I miss food

Which is why you should weigh and measure all of your food. If you use a food scale to measure out a single serving of ice cream, it's only about 130-170 calories and you've got plenty of room in the rest of your day for other foods. And you still had your treat.

I'm at work and can't see your post, but I'd imagine the key words in your post are "NOT LOGGING".

How hungry were you before meals? How hungry were you after you ate? Did you feel sated, full or stuffed? How hungry were you between meals? Were you eating at the same times/same quantities that you were when you were logging on MFP or were you using not logging as an excuse to eat the world?

I know that I am losing weight when I am hungry. When I am logging on MFP and sticking to the deficit diet, I am hungry, and generally cold also. My mouse hand goes cold. I always have physical symptoms when I am on a calorie deficit. It's kind of like having a low-grade toothache - it's always there in the back of your mind gnawing at you.

No, when I stop logging and eat "naturally", that is, eat what I want without thinking about it, I always eat a surplus. Hence the weight gain......


So dieting is a two-pronged problem. Ever-present hunger saps willpower until I blow it, and once I blow it I eat for the pleasure of eating.

How hungry were you before meals? How hungry were you after you ate? Did you feel sated, full or stuffed? How hungry were you between meals? Were you eating at the same times/same quantities that you were when you were logging on MFP or were you using not logging as an excuse to eat the world?

I know that I am losing weight when I am hungry. When I am logging on MFP and sticking to the deficit diet, I am hungry, and generally cold also. My mouse hand goes cold. I always have physical symptoms when I am on a calorie deficit. It's kind of like having a low-grade toothache - it's always there in the back of your mind gnawing at you.

No, when I stop logging and eat "naturally", that is, eat what I want without thinking about it, I always eat a surplus. Hence the weight gain.

Also note that normally when I eat when I'm not logging I do not eat to satisfy hunger, though hunger is what triggers the start of eating. I eat to satisfaction. For example, I will eat a box of Oreo cookies or a bag of M&Ms not because I am hungry, but because of the pleasure derived from eating.

So dieting is a two-pronged problem. Ever-present hunger saps willpower until I blow it, and once I blow it I eat for the pleasure of eating.

Which is why you should weigh and measure all of your food. If you use a food scale to measure out a single serving of ice cream, it's only about 130-170 calories and you've got plenty of room in the rest of your day for other foods. And you still had your treat.

I'm at work and can't see your post, but I'd imagine the key words in your post are "NOT LOGGING".

I did weigh and measure my food for 5 months. Yes, once I blow my diet, I don't log. What is the point once you've blown it?

It is not really possible for me to weight out a 130-170 calorie scoop of ice cream. I do not have the willpower to do that. Once I have committed to eat ice cream, I eat as much as I want. It's like an alcoholic trying to just have one drink.

How hungry were you before meals? How hungry were you after you ate? Did you feel sated, full or stuffed? How hungry were you between meals? Were you eating at the same times/same quantities that you were when you were logging on MFP or were you using not logging as an excuse to eat the world?

I know that I am losing weight when I am hungry. When I am logging on MFP and sticking to the deficit diet, I am hungry, and generally cold also. My mouse hand goes cold. I always have physical symptoms when I am on a calorie deficit. It's kind of like having a low-grade toothache - it's always there in the back of your mind gnawing at you.

No, when I stop logging and eat "naturally", that is, eat what I want without thinking about it, I always eat a surplus. Hence the weight gain.

Also note that normally when I eat when I'm not logging I do not eat to satisfy hunger, though hunger is what triggers the start of eating. I eat to satisfaction. For example, I will eat a box of Oreo cookies or a bag of M&Ms not because I am hungry, but because of the pleasure derived from eating.

So dieting is a two-pronged problem. Ever-present hunger saps willpower until I blow it, and once I blow it I eat for the pleasure of eating.

I would suggest that this is because you are set at an unreasonably LOW calorie amount, just like the OP.

You are a man weighing around 280, and you are set at 1690 calories. Dude, I'm older than you, and I'm a woman, and I eat 1800 to lose weight. 1800 is the minimum a man should eat.

If you set yourself to a reasonable goal, you wouldn't be hungry all the time, and you would probably be able to indulge in some of the things you wanted without going overboard. You would have a sustainable weight loss and then be able to transition back to "non dieting" without the yo yo weight gain and forever quitting the "diet".

You have a lot of negatives like "it's not possible." That kind of negative thinking sets up up for failure. You tell yourself that once you have one setback you might as well just give up, rather than looking ahead to the next day as an opportunity to start anew.
and it is possible for you to weight out one serving of ice cream, you just choose not to. You know, in your own mind, that you can put that single serving of ice cream in the bowl, put the rest back in the freezer, and go sit down and eat what you served yourself. You just look at the small serving in the bowl and tell yourself that you want more than what you've served yourself.

Your first steps are going to be changing the way you think about what your goals are and what you want. Do you want a few small bites of something that tastes good and to lose weight? Or do you want to stay at your current weight and keep eating whatever is in front of you until it is gone? whether it is a small bowl of ice cream, or the entire container, eventually you will reach the end of it.

Just try the small bowl one time and see how it goes. You don't have to do it every time, just build up to learning moderation. Sit down with your small serving (put it in a ramekin or a small bowl so it looks like a larger serving), use a small spoon, and take little bites. Let each bite melt in your mouth. Think about the taste while it's melting, don't rush through each bite to the next. Sometimes you can get more pleasure out of that experience than you can out of eating a large bowl mindlessly while watching TV or reading.

Which is why you should weigh and measure all of your food. If you use a food scale to measure out a single serving of ice cream, it's only about 130-170 calories and you've got plenty of room in the rest of your day for other foods. And you still had your treat.

It is not really possible for me to weight out a 130-170 calorie scoop of ice cream. I do not have the willpower to do that. Once I have committed to eat ice cream, I eat as much as I want. It's like an alcoholic trying to just have one drink.

[I know that I am losing weight when I am hungry. When I am logging on MFP and sticking to the deficit diet, I am hungry, and generally cold also. My mouse hand goes cold. I always have physical symptoms when I am on a calorie deficit. It's kind of like having a low-grade toothache - it's always there in the back of your mind gnawing at you.

Also note that normally when I eat when I'm not logging I do not eat to satisfy hunger, though hunger is what triggers the start of eating. I eat to satisfaction. For example, I will eat a box of Oreo cookies or a bag of M&Ms not because I am hungry, but because of the pleasure derived from eating.

So dieting is a two-pronged problem. Ever-present hunger saps willpower until I blow it, and once I blow it I eat for the pleasure of eating.

Read what you wrote here.

You have a lot of negatives like "it's not possible." That kind of negative thinking sets up up for failure. You tell yourself that once you have one setback you might as well just give up, rather than looking ahead to the next day as an opportunity to start anew.
and it is possible for you to weight out one serving of ice cream, you just choose not to. You know, in your own mind, that you can put that single serving of ice cream in the bowl, put the rest back in the freezer, and go sit down and eat what you served yourself. You just look at the small serving in the bowl and tell yourself that you want more than what you've served yourself.

Your first steps are going to be changing the way you think about what your goals are and what you want. Do you want a few small bites of something that tastes good and to lose weight? Or do you want to stay at your current weight and keep eating whatever is in front of you until it is gone? whether it is a small bowl of ice cream, or the entire container, eventually you will reach the end of it.

Just try the small bowl one time and see how it goes. You don't have to do it every time, just build up to learning moderation. Sit down with your small serving (put it in a ramekin or a small bowl so it looks like a larger serving), use a small spoon, and take little bites. Let each bite melt in your mouth. Think about the taste while it's melting, don't rush through each bite to the next. Sometimes you can get more pleasure out of that experience than you can out of eating a large bowl mindlessly while watching TV or reading.

When I would binge on stuff, I didn't do well having it in the house at all. Instead, I'd get some as a treat by going out somewhere. There's a really great gelato place in town that actually weighs out 3oz for a serving. So, I know exactly how much I'm getting, and they have good product control (their actual reason for weighing). But, it's a way for me to have it in moderation. After doing this for a few years, I can now have ice cream in my house again without devouring it. I do still weigh out one serving. I also try to get something that is very flavorful, so that I feel like it really is enough when I only have one serving. (Currently Scotchy Scotch Scotch is in my freezer, and one serving is enough butterscotch for one sitting. For sure.)

I would suggest that this is because you are set at an unreasonably LOW calorie amount, just like the OP.

You are a man weighing around 280, and you are set at 1690 calories. Dude, I'm older than you, and I'm a woman, and I eat 1800 to lose weight. 1800 is the minimum a man should eat.

If you set yourself to a reasonable goal, you wouldn't be hungry all the time, and you would probably be able to indulge in some of the things you wanted without going overboard. You would have a sustainable weight loss and then be able to transition back to "non dieting" without the yo yo weight gain and forever quitting the "diet".

The 1690 calorie goal was set by MFP given my fitness profile and a goal of 2 pounds per week weight loss. I lost 30 pounds over 213 days, or 30.43 weeks. that works out to about one pound per week.

This is a reasonable weight loss goal, right?

You have a lot of negatives like "it's not possible." That kind of negative thinking sets up up for failure. You tell yourself that once you have one setback you might as well just give up, rather than looking ahead to the next day as an opportunity to start anew.
and it is possible for you to weight out one serving of ice cream, you just choose not to. You know, in your own mind, that you can put that single serving of ice cream in the bowl, put the rest back in the freezer, and go sit down and eat what you served yourself. You just look at the small serving in the bowl and tell yourself that you want more than what you've served yourself.

Oh, sweetie, you clearly don't understand what this is like.

Of course[/u] it's all a matter of "choosing not to". That is what willpower is all about. You've got to have the will to choose not to do the bad thing. You can know this all you want, it doesn't make it any easier to actually do it.

I'm telling you, as someone who has done this diet roller coaster many times over my lifetime, that eventually, I break. Every time. And I do not have the willpower to take the ice cream container out of the refrigerator and have just a 100 calorie serving. I just don't. It's like telling a gambling addict to just play one game of slots, or telling an alcoholic they can go ahead and drink in moderation.

Your first steps are going to be changing the way you think about what your goals are and what you want. Do you want a few small bites of something that tastes good and to lose weight? Or do you want to stay at your current weight and keep eating whatever is in front of you until it is gone? whether it is a small bowl of ice cream, or the entire container, eventually you will reach the end of it.

Once I break, what I want is the food pleasure. It's immediately attainable.

Just try the small bowl one time and see how it goes. You don't have to do it every time, just build up to learning moderation. Sit down with your small serving (put it in a ramekin or a small bowl so it looks like a larger serving), use a small spoon, and take little bites. Let each bite melt in your mouth. Think about the taste while it's melting, don't rush through each bite to the next. Sometimes you can get more pleasure out of that experience than you can out of eating a large bowl mindlessly while watching TV or reading.

This is like telling an alcoholic it's OK to drink if they just stretch out their drinks, or a gambling addict that it's OK to gamble as long as they play games that last a long time. It just doesn't work that way. You can't put yourself in a tempting situation or you are playing with fire.

In time you will learn to savor and enjoy these items in moderation and no longer need to gorge on them to feel satisfied.

In time you will learn to savor and enjoy these items in moderation and no longer need to gorge on them to feel satisfied.

I like this, I am getting there!

The whole attitude has always been "in for a penny, in for a pound".

Maillemaker, can you just avoid having those foods in the house and if you must indulge in those foods, make a special trip just for them (and don't buy the jumbo size container). For example, if don't have a giant bag of M&M's sitting around the house, you don't have the option of eating an entire bag of M&M's unless you get in the car, drive to the grocery, and buy a large bag of M&M's first. To that end, just buying a smaller bag and treating yourself to those if you have to indulge may be the way to go. I suspect it will be a lot easier to resist eating more of a particular food if you have to drive out and buy more of that food first, versus putting the giant bag of M&M's back in the cupboard.

It's one thing to say you are giving up Oreos entirely (although personally I'm not convinced that's the worst thing you could do, but that's a different discussion), but even if you eat them in moderation, I wouldn't advocate stockpiling them in your house if you know you have a problem with them.