Can't decide if eating or fat loss is more important

jaz050465
jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
in Motivation and Support
I've got obsessed with my BMF and counting calories so a few weeks ago I stopped it all to just eat healthily. But that's not worked either- I'm still binging

I keep changing my mind between if its more important to eat what I want or to get rid of the flab on my torso. I'm not huge which makes it harder to get motivated because all the reasons like playing with the kids or shopping in normal,size shops don't work for me as I can do that anyway- its just pure vanity.

I'm trying to focus on feeling good by not eating too much and eating healthily but I'm a target person and its just too hard to objectively monitor.

Replies

  • wnbrice
    wnbrice Posts: 244 Member
    Hundred percent your call to make.

    Until you are sure what you want for yourself there is nothing we can do to help you.
  • bacitracin
    bacitracin Posts: 921 Member
    Eat your TDEE -10%, and do resistance training.
  • CatoftheCanals_
    CatoftheCanals_ Posts: 41
    I have been there - and still am there when I reallllly want something that I know is not great for me. What I have found that helps when I am in that spot is reminding myself of the long term health consequences of over-hearing and excess weight, such as increased risk of heart diesease. It doesn't always help, but sometimes it doesn't. Other times, I go back and look at my pictures I took of myself in my bikini that clearly shows all of my problem areas. That helps with the vanity.

    Good luck!
  • FitandFab33
    FitandFab33 Posts: 718 Member
    I'm not being flippant when I say: therapy. It sounds like you have some issues with food (like a LOT of people, myself included) and figuring out your triggers/mindset and working through that can do wonders to your intake and lifestyle.

    Obsessing over food and/or bingeing are destructive behaviors- talk to someone who knows what they're talking about (specializes in disordered eating behavior) and figure out where it's coming from. :-)

    ETA: It doesn't have to be one or the other.
  • Reecebullet
    Reecebullet Posts: 141 Member
    I was in the same place for years and years. Went through wanting to lose weight and trying to (but never really committing) to binging. I finally decided to stop what I was doing and just really think about it. Clearly, you're trying to lose weight at times for good reasons, what-ever they may be.

    I just knew I wasn't happy with how I was going, and comfort eating was just making me go around in circles. Since then I've been committed to a better life-style.

    Ultimately it's your choice. You just need to figure out what's really important to you. Good luck. :)
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
    I know exactly how you feel! I'm a at a healthy weight right now, I'm just still about 10 pounds away from where I would like to be, ideally. Some days I feel like I'm perfectly fine the way I am now, and I should just eat what I want and enjoy life. Other days though, I feel like I owe it to myself to lose the last bit of fat and achieve my ideal body. I feel like I change my mind about this three times a week! So my weight keeps fluctuating - I lose a few pounds, then gain it back :(

    Right now I'm on a pretty solid "I'm going to do this" kick, so maybe this will be the time I actually lose those last 10 pounds. But it's hard. In the end we just have to make the call, and if we decide we want to lose that last bit of fat, we have to find the willpower to do so.
  • gkutterer
    gkutterer Posts: 2 Member
    Why not choose both...it IS possible to eat AND to lose fat...you just have to make healthy choices and mind your portion sizes. At least you're here on MFP which can really help you to learn about the nutritional content of your food, be more conscious of the actual amount that you're ingesting and make appropriate adjustments along the way. Stick with it, it isn't easy but then again, most things in life worth having don't come easily.
  • MightyDomo
    MightyDomo Posts: 1,265 Member
    Alright first, don't limit what you are eating to only 'healthy' foods, mix in a little of what you like in moderation so that you don't find yourself craving/binging on it. The more often you sneak them in the less likely you are to binge (at least this is what it is for me, will power is something you definitely need to learn and have)

    Second, make a choice to lose body fat (all over, also noted as 'gross' body fat) and to gain muscle to help burn that fat easier.

    Third, never beat yourself up for making a mistake, for binging on a loved food. Just remember that this is just one meal or just one day and that you can get back on track tomorrow. Doesn't have to be a do or die thing, just live and learn thing.

    So just eat right and sometimes eat what you want to focus on being healthy and you will start seeing some really great results. Just don't forget that a slice of cake can take around an hour or more to burn off in low-medium exercise activity so you gotta still work for it or find a way to fit it in.
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
    Thanks for your replies. I only have about ten pounds to lose so a lot of the motivations some people have, like health, aren't relevant for me. I am a black and white person so moderation is just really difficult for me. If I'm not obsessing by counting calories, how do I moderate what i eat.
    By the way- I only have mini binges but to me it feels out of control.

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