NEED HELP

You need a hobby. Keep yourself busy away from the kitchen. Get online and explore. You just need to keep your mind focus on something else.
Cross Stitching is great for me. You have to focus so much on the counting that you don't even hear the kids after a while.
Good luck to you.

I have the same problem!! But you know what, if you deprive yourself completely, the craving just gets worse! I sit and think and think and think about it so much I end up eating it and then i feel like garbage, like I just ruined my whole diet, then that spins me into eating bad all over again. You have to stop beating yourself up like I did. So what. So you cheated once. Do like I do. Get back on the saddle and stop making yourself mad! Psyche yourself up and get motivated again!
Here are some tricks that may or may not work for you, but worked for me! Depending on your poison, keep a small amount of whatever you crave. If its chocolate or chocolate bars, buy minis. That way if you absolutely have to have it, a few bites of that should settle the craving. If its chips or crackers or cookes, take a few out and put in a bag, and only eat what's in the bag. Ice cream? Scoop out a few spoonfulls and set aside for when you just can't take it!! lol

Believe me, we ALL understand your issue. Isn't that why we're all here in the first place?

First - quit beating yourself up, we all fall off the wagon and give into our cravings, if you're beating yourself up for it, you're putting yourself in a negative frame of mind, and you don't need to be there as it is the first step of getting off your diet for good. So think positive and go on. :flowerforyou:
Second - Give yourself a cheat day once a week, and when you get use to that, then change it to once every 2 weeks.:happy:
Third - What ever it is you crave, make it your prize for your cheat day. And don't keep it around the house the rest of the week. Buy prize items in very small quanities the day before your cheat day or the day of your cheat day. :bigsmile:
Fourth - Love yourself.

I am EXACTLY the same way....I've only been o this thing for only 2 days and already i'm struggling.

I too do SO well during the day at work, but when I get home its horrendous!! So, what i plan on doing is sitting with my fiance and discussing this weight loss goal with him. I'd like to throw out all the bad stuff (out of sight , out of mind) and start setting up weekly meal plans for us...that way....we can grocery shop for all the ingredients and prepare meals ahead of time.

for me, schedules, to do lists, calendars, etc. work to keep me on track (i'm a very visual person). we have a calendar on our fridge that has all of schedules and stuff on it, but now what i do is mark off a BIG X on the days that I go to the gym. that way.....if i see that i have not gone, i feel guilty.......

hope this helps!

Don’t beat yourself up. You are human and we all do it.
The first thing that went through my mind is are you eating a balanced diet and are you eating enough? I have heard and found it to be true. If you don’t eat a balanced diet then you will have more cravings because your body is in need of something then end up eating things you should not have. Food is the bodies fuel. If you aren’t eating enough then it is going to tell you to eat more.

If it is a case of something that you really like or is a favorite food or even a healthy food and you find you keep eating too much of don’t bring it in the house. Peanut butter is good for us but I can’t have it in the house. I eat too much of it if it is here. My spoon keeps ending up in the jar then BOOM it’s in my mouth….AGAIN. Sometimes I will have it on my “Treat” day. (I don’t consider it as cheating)

Having a set day of the week as my treat day helps me stay on track. My day is Friday after I have weighed in at our TOPS meeting. Just knowing that Friday IS coming and I CAN have what I want that day with out any guilt works for me.

If there are others in the house that you have to have “forbidden” foods around for all week ask them to please keep it somewhere that you can’t find it. My husband does this for me all the time. I have done it for him also. If I know something here that I have a problem staying out of I will eat it. I have learned the best thing is to just not bring it in the house if at all possible.

Like I said don’t beat yourself up over it you are human and it happens to all of us. We all have bad days and sometimes bad weeks. Just pick yourself up…dust yourself off….and start all over again.
You can do this. And remember we are here for you.
:flowerforyou:

Loretta_Jo, what is a typical food day for you? You've mentioned before that you have foods that you won't allow in your home because you over do it with them. I am the same way! I'm curious about your daily diet, though. You have been so incredibly successful, I would really benefit from hearing from you if you're willing to share.

Thanks!

I will be more then glad to come back tomorrow and do that. I would do it tonight but I am getting ready for my TOPS meeting in the morning. I have to get up at 5am to have time to get my bones moving and pull myself together so I will be going to bed soon.
But I will come back tomorrow and share that with you. :flowerforyou:

Loretta_Jo, what is a typical food day for you? You've mentioned before that you have foods that you won't allow in your home because you over do it with them. I am the same way! I'm curious about your daily diet, though. You have been so incredibly successful, I would really benefit from hearing from you if you're willing to share.

Thanks!

I will be more then glad to come back tomorrow and do that. I would do it tonight but I am getting ready for my TOPS meeting in the morning. I have to get up at 5am to have time to get my bones moving and pull myself together so I will be going to bed soon.
But I will come back tomorrow and share that with you. :flowerforyou:

I just want to let you know I haven’t forgotten about this. Please don’t beat me. lol It has been one of those days for me. I WILL be back tomorrow with what I promised. Sorry I didn’t get to it today. :flowerforyou:

I’m sorry I didn’t get back to this sooner. Today has been another busy day for me. The first thing I had to do was take my 14 year old tom cat to the vet. It looks like he may have congestive heart failure. Poor old kissie put. Then it was going to the drug store, grocery shopping etc….

Now that I am sitting here I really don’t know what I can tell you other then for starters I eat several small meals a day. Key word here is “small”. When I get up in the mornings I have meds I have to take. Some with out food and some I have to take with food. So I take my first meds, get dressed, make my bed then go to the kitchen to fix my breakfast.

I start each day with an allotted amount of calories to “spend”. Right now that amount is 1200 calories a day since I am trying to lose a few pounds. I hover around that amount mostly. I do go over that amount most every day though. Sometimes I only go over a few calories and some days I go over 1300 calories.

I don’t always eat “breakfast” food for breakfast. If I have left over baked chicken or fish I will eat that for breakfast along with veggies or I will make a sandwich or a wrap with the meat and sometimes left over veggies too. I just make sure that what ever I do eat I keep the calories low. I do try to eat a balance if I can. I don’t always have time though. Sometimes I just have to grab something quick and get out the door.

I don’t always eat everything for that one meal at one setting. I sometimes kind of nibble and graze slowly on what I have left….like whole wheat pita chips or veggies, fruit or what ever. Then I will have my snack later.

I have found that if I have fruit and have a piece of cheese with it I don‘t get the munchies a short time later. The complex carbs and the protein together keep my blood sugar from spiking and then dropping quickly. I buy cheese that comes in pre-wrapped individual servings. Each portion is ¾ oz..

I don’t “plan” out my meals for each day. I just make sure that I have all the things on hand I need to eat healthy. When I get up I will then decide what I want to eat making sure I keep the calories low. At lunch and dinner I will do the same thing. I do my best to eat a balance diet.

A few days ago I found my self craving “something” and wanting to “just eat”. I thought it over and realized I hadn’t had ANY protein that day. I ate some tuna and that gnawing urge to “just eat” went away. It was one of those just grab something to eat and run days.

I eat whole grains (the more fiber the better), fresh fruits baked boneless, skinless chicken breast or baked fish most of the time and steamed veggies. I don’t drink fruit juice. I would rather eat my calories then drink them so I eat the fruit instead.

Since I found the recipe calculator at SparkPeople I have been making soups and chili which are low in fat and calories and are very filling. When I make soup and chili I use ground turkey instead of ground beef.

I use to hate skim milk and now I like it better then whole milk.

I recently discovered that I wasn’t getting enough fat in my diet. I talked with a dietitian that told me real butter does wonderful things for our bodies. So I have added it to my diet every day. I also eat avocados now too since they are a good fat.

All in all I just eat low calorie healthy foods.

Like I have said many times the foods I know I can’t stay out of (even the healthy ones) I just don’t bring in the house at all….like peanut butter.

If we have something for a treat on our treat day and there is some of it left over I put it in the trash. I don’t consider it a waste of food or money I consider it an investment in my health.

Everything that goes in my mouth I log. I use to write it all down in note books. Now I log it here at MFP.

Another thing. Everything that I eat I weigh and measure. I tell our members at TOPS to go ahead and get a good set of food scales. I have gone through enough of the little cheap ones to have bought 2 of the good ones. When you find out the little cheap ones are not working properly you may have been eating too many calories for quit some time. The springs or what ever in them wear out fast. I good set will cost you around $25.00 and they are well worth the money. Also go to the “Every Things A Dollar” type stores and get several sets of measuring cups and measuring spoons so you will always have clean ones ready and waiting for you to use.

The key to successful weight loss and maintaining your weight loss is to weigh, measure and log your food.

I have seen lots of people who said they could keep up with what they eat in their head. I have only seen one person who really could. The others either just though they could or just did not want to take the time to do it.

I am sure I will think of something else later but right now that is all I can think of and since I have now written a book…..I will stop.

Have A Most Outrageously Bodacious Day Everybody…..:flowerforyou:

Loretta_Jo

Thank you so much for all that invaluable information! I put it in my Fitness Folder which goes with me everywhere.

You have been so much help to all of us, and so generous of your time. Why, if you weren't in Arkansas, I'd give you a big (((( bear huggie ))))

I agree with Red about having fun. I tend to stay inf or days at a time - not good for me, but sooo easy to do. Do you have NetFlix?? I highly recommend it for people who are at home a lot. I've had it for three years now. You can get all kinds of things, documentaries, live music performances, new movie releases, HBO series, regular TV series (no commercials, yay!) I love it. They have a feature that is free with your subscription which gives you unlimited movies online (to watch on computer) IF you have a really fast connection or computer.

TTYL, oven just beeped at me.

Cheryl

Thank you and you are very welcome, I am glad to do it.
(((((Big Bear Hug))))) back at ya.
I have had Netflix for about 2 ½ years now. They are really cool. I just got 3 in the mail today. I have the 5 at a time plan. I hate it when I have nothing to watch. When I get with out any movies I go to the video store. I have watched a few things on line from Netflix. I don’t watch TV except for the news, weather and movies that I rent. I sometimes go through everything in one day. :noway:
Have a great day TTYL…..
Loretta :flowerforyou: