Overeating - help!

DeborahKilpatrick
DeborahKilpatrick Posts: 80 Member
edited November 8 in Motivation and Support
Hi, I'm really struggling at the moment. There are always loads of biscuits and cakes at work and even though every day I tell myself I won't eat them, I can't seem to stop myself. My meals are healthy, I exercise and I'm not hungry when I eat the biscuits, it's just a sheer lack of willpower.

Yesterday I ate 6 mini doughnuts, two biscuits and loads of Celebrations and then when I got home I felt so bad and as if the whole things was pointless that I then ate all evening, stuffing myself with toast, cheese, Nutella and pasta until I felt sick and tearful.

I only have a stone to lose and it should be easy but it's not. I feel that I basically can't eat anything sweet at all because if I do it sends me into a binge.

I managed to cut out Diet Coke a couple of months ago because I was drinking up to 7 cans a day and it was so unhealthy. Seemed to also bloat me and give me sugar cravings. I'm wondering if I should let myself have the odd can if I'm really feeling that I can't resist biscuits etc.

I don't want to ask my colleagues not to bring them in because it's not their fault I don't have willpower and it would be weird.

Any advice? Today I've avoided it so far because I ran into work so I'm feeling more positive, plus I've kept myself full this morning by having eggs for breakfast and snacking on a piece of rye toast with a teaspoon of cinammon butter and almonds, and a Food Doctor pot. Far more calories than I actually needed this morning and I'll be too full to have lunch for a while, but felt better to eat healthy stuff that makes me feel good ... Although now I'll have to do loads of exercise later to make up for all the calories!

Help!

Replies

  • dannymacros
    dannymacros Posts: 11 Member
    change doesn't happen overnight, you will slowly adjust you just need to remind yourself what your goals are and what it takes to get there. I practice the IIFYM approach to dieting because it allows you to include any types of foods as long as you meet the macro nutrient goal at the end of the day.

    I work in an office so I know what its like everyday someone brings in different types of donuts, breakfast foods, etc. No one is perfect, make small changes if you have to start that way by eating some of it but less and less each time. I drink diet soda sometimes because for me it helps with my cravings for sweets.

    How long have you been eating everything at work? Maybe you could sit somewhere to avoid them or even let whoever it is know what your current goals are? I wouldn't beat yourself up about it and do more exercise to "make up for it" I would just do better on the intake the next day, doing loads and loads of cardio is a short term solution.
  • cbhubbybubble
    cbhubbybubble Posts: 465 Member
    " it's just a sheer lack of willpower"

    Seems like you know what the problem is, so that's what you have to work on....moderation or abstinence. Which you choose is up to you and everybody finds success differently. The more often you choose not to grab the second mini donut or pass on the cookie entirely, the easier it gets. Self talk works for me....when people offer me such things at work, I ask myself if that donut is worth throwing off my plans for the day...do I want the donut more than I want to reach my goals, etc...sometimes it's yes and sometimes it's no. More often than not now, I pass on it, but I'm not so stringent with myself that I don't occasionally indulge.
  • pinkiezoom
    pinkiezoom Posts: 409 Member
    How about you bring in little, regulated treat for yourself,. so when you are offered a biscuit etc, you can say " no thanks I have already have one" ( obviously you might choose fruit or a tiny choc or something ) but the act of saying no thank you, and still being able to have a small treat might psychologically feel like a little win, plus the person will move on with the biscuits and then you havent taken 2 and feel "obliged" to eat them.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    • If you are full you will be less tempted.
    • If you have other healthier snacks around you cna eat those instead.
    • If you are focused on the reasons why you wnat to lose the weight then you will have less reason to do something that takes you further away from target. Write down the reasons why you wnat to get to traget , with any pics etc and remind yourself.
    • Recognise that having an all or nothing approach leads you to binge. Work out a stragey to deal with your binges i.e have a set routine and other things that you cna do once you recognise you are there i.e go for a walk, drink some water, listen to some mysic, talk to a friend etc. whatever might work for you to help you through the moment.
    • I would only say that beating yourself up about it, is more damaging than the food you might eat. be kind and supportive of yourself, expect some bumps, but take more steps forward than back.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    LOG it. Seriously. You're making it worse by eating more at home. If you log everything, you'll see the difference between 1000 extra calories (which only takes 2 days to recover from) and 3000...

    Then keep telling yourself that if you have even one thing, you'll end up eating more... so resist the first one as much as you can (trust me, it's actually easier not to have a taste than stopping at one!). And again... log it. Then ask yourself really hard if those 5 minutes are worth an extra 1000 calories.

    Then avoid that room if you can. Bring baby carrots or something to keep you full so you're less likely to eat them.
  • Laura732
    Laura732 Posts: 244 Member
    For the most part you have a few ways to deal with this:

    1) Enjoy a reasonable amount and plan it into your day (log it)
    2) Do with out it

    I didn't include exercise as the 3rd item, because although you can lessen the damage with exercise, exercise should be part of getting healthy anyway. Get out of the habit of using exercise to 'punish' yourself for the dietary digressions...

    Getting healthy is something you're going to be doing for the rest of your life. So depriving yourself is only going to keep you in that behavior you described above. Getting healthy not only involves adding healthier foods, but it also means learning to live with the not-so-healthy stuff.
  • hoyalawya2003
    hoyalawya2003 Posts: 631 Member
    edited December 2014
    DeborahKilpatrick wrote: »
    Hi, I'm really struggling at the moment. There are always loads of biscuits and cakes at work and even though every day I tell myself I won't eat them, I can't seem to stop myself. My meals are healthy, I exercise and I'm not hungry when I eat the biscuits, it's just a sheer lack of willpower.

    Yesterday I ate 6 mini doughnuts, two biscuits and loads of Celebrations and then when I got home I felt so bad and as if the whole things was pointless that I then ate all evening, stuffing myself with toast, cheese, Nutella and pasta until I felt sick and tearful.

    I only have a stone to lose and it should be easy but it's not. I feel that I basically can't eat anything sweet at all because if I do it sends me into a binge.

    I managed to cut out Diet Coke a couple of months ago because I was drinking up to 7 cans a day and it was so unhealthy. Seemed to also bloat me and give me sugar cravings. I'm wondering if I should let myself have the odd can if I'm really feeling that I can't resist biscuits etc.

    I don't want to ask my colleagues not to bring them in because it's not their fault I don't have willpower and it would be weird.

    Any advice? Today I've avoided it so far because I ran into work so I'm feeling more positive, plus I've kept myself full this morning by having eggs for breakfast and snacking on a piece of rye toast with a teaspoon of cinammon butter and almonds, and a Food Doctor pot. Far more calories than I actually needed this morning and I'll be too full to have lunch for a while, but felt better to eat healthy stuff that makes me feel good ... Although now I'll have to do loads of exercise later to make up for all the calories!

    Help!

    Ok I bolded the two parts that stuck out to me. If you run over something in the road and have a flat tire, do you get out of the car and stick a knife in the other three because it is pointless? Yes, it is a ridiculous comparison, but so is the thought that you made a mistake, so let's give up and continue to eat poorly. If you eat more than you planned, track it, forgive yourself, and move on.

    If you think one Diet Coke at work will help you not to feel deprived when you bypass the treats, then do it. Bring one in with you from home. As someone else said, when you start having thoughts about a "treat", remind yourself that you have a Diet Coke. If you want to also have one cookie, have one. Track it and keep yourself accountable.

    We all (or most all) face these issues. You can do it--you just have to believe you can, and want to do it.
  • DeborahKilpatrick
    DeborahKilpatrick Posts: 80 Member
    Hi, thanks everyone, your comments have really helped - especially because I've just read them straight after having eaten a massive chocolate muffin someone brought in and handed me as a present since it's their leaving day. I felt like I couldn't say no and am now sitting nearly crying feeling like I want to turn back time to 10 minutes ago when I hadn't eaten it.
    I can't believe I did after trying so hard to start today with a good attitude.
    I'm not going to be going home and eating more to punish myself though. I'm running back home from work because I wanted to do a run commute today, so that should help.
    I don't know whether I should still eat normally the rest of the day or try to have a very small dinner - I only have 100 calories left for the day even with the running including the run home!
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