Self-destruct mode or just happy?

bmaguire13690
bmaguire13690 Posts: 7 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone

I joined MFP to encourage myself to lose the 7lbs that snuck up on me during Christmas. In my first week I lost two pounds, felt great, etc etc.

Halfway through my second week it started to get hard. I'm not overweight (my BMI is about 22) and I look healthy, so all of a sudden it got too easy to open the freezer, look at the ice cream and say 'sod it, I'm fine as I am, why wouldn't I eat this ice cream?'.

So this past week and a half has been spent fluctuating between 'ice cream is great' happiness and uncomfortable nights / mornings feeling bloated as hell and feeling like I've let myself down.
What I can't figure out is whether I'm doing this because I'm happy with my body or because I'm flaky.... I know it's a bit odd that I'm asking for advice on my own feelings, but since I was a kid I've had a very dysfunctional relationship with food so I can't really trust my brain when it comes to stuff like this.

Sooo my question is: has anyone else hit this point before and what helped you get past it? Any advice would be great :)

(and before anyone says it, not having ice-cream in the house isn't an option - my partner would die of grief).

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    what about how healthy you are? i am not saying you cant be healhty and eat ice cream, but as you dont need to lose weight, maybe you should set health & fitness goals?

    i only had 18lbs to lose and have been maintaining for over a year, but regardless of the weight loss i am a million times healthier now i exercise regularly and eat better.
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
    Well obviously you're not entirely happy with your body or you wouldn't have made the thread. You're just not so unhappy that you're ready to give up your ice cream.

    I'm in a similar position at the moment (okay body weight but would like to lose about 10 more pounds and terrified of gaining it back). I'm also having a craving issue thanks to Spring allergies (don't ask me why that triggers it I have no clue) so I've decided to try a form of Intermittent Fasting where I eat around 600 calories one day and 2000 the next. I also work out regularly and don't eat all of those calories back.

    So it evens out to ~1200 net a day, which I've pretty much been at since my weight got low enough that 1200 became MFP's sedentary recommendation.

    This way I can have ice cream and whatever the hell else I want every other day. Hoping it fixes the problem because these cravings have been wearing down my willpower for weeks, plus annoying distracting me with constant thoughts of junk food.

    A lot of this weight loss thing is numbers but sometimes it's even more about mind games we play with ourselves to get what we want out of ourselves. Best of luck, hope you find something that works for you. Try different things until you hit on something that does work.
  • doubleduofa
    doubleduofa Posts: 284 Member
    Hi everyone

    I joined MFP to encourage myself to lose the 7lbs that snuck up on me during Christmas. In my first week I lost two pounds, felt great, etc etc.

    Halfway through my second week it started to get hard. I'm not overweight (my BMI is about 22) and I look healthy, so all of a sudden it got too easy to open the freezer, look at the ice cream and say 'sod it, I'm fine as I am, why wouldn't I eat this ice cream?'.

    So this past week and a half has been spent fluctuating between 'ice cream is great' happiness and uncomfortable nights / mornings feeling bloated as hell and feeling like I've let myself down.
    What I can't figure out is whether I'm doing this because I'm happy with my body or because I'm flaky.... I know it's a bit odd that I'm asking for advice on my own feelings, but since I was a kid I've had a very dysfunctional relationship with food so I can't really trust my brain when it comes to stuff like this.

    Sooo my question is: has anyone else hit this point before and what helped you get past it? Any advice would be great :)

    (and before anyone says it, not having ice-cream in the house isn't an option - my partner would die of grief).

    I'd say that if you feel guilty and bloated, then it is self destruct mode. Been here, done that, bought the T-shirt. What I'm doing? Trying to break my emotional connection with food. It's a one day at a time (sometimes one hour at a time) thing. I read books, I keep a journal, and I work on trying to identify my food triggers and my emotional triggers. I'm still trying to figure out why I eat chocolate for comfort - why that started in my life - when did it start...etc. I'm proud of myself when I identify emotions and don't turn to chocolate for solace. I write those in my journal. Basically, it takes a lot of work to break habits and emotional crutches.
  • doubleduofa
    doubleduofa Posts: 284 Member
    Well obviously you're not entirely happy with your body or you wouldn't have made the thread. You're just not so unhappy that you're ready to give up your ice cream.

    I'm in a similar position at the moment (okay body weight but would like to lose about 10 more pounds and terrified of gaining it back). I'm also having a craving issue thanks to Spring allergies (don't ask me why that triggers it I have no clue) so I've decided to try a form of Intermittent Fasting where I eat around 600 calories one day and 2000 the next. I also work out regularly and don't eat all of those calories back.

    So it evens out to ~1200 net a day, which I've pretty much been at since my weight got low enough that 1200 became MFP's sedentary recommendation.

    This way I can have ice cream and whatever the hell else I want every other day. Hoping it fixes the problem because these cravings have been wearing down my willpower for weeks, plus annoying distracting me with constant thoughts of junk food.

    A lot of this weight loss thing is numbers but sometimes it's even more about mind games we play with ourselves to get what we want out of ourselves. Best of luck, hope you find something that works for you. Try different things until you hit on something that does work.

    I did JUDDD for awhile and I liked it for that reason - I could eat the ice cream every other day and it worked into my cals. Just be careful - there are a few that developed some binging behaviors being on the diet for a long time. For me, after about 2 months, I was eating too much on my up days. Yes, I was maintaining still, but I wanted to lose and I felt out of control. I think it's a good diet, just short term for some people.

    Good luck!
  • aymeelaurain
    aymeelaurain Posts: 8 Member
    I hit that point once. I got tired of the doctors telling me I was obese and going to classes where they kept telling me to reduce my intake. Eventually I determined it wasn't healthy to live on such little food. The result was a 15lb gain. I finally got influenced to start running and got inspiration from a friend who is a vegan fitness model. He gave me the best advice. Empty out your fridge and restock it with healthy foods. Specifically fresh fruits and veggies. I ate all the fresh fruits I could in a week and was full but losing weight. I cut out all my dairy except trace amounts in things like bread. If not for that I wouldn't have reached my goal for last year. I actually got down to my ideal weight on New Years Eve. It's not easy to start over eating foods you aren't used to but when you don't have to focus so much on proportions it helps. I make a big bowl of fresh cut up mixed berries, melons, or orchard fruits depending on the season and snack on them all day at work. It keeps the hunger in control and I love the taste. I also have plastic containers that look like TV dinners and I normally prepare two days work of lunch ahead of time. It keeps me from making those fast food stops or buying snacks at the gas station. I also try not to buy anything that comes from a box. Buying foods from farmers markets (or meat shops if you eat meat) is cheaper and fresher (meats also tend to be leaner.) If you still can't quit the ice cream habit you might want to switch to a frozen yogurt or coconut milk ice cream. Hopefully this helps. If you really are at a healthy weight and can be happy with where you are now then I wouldn't worry too much. Just don't let yourself get carried away because those pounds will come back fast. Good luck.
  • bmaguire13690
    bmaguire13690 Posts: 7 Member
    Thanks for the advice everyone :) The 600 / 2000 alternate thing sounds like a possibility (judging by your display pic it definitely works - kudos!!), but I think I'd do better with a bit more stability. I lost 14lbs last year just by being sensible so I know I can do it, I'm obviously a bit too easily tempted.

    I think it's just a case of distracting myself (the diary idea is good, might take you up on that) and making sure I reach for the peppermint tea instead of the mint-choc-chip more often.

    Thanks again guys!
  • Dwoshea
    Dwoshea Posts: 5 Member
    I can definitely identify with you today. I am so on a self destruct path after a good week of being relatively careful. For me, it has been the cold, grey weather combined with being a bit fed up in any case. So like an idiot, I am just eating everything I can get my hands on today. End result is that it is making me feel very miserable. I even did a cross country run today but did not feel well motivated after that. I guess I will draw a line under today and start again tomorrow. Anyone got any handy tips for these kind of days?
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
    Thanks for the advice everyone :) The 600 / 2000 alternate thing sounds like a possibility (judging by your display pic it definitely works - kudos!!), but I think I'd do better with a bit more stability. I lost 14lbs last year just by being sensible so I know I can do it, I'm obviously a bit too easily tempted.

    I think it's just a case of distracting myself (the diary idea is good, might take you up on that) and making sure I reach for the peppermint tea instead of the mint-choc-chip more often.

    Thanks again guys!

    Actually I just started this a couple of days ago. Counting calories and exercising (which I will continue to do even on my 2000 calorie days because if not I will eat way more!) and later on going low carb (since last June) are what have worked for me.

    I'm reluctantly changing things up because low carb isn't killing the cravings like it used to and I don't want to go back to how miserable and inconsistent I was with just counting the calories and exercising alone.
  • bmaguire13690
    bmaguire13690 Posts: 7 Member
    I hit that point once. I got tired of the doctors telling me I was obese and going to classes where they kept telling me to reduce my intake. Eventually I determined it wasn't healthy to live on such little food. The result was a 15lb gain. I finally got influenced to start running and got inspiration from a friend who is a vegan fitness model. He gave me the best advice. Empty out your fridge and restock it with healthy foods. Specifically fresh fruits and veggies. I ate all the fresh fruits I could in a week and was full but losing weight. I cut out all my dairy except trace amounts in things like bread. If not for that I wouldn't have reached my goal for last year. I actually got down to my ideal weight on New Years Eve. It's not easy to start over eating foods you aren't used to but when you don't have to focus so much on proportions it helps. I make a big bowl of fresh cut up mixed berries, melons, or orchard fruits depending on the season and snack on them all day at work. It keeps the hunger in control and I love the taste. I also have plastic containers that look like TV dinners and I normally prepare two days work of lunch ahead of time. It keeps me from making those fast food stops or buying snacks at the gas station. I also try not to buy anything that comes from a box. Buying foods from farmers markets (or meat shops if you eat meat) is cheaper and fresher (meats also tend to be leaner.) If you still can't quit the ice cream habit you might want to switch to a frozen yogurt or coconut milk ice cream. Hopefully this helps. If you really are at a healthy weight and can be happy with where you are now then I wouldn't worry too much. Just don't let yourself get carried away because those pounds will come back fast. Good luck.

    Thanks a lot for this!
    I do yoga every day and keep reading the diet plan that came with the book, which pretty much tells you to eat all natural foods and cut out everything man-made (except for granary bread). I've been toying with the idea but I've been reluctant because it just felt like it'd be too hard work thinking up filling meal ideas for every day that didn't include any kind of refined carb. But you've just made it sound tasty and a lot easier to manage so I might try it out for a week.
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
    Well obviously you're not entirely happy with your body or you wouldn't have made the thread. You're just not so unhappy that you're ready to give up your ice cream.

    I'm in a similar position at the moment (okay body weight but would like to lose about 10 more pounds and terrified of gaining it back). I'm also having a craving issue thanks to Spring allergies (don't ask me why that triggers it I have no clue) so I've decided to try a form of Intermittent Fasting where I eat around 600 calories one day and 2000 the next. I also work out regularly and don't eat all of those calories back.

    So it evens out to ~1200 net a day, which I've pretty much been at since my weight got low enough that 1200 became MFP's sedentary recommendation.

    This way I can have ice cream and whatever the hell else I want every other day. Hoping it fixes the problem because these cravings have been wearing down my willpower for weeks, plus annoying distracting me with constant thoughts of junk food.

    A lot of this weight loss thing is numbers but sometimes it's even more about mind games we play with ourselves to get what we want out of ourselves. Best of luck, hope you find something that works for you. Try different things until you hit on something that does work.

    I did JUDDD for awhile and I liked it for that reason - I could eat the ice cream every other day and it worked into my cals. Just be careful - there are a few that developed some binging behaviors being on the diet for a long time. For me, after about 2 months, I was eating too much on my up days. Yes, I was maintaining still, but I wanted to lose and I felt out of control. I think it's a good diet, just short term for some people.

    Good luck!

    Thanks, and thanks for the info. No worries about developing a binge eating disorder because I already have one. It's called I eated all the food!

    Which is why I will keep careful count of my calories on my 2000 day and not even consider having another free day like I did last week. I'm still working off the weight I gained from that one! It seems like a fair compromise as long as it doesn't mess up my workouts. So far so good but like I said, I just started this.

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