What was the hardest thing you had to give up? How did you do it?

DvrDawg
DvrDawg Posts: 88 Member
in Motivation and Support
I have often struggled with willpower on the weekends. And, I often find myself drinking a soda -even through I always get a diet. But, I know that doesn't really help. So, if you have a strong craving or an addictive habit - How did you overcome it?

Replies

  • csec6pak
    csec6pak Posts: 54 Member

    I don't do good with moderation, so I had to go cold turkey for awhile.

    For me, the biggest vice was a salty snack with a beer in the evening. I felt like I deserved that treat after a long day, once the kids were finally in bed.

    I had to give up eating after dinner completely for about 3-4 weeks to break that habit. Once it was broken, I found that I could go back to having the snack, but moderation was acceptable. So I'd have one light beer and a few pretzels instead of 2 full-calorie beers and half a bag of chips. And not every night; just a once in awhile treat.

    But going cold turkey for a few weeks was key for me. For some reason, I couldn't get myself to stick to moderation without detoxing from the habit completely first.

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    I was a big sweets (chocolate, cake, chocolate cake, chocolate ice cream, etc.) and bread/grain (crackers, pasta, etc.) person. For me, the best method was to not have these things in the house and to only allow them one day per week and only one serving on that day. I picked Sunday. Each Sunday I would have one treat of each and that was it. I did that for several months (I think it was January until May/June) and then started giving myself a bit more flexibility. By that time it was warming up a bit so I had an ice cream cone during the week or a sandwich for lunch one day. Now I'm at the point where I can just balance it all without thinking about it too much.
  • akaendurance
    akaendurance Posts: 2 Member
    I realized my addiction was to regular soda's. Coke. I had to completely give it up in order to not slip back into old habits. It took me logging every calorie on MFP to see how many wasted calories that XL Coke with breakfast/lunch/dinner included. For the past month and half or so, my beverages have consisted of water and an occasional unsweet tea when I need something different. Maybe find some of the water mixers or use lemon or lime to help flavor your water a bit in order to help give it some taste when you start to get bored with it :)
  • loribethrice
    loribethrice Posts: 620 Member
    Giving up Velveeta Shells & Cheese has been hard for me. And all other noodle. I used to love to eat angel hair pasta with butter and shaker cheese on it. Or chicken broth with Kluski noodles. It's too hard to count calories for those though.
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
    Laying on the couch for hours on end. Seriously. I don't really have a problem with the food piece. I even enjoy the exercise piece. I just feel like I have a lot less time for zoning out than I used to.
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
    I gave up eating too much. But I cut zero foods out. Give me the candy and the cake and the diet coke right alongside my chicken and veggies.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    TV
  • hephnerc
    hephnerc Posts: 20 Member
    I am really struggling with being addicted to Chocolate. So after reading some of these posts I am going to try to cut it back to once a week. But what about when the craving is so strong that it makes irritable and cranky? It sometimes doesn't take much for me to get irritable and cranky because I am a 6th grade Math teacher. I try really hard not to be because I know so many of the kids come from such horrible homes.
  • headofphat
    headofphat Posts: 1,597 Member
    bread and sugar.
    They are pretty much all processed and crappy for you anyway so it wasn't all that bad. there are lots of ways to get carbs and i found them.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I haven't really given anything up entirely, I just cut way back on a lot of stuff. Two years later and I don't really give it much thought anymore, I've completely changed my overall eating habits.

    Soda used to be a big one for me and I just slowly weened myself down. I used to drink 3-6 12oz cans daily...I started out by just cutting down to one per day...then one a few times per week...then once per week. I finally got to the point where it was really a very occasional treat. I still drink them on occasion...but really, it's an occasion...like last week when I was on vacation walking down the boardwalk at Newport Beach...a Coke on ice went perfectly with that.

    By the by, drinking diet soda is going to have absolutely no impact on whether or not you lose weight.
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  • beamer0821
    beamer0821 Posts: 488 Member
    i don't give it up. depriving myself doesn't work. i eat it when i want to with some loose guidelines.

    i find ways to work it into my plan. like a treat.
    i don't keep it in the house.
    when i do it i buy a portion of it. i.e. buying 1 cookie from a bakery v. a whole package.
  • beamer0821
    beamer0821 Posts: 488 Member
    ive also found that the better handle i have on my emotional state the easier it is to not eat that garbage anyway that doesn't support my ultimate goals of taking care of myself
  • ShellyBell999
    ShellyBell999 Posts: 1,482 Member
    Booze

    I haven't given it up
    Just workout harder
  • berz82
    berz82 Posts: 100 Member
    dont buy them in is what ive found helps, if they are there then they will be eaten!
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    I was addicted to excuses and giving up :/
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
    Mindless grazing (I work from home - kitchen is right next to my office). I took 2-3 weeks, planned for it, pre-logged meals and just went cold turkey, by making cups of tea whenever I felt the urge to graze. I haven't given up any particular food/drink per se, but I just consume a lot less of some things, and a lot more of others.
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,741 Member
    headofphat wrote: »
    bread and sugar.
    They are pretty much all processed and crappy for you anyway so it wasn't all that bad. there are lots of ways to get carbs and i found them.

    Same here. At first I thought it was going to be tough to stop having these things, but then I realized I only ate them out of habit. Ironically, once I eliminated them ALL my cravings disappeared. Now I eat for fuel and nutrition. Been a life-changer for me. (sounds dramatic, I know, but for me personally, this is true)
  • numinousnymph
    numinousnymph Posts: 249 Member
    bread for sure. i'd have probably at least two servings of bread per day. i had to just not buy it anymore and i only have it now if i get a sandwich when i go out somewhere.
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  • numinousnymph
    numinousnymph Posts: 249 Member
    HotMamaInWorks wrote: »
    numinousnymph wrote: »
    bread for sure. i'd have probably at least two servings of bread per day. i had to just not buy it anymore and i only have it now if i get a sandwich when i go out somewhere.

    but WHY did you have to give up bread? Was it a medical requirement? If not, then you DID NOT have to give it up...

    well as i said i still have it when i have a sandwich if i go out somewhere, so i can moderate how much i have. i had to stop buying it because moderation is still VERY hard for me sometimes. sometimes i can do it, but i am prone to binging (i have emotional eating problems and had binge and purge cycles in the past), and so if bread was in the house, it'd be too stressful for me to constantly be around it and have it "calling out" to me and constantly monitor myself with it.
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  • erulasse
    erulasse Posts: 141 Member
    I haven't given up anything. Not a single thing.
    If I fancy it, I make sure I either work out harder, or adjust my other calories to fit around it.
    This is a lifestyle change and if my life has to be without ever enjoying my favourite snacks, I'd rather be fat :wink:
  • Ranidan2
    Ranidan2 Posts: 13
    I had two of the worst addictions. Booze and cigarettes.

    I gave up smoking 5 months ago, very difficult. I had to use medicine (Chantix) to be successful, but I've stuck to it. Now I've turned my attention to Booze. I'm ten days sober for the first time in 6 years. And, in case anyone needs motivation, I've lost 5 pounds in those 10 days.
  • sorcha1977
    sorcha1977 Posts: 133 Member
    SingRunTing wrote: »
    Laying on the couch for hours on end. Seriously. I don't really have a problem with the food piece. I even enjoy the exercise piece. I just feel like I have a lot less time for zoning out than I used to.

    Exactly this. I felt like I had less time for homework and such, but then I had to be honest with myself and admit that exercise and cooking cut into Netflix time, not homework time.
  • Debmal77
    Debmal77 Posts: 4,770 Member
    I didn't give up anything. Portion control... calorie deficit....it works...try it
  • Debbjones
    Debbjones Posts: 278 Member
    "What was the hardest thing you had to give up? How did you do it?"

    First let's say you shouldn't "HAVE" to give up anything unless medically necessary... that said, once diagnosed a type 2 diabetic I virtually gave up sugar and reduced fats in order to lose weight and reverse my diagnosis. (I say virtually because natural sugar is in everything we eat, one can never fully give up sugar!)

    In eliminating sugar I use sugar substitutes and I applied the "eat this not that" mentality. Instead of ice cream, I consume sugar free pudding. I don't eat cake, unless it is made using Splenda... and so on... There are many great food items available that are prepared with sugar substitutes, even the bakeries in grocery stores will prepare pastries that are "no sugar added". This way I never feel deprived in the sweet category.

    As a side note: These bakery items could be higher in fat and calories though, I found I now read ALL food nutritional labels.

    Fats, I no longer use butter or margarine and most dairy products. I use PAM or a flavored, non-sweetened tea to add moisture in my sauteed foods (like fish and onions)... I learned this little trick from watching Chopped on the Food Network. They added the tea because it was a required item, when I realized it added the moisture I needed to prevent my sauteed foods from sticking to the pan... I jumped on it.

    Also, I stopped adding butter to my potatoes and other foods... I just up the seasoning and add a little pepper...

    My biggest advice to anyone working on losing weight... read nutritional labels, count calories and apply the "eat this not that" philosophy.

    Great success to you in your weight loss journey... you can do it! :)

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