Cheating :(

MollNicChlo
MollNicChlo Posts: 3 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I need a bit of a kick up the backside - I'm trying to lose 2.5st of baby weight (a stone down so far), and have been steadily losing 1lb per week, which is all good.

But I cannot seem to stop buying sweets, and not logging them... I invent spurious reasons for going to the shop, and pick up a bag most days. The rest of my diet is pretty good, and as I say, I am gradually losing, but I can't seem to shift this bad habit.

I k ow I'm only cheating myself,but I can't seem to stop.

Previously, really extreme, all or nothing diets have worked better for me, but I'm breastfeeding, and I want to be sensible about how I do this.

Anyone got any tough love tips for me to get past this? Grateful for any suggestions.

Replies

  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    edited January 2016
    Did you know you need extra calories when you are breastfeeding? Maybe your body is trying to tell you something. 1,200 calories a day is not enough.
  • JackieMarie1989jgw
    JackieMarie1989jgw Posts: 230 Member
    If you're exclusively breastfeeding you should log 500 extra calories a day. You can do this by searching "breastfeeding" in the food diary- it will give you a choice of -500 or -250 cal (the -250 is if you are NOT exclusively breastfeeding, such as breastfeeding an older baby/toddler). When you select it, it will show up in your food diary giving you extra calories for the day. You have to enter it every day though.
    Nothing wrong with sweets in moderation, you might find with the extra calories from breastfeeding that you have some room for it. I craved sweets like crazy during the first six months of breastfeeding too, which is crazy because I dont normally have a sweet tooth!
    My weakness is jelly bellies. When I started logging, I would allow myself to eat some every evening but I would count out one serving's worth. Good luck to you and congrats on your weight loss so far!
  • ElizabethOakes2
    ElizabethOakes2 Posts: 1,038 Member
    You have a small being living off your body. Trying to lose the baby weight now might be pushing you a little too hard. Trying to wean yourself off sugar all at once might be trying too much too soon.

    Try having good fruit in the house- apples, bananas, pears, berries. Then promise yourself if you have fruit today, tomorrow you can have a sweet. Then after a couple days, tell yourself that if you eat fruit today and tomorrow, you can have a sweet on the third day. Try to get to where you're having one splurge day a week, instead of every day. Start replacing that candy habit with a fruit habit. Remember that you're making lifestyle changes that you want to maintain for life. :)
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    If its working, then how are you cheating?
  • erinc5
    erinc5 Posts: 329 Member
    Honestly, 1lb per week is good. You seem to be losing at a sensible rate. Whatever you are doing is working. If I were you, I'd just keep doing what you're doing until you aren't seeing any results. And, since it is working for you, why not log it? Then, if progress stops, you'll actually be able to see where you can make adjustments.
  • JackieMarie1989jgw
    JackieMarie1989jgw Posts: 230 Member
    erinc5 wrote: »
    Honestly, 1lb per week is good. You seem to be losing at a sensible rate. Whatever you are doing is working. If I were you, I'd just keep doing what you're doing until you aren't seeing any results. And, since it is working for you, why not log it? Then, if progress stops, you'll actually be able to see where you can make adjustments.

    This! You dont have to completely give everything up.
  • wannabpiper
    wannabpiper Posts: 402 Member
    I, too, have a massive sweet tooth and curb it at night with herbal teas - they give me flavor without that sugar that I can't stop eating once I start.
  • strong_curves
    strong_curves Posts: 2,229 Member
    I don't see the problem, you're losing weight even with your "cheating".

    That said, sounds like your deficit is too aggressive hence the "cheating".
  • kettiecat
    kettiecat Posts: 159 Member
    Your issue is the cheating. Would it work if you logged in your "cheater cheater" calories the next day? or even logged cheater food today under tomorrows snacks? Can you have someone else add the cheater food in at the end of the day?

    Are there certain foods you consistently crave and can keep substitutes around the house? Is it just the getting out of the house you crave and associate that feeling with the food?
  • MollNicChlo
    MollNicChlo Posts: 3 Member
    Thanks everyone, for the wise words! I didn't know you could log breastfeeding calories, so I'll have to work that out.

    I'm not sure why I am so concerned about this- I suppose I just know that I shouldn't be eating a bag of sweets everyday. It's silly not to log them, especially as I am still losing.

    I will try to fulfill the cravings with fruit, as once I
    Start, I find it difficult to stop with sweets , so having the odd one doesn't really work for me. :)
  • jasmineruth
    jasmineruth Posts: 88 Member
    If you are losing 1 lb a week then you are all good as far as your deficit goes. I say add 500 cals. Log a sweet. Don't beat yourself up about it. If you are concerned about eating too many sweets and the sugar or whatnot, add an extra small meal or snack that is of a similar calorie amount. I eat sweets or chips if I want to but often I think ugh logging half a chocolate bar at 350 cals, I could have a small meal for that! And choose the small meal. But when I choose the snack I log it and go on with my life because the great thing about MFP is you can eat whatever you please as long as it fits within your goals! A 1 lb a week weight loss is solid, sustainable, and smart.
  • melonaulait
    melonaulait Posts: 769 Member
    Logging and pre-logging your sweets splurges can help too! It helps me to eat less of foods I can't otherwise stop eating. Like, instead of devouring a 300g bag of sweets at once, I may just eat 50-100g if I've pre-logged that amount of it and can already see the crazy calorie counts in my diary. It helps a ton!
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    If it ain't broke, don't fix it. You are losing weight. Isn't that what you wanted?
  • erinc5
    erinc5 Posts: 329 Member
    MollNicChlo wrote: »

    once I Start, I find it difficult to stop with sweets , so having the odd one doesn't really work for me. :)

    Again, you're losing weight. A sweet here and there does seem to be working for you.
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    Don't look at is as cheating.
    Eat your candy, log it and relax. I eat chocolate almost every day. ;) Divide the bag of candies into weighed portions...or buy smaller bags. No need to cut out the things that you like.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    Just log them. Recording what you eat as you eat keeps your mind aware of what you have done and what you can yet do to reach your goal for today.
  • wordyroo
    wordyroo Posts: 98 Member
    La Leche League recommends breastfeeding moms get 1800-2000 calories a day. I found this calculator really handy. It calculates a deficit for a steady loss and includes the average amount of calories breastfeeding moms burn creating milk: http://www.freedieting.com/tools/breastfeeding_calorie_calculator.htm
  • wordyroo
    wordyroo Posts: 98 Member
    edited January 2016
    Thanks, computer glitch, for posting that twice.
  • MollNicChlo
    MollNicChlo Posts: 3 Member
    That link is really useful, thanks. Thanks for the tips, everyone, and the reassurance. I've made sure I've logged every last thing that I've eaten over the last few days, sweets and all. Fingers crossed fir a loss this week, but I have a feeling I might be static this week. X
  • MommyL2015
    MommyL2015 Posts: 1,411 Member
    Losing weight while eating what you like? That's not cheating, that's winning. :)
This discussion has been closed.

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