I am pathetic.

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  • SeptemberFeyre
    SeptemberFeyre Posts: 178 Member
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    kshama2001 wrote: »
    When I do the following, I don't have cravings:

    1. Get sufficient sleep.
    2. Exercise regularly - when I get the happy hormones from exercise, I'm not prone to seeking them from food.
    3. Get sufficient protein in relationship to carbs. I'm not low carb, but reducing carbs and upping protein worked for cravings for me. See also http://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/fuller/understanding-satiety-feeling-full-after-a-meal.html
    4. Eat moderate amounts of fruit. This makes me less interested in higher calorie sweets.
    5. Take a magnesium supplement. This can be especially helpful for women premenstrually.
    6. Save foods like chocolate for after dinner, in small amounts.

    Best wishes!

    This^^^ I'm right there with you on the sweet stuff cravings. I think this is really good advice.
  • bellabonbons
    bellabonbons Posts: 705 Member
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    There could be deep rooted psychological issues. Self loathing. Feeling undeserving. Your inability to remain consistent despite your resolve to do so. Rather than continually be faced with what appears to be a vicious cycle, seeing a therapist may benefit you tremendously. I have an eating disorders therapist in my family. It certainly sounds from what you are describing are some very real underlying issues that require the skill of an educated and degreed therapist. Many of the weight issues that women face stems from childhood or adolescents. An overbearing mother or a traumatic event such as physical, verbal or sexual abuse.
  • laurenm0304
    laurenm0304 Posts: 10 Member
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    Please stop thinking of sweets as forbidden food - this is half the problem. You CAN have sweets, chocolate, etc. You can have anything you want - just make it fit into your calories! Pre weigh sweets and put them into little sandwich bags with the calories written on the front. Eat the bag, enjoy it, savour it and then move on. You've had your sweets, you've finished the bag, you've satisfied your craving.
  • MiikeCholas
    MiikeCholas Posts: 70 Member
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    Not everyone is a robot for discipline when it comes to sweets...i mean who can resist some cake and ice cream! The beautiful thing you don't have to take a little bite then have a piece of fruit to satistify the hunger or sweet tooth you have or just have the fruit first so that cake isn't on your mind at all. Also there is plenty of "healthy" snacks that taste really good out there! but ill leave it with this quote "what the mind believes the body achieves" is a second of satisfaction worth a lifetime of regret ?
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    You got to want it bad enough.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
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    Please don't say that about yourself! what you lack is will power but that can be worked on, bit by bit you can replace old bad habits with better ones.
    If you want to lose badly enough then you'll do what you have to.
  • cbihatt
    cbihatt Posts: 319 Member
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    You need to find a way to stop equating your self worth with your eating habits. Overeating or going off track does not make you a loser. I am sure there is more to you than that!

    Everyone has given you good advice here. The things that work most for me are:

    1. Logging everything, even the bad days
    2. Drinking hot tea sweetened with Splenda to satisfy my sweet cravings and fill my belly
    3. Not forbidding any particular foods
    4. Limiting my consumption of sweets to one serving when I eat them
    5. Getting right back on track after a slip up...don't wallow!

    You can do this.
  • Elizabloob
    Elizabloob Posts: 16 Member
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    I have the same troubles! I try to log my sweet treats at the biginning of the day so i can calculate a fair amount (not too much) and then eat a little throughout the day to satisfy my cravings. I also do light exercise, I try to walk as much as I can so I will have more caleries free for snacks. I hopes this helps you!
  • monicaw44
    monicaw44 Posts: 71 Member
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    the longer you don't eat sweets, the less you want them.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
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    midlifesally wrote: »
    Thank you for all of the responses - the support, the a$$kick, the reality, the great advice. I tracked my food today. Calories are high, but I felt a bit more in control and tracking is a big start for me. I also like the idea of planning and not leaving food to chance.
    I'm also going to be more realistic about rate of loss...1 pound a week is ok. It might take me a long time to lose, but right now I just want to start feeling a bit better.

    Hey, those 1 lbs a week add up quickly and before you know it you'll be at goal.
  • Pinkvela
    Pinkvela Posts: 21 Member
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    A) You're not "pathetic", you're just "you" - don't use a qualifier. You are just "you". B) Try really hard not to eat the sweet. Or reduced it drastically, like I'm talking 1/4 tsp in yr. coffee or whatever you have in the day and that's it! It's not supposed to be easy. In my experience, you have to go through the pain to get to where you want to be, there's no way "around" it. Sugar is addictive, so yes, it's supposed to be hard. Just do it. Then at a later point you can introduce something small but controlled in to your diet (and not as a reward, I don't believe in this good and bad food thing, it's just a question of too much of certain things). Good luck! You CAN do it. I know you can.
  • JanetMMcC
    JanetMMcC Posts: 410 Member
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    Pathetic? Human. I'd bet big bucks ain't none of us, incuding those of us who are now maintaining, who hasn't backslid, hasn't eaten huge amounts of something, whether that's two of the biggest cheeseburgers at wherever and a giant fries, or that whole bag of cookies or Halloween candies, or a full jar of marshmallow fluff, straight from the jar.

    It took me until I was 63 to feel that I've finally gotten on top of things, and I turned 64 this month. With care, thought, and a lot of hard, hard work, you can do it sooner than I did. :) You can.

    Tracking is an excellent start. It really helps to *see* what you're doing, and how many calories there are in that Coke or orange juice or lava cake or even the big fancy salad. (I love that Panera puts calorie counts up so they're easy to see.)

    And a pound a week is 4 a month. Think of them as pounds of butter, and take a mental look at that stack every time you drop a pound. In one month, you can have a stack 10 inches high, if you live in the eastern US. If you live in the western US, a pound of 1/4-lb butter "cubes," stacked 2x2, will be a foot high.

    http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/archive/index.php/t-343879.html
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
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    midlifesally wrote: »
    I am pathetic. can't seem to keep myself on track re: diet. I have good intentions, then end up overeating. It is very, very, very hard for me to resist sweets.
    Maybe I have a deep seated fear of losing weight? Or is that too weird?
    Every day I get up with good intentions then go to bed feeling like a loser.
    My lifestyle is chaotic. I rarely eat a meal at home (I travel or end up at my kids' houses most evenings)
    The sugar cravings are the worst.
    Any advice is appreciated.

    Stop expecting yourself to fail and start expecting yourself to succeed. I know that may sound like a bunch fo new age crap, but it's not. I think it's easy to get in the habit of wanting to change and then not doing anything about it. We talk about it, we set plans, and then we don't follow through. Don't do that. Expect more from you. Get serious.

    Now, the other side of following through is setting realistic goals. If you're life is chaotic and you rarely eat at home, then you absolutely must learn portion control and discretion when it comes to eating everything offered. Learn to say no. And absolutely do not make eating out an excuse. You can "cheat" if you're eating out on a special occasion once in a while, but if you're eating out 3-4 days a week then it's time to order on the calorie controlled part of the menu. Also don't make being busy and excuse not to cook. If you're busy Monday through Friday then cook and freeze food on the weekends.

    Finally, keep in mind that the most successful people are "busy" and have "chaotic" lives. The difference is that successful people take control over what they can, and that is often quite a bit.
  • 2snakeswoman
    2snakeswoman Posts: 655 Member
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    I'm struggling too. I have a lot of bad habits - like cruising MFP when I should be active. Break up your routine as much as you can, and it will help to break other bad habits. I learned this in the past when I was determined to be successful at weight loss. If what you want is a new you, do new things. Go out a different door than usual. Come in a different door. Put on your clothes in a different order. Shake things up. If you usually eat in front of the TV, set yourself a nice place at the dining table. The more you can shake things up, the easier it becomes to make different choices.
  • stillnot2late
    stillnot2late Posts: 385 Member
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    I call myself pathetic. I am going to learn from your post. I've been maintaining for two years but wait, I still have 20 more to go. I got rid of the sweet cravings, I do not desire the candy and cookies. But I'm hooked on Lenny and Larry food bars. So I gotta work on that. First of all I wont call myself pathetic any more. Thank you for your post.

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