Need more willpower

kristen_karg
kristen_karg Posts: 41 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've really been finding it hard to say no to foods that i know are not healthy. Then afterwards i really think about it and feel horrible. I'll go the whole day doing awesome and then ruin it. i know that it's mental but i don't know how to change my way of thinking. i really want to get to a healthy weight and be confident :/ anyone else have this problem?

Replies

  • Nissi51
    Nissi51 Posts: 381 Member
    I think everyone does at some point.

    Sometimes you need to practice self deprivation and just say no, also review your intake are you high in sugar or salt? Those two items often impact your cravings. Also try to be flexible with you nutrition, while nailing your caloric intake and macro's if necessary so you can stay on track for the long haul. Water is also a great help... drink it and wait until the craving passes

    Willpower is a muscle that you need to flex. It does get stronger.
  • Racheal159
    Racheal159 Posts: 18 Member
    I had the same problem for like the first two/three months I tried to lose weight my brain would say no but my fat guts was saying give me give me give me. I would be so good all day then I would just binge on chocolate ice cream and crap. I was still exercising just not eating right so I wasn't losing as much as I would have liked. I just stopped buying all the junk so it wasn't in my house. Or if I did have to have some chocolate or chips of what ever I would put one serving in a bowl and leave the rest in the kitchen cause I am super lazy and can not be bothered to go get more. It really changed though after I lost the first ten kilos. I was like this is great I want to lose more so it was easier to say no to the bad stuff. If you do have strong cravings just have a little bit of what you want then if you are hungry eat it with fruit or salad so you are still having what you are craving but you are filling up on healthy stuff.
  • csk0018
    csk0018 Posts: 219 Member
    The first time I tried to lose weight many years ago --- I really restricted myself to the "healthy" foods... I succeeded in losing 40 pounds but gained it all back(and lots more) after I stopped exercising and going back to eating what I usually did before I was on a diet. This time -- I eat what I want but just in moderation and it's working for me. The days that I'm going to go all out with my eating -- I'll just make sure to hit the gym hard beforehand. I do try to add more veggies and fruits everyday and I also make a lot of food at home but on the weekends, I'll indulge! :smile: Maybe you can work on finding a happy medium that will work for you?
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    Self-control is like a muscle, the more you use it, the stronger it gets. Start small, work your way up.
  • TheWorstHorse
    TheWorstHorse Posts: 185
    Self-control is like a muscle, the more you use it, the stronger it gets. Start small, work your way up.

    ^this^

    Plus... remember that if you are staying within your calorie limit, a "bad choice" happens once a week rather than once a day, and you are logging everything you eat: the good, bad, and ugly, you are going to be fine over the long term.

    And you are in this, after all, for the long term, right?
  • 73Laine
    73Laine Posts: 63 Member
    Oh yes. I do this daily nearly.
  • GiveItAll92
    GiveItAll92 Posts: 26 Member
    Willpower is important for weightloss and general health. If I get a major craving for something though I try to find a way to fit it in. I always feel a little crazy because some cravings I get are the kind that get stuck in my head and will drive me nuts...Like I will want it for 3 days or until whenever I cave (usually at night, I live on a college campus so food is available 24/7). What I have been doing lately is committing to what I consider healthy options all day. I make a plan and if I don't slip up, if I really stick to my plan and can fit whatever treat I came up with at the beginning of the day in, then I will allow myself to have it.

    It also helps to try new foods and see if you can find alternatives to whatever it is you tend to slip up with. My new thing is hummus and I always try to grab some grapes or strawberries if I'm having a candy craving. This may sound really crazy but being able to swap a pint of Ben&Jerry's for a yogurt and being satisfied with it is something I was really proud of myself for. You can do it. As everyone else said though willpower is something to practice and takes time to build. Start slow and don't be too hard on yourself. It really feels amazing when you can say no though.
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,870 Member
    "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels" has been around for a long time because it is true! In my mother's time it was, "Once on the lips, forever on the hips". LOL! You have to want healthy more than you want the food and sometimes you will feel deprived. But the next morning you will feel great and virtuous! It is okay to go to bed a little hungry when you are trying to lose weight. You are trying to eat BELOW what your body requires for current weight maintenance.
  • amy8400
    amy8400 Posts: 478 Member
    I have pretty bad willpower so I can relate. Three things have helped me stay the course over the last several months: 1) setting mini-goals 2) staying focused and intense about what I'm trying to accomplish (eat, sleep and breathe fitness) and 3) avoid ANYthing that will set me up for failure. That means no 1/2 gallons of ice cream in the freezer or quickie drive-thru stops at McDonald's for a McDouble when I'm starved (but it's only 370 calories says the little devil on my shoulder ; ) and not going out to dinner except for a really special reason. Keep temptation as far away as possible BUT give yourself rewards now and then in moderation. Also, I try to reward myself with non-food treats...like a sexy new top or dress or shoes. Things I would have never bought myself before.

    I have to say that I've always been in awe of people who lost 30, 40, 50 pounds. I mean, I have *no* natural willpower and I wondered how others could stick to such a strict regimen and deprive themselves for weeks and months on end. Now I see things more clearly and realize it's not about deprivation. It's about taking better care of myself...living with purpose...knowing portion sizes and how to manage my weaknesses.

    Good luck and if you'd like, I'll be happy to be your friend here for support. Heck, I can use all the support I can get too!
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
    No. You just say no.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    theres no such thing as bad food, just people who eat badly...

    look into IIFYM, you dont have to cut out everything that is 'bad' to lose weight.
  • kristen_karg
    kristen_karg Posts: 41 Member
    thanks so much :) i'm really going to try!
  • _db_
    _db_ Posts: 179 Member
    Don't think so much about how you messed up by eating something you shouldn't have. Instead, remember that you'd gone the previous XX hours/days eating well. Focus on what you want to do, not what you don't want to do.

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