Saying hello and I think I have a problem

missyjg99
missyjg99 Posts: 246 Member
edited September 29 in Introduce Yourself
Hi all. I've been doing this for a week and I weigh in tomorrow at the gym and I'm hoping for a loss. But this is my issue, i'm finding. I crave sugar and processed carbs. I've given this a week and looking over what I eat, it's awful! I stay within or under my calorie limit but those calories are not good. It's hard when faced with 4 picnics, 7 birthday parties and several get togethers in the month of July alone. I can't resist that cupcake. Yesterday, my lunch was a cupcake and icecream, yup I'm serious. That's horrible!! So I guess I'm writing this down b/c admitting a problem is the first step right? Well my name is Missy and I'm addicted to sugar...

Anyone have any tips? I don't buy the bad food and yesterday I even took my own food. It sat in the car. I have the exercise bit down (since I'm a new mom and walking my daughter is part of our nighttime routine and she LOVES it). I also am part of a mommy and me Yoga class. But my diet has a lot to be desired! And I'm around a lot of sabotagers, pushing cake and not so good things in my face... Listen people, I have to loose this tush and belly, that is not helping.

So that's my problem. Can anyone relate or any tips would be great.

Replies

  • lilcrittert
    lilcrittert Posts: 105
    Don't replace problem foods with a diet version. I wrote a blog entry with tips. I've lost 73 pounds by cutting it out of my diet.
  • HotMamaByVday
    HotMamaByVday Posts: 343 Member
    My only tip is to make conscience (sp?) choices. Do you really want a cupcake enough to justify the calories? Is it really that tasty? I found that after avoiding the processed foods for a week or so that the cravings diminished. Avoid the sugar for a while and the cravings will lessen.

    good luck to you!
  • YukonJoy
    YukonJoy Posts: 1,279 Member
    I also have a saboteur in my life. My boyfriend brings all sorts of crap into the house and offers it to me all the time but the worst is BOOZE. He is always bring me home cider or beer or whatever. I can't say no. If there is cider in the fridge I will drink it. I would say sitting down and talking with them helps but that would be a lie. It's like banging my head against a brick wall. So frustrating.

    But the cravings WILL stop. If you can steel your willpower and refuse those cupcakes and ice cream for just 2 weeks you will be amazed that the cravings just stop. I never have cravings for junk food anymore, and I used to eat it all the time.

    I also eat first before I go anywhere that I know there is going to be junk food so I'm not hungry and tempted. People are also a lot more receptive if you say "No thanks, I just ate" rather than "No I'm dieting" which usually gets met with "Oh come on! It's just one cupcake!" I also try to workout first, this stops me from eating junk and feeling like I wasted all that effort.

    Good luck. Just remember that it WILL get easier :) Friend me if you want some support :flowerforyou:
  • ccvalentine
    ccvalentine Posts: 20
    Hi Missy...
    First of all - you aren't alone with the temptations being around constantly. It seems there's birthday cake/ice cream/or cupcakes in the break room every flippin' time I walk through!!! But... "A CHOICE ALWAYS EXISTS. THINGS AREN'T SET IN STONE UNTIL YOU DIE."

    Only YOU can make those choices... and no matter how many tips others share with you, the final decision ends with you. And I only say this because it's the truth and it's the same exact situation for me. I gave in yesterday and ate some birthday cake and ice cream. But I passed up the cupcakes today (mainly because this morning I'd gained a half pound that I'd worked so hard previously to lose!)

    Point being, you h ave to make your mind up and STICK TO IT...

    You're in a GREAT place for support... just stay online and ask questions and BE SURE to record your foods throughout the day. You never realized how much you're eating or bad it is for you until you start recording it!!!

    Good luck hun... You're not alone and you can make the right choices, I promise!!!
  • juliapurpletoes
    juliapurpletoes Posts: 951 Member
    Well, years back when I was making the transition from a diet filled with processed foods and carbs to a more healthy and natural food based one, I found that it was just about mindset. It was something I wanted to do, not felt forced to do.

    I think as you continue to define who you are and how you want to live your life, you too will find yourself gravitating towards smarter and healthier foods. There is no real magic except for the kid you conjure up in your own mind. It may happen fast or it may take time experimenting.

    But, it will happen!
  • bloodlesscoup
    bloodlesscoup Posts: 32 Member
    Cravings take a long time to minimize, but it's worth fighting through them, and when they're gone, they're pretty much gone, except I get emotional triggers and that's a bad habit I also work on.

    Okay, so what I do for cravings:

    Sweet food: Fruit! If you start tasting natural sugars in a correct balance, as is found in fruit, things like baked goods or artificially sweetened things will be less appealing.

    Sweet baked goods: Usually something nutty curbs the desire for something sweet and carb-like. A quarter cup of trail mix, maybe? I usually want these sorts of things when I want to feel satiety, so I go for something that has a nutritional balance to feel more full and get a sense that my food is fueling me. For a while, I'd resist all day and then reward myself with an apple and peanut butter, and it was, like, better than anything ever. EVER.

    Chocolate: an ounce of dark chocolate instead of something monstrous and terrible. Chocolate is so good for you, an an ounce of a really high quality dark chocolate is heaven when you let it melt in your mouth.

    Salty-Sweet combo: Apple and PB is great for this. Trail mix, too. Well-proportioned fruit and nuts work for me really well. I hope you don' t have a nut allergy!

    Salty food: A cup or two of air popped popcorn with a dash of salt over it, or maybe a serving of mini pretzels. An ounce of dry roasted almonds with salt?

    Anyway, these are a lot of the things I try to turn to when cravings hit. It's so difficult! One thing I'm working on now is downing a glass of water every time I feel hungry, waiting 10-15 minutes, and if I'm still hungry, then I'll have something to eat. Lots of mini-meals through the day, too, so my metabolism is always going and I never get Panic Hungry and want to binge. Good luck!
  • marmee232
    marmee232 Posts: 2
    I know what you are facing, I've been there. This has worked for me it is simple but is a powerful statement. I put this on my computer and fridge or anywhere I need to be reminded. "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels". I find that the encouragement I get from people I haven't seen in awhile is my motivation. I have lost 72 pounds in 4 years and have kept it off by exercising and eating right they must go together. When you feel good about what you have eaten and how you feel put on those skinny jeans you will never want to lose that feeling. We are our own worst emeny when it comes to dieting. Good Luck and remember it will be worth the hard work.
  • AHealthierRhonda
    AHealthierRhonda Posts: 881 Member
    My name is Rhonda and I am a sugarholic as well!! I've been on MFP since January and have done well. I do allow myself my sugary treats as I want them in small portions. I find by doing this, and accepting it as part of my eating routine, I want it less and less, execept once a month when the feeling is out of control! After 7 months of MFP, my cravings have gotten less and less and I can even say no to things at times. I keep healthier snacks (fat free pudding cups, Special K bars, Welch's fruit snack snack packs, Chocolate or yogurt covered raisins,, low fat ice cream ....) For me there is no giving up sugary snacks so I over come and adapt!!!
  • HavaTwizzz
    HavaTwizzz Posts: 6 Member
    I have to say I, too, have a mighty big sweet tooth--and it's just going to be a one-day-at-a-time thing, and the diet stuff really isn't a good subsitute either. I'm just starting off myself on here, but everyone's been so welcoming, supportive, and encouraging and I'm learning more every day! Hang in there and GOOD LUCK to you :)
    Eliza
  • Taicort
    Taicort Posts: 14 Member
    I have the same problem with my boyfriend! if it isnt beer, its vokda or some other sort of empty calorie that i dont need. Im having soooo much trouble resisting if it is there right in front of me. I wont tell him he cant have any or ask him not to bring any booze home since IM the one choosing to cut that crap out but my self control in that department is close to non-existant. :(
  • PaulineLi
    PaulineLi Posts: 17 Member
    Hello! I just recently started too! OK, this may sound cheesy, but what I found that helped me this time was to do some "marketing" to myself. I look at and envision really great looking yummy pictures of dishes with fruits and veggies. I tell myself that these foods are super delicious. I try to look at the unhealthy foods with disdain. I have this theory that a lot of our cravings start from when we were kids and we constantly see unhealthy foods portrayed as really yummy from all the TV ads, and the marketing that companies do. So, I try to reverse that thinking, and am noticing that each time I eat healthier, my body feels better, and so it gives my mind/body positive reinforcement. I found that this really helped with cravings.

    I also know that I can't do it on my own, so I told everybody around me about my new eating habits and My Fitness Pal so that they can help me. A few of them have even joined!

    Good luck!
  • catalame
    catalame Posts: 40
    It's not worth denying yourself everything. Eat cupcakes, but not every day and only in moderation. Have say, one a week, on a day when you excercise. You will appreciate it more. When you have one, make sure it's a really good quality one and savour it. Successful thin people eat a little of what they fancy.

    But remember- on average, you will burn less than a cupcake in a 1 hour aerobics class. So you have to think carefully about when it's really worth it.

    Avoid the diet versions-chemicals and crap and no flavour.

    Cupcakes are my faveourite treat, but despite being a fitness trainer who basically works out all day every day, I still don't indulge daily.
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