Tips for a struggling addictive personality?

michaellyjak wrote: »

Hi there everyone, I have an addictive personality so every few weeks it's some new trend, food, goals, things sound catchy or taste good and I stick to it for a few weeks thus most diets only last a few weeks and it's back in the fast food line for the latest spicy sandwich. Any help to be able to keep a good routine but also keeping it fresh? I have 50 pounds to go by next summer. Thanks!!

One of the most important, but not necessarily easy things to do would to be find ways to create positive feedback loops within your plan so that you're receiving external reinforcement. The way I attempt to do this with clients is to track a variety of physical metrics such as weight, circumference measurements, photographs, training based metrics (pounds lifted for example), and in some cases tracking a specific habit not only for purposes of developing behaviors but also to get positive feedback from that habit tracker (it literally shows you changing your behaviors).

Getting confirmation that your efforts are producing results, is huge as it pertains to adherence.

Some other things to consider would be to make sure your plan isn't too aggressive so it's not causing too much stress (which then impacts adherence).

On the training front, start with activities you enjoy.

michaellyjak wrote: »

Awesome advice, thank you for your input! I can already see a few areas of improvement and I think what you said towards the end is more important than I give credit too. I have always been so into it that I am probably burning myself out very fast from super focusing on it instead of making it more natural, I am trying to figure out what types of cardio I can do. I have a bike and that's probably my favorite is to just get out and ride, but I want to be able to do others as well, maybe looking into local groups? Do you think weight loss is more about food and calorie intake or exercise, or both? Thanks

Weight loss is about creating an energy imbalance between what comes in and what goes out. Exercise and activity contribute to this by either creating a bigger energy imbalance OR by allowing you to eat a little bit more food.

Exercise also does things that can't be done with diet as far as physique, performance, and even some downstream things that are valuable like improving insulin sensitivity and increasing bone density, muscle mass, etc.

So while it's easy to say "fat loss comes from diet" that's not encompassing the full picture in my opinion.

Biking is great, go do it.
If you enjoy lifting weights, or doing bodyweight exercise, do some of that too.

But don't burn out by doing buttloads of it daily. Get out 3-5 days per week and do some exercise and have fun with it. Take a couple of days off. Spend more time on your feet and less time in a chair (be active).

I have the same personality. My DW calls me a phaser. When some activity excites my pleasure center there is no stopping me. I need more. The only thing that stops me is the next pleasure.

I agree with SideSteel's post in that tracking metrics helps. That in itself is addictive.

You might enjoy reading the Hacker's Diet. https://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/ Once you are on the webpage, click the PDF link and start reading. I like Chapter 3 The Rubber Bag. It will answer your question about calorie intake. Good luck.

michaellyjak wrote: »

Hi there everyone, I have an addictive personality so every few weeks it's some new trend, food, goals, things sound catchy or taste good and I stick to it for a few weeks thus most diets only last a few weeks and it's back in the fast food line for the latest spicy sandwich. Any help to be able to keep a good routine but also keeping it fresh? I have 50 pounds to go by next summer. Thanks!!

SideSteel gave you some good advice. I will say that I am constantly trying and getting addicted to and eventually abandoning different types of cardio, and that's what keeps me interested in exercising. If you enjoy trying new foods and new recipes, that also keeps weight loss fresh--I've tried fish I never would have considered before, and I've had a lot of fun trying new ways to cook vegetables. You can make your personality work for you.

bbontheb wrote: »

Do you have ADHD? I do, and am a tad the same. Not so much with fads but new things, tastes etc. It's hard to control sometimes. I think you got some good advice on this thread. Some of it I am going to consider for myself.

I have eliminated driving unless necessary and refuse to go out hungry. I'm a drive thru person if i see it, I will eat it. Helps when I'm not hungry if I pass it by.

I was diagnosed with ADD at the age of 7 and have eliminated other behavioral cues that wear down my impulse control. (Using opaque containers to store junk food and portioning it out when I'm full, etc) I've lost 61 pounds. I also have found that exercising for at least an hour each day (including walking) has made my symptoms more bearable generally.

I'm going to be honest and say you don't sound like you have an addictive personality, you just lack commitment. imho
I could say adhd playing a role in this as well, but you need to choose a healthy lifestyle and not a fad.

bbontheb wrote: »

barbecuesauce wrote: »

bbontheb wrote: »

Do you have ADHD? I do, and am a tad the same. Not so much with fads but new things, tastes etc. It's hard to control sometimes. I think you got some good advice on this thread. Some of it I am going to consider for myself.

I have eliminated driving unless necessary and refuse to go out hungry. I'm a drive thru person if i see it, I will eat it. Helps when I'm not hungry if I pass it by.

I was diagnosed with ADD at the age of 7 and have eliminated other behavioral cues that wear down my impulse control. (Using opaque containers to store junk food and portioning it out when I'm full, etc) I've lost 61 pounds. I also have found that exercising for at least an hour each day (including walking) has made my symptoms more bearable generally.

Oh, I want to hear more of these tips. These are great! And exactly the little things in the day that are difficult with impulse control issues!

Environmental management is huge. As mentioned above by barbecuesauce, keeping junk food in areas where it's not immediately visible and also keeping it where it's physically less convenient to access is HUGE for most people. For example if there is a brownie sitting on the kitchen counter on a plate with a fork and a tall glass of cold milk next to it, you're much more likely to eat it then if the brownie were across the street at the bakery behind the glass counter where you have to pay $3.00. Even if it's the same brownie, you will eat it FAR more often in the former scenario vs the latter, and in the latter scenario you might not even think about the brownie whereas in the former you HAVE to.

See here in case this is helpful even though the current topic isn't about logging vs not logging. There are some other behavioral things in this thread you may find useful/applicable:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10180601/non-tracking-methods-and-behaviors-that-may-help-while-tracking/p1

bbontheb wrote: »

barbecuesauce wrote: »

bbontheb wrote: »

Do you have ADHD? I do, and am a tad the same. Not so much with fads but new things, tastes etc. It's hard to control sometimes. I think you got some good advice on this thread. Some of it I am going to consider for myself.

I have eliminated driving unless necessary and refuse to go out hungry. I'm a drive thru person if i see it, I will eat it. Helps when I'm not hungry if I pass it by.

I was diagnosed with ADD at the age of 7 and have eliminated other behavioral cues that wear down my impulse control. (Using opaque containers to store junk food and portioning it out when I'm full, etc) I've lost 61 pounds. I also have found that exercising for at least an hour each day (including walking) has made my symptoms more bearable generally.

Oh, I want to hear more of these tips. These are great! And exactly the little things in the day that are difficult with impulse control issues!

-I bought a rubbermaid container to store junk food and snacks. I also occasionally put the peanut butter in time out there. I portion out goodies when I am full and not willing to snack.

-I eat the same thing at lunch every day (so no temptation to leave for Taco Bell) and practice 16:8 intermittent fasting. When I eat outside of that window, it seems like my self-control erodes and I find myself eating bananas I really wasn't hungry for.

-I don't let myself sit and watch TV--I have to be doing some movement, even if it's just gentle yoga poses or arm curls with a 5 lb weight. You can't snack if you're in motion, right?

-I started journaling when I overate--just a line or two about feelings, time of day, what happened immediately before, etc. The most surprising thing about that is how frequently my triggers change.

I think the best thing to do is to think about how you behave and interact with your environment. What works for you might be as individual as the things that have worked for me.