Can't lose weight because I can't control cravings?

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Replies

  • estielouise
    estielouise Posts: 46 Member
    willpower!! willpower!! willpower!! thats it! Try giving yourself a treat day at a weekend, and then you'll have something to look forward to. If its chocolate you crave try eating a spinach salad, (the body may crave magnesium rich foods). Get some Multi vitamins take them religiously, drink lots of water (avoid sodas!!)

    something that worked for me is find a photo you particularly hate yourself in, write on the front of it next to your image how it makes you feel, and pin it to the fridge or cupboard (whichever you go to most) it helped me make sensible choices about food. This helps when you a share a house with people who arn't dieting.

    finally dont think of it as a diet, if you feel your deprived then you will fail! think of it as a healthy eating plan or a lifestyle choice!

    if you need support- there are lots of people on here going through the same thing. Feel free to add us as friends and send us messages! Check out other peoples food diaries can give you tips on the kind of meals to eat and in what quanties
  • dewsmom78
    dewsmom78 Posts: 498 Member
    If you're having cravings, it's because you're lacking in certain nutrients.


    http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/what-do-your-food-cravings-really-mean/
  • MyM0wM0w
    MyM0wM0w Posts: 2,008 Member
    .... you can induldge in your cravings. You just can't OVERDO!

    There's no reason why you can fit a piece of chocolate per day into your calories or a few chips.

    If you keep telling yourself you CAN"T have those things you're defeating yourself before you begin. Chill out and adjust your day to make room for the things you want. This isn't a sprint it's a marathon and if you don't learn how to include those things and eat for the long run even if you do lose weight you'll gain it right back when you start eating 'normally'.

    Make room and use portion control.
  • bob_day
    bob_day Posts: 87
    Do this and you *will* lose weight:

    1) Eat mostly to get the nutrition your body needs, and less for enjoyment. Establish a healthful diet and find pleasure in other things.

    2) Three meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That's it. No snacks, and no "in between" meals.

    3) Give up sugar. No sugar in coffee, soda, or on cereal. Give up fruit juice -- it's mainly just another form of sugar. Water is the only liquid you need.

    4) In the beginning, establish a very regulated moderate calorie diet. Don't follow any sort of fad. Just pick a selection of foods that add up to a normal balanced diet -- whole grains, veggies, fruit, dairy, a little meat, etc. But start out by having exactly the same three meals each day -- the same foods and the same amounts. Weigh the portions on a scale. Consider frozen dinners. Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, Kashi, Smart Ones, and probably other brands have several that are low in calories and saturated fat, 25% daily value or less of sodium, and high in fiber.

    5) Weigh yourself every day on a 0.2 lb. accuracy scale. Your weight should go down over every two or three days. If it doesn't, eliminate items from your diet or reduce the size of portions until your weight does go down. (If you don't have a 0.2 lb. accuracy scale, I'd recommend the EatSmart Precision Plus Digital Scale, which is sold on Amazon.) Don't obsess over the scale — let it be your friend and point the way to a weight losing diet.

    6) When you have achieved a weight losing diet, then you can start making adjustments to add variety, but make sure that you keep losing weight.

    7) Maintain your exercise program.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Do this and you *will* lose weight:

    1) Eat mostly to get the nutrition your body needs, and less for enjoyment. Establish a healthful diet and find pleasure in other things.

    2) Three meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That's it. No snacks, and no "in between" meals.

    3) Give up sugar. No sugar in coffee, soda, or on cereal. Give up fruit juice -- it's mainly just another form of sugar. Water is the only liquid you need.

    4) In the beginning, establish a very regulated moderate calorie diet. Don't follow any sort of fad. Just pick a selection of foods that add up to a normal balanced diet -- whole grains, veggies, fruit, dairy, a little meat, etc. But start out by having exactly the same three meals each day -- the same foods and the same amounts. Weigh the portions on a scale. Consider frozen dinners. Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, Kashi, Smart Ones, and probably other brands have several that are low in calories and saturated fat, 25% daily value or less of sodium, and high in fiber.

    5) Weigh yourself every day on a 0.2 lb. accuracy scale. Your weight should go down over every two or three days. If it doesn't, eliminate items from your diet or reduce the size of portions until your weight does go down. (If you don't have a 0.2 lb. accuracy scale, I'd recommend the EatSmart Precision Plus Digital Scale, which is sold on Amazon.) Don't obsess over the scale — let it be your friend and point the way to a weight losing diet.

    6) When you have achieved a weight losing diet, then you can start making adjustments to add variety, but make sure that you keep losing weight.

    7) Maintain your exercise program.

    This is a lot of bad advice.
  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
    Do this and you *will* lose weight:

    1) Eat mostly to get the nutrition your body needs, and less for enjoyment. Establish a healthful diet and find pleasure in other things.

    2) Three meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That's it. No snacks, and no "in between" meals.

    3) Give up sugar. No sugar in coffee, soda, or on cereal. Give up fruit juice -- it's mainly just another form of sugar. Water is the only liquid you need.

    4) In the beginning, establish a very regulated moderate calorie diet. Don't follow any sort of fad. Just pick a selection of foods that add up to a normal balanced diet -- whole grains, veggies, fruit, dairy, a little meat, etc. But start out by having exactly the same three meals each day -- the same foods and the same amounts. Weigh the portions on a scale. Consider frozen dinners. Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, Kashi, Smart Ones, and probably other brands have several that are low in calories and saturated fat, 25% daily value or less of sodium, and high in fiber.

    5) Weigh yourself every day on a 0.2 lb. accuracy scale. Your weight should go down over every two or three days. If it doesn't, eliminate items from your diet or reduce the size of portions until your weight does go down. (If you don't have a 0.2 lb. accuracy scale, I'd recommend the EatSmart Precision Plus Digital Scale, which is sold on Amazon.) Don't obsess over the scale — let it be your friend and point the way to a weight losing diet.

    6) When you have achieved a weight losing diet, then you can start making adjustments to add variety, but make sure that you keep losing weight.

    7) Maintain your exercise program.

    This is a lot of bad advice.

    I read and thought the same. I do agree with #1 though. If you are having trouble with emotional eating, work on fun hobbies, and try to see food as Nutrition not source of happiness. (not that there is anything wrong with enjoying food, but if it is a source of happiness, then you will turn to it when you are sad or stressed if that is your inclination.)
  • LMJS
    LMJS Posts: 157 Member
    Well done on taking the first step on your journey.
    I have been a major closet eater for a long time & would overload on chocolate as comfort food. I just decided that enough is enough & it's only going to change if 'I' decide to make a change for myself.

    Track everything that you eat - MFP has really opened my eyes to how much I was overheating - especially with home cooked meals in the evening, it's so easy to add food & create your own recipes & easy to see exactly where you are at each day.

    Find an exercise you like to do - even if its just walking - it all helps! And if you burn some calories, you get to eat a little bit more.

    I find its easier to stick to my day if its planned out ahead. I plan a weeks meals & shop for what I need, not for what I don't. Of course, there are the odd unusually days, like when a new dinner you try is gross, so you end up the take away! (yes that happened to me last week!). But even all that is in MFP and can be tracked.

    Allow yourself little treats now and again - it's good for the soul! But be sensible with it - I use to buy a fusized packet of smarties as my Sunday treat because they take a long time to eat!

    Log in each day and get some support - we are all trying to do the same and the support here is amazing.

    Good luck to you :-D
    Feel free to add me a s a friend for support if you like :-)
  • Lochlyn_D
    Lochlyn_D Posts: 492 Member
    There is a big difference between CAN'T and DON'T WANT TO.
  • estielouise
    estielouise Posts: 46 Member
    Do this and you *will* lose weight:

    1) Eat mostly to get the nutrition your body needs, and less for enjoyment. Establish a healthful diet and find pleasure in other things.

    2) Three meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That's it. No snacks, and no "in between" meals.

    3) Give up sugar. No sugar in coffee, soda, or on cereal. Give up fruit juice -- it's mainly just another form of sugar. Water is the only liquid you need.

    4) In the beginning, establish a very regulated moderate calorie diet. Don't follow any sort of fad. Just pick a selection of foods that add up to a normal balanced diet -- whole grains, veggies, fruit, dairy, a little meat, etc. But start out by having exactly the same three meals each day -- the same foods and the same amounts. Weigh the portions on a scale. Consider frozen dinners. Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, Kashi, Smart Ones, and probably other brands have several that are low in calories and saturated fat, 25% daily value or less of sodium, and high in fiber.

    5) Weigh yourself every day on a 0.2 lb. accuracy scale. Your weight should go down over every two or three days. If it doesn't, eliminate items from your diet or reduce the size of portions until your weight does go down. (If you don't have a 0.2 lb. accuracy scale, I'd recommend the EatSmart Precision Plus Digital Scale, which is sold on Amazon.) Don't obsess over the scale — let it be your friend and point the way to a weight losing diet.

    6) When you have achieved a weight losing diet, then you can start making adjustments to add variety, but make sure that you keep losing weight.

    7) Maintain your exercise program.

    This is a lot of bad advice.

    I read and thought the same. I do agree with #1 though. If you are having trouble with emotional eating, work on fun hobbies, and try to see food as Nutrition not source of happiness. (not that there is anything wrong with enjoying food, but if it is a source of happiness, then you will turn to it when you are sad or stressed if that is your inclination.)

    Completely agree - do not follow that advice!
  • dekutree
    dekutree Posts: 65 Member
    2) Three meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That's it. No snacks, and no "in between" meals.

    I totally disagree... going 'cold turkey' is very hard when you have cravings and are not used to feeling hungry. I always save some of my daily allowance for planned, healthy snacks.
  • cyn91364
    cyn91364 Posts: 2
    I've been trying different types of lettuce, and I love cucumbers, but I still dip lightly in Ken's fat free creamy ceasar!
  • coeurdalenegal
    coeurdalenegal Posts: 11 Member
    Once you understand that cravings are from head hunger and not stomach hunger then you'll be able to work on controlling them.
    I have been using My fitness Pal 66 days ago... I have lost nearly 30 pounds. I have my calories set at 1400 for each day, and my goal is to always come in just a bit under than number.
    I eat protein, veggies, 2 fruits and 2 dairy each day... if I feel hungry I eat more veggies...

    If you want to be friends, add me...

    Suzy aka coeurdalenegal

    I HAVE LEARNED TO LIKE VEGGIES MORE THAN BEING FAT.

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