My struggle

jsnyder7087
jsnyder7087 Posts: 28
edited September 22 in Motivation and Support
I really want to loose the weight and keep it off but the thing I most struggle with is eating right and staying on track eating wise, I tell myself no eating out this week or no more than one cookie today or only one soda today and I end up having twice that ammount cuz I seem to want it so much more when I cant have it. I dont know how to fix this any suggestions

Replies

  • morganadk2_deleted
    morganadk2_deleted Posts: 1,696 Member
    Are you eating enough?

    Maybe this will help


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits


    "Generally someone with a BMI over 32 can do a 1000 calorie a day (2 lbs a week) deficit
    With a BMI of 30 to 32 a deficit of 750 calories is generally correct (about 1.5 lbs a week)
    With a BMI of 28 to 30 a deficit of 500 calories is about right (about 1 lb a week)
    With a BMI of 26 to 28 a deficit of about 300 calories is perfect (about 1/2 lb a week)
    and below 26... well this is where we get fuzzy. See now you're no longer talking about being overweight, so while it's still ok to have a small deficit, you really should shift your focus more towards muscle tone, and reducing fat. This means is EXTRA important to eat your exercise calories as your body needs to KNOW it's ok to burn fat stores, and the only way it will know is if you keep giving it the calories it needs to not enter the famine response (starvation mode) "


    plan your meals put a little something sweet in there , but plan for it...

    My daughter lost over 100lbs , she has a sweet tooth and swaped a chocolate bar for a low cal hot chocolate drink , small changes will add up.

    oh the other thing she did was if it was not time to eat and she was hungry she would go for a walk, not take her purse so she could not buy chocolate or treats ..




    Good luck on your journey
  • polo571
    polo571 Posts: 708 Member
    http://www.acaloriecounter.com/weight-loss.php#section1

    Check this out. Tom Venuto inspired and it makes all the sense in the world. Its my bible. Read about the arguements for cheating and not cheating.
  • lmvolk
    lmvolk Posts: 51 Member
    Maybe you could try logging your food before you eat it, even the small snacks. It might help you resist if you see it in black and white, and see where that would put your totals.
  • loushep
    loushep Posts: 191
    Everyone is different but i find the only thing that works for me is total avoidance of the things that i really crave, at least for the first month to give my body a fighting chance of getting over it's addiction.

    Just 1 or a small piece of something i love to eat just isn't enough :ohwell:
  • kimmie47
    kimmie47 Posts: 1
    :flowerforyou: It is a struggle, you need to want to loose the weight and not be heavy more than you want that soda. Is there a particular goal you want to reach? It might be helpful to post pictures of that goal in a place where you can see it to remind you, an use positive mental talk, like "I can do this", or when I loose the weight I will look fabulous, etc....That helps me. Also, afternoons are hard for me so I try to get some exercise at that time instead of eating.
  • roderick_stacey
    roderick_stacey Posts: 20 Member
    Eat good foods every few hours. Small amounts and stay high on veg. and fruits, and high on protein for a few days until you get control. Stay away from breads, pasta and other carbs for a few days. When you eat breads and pastas make them whole graings. The more you eat the bad the more your body craves it but stay away for a few days and the cravings will subside. I go through the same think. I just lost 20 pounds and have gained 13 back because once I eat the bad thats all I want.
  • luv2ash
    luv2ash Posts: 1,903 Member
    do not buy the cookies or the soda. If its not in the house, you will not eat it. Surround yourself with only healthy, nutritious options.

    I am a firm believer in filling in your complete food diary long before you start eating-as soon as you wake up. This takes planning on your part--major key to being successful is proper planning. When you shop, have a meal plan in place so you shop for only those items you need, and then when you fill in your food diary you know you have the foods on hand to prepare the things needed to fill up that food diary.

    For me, I gave up sweets and I have absolutely no craving for them at all. I know though that if I were to eat one, I will want more, so for me, avoidance is the best option. This is a lifestyle change so it lasts forever, so why not make the changes necessary to make it last forever. You don't want to struggle with food the way you are right now for the rest of your life. You will start to learn to love the new and healthier food options instead and will learn to live without the things that got you here to begin with. Hope this makes sense. GOod Luck!
  • jsnyder7087
    jsnyder7087 Posts: 28
    This is all wonderfully helpful Im gonna try a few of these things. thank you guys soo much
  • luv2ash
    luv2ash Posts: 1,903 Member
    Eat good foods every few hours. Small amounts and stay high on veg. and fruits, and high on protein for a few days until you get control. Stay away from breads, pasta and other carbs for a few days. When you eat breads and pastas make them whole graings. The more you eat the bad the more your body craves it but stay away for a few days and the cravings will subside. I go through the same think. I just lost 20 pounds and have gained 13 back because once I eat the bad thats all I want.

    Boy you nailed it on the head. I have this same problem and the diet I am on now has taught me this. I do not eat any bread or sweets, my carbs come from veggies and my packaged meals. But I have learned that these are the foods that got me where I was. This diet is teaching me how to eat foods that make me satisfied and I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO CRAVING FOR THEM AT ALL, which is hard to believe, but its the truth.
  • sincereme
    sincereme Posts: 276
    I was having the same problem. I just started up this week again for the 1st time in a long time. About 2 months. This week though a little hard, it was successful. I was able to eat properly and not feel deprived.

    I think everything is ok in moderation. I had a craving for a chocolate bar... so what I did was I ate a small bite size piece of chocolate. It let me feel like I wasn't losing out on anything.

    Another thing that has helped this past week was Pre-thinking my meals and taking them pre-made to work. Usually I would go out to eat during lunch but last week, all week I was able to control what I ate by bringing my own snacks and lunch.

    I really do think that sticking to servings and portions is the key...atleast for me.

    As for soda, I just didn't drink it. If I craved it, I would just take a sip...literally a sip from my hubby's soda. Honestly, I did that once. I drink water all day at work so just doing it at home became easier.

    I have noticed that I can't tell myself NO or im in a diet... because if I do then that's when I fall off track. My brain works better when I say ok, just a taste or just one piece. I am proud to say that it has worked for me all week.

    Just look for a way that works for you and don't think of it as a diet. More of a lifestyle change because this is something you want to carry with you the rest of your life. Therefore you have to keep it real. You are not going to live your life not having a piece of chocolate or a cookie, etc.

    Another thing that has been working for me is just asking God for strength!!!!
  • MelissaL582
    MelissaL582 Posts: 1,422 Member
    I knew that I would have the same problem. The day after I started my new lifestyle change, I went to the grocery store and stocked up on healthy food- veggies, fruits, 100 calorie snacks, boneless chicken breast and lots of bottled water. At home, I put my healthy dry items on the opposite side of the kitchen away from my children snacks. It's all about mind control..tell yourself that you don't need it. Like they say "you can't have just one", so don't tempt yourself.

    Good luck to ya!
  • Dafrog
    Dafrog Posts: 353
    might be hard at first, i say give all the bad stuff up completely, dont even have it in the house. keep healthy snacks around. i find an apple help curb a sweet craving. i know there is quite a few low calorie sweet snacks out there, if u find u cannot stick w the serving size steer clear. in time things will get easier. my advice is to you dont have bad choices around. best of luck.
  • scagneti
    scagneti Posts: 707 Member
    Maybe you could try logging your food before you eat it, even the small snacks. It might help you resist if you see it in black and white, and see where that would put your totals.

    That's exactly what I do! It helps with meal planning too, but it shows me if I'm going to eat too much at one meal and if I have enough calories for a bit of a treat. I'm trying not to think of this as a "diet" and I'm never going to live the rest of my life without chocolate, so moderation is the only way. Today for one of my snacks, I brought 15 almonds and ONE tiny (30 calorie) Lindt chocolate truffle. If I want more than one, I'm SOL because the bag is at home and I'm at work. If I have enough calories left over after dinner, I might have another one, but the rest will be put on the top shelf of my cupboards which require me to pull out a stepstool to reach (good exercise too!!) Eventually you train yourself to enjoy that small indulgence.

    Quick question -- when do you MOST enjoy your treat? That first bite! After a few bites, you don't even notice the taste as much and just mindlessly put the food in your mouth. So the trick is to get the most out of every single treat. After your allotted amount, have a glass of water, a mint, a piece of minty gum or brush your teeth. That tells yourself that the treat is over and it's not getting anymore until later!
  • forestdancers
    forestdancers Posts: 146 Member
    I find I am the same with having to avoid foods I crave. If the craving doesn't go away after several hours or at times days then I will indulge in what I am wanting.

    I have also found for me coffee with milk and stevia kills my appitite for an hour or so and I tend to find when I am done eating my meal a bit of coffee after tends to take my desire to continue to eat. I think it is because it is such and overpowering taste that it satisfies my desire for more food and kills my cravings. I am not a huge fan of coffee but it's working for me.

    Best wishes
    forestdancers
  • ifeelsqueaky
    ifeelsqueaky Posts: 193
    I find that if I tell myself NOT to eat something I can't stick to it so I just don't do it. If I crave chocolate, I'll have a small chocolate bar or something and fit it into my daily calories - maybe do a bit of extra cardio if necessary. I tend to focus on positively phrased goals rather than negatively phrased ones so instead of "no chocolate today" I say "I will eat five portions of fruit and veg". I do think that if you focus on what you can't eat you get obsessed with it.
  • sincereme
    sincereme Posts: 276
    I totally agree. This happens to me too!



    I find that if I tell myself NOT to eat something I can't stick to it so I just don't do it. If I crave chocolate, I'll have a small chocolate bar or something and fit it into my daily calories - maybe do a bit of extra cardio if necessary. I tend to focus on positively phrased goals rather than negatively phrased ones so instead of "no chocolate today" I say "I will eat five portions of fruit and veg". I do think that if you focus on what you can't eat you get obsessed with it.
  • _Jessica_
    _Jessica_ Posts: 216 Member
    G... Since I have seen your habbits at work, I cant only offer you my advice for what I have seen. I agree with logging food before you eat it. This has helped me. That way you can see exactly what you are putting into your mouth before you even eat it. You can also use that tool to help guide you in choosing better options... for example: I love baked potatoes with sour cream and butter... who doesnt... but a tasty substitued is light ranch dressing ( in moderation) instead of the butter and sour cream.

    I know you love your MT Dew and energy drinks and Hate Diet soda... maybe sample other things. I like the Lemoaide Rockstar and it only has 40 calories compared to the ungodly amount the cola one has... I use the Cola one as my special treat.

    Through tuff finacial times that everyone is having, boxed foods are cheap, easy, and quick to make... however they are filing for the first 5 minutes... then you crave something more. I love rice, perferably white... but I have switched to brown, so I bring about a 3/4 cup to work along with my protien... the rice gives me the quick filler I need to not eat so much, but hte protien lasts longer and makes me not crave more.

    Another down fall I have is the Fam and I like to snack before meals.... bad Idea... however, I have make it into a good thing. Instead of snaking on the salty things I love ie. chips and dip, I grab out the celary and peanutbutter and have a few sticks. It helps crave the snacking. gives me a boost of protien, and I get a serving of vegie.

    My biggest thing though it drinking more water. A big class (16 oz) of water with ice is fantastic. I dont like it as much without ice. The more water you can drink the better off you will be.

    I Hope this helps! Good luck with your journey!
    Dogg ( Chubby Bunny)
  • treetz1979
    treetz1979 Posts: 108 Member
    For me, and everyone is different, I don't deprive myself of anything because, like you, it made me want it even more and then I would over indulge. So I started small...

    For bread (I am a carb freak) I switched to DItaliano Light Bread (80 calories for 2 slices). I switched to Coke Zero, or Diet Coke w/ Lime and dropped the coke. And, I don't drink a pop unless I drank a certain amount of water first. I switched to Dark Chocolate treats instead of Milk Chocolate. And, I bought Reduced Fat almost everything whenever it was feasible. Just to name a few small changes...

    Also, these were small changes over time which eventually helped me to not even care anymore about going "without" my originals. Definitely check out food nutrition before you eat, it made me stop on a number occasions when I had the "reward myself with food" mentality.

    Now, I don't treat food as a reward or punishment (example, I worked out more today so now I can eat a candy bar), nor do I treat exercise that way (example, I have to work out more because I ate out). I am learning to accept and be accountable for my choices. It's not easy by any means, but it was way more difficult for me when I deprived, punished, and went without. Also, focus on your average calories for the week. We get hung up on that one day we go over and, for me, it would start a landslide.

    Last but not least, and this is the hardest for me still, regardless of what you ate in calories, if you commit yourself to working out a certain number of times each week do it...even when you don't feel like it. I found that on the hardest days...when I am tired and I have every excuse to not work out,...if I force myself to do it, it's the most gratifying feeling than any piece of food could provide.


    OOH...one more, if you are chocolate craver, stock up on mini York Peppermint Patties. Completely crave-monster satisfying and one patty is only 50 calories
  • Sasssy69
    Sasssy69 Posts: 547 Member
    I log my food in the morning. Then I try as best as I can to stick to it. Also, keep your motivation in mind. When I start to feel hungry, I think of those two things that are my main motivation. And they are super important to me. I remind myself why I'm doing it. I also tell myself, when I'm feeling hungry, that I'm burning calories. Instead of thinking of it as hunger pains, I think of it as calorie burning. For me, these little things work.

    However, if I am feeling very hungry, I just grab something very small - a piece of dark chocolate or 5 almonds - and I wash it down with a glass of water. This takes the edge off. At least for now. Get rid of everything that you find tempting. Just don't buy it.

    Good luck!
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