Challenge: Let's Give Something Up

wizzybeth · August 2014

Ok, I am Annie. I'm a nerd. I love anime, books, pokemon, doctor who and many other geeky things. I am 20 and going into my second year in college, I am doing a business course and I am hoping to be an accountant.
I am going to give up pasta and bread.

I was so sad when I saw how much an actual serving of pasta REALLY is, lol. 1 serving is pitiful. In the past I've eaten like, 4 servings in one sitting! No wonder I'm obese!!! LOL

I stopped eating most store bought bread too because I just don't like it anymore - it tastes weird to me....I prefer home made. I am not motivated enough to make it, lol...so I'm content to do without it for the most part.

Tigg_er · August 2014

The OP is trying to give up a bad habit - the habit of mindless eating. That's a great goal!
I will join you with giving up reaching for a snack when I am stressed out. Instead I will grab my little notebook I bought and write down what's bothering me.
Good luck to us on our way to great health!!

It's not "mindless" if you account for it accordingly... not everyone who enjoys a cupcake is a uncontrollable tardbucket.

you're missing the point. this doesnt apply to you, cool. for some, moderation simply doesnt work for certain foods and the best option is to temporarily cut them out as to avoid overeating or a binge.

im giving up booze for august, just to see how it goes. if i lose 5+ lbs ill stick it out another month or two

(Moderation can apply to anyone, except maybe an alcoholic or drug addict)

i agree, it can. doesnt make it better or easier than omitting something entirely. if i have a chip, im gonna want another chip, and another, and another. once i get the taste of one chip, the cravings get pretty intense. but hey, if i dont eat a chip, no craving. so why not avoid that temptation to eat a second and a third by omitting the first? moderation is a good strategy but if having a certain food increases the cravings for it, it can be counter-productive

maybe only binge eaters can relate, i dont know. but this is something that actually significantly helps with specific cravings

It's difficult to deal with, I agree, but a "dependency" it is not. The "must give this completely up to succeed" logic does not allow for a slip-up (if one would even would call it that). To slip-up would be to fail, and no one likes to fail. It's a tough mountain to climb as it is, so why make it more difficult than it needs to be?

Then I would say eat your cupcake if its that important to you. How is it a fail if I choose not to eat Ice cream or chips or Oreo? Talk about making things more difficult. I decide what is more important to me and if someone decides not to eat certain things because they find it easier to control themselves and their cravings then I consider that a success. My life is not gonna end because I decide not to have ice cream in the house or I choose not to try and control my whole day so I can eat a damn cupcake.

If you choose to eat your cupcake then that's fine. I have no problem with that.
To say some one has failed by not eating what they consider to cause problems for them is completely wrong.

Tigg_er · August 2014

I used to think of a slip up as a fail. And then I'd be all discouraged, I suck at this, I'm never going to overcome this, blah blah blah.

I got rid of that kind of thinking. I compare it to walking down the sidewalk and maybe slipping on something - tripping over an uneven sidewalk, perhaps. Does that mean I've failed and can't continue on my destination? Of course not. I can just go on. It may have caused me to lose a little time in getting to my destination, but it is NOT a "fail." It's only a fail if I stay there. So is it a fail to me if tonight I eat 2 cups of ice cream? No....

SO what's the harm if I drink a Dr. Pepper today? None, ultimately - except it will open up a floodgate of cravings that I have successfully gotten rid of.

I just *don't want it* anymore. It worked for me to give it up. If others can work a soda or a cup of ice cream or 5,000 twinkies into their daily intake and not hinder themselves, great. More power to them. I CAN'T DO IT. I have to give it up - otherwise I'm fighting with myself ALL DAY LONG.

^Exactly

johnprimeaux · August 2014

Resistance is futile!

johnprimeaux · August 2014

Abstinence

Of course I gave that up - I have seven kids - and I ain't giving it up for nuthin! If I could use the exercise I get from procreation here, I'd be way below my calorie intake for each day!!!! However, I just can't equate such pleasure into cardiovascular exercise.

elisa123gal · August 2014

I'll go for switching out my diet soda for steiva soda. I've been wanting to makethat change.

but switch outs are what lead to weigh loss. not giving things up. deprivation just leads to burn out.

that's my rant… :flowerforyou:

SonicDeathMonkey80 · August 2014

The OP is trying to give up a bad habit - the habit of mindless eating. That's a great goal!
I will join you with giving up reaching for a snack when I am stressed out. Instead I will grab my little notebook I bought and write down what's bothering me.
Good luck to us on our way to great health!!

It's not "mindless" if you account for it accordingly... not everyone who enjoys a cupcake is a uncontrollable tardbucket.

you're missing the point. this doesnt apply to you, cool. for some, moderation simply doesnt work for certain foods and the best option is to temporarily cut them out as to avoid overeating or a binge.

im giving up booze for august, just to see how it goes. if i lose 5+ lbs ill stick it out another month or two

(Moderation can apply to anyone, except maybe an alcoholic or drug addict)

i agree, it can. doesnt make it better or easier than omitting something entirely. if i have a chip, im gonna want another chip, and another, and another. once i get the taste of one chip, the cravings get pretty intense. but hey, if i dont eat a chip, no craving. so why not avoid that temptation to eat a second and a third by omitting the first? moderation is a good strategy but if having a certain food increases the cravings for it, it can be counter-productive

maybe only binge eaters can relate, i dont know. but this is something that actually significantly helps with specific cravings

It's difficult to deal with, I agree, but a "dependency" it is not. The "must give this completely up to succeed" logic does not allow for a slip-up (if one would even would call it that). To slip-up would be to fail, and no one likes to fail. It's a tough mountain to climb as it is, so why make it more difficult than it needs to be?

Then I would say eat your cupcake if its that important to you. How is it a fail if I choose not to eat Ice cream or chips or Oreo? Talk about making things more difficult. I decide what is more important to me and if someone decides not to eat certain things because they find it easier to control themselves and their cravings then I consider that a success. My life is not gonna end because I decide not to have ice cream in the house or I choose not to try and control my whole day so I can eat a damn cupcake.

If you choose to eat your cupcake then that's fine. I have no problem with that.
To say some one has failed by not eating what they consider to cause problems for them is completely wrong.

Never said it was a fail. However, when you devote a part of your intake to the exclusion of something, what happens on the off day when you eat it? If you just move on, then what was the point of excluding it in the first place?

BigT555 · August 2014

Never said it was a fail. However, when you devote a part of your intake to the exclusion of something, what happens on the off day when you eat it? If you just move on, then what was the point of excluding it in the first place?

exact same argument could be made against moderation. you wallow in shame for 45, maybe 60 minutes, then move on

Tigg_er · August 2014

The OP is trying to give up a bad habit - the habit of mindless eating. That's a great goal!
I will join you with giving up reaching for a snack when I am stressed out. Instead I will grab my little notebook I bought and write down what's bothering me.
Good luck to us on our way to great health!!

It's not "mindless" if you account for it accordingly... not everyone who enjoys a cupcake is a uncontrollable tardbucket.

you're missing the point. this doesnt apply to you, cool. for some, moderation simply doesnt work for certain foods and the best option is to temporarily cut them out as to avoid overeating or a binge.

im giving up booze for august, just to see how it goes. if i lose 5+ lbs ill stick it out another month or two

(Moderation can apply to anyone, except maybe an alcoholic or drug addict)

i agree, it can. doesnt make it better or easier than omitting something entirely. if i have a chip, im gonna want another chip, and another, and another. once i get the taste of one chip, the cravings get pretty intense. but hey, if i dont eat a chip, no craving. so why not avoid that temptation to eat a second and a third by omitting the first? moderation is a good strategy but if having a certain food increases the cravings for it, it can be counter-productive

maybe only binge eaters can relate, i dont know. but this is something that actually significantly helps with specific cravings

It's difficult to deal with, I agree, but a "dependency" it is not. The "must give this completely up to succeed" logic does not allow for a slip-up (if one would even would call it that). To slip-up would be to fail, and no one likes to fail. It's a tough mountain to climb as it is, so why make it more difficult than it needs to be?

Then I would say eat your cupcake if its that important to you. How is it a fail if I choose not to eat Ice cream or chips or Oreo? Talk about making things more difficult. I decide what is more important to me and if someone decides not to eat certain things because they find it easier to control themselves and their cravings then I consider that a success. My life is not gonna end because I decide not to have ice cream in the house or I choose not to try and control my whole day so I can eat a damn cupcake.

If you choose to eat your cupcake then that's fine. I have no problem with that.
To say some one has failed by not eating what they consider to cause problems for them is completely wrong.

Never said it was a fail. However, when you devote a part of your intake to the exclusion of something, what happens on the off day when you eat it? If you just move on, then what was the point of excluding it in the first place?

Well the world turns upside down and I become a billionaire.

I am also not saying that I would never eat those things again. I'm saying I am not going to let them control me.
Are you saying you never slip up and go over your allotment for the day ?
I would say I probably handle it the same way you would. I move on. I did not fail by slipping up> I messed up and will try to do better the next day.

But if the next day comes and there sits that ice cream well I just might eat the rest of it. If its not there then I don't have to worry about it.

wizzybeth · August 2014

Never said it was a fail. However, when you devote a part of your intake to the exclusion of something, what happens on the off day when you eat it? If you just move on, then what was the point of excluding it in the first place?

Well in my case with Dr Pepper, it ended up ending my desire for it completely - and since there are healthier options than soda and water is free, it's not only saving me money but giving me extra calories for something else I probably will enjoy more, like shrimp... now that I'm not wasting 120 calories on a bottle of soda. THAT's my point, anyway.

SLLRunner · August 2014

In my office building there is a little convenience store thing that sells snack food/soda/water and lately I've been frequenting this store a little too much. I've been thinking for a while that I need to give up this bad habit because it is really starting to hinder my weight loss efforts, but I need some accountability.

So.... I'm going to offer up a challenge for anyone who wants to join me in giving up something that that's been slowing down/preventing their weight loss or general health. We can support, encourage, and provide accountability to each other. Let's start with a week and go from there.

Introduce yourself and let us know what you will be giving up.

Who is with me???

I will be giving up nothing.

It was only when I gave up nothing that I started losing weight. I eat all the foods I love, I just eat them in moderation.

That said, I support you and those who feel need to give up something. Good luck to you!

doctorregenerated · August 2014

The OP is trying to give up a bad habit - the habit of mindless eating. That's a great goal!
I will join you with giving up reaching for a snack when I am stressed out. Instead I will grab my little notebook I bought and write down what's bothering me.
Good luck to us on our way to great health!!

It's not "mindless" if you account for it accordingly... not everyone who enjoys a cupcake is a uncontrollable tardbucket.

OK. Lets begin with "Tardbucket."
Who exactly are you calling that? And why are you name calling? What a terrible thing to do.

Of course "not everyone" is uncontrollable with a cupcake. Most of the world is filled with people who eat in moderation because its healthy and normal. Good for them! But there's a whole other group of people that have trigger foods - foods that make them want to eat more. For those people, there are steps that may be helpful for them to take. First, stop eating the trigger food for a little while. Get in the right headspace, and then begin to reintroduce the food again if necessary or desired, but in a controlled way.

But most importantly, none of this is applicable to this particular situation. The OP is giving up a habit, not a food. The habit is going into a food store with the intention of eating just because they are bored. This is not a good habit. The OP knows it. We all know it. So the OP is trying to stop that behavior.

angelexperiment · August 2014

The OP is trying to give up a bad habit - the habit of mindless eating. That's a great goal!
I will join you with giving up reaching for a snack when I am stressed out. Instead I will grab my little notebook I bought and write down what's bothering me.
Good luck to us on our way to great health!!

It's not "mindless" if you account for it accordingly... not everyone who enjoys a cupcake is a uncontrollable tardbucket.

you're missing the point. this doesnt apply to you, cool. for some, moderation simply doesnt work for certain foods and the best option is to temporarily cut them out as to avoid overeating or a binge.

im giving up booze for august, just to see how it goes. if i lose 5+ lbs ill stick it out another month or two

(Moderation can apply to anyone, except maybe an alcoholic or drug addict)

i agree, it can. doesnt make it better or easier than omitting something entirely. if i have a chip, im gonna want another chip, and another, and another. once i get the taste of one chip, the cravings get pretty intense. but hey, if i dont eat a chip, no craving. so why not avoid that temptation to eat a second and a third by omitting the first? moderation is a good strategy but if having a certain food increases the cravings for it, it can be counter-productive

maybe only binge eaters can relate, i dont know. but this is something that actually significantly helps with specific cravings

angelexperiment · August 2014

I agree. Not all people have that ability to control by moderation which I have tried to do but skipping the item is just more of a better choice for me because I am a binge eater at times. I just have to eat it all if it tastes yummy. Also the out of sight works for me too. I have to have food hidden to not eat it if I am not in that mental space where I can control myself. Now this obviously is not all people. I have to say learning to rid myself of unhealthy eating habits like eating when not hungry, eating after full, eating beyond calories, blah de blah. I have to cut out the unhealthy to learn to be healthy. Also I had to learn to do that store thing, I had to stop buying certain items while there. I had to avoid going there for awhile. Then when I was strong I could go and not buy that item every time. Its like weaning off a bad habit. Walk around the building two times then go in buy only a water a banana or some fruit. Tell yourself it is not worth it, I want to be a lean mean fatburning machine!

NYCGirl763 · August 2014

I agree. For those of you that don't have to "give up" anything, good for you! I for one have to totally give up potato chips because I cannot eat just a few of them. Maybe down the road I will be able to do it, but not today or tomorrow. I think this was a great challenge!