Don't know what to do anymore

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.

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 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.

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?

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

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

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.

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.

I do like eating salads and the bag still goes bad. 450 calories if it is your main meal is not much as long as the calories come from protein and vegetable oils.

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.

Make your own bread. It will still be 230 calories in bread but at least it will make you fuller for longer. Or make sure you buy wholemeal/wholegrain.


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.

Chips - try the following as substitutes: edemame (soya) beans with salt, nuts, more nuts, cheese, bread with marmite (rich in iron and B12 recently discovered)

Candy? - Fruit, Cerial bars, and Protein Shakes! Bananas, milk, apples, nectarines, yogurt, strawberry, peanut butter, .....

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.

Frozen veg with olive oil and lemon, frozen veg with low calorie chili sauce. Boil/steam do not fry.

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

Make informed choices and plan. Make sure you have your own food so you do not give in.


6. 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.

Someone brought celebrations in the office and I ate loads.. **** happens enjoy it and do not regret it. Be careful next time and go down the gym.

:-)

Your post was the most honest of most things I read in here. The truth has to be stated..... Losing weight is work.. It is not easy... You can see how a forum of support is necessary.. because we have our weaknesses. I understand your entire dilemma. For possible solutions.... I think I am going to write out my meals for the week... total up the calories.... cook, store, freeze, buy.... the food and follow the menu to the tee.... and see if I lose a pound. I need a prescription .... literally... for what to eat... so that I don't have those cravings.... or get tempted. I read that eating protein in the morning keeps you full to lunch time.. so you won't snack. I;ve seen a dinner plate divided into three sections.... protein, carbs, sugars...... and you have to put the food in each third.... and don't go over that....... /I'm sure there's ore... but... yes..... this is like breaking an addiction.... The MFP .... where they tell you. "You have earned 262 calories due to exercise should be ignored... because it ... too often, justifies why I will eat candy.... Best wishes..... Pleasehelpmeloseweight.

Drink lots of water, that helps with my cravings Also ideas for salty snacks, beef jerky or almonds. Sweet stuff, I usually get apples, plums, grapes. They tend to stay fresh longer than say bananas.

Wrap your sandwich items in lettuce or you can by the bagel thins or low calorie bread like another person said.

I keep a variety of snacks on hand at work all the time to help me with snacking or grazing. Good luck!

Lean proteins are totally the way to go. You will feel full longer PERIOD! Also, be sure to keep your intake of water way up to help facilitate the full feeling as well. Good protein sources are: protein bars, almonds, beef jerky, turkey jerky, eggs, beans and lentils.

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.

1. Salads aren't mean to be distasteful. Find a dressing you like ( I prefer Caesar), and the veggies you want (that variation possibility is endless). Then, I looove cheese, so I sprinkle a serving of cheese into the salad. Lastly, I use croutons. Spruces up the salad so much. Creates about 300-400 cals depending on the amounts, but it is hearty!
2.I threw out bread altogether. Generally, the better the bread, the more expensive it is, and chances are, you would only use bread to eat processed meat or other stuff that is not good. So I said Ole! and do without.
3.Chips Candy? Try Saltines (unsalted) and salsa, or peanuts, or sunflower seeds! Carrots and ranch is awesome! I love it. For a filling snack/ lunch. I put some chopped up potatoes (about 2 or 3) into a skilled of about 4 tbsp of healthy margarine. fry em up, and you got a powershot of potassium.
4. You will love this option: get some veggies of any kind ( I love california blend, or spinach), and boil them up in a pot. let em get soft. Use it as a side, and get the spray verson of "I Can't Believe Its Not Butter" and smother it in that. It is soooo good. Same things works well for rice!
5. You need to enjoy life. Do not feel guilty for takin a snickers bar or a Blizzard. Those are the joys. Just learn to have them in moderation, and you will be okay. I love the butterfinger blizzard. they are my favorite!