummy yummy dairy queen) I try to fit it into my calories with exercise, have a low calorie replacement, or just look up how many calories it's going to be and then I usually don't want it anymore.

    I try to eat healthy most the time but tonight I'm having a homemade pulled pork sandwich and I'm just going to fit it into my calories. I love bread and have just found lower calorie options, I read all the labels and pick the best option.

    One more thing, I love to make pita pizza's for lunch. 300 calories of delicousness, you just have to find lower calorie pitas and measure out some low fat cheese
  • wildmustng87
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    Thanks kristen6022, I don't find your comment mean at all! I know I am the one that needs to make the change and gain the willpower, I just need some advice, and I appreciate yours :)

    I think I'll grab some veggies after work today and plan some meals, that would definitely help me stay on track!
  • wildmustng87
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    Sorry for the double post - But thanks everyone :) I have to leave for work now, and I really appreciate all the advice and support I have already gotten :)

    It has lifted my mood and I already feel much more confident.
  • Lisah8969
    Lisah8969 Posts: 1,247 Member
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    Nature's Own has bread (in 3 or 4 different varieties) that is 40 calories a slice. Pair that up with two turkey dogs and you're about 300 calories for 2 hot dogs!

    Pringles are good for the chip fix...they are generally not in a million pieces so you can count out a serving (or a serving and a half) and put on your plate so you don't eat the whole can.

    Add those two items above and you have what is my lunch pretty much every Saturday and Sunday at around 500 calories or so.

    For salads...try some of the salad mixes. Fresh Express has one called Salsa Ensalada that is only 160 calories for half the bag and I literally found myself scraping the last bits of this one out of the bowl! Publix (where I shop) also has their own Caesar salad kit that is generally on sale every other week and half of it is only 195 calories and you can add chicken or salmon to it if you want to make it a meal instead of a side dish.
  • rompers16
    rompers16 Posts: 5,404 Member
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    Fiber One makes a 60 calorie wrap in different flavors. Make your sandwich and add some of your veggies there. You can use a low cal mayo like Smart Beat for 10 calories or use hummus as a spread. If you like tator tots search up the recipe here for zucchini tots. If you like potato pancakes, look up the recipe for cauliflower pancakes, both are great. For snacks, have you tried the 100 calorie snacks? There are a ton of good ones out there that can satisfy your sweet tooth. Good luck :)
  • xiamjackie
    xiamjackie Posts: 611 Member
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    There are TONS of types of breads that are low-calorie. Sara Lee makes a bread that is 45 calories per slice and only 7g of carbs per slice.

    Look up alternative recipes instead of eating a pumpkin pie blizzard. There are TONS on the internet. I make one that involves one can of pumpkin puree, one tub of fat free cool whip, and a packet of sugar free vanilla pudding. It's DELICIOUS and so much healthier than pumpkin ice cream!

    I snack on baggies of cereal a lot when I need something crunchy, but don't to resort to chips. Goldfish are also an option because a serving size is like 52 pieces or something like that for 140 calories.

    The fruity v8 (fusion, I know there are other ones too but i'm drawing a blank) drinks taste awesome and have full servings of fruits and veggies.



    There are ALWAYS alternative options! Use the internet as your resources!
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
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    At this point... suck it up. Honestly.

    Basically the only things you like are caked in sugar and fat. Everything healthy, you seem to hate. So, no way around it. You'll need to stop looking at food as a source of pleasure and now as a source of fuel.

    No matter how you feel or what you want... YOU are in control of your actions.

    What you should try is to mix in the healthy things you abhor with things you adore. Hate spinach? A spinach salad with chicken breast and a tiny bit of dressing (fats are needed) with various vegetables thrown in would be fantastic. The flavor of the chicken and the dressing would overwhelm most of the veggies and the spinach.