It's so hard to eat healthy
KeishaGettinFit25
Posts: 7
It's so hard for me to eat healthy. Sometimes I do real good until about 6pm than I'll just go on a crazy binge. It never fails. I need help!
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Replies
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maybe you're changing too much too soon, or
maybe you have too strict definition of healthy, or
maybe you need to stop having food you dont think you should be eating in your house0 -
Do you tend to mindlessly eat in front of the TV? Does your family chow down for hours and you just join them? Find out the events leading up to your binge, find out why you binge, and then take steps to avoid overeating. This is a common problem that you need not face alone.0
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Try logging everything before you eat it. I don't necessarily mean plan your day in the morning (though that helps some people), rather, if you are thinking about having a snack, pull out the MFP app and log it right then.That way you can see how it fits into your day, and that can help you avoid things that won't fit in with your goals, or make the decision between two things rather than eat them both.0
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Something I've heard of really helping night eaters is to "close the kitchen" after dinner. Put away the leftovers, do the dishes, wipe down the counters and do not venture back into the kitchen until morning. My grandma and aunt would do this when I was young because they hated cleaning up snack dishes and didn't believe in dessert. You can use this to stick to your diet. WHen the lights go out in the kitchen, mark it as the end of food time for you and your family.
You want a snack? Well that's too bad because the kitchen's closed. You want cookies? How's it feel to want; the kitchen's closed. This practice used to bug me as an obese child, but has become useful now that I'm a health concious adult.0 -
I log the day before and then make changes as I go. It gives me a good guide to how to spend my calories. Are you trying to restrict too much? I know a lot of people relapse because they're trying to change everything and cut out all the stuff they love. The best thing that's helped me is finding balance. Still be mindful, but try and squeeze in things you enjoy in your day.0
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Surround yourself with healthy food to help you make choices more aligned with your goals. I like easy Go-To items like Green Giant Steamers, premeasured almonds, and apples.0
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Here are things that work for me:
- Put together a collage of images that represent your dream body - Title it "I AM IN THE BEST SHAPE OF MY LIFE"
(read it every morning and every night AND every time you're are thinking about snacking)
- Remove ALL bad from you home, that way it's not convenient
- Make sure to always have pre-cut/washed raw broccoli and cauliflower in your fridge. If you have to snack those are your only two options - NO DIPPING SAUCE/DRESSING0 -
Define "real good until 6pm".It's so hard for me to eat healthy. Sometimes I do real good until about 6pm than I'll just go on a crazy binge. It never fails. I need help!
What's your calorie goal, and are you meeting it or coming in way under? What sort of foods are you eating during the day before 6pm? Are you hungry at 6, or just bored?
Opening your diary would make it easier to offer advice.0 -
remove all junk food from your house if you can (i.e. if your family members don't hunt you down or something) It's super hard for me because my 3 brothers all do strength training and eat a lot at home, and half the cupboard is filled with protein shake powders, nuts, more protein powder, tuna, lol. which is healthy, but has high calories.
Stick some pictures of healthy fitness models in your bedroom (something I do), make signs and stick them on the wall, e.g. "What you eat in private will wear in public" or "train like a beast, look like a beauty" lol something like that..
Eat salad/vegetables before you eat your meals! yes, including breakfast. I know I'm crazy like that. Even more crazy when I add pepper/chilli flakes/lemon juice to maximise fat loss. OH YEAAAA rofl Okay enough of that..
Hmm EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE DAILY! or 6 times a week. After you exercise you don't feel like you want to eat back all those hard work you've burned.
ALSO... make healthy food!! Cook yourself. Don't get takeaways more than once or twice a week. and I mean healthy takeaway. It's full of sodium if it is not fatty, or has msg in it.
Every time you want to binge, run up and down the stairs to raise your cardio and you wouldn't want to eat then. Or drink some water. Or go brush your teeth. Or sleep. lol okay I'm joking about sleeping.
THINK ABOUT YOUR LONG TERM GOALS!! AND THAT WILL HELP YOU
Example for me.. I really want to get into dancing, okay sounds funny but I WILL DO THAT WHEN I AM SKINNIER. Not hip hop, ballet or anything fancy but latin american, something like salsa sounds quite cool lol
Therefore, everytime I feel the need to binge I go on youtube to watch dance videos, imagine myself looking good, and then SUDDENLY that urge goes away, and I might even end up burning a few calories by dancing in my room. yes im crazy.
Thanks GOOD LUCK!! 0 -
Define "real good until 6pm".It's so hard for me to eat healthy. Sometimes I do real good until about 6pm than I'll just go on a crazy binge. It never fails. I need help! What's your calorie goal, and are you meeting it or coming in way under? What sort of foods are you eating during the day before 6pm? Are you hungry at 6, or just bored?
Opening your diary would make it easier to offer advice.
Yup, all of the above.0 -
As mentioned above, definitely, definitely, definitely, log everything BEFORE you eat it.
Also, though I try to save some calories for night-time snacks, I always make sure the snacks fit in my calorie goals AND I try to make sure to eat enough calories throughout the day so that I'm not really hungry at night. If you're eating a 200-calorie breakfast and a 200-calorie lunch, you're going to be starving by dinner.
Also, if you know you're going to consume more calories that you normally would for some reason (you're going out to dinner, having a few drinks, etc.), work out more to compensate for the extra calories.
Ensure that you're logging every single thing you eat and exercising enough to burn that calories you need to meet your daily calorie goal.
EDIT: Also, eat slowly. Especially when you're snacking. Often when you're having a snack, you're eating because you're bored. Consuming the food slowly will stretch your snack longer and you'll feel more satisfied after.
Lastly, if possible, reward yourself for meeting your calorie goal all week. Spend money to do something you normally wouldn't (even if it's just a movie) or buy yourself a little something (so long as it's not food
) 0 -
I am the exact same way.
If you want to start eating healthier, I would start with small changes so you do not feel the need to binge later on at night.
Also, I believe that moderation is key in success. If you are taking something out of your diet completely, I would rethink it only because taking something out of your diet will make you want to eat it even more. If you are moderate with it, you will not feel the need to binge all the time.
Good luck in your success!0 -
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Define "real good until 6pm".It's so hard for me to eat healthy. Sometimes I do real good until about 6pm than I'll just go on a crazy binge. It never fails. I need help! What's your calorie goal, and are you meeting it or coming in way under? What sort of foods are you eating during the day before 6pm? Are you hungry at 6, or just bored?
Opening your diary would make it easier to offer advice.
Yup, all of the above.
^^^^ all of this, because eating too little during the day does tend to lead to excessive hunger and "binging" in the evening. It's a normal survival response. You need to set your calorie goal high enough that you're not battling your body's normal survival responses in the evening. Being good =/= eating as little as possible. Healthy =/= very low calorie.
If you have a reasonable calorie goal, then you need to leave enough calories for you to enjoy all the foods that you want to enjoy, albeit in small portion sizes. Healthy =/= excessive restriction. the mindset of deprivation, i.e. "I'm not allowed to eat (add food here)" for many people just makes that food all the more desirable, and all the more likely you'll go crazy and overeat on it, rather than just having a sensible sized portion of it.
Healthy = a balanced diet that contains all the nutrients your body needs and enables you to enjoy eating (including social eating not just enjoying the actual foods) and maintain a healthy body composition.0 -
I keep the fun food out of our house. If it's not there I won't eat it. If we're visiting grandma and she has 2 boxes of hoho's in the fridge, well, it's there, and I'm going to eat it.0
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Simply put, this 'game' is all about mentality. Those that know their goal, are clear about it enough so that when asked they are able to speak of it in an unwavering fashion are those that succeed. Saying something is "hard" is actually saying you ' don't really care'. Edison wasn't thinking 'If I could light up this room that would be kinda cool'...
Figure out what you want and why you want it. Then opportunities, lessons and the right resources will find their own way to you.0 -
There are likely more than a few issues at hand...for one, you're probably under-eating during the day...that's going to lead to binge behavior. Also, it is highly likely that your notion of "healthy" is flawed. Generally speaking, people have a very skewed view of what actually constitutes proper nutrition and thus what is "healthy". People try to eat "healthy" and they think that means just eating a bunch of dry salads and sucking on celery sticks which gets pretty damned boring really quick...reality is that you need to have a balanced diet and get your requisite dietary fat (think flavor), as well as protein and your vitamins and minerals from fruit and veg. When you start to grasp the concept of proper nutrition, eating healthy isn't quite so daunting....in fact, it's really easy and delicious as well as nutritious.
Try to do a better job of spreading your calories out throughout the day so that you are never really experiencing hunger or hunger pangs...eat to be satiated and eat in a balanced way.0 -
maybe you're changing too much too soon, or
maybe you have too strict definition of healthy, or
maybe you need to stop having food you dont think you should be eating in your house
All of this!!
In the past, before I A) met my healthy eating husband and
discovered MFP...I used to get all psyched about "eating healthy" and I went way too extreme and found I could not sustain it. Now, I take a moderate approach and include ALL foods, pretty much...just less of them, or having certain things less often or a different lighter version of a recipe I love. I have those evening "binge" urges maybe once a month. In past efforts it was daily. It really can make a big difference. 0 -
Based on the other threads you started recently I'm going to echo the others above who ask if you're eating enough during the day.
You didn't gain 25LBS "fast" and you can't lose it and keep it off "fast".
Slow and steady. Fuel your body.0 -
It's so hard for me to eat healthy. Sometimes I do real good until about 6pm than I'll just go on a crazy binge. It never fails. I need help!
this is me too.. during the day I do really well and then come supper its like I have to eat whatever.. that is still something I am having to work on0 -
I need help!
Posts a thread begging for help, then disappears after first post.0 -
Plan ahead, as others have suggested. Also try and cook dinners at home. I eat dinner at home as much as possible and if I get hungry early I can eat as early or late as I need (so I don't get hungry and binge). I already had in mind what I was going to cook tonight after dinner last night.0
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maybe you're changing too much too soon, or
maybe you have too strict definition of healthy, or
maybe you need to stop having food you dont think you should be eating in your house
All of this!
Slowly make changes, do not restrict everything, and get the the food you see as "junk" out of the house.0 -
Eat after 6pm for goodness sakes. Eat when you are hungry! Just not a lot. Listen people, unless your a fitness model don't crunch your macros and calories to a T. Follow a simple plan...or you will burn out and lose your minds.
One of the biggest issues is PORTION CONTROL here not timing.
Another big issue is VITAMINS AND MINERALS...you know...from veggies and fruits?!?
It's not complicated but it is hard. But only you can change your habits.0 -
How much do you eat in a day? If you are hungry at the end of the day, then you are simply not eating enough.
It is not that simple. Hunger can be defined as an impulse or desire to the untrained person. It takes time to change behaviors and mindsets. If you say that to some people it becomes a license to overeat and ultimate failure and despair.
Practice practice practice and the good behaviors will outlast the bad ones.0 -
You need to work on self control, and try just keeping healthy snacks with good calories in the house.0
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