My MFP "Duh" moment after a year.

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TheFinalThird
TheFinalThird Posts: 315 Member
in Motivation and Support
I passed the year mark on MFP last week. Was down 95, gained back 42, lost back 7 of that this past week. In the shower this morning, I had a major DUH moment that helped me understand how I gain weight so quickly and lose it so quickly.

I am an anxiety eater. I tend to stuff my pie hole in order to fill holes caused by life anxiety.

After reading the boards, I became convinced that I needed to "eat clean" in order to be successful on here.
But I found myself craving less healthy foods that satisfied me emotionally.
So I ate the junky foods, and found myself wanting more nutritional foods to satisfy my body's nutrition needs.
I couldn't get it right because I thought it was one or the other.

And then I had my DUH moment. My mind WANTED junky foods but my body NEEDS healthy foods.

So I tried eating a balance of both. For instance, Chick-fil-a mini bites and hash browns for breakfast, but a fish and shrimp laden ceviche and salad (no dressing, just fresh lemon and lime juice, black pepper, red pepper flake and salt) for lunch with tilapia fish tacos for dinner (along with candy topped frozen yogurt for dessert). My mind was getting the "treat" it craved and my body was getting the nutrition and fiber that it needed. And I have been losing weight while eating most or all of my allotted calories (including exercise calories).

Also, I noticed that when I exercise vigorously (for me, that is), it reduces my anxiety, so I don't feel as compelled to eat.

Finally. I have always been one of those folks who has been dismissive of water consumption. I generally don't like the stuff, and am certain that I walked around in a perpetual state of dehydration to varying degrees as a result. Now that I have upped my water consumption too, my mind is not confusing thirst signals as hunger signals.

Have I hit the magic sweet spot of long term weight reduction? Only time will tell. But just in case I have, I wanted to share this with all of you people that I love, admire and respect so that you can enjoy the benefits that I have been experiencing.

Replies

  • Get120
    Get120 Posts: 56
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    Its trial and error. sounds like you found something that works (even if its just for now) so keep with it. I have started allowing my self frozen yogurt or ice cream after dinner every night and that alone helps me get my binge eating/emotional eating at bay. If I think I want something sweet (which I don't think I have in like a week lol) I will just tell myself after dinner I get ice cream and it helps a lot. I had gained back 2 lbs and lost them this week =)
  • GemskiB
    GemskiB Posts: 95 Member
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    Very true - I know my body can do without all the cr@p I think I like to eat!
  • tekwriter
    tekwriter Posts: 923 Member
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    I think you have presented an excellent example of how it doesn't have to be all one or all the other. You are also showing people you have to find what works for you and what you can live with, it is not the same for everyone. Great job!
  • JenRunTriHappyGirl
    JenRunTriHappyGirl Posts: 521 Member
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    I too am an anxiety eater.... and a boredom eater, and emotional eater and the list goes on. I have found that keeping myself busy reduces my wants to eat. Say I am sitting at home on the weekend and and watching TV and want to shove something in my face. I find a chore that needs to be done and I tell myself "you can have 1 snack around 100 calories of your choice as soon as you finish your chore." 1 of 3 things happen: 1. I get up, do my chore and then sit back down and fill my face. 2. I am feeling lazy so I do not get up and therefore do not get to fill my face. 3. I get up do a chore and then all of a sudden I am motivated to do more! The end result is a prolonged time of not filling my face.

    Oh, and chewing gum and sugar free candy (ie - peppermints & werther's) help me a whole lot with anxiety eating.
  • lik_11
    lik_11 Posts: 433 Member
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    mmm... ceviche....

    You're a wise man- hope this is your golden ticket.
  • mjterp
    mjterp Posts: 655 Member
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    So glad I have rubbed off on you in the water department! :-)

    If you really want to try a "wake up to water" call, try drinking 2 eight ounce glasses when you first wake up in the morning. Also, one ounce for every two pounds of body weight. (for me, I should be drinking 18 eight ounce glasses in a day, but the most I can get on a non exercise day is 13. I have noticed my hunger is down significantly and my weight has started dropping more easily. (way more easy to stay in my green zone, too)...Oh, and peeing all the time slowed after my body got used to being properly hydrated! ("gin pure" peeing...when you aren't peeing yellow anymore)

    Yeah, water takes getting used to. You are rocking this! I just make the above suggestions as something to add to your list to work on for later. I know a lot of people use Mio. I prefer real lemon slices. I have seen cucumber slices, berries, lemons, limes, watermelon...(watermellon sounds AMAZING, but I can't stop eating it when I cut it up!)

    Keep up the amazing work. GREAT observation about it not being "all or nothing!"
    I still need to work on letting that one sink in.

    THANK YOU!
    Hugs
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    Congrats on having the AHA moment!! Love when that happens...
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,831 Member
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    We each have to figure out what works for us. I know anything sweet, be it actual sugars or artificial, makes me want more, More, MORE. So, very few sweets for me and no more Diet Coke. The one I'm working on now is my late night desire for bread and butter. As we figure these things out one at a time, we can work on controlling what we eat.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Totally agree with you. I would never have been able to stick to this for 6 months (so far) if I couldn't have any treat.
  • JayWalk39
    JayWalk39 Posts: 68 Member
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    Eat whatever you want...it doesn't matter just so long as you are hitting your macros. Know your TDEE and your macros and then you can live a happy life full of healthy foods and junky foods whenever you have a craving while still dropping pounds.
  • mcn79
    mcn79 Posts: 112 Member
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    A friend of mine posted this on facebook last week and it's stuck with me ever since:

    "Food is the most abused anxiety medice and exercise is the most underutilitzed antidepressant."

    Man oh man. Does this EVER resonate with me.

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