overcoming bad habits???

I have found that if I have an old craving, I take a walk. If I get away from the kitchen and do something to kill some time, the craving passes. Water is still a hard one with me. I hate drinking it, and add lemon whenever I can. (I have been on my mission to lose now for a month, and have dropped 13.2lbs)

I find that there are times I feel hungrier and times I have more problems with craving then at other times. I find if I keep my food varied and find I do best, when I eat about 5 times a day, to keep my blood glucose even. I do tend more to eat more later in the day, as I have worked nights for many years.

Experiment with different eating patterns, until you find what works well for you!! You can do this and will succeed, because you are worth it!!! :-)

when i reach out for a treat i.e. chocolates, ice cream and candy...i simply STOP than THINK do i really need to eat this? We do things very subconciously. Look i'm no saint. I binge but i must mention that i' have cut down a lot by changing my mentality and being more aware.:drinker:

1) Logging, so that I can't just eat something and then forget that it happened, so the next time I want something that I know makes it hard to meet my calorie and nutrient goals, I remember that I just had a splurge yesterday. I think part of what got me so overweight (OK, obese) despite knowing what I needed to know, and following a good "basic" approach of lots of veggies, legumes, and whole grains, a little fruit, and smaller and less frequent servings of meat, poultry, fish, and (mostly low or nonfat) dairy was that I wasn't tracking what I was eating, so I didn't realize how often I was eating low-nutrient, calorie-dense foods that I justified as occasional treats, when they weren't occasional at all.

2) Still giving myself permission to have treats, and even to eat up to maintenance calorie levels when I'm especially hungry or when there's a truly special occasion. But because I'm following #1 (logging), I now know whether it's a special occasion or becoming part of a pattern. And because I'm logging and keeping records, I know what my real maintenance calorie level is (or at least, I have a real-world-tested approximation, rather than the best-effort estimation of an online calculator that only allows for four possible activity levels that I don't seem to be very good at figuring out which applies to me). And what's the worst thing that happens if I eat up to maintenance level? I don't lose weight that day. Again, because I'm tracking, I make sure that I maintain a deficit over the course of a week.

If you're logging, and you can have the things you want and not push yourself out of deficit, maybe it's OK to treat yourself occasionally. On the water, I happen to think people get a little carried away over this, and perhaps overlook that science-based recommendations for water intake include water in food, and even food that seems "dry" has some water in it. If you have a bowl of oatmeal, you've had about a cup of water. If you have a banana, you've had about a third of a cup of water. If you have four ounces of roasted chicken breast, you've had over a quarter cup of water. And if you've had a cup of cooked (boiled) broccoli, you've had half a cup of water. (I drink when I'm thirsty, and I drink to "wash food down" at a meal, and I drink to help control impulses to eat, and I drink to be social.)

If you're worried about water consumption because you're trying to avoid bloat and flush out excess water just so you can see the scale move, I think that's just playing games with yourself. That isn't fat loss.

I'm another vote for pre-logging foods before eating I usually pre-plan my next day's meals the night before, I leave myself some wiggle room but it really helps me to know what I'm going to be eating at certain times throughout the day.. gives less room for tempting impulse choices to break through.

I log my meals right before I eat them. This way I see how many calories I am about to consume and how many I have left. This often prevents me from overeating because I have that visual reminder. I also invested in a small kitchen scale so I can measure out my portions and know they are accurate. It takes a bit more time on my part but in the long run it helps me stay on track. Another thing I do is use MFP on my computer when I am home and on my phone when I am not this way I always have access to it and there is very little guess work.

As far as the water consumption, I really don't drink anything else. I will have a cup of coffee each morning but water for the rest of the day. Occasionally, I may have juice, non-sweetened iced tea, or a glass of wine. If I do, I make sure I log those as well.

Best of luck to you.

You are gonna slip and fall... Just keep getting up and working hard.

Well I think that you've already done what is probably the most difficult part and that is to notice what it is that you could be doing better. Now that you've noticed...do what is necessary to get back on track! You can do this!

That's a 10-pound loss in 18 days: more than a half-pound a day. I think that's enough to make anyone hungry.
I think your body might be going, "Whoa! What the...?" and is struggling to adjust to that quick weight loss. It's also not unusual for weight to come off that quickly in the beginning -- but then there's an adjustment period where the body has to catch up to the changes.

That said, what's helped me has been bulk foods, a.k.a. fresh produce. It gives me a lot of water and fiber to work with and is filling. I think half the battle is realizing that the hunger is natural and means your body's in good working order. The next step is to manage that hunger by finding the strategy that works best for you.

As for dinner, is it possible to pop over to the site before you eat, to see what the food would add up to? That could help with portion control.

One thing that helped me with snacking is keeping things available to grab that are good for me such as veggies and fruit cut and ready for whenever we need a snack or having my crackers already counted out in individual baggies. As for water, add things to change up the taste. Try adding lemons, limes, cucumbers, ginger, or mint to your water. Sassy water is good too (you can find the recipe for sassy water and other additives online.)
As other have said, allow yourself a treat day or a special treat on occasion. And if you slip up, just pick right back up and go on.
And above all else, take pride in what you have accomplished! Ten pounds is great!!!