I feel like a walking blob.

Well I've signed back on to my fitness pal after piling on pounds once again. I tend to be good for a few days then I just need to eat... Everything on sight that is sweet.. Chocolate mainly. I can't stop myself. Now I'm heading towards 12st and for a 53 year old that's not good. I need to break this cycle once and for all. I've got to get back in control!!!!!

I'd suggest maybe a therapist?

Not making fun of you, this is an actual suggestion. If you are stuck in a pattern like that, sometimes you have some issues to be sorted out. I was a chronic binge-eater, myself. I "couldn't control" myself around certain things, either. All I did was stretch out my stomach, so it took even more to 'fill' me. But you need to learn the control.

This is a life change, not a diet. And you are stronger than this.

A small note; obesity doesn't run in families, bad/uninformed food habits do. Previously obese, myself, learned this and a light bulb went off in my head. Family reunions, phew..

Edit:
To elaborate, I was 200lbs at 5'2".

Hi, keep up the good work!

Yeah many people feel like that sometimes, even if not (just) related to health. For students (me) and people who work from home challenges are keeping regular hours and avoiding procrastination.

I've learned that positive mindset and affirmation based strategies work better long term than trying 'not to do' something. In the latter you're more likely to be angry or frustrated with yourself if you've 'failed' and that is a motivation crusher. Also, 180 degree turn arounds are hard to keep up, which is why you've found short successes (like 3 days of cutting sugar completely and then bouncing back), they're often too much for someone's willpower to keep up. Willpower/self control is like a muscle: it gets stronger as you use it and you can't expect to pull heavy loads when just starting out.

It might work better to focus on one thing at a time, for example if you're used to eating sugar at 3 meals, eat 1 meal per day without sugar, and slowly build this up to 3 meals without sugar. Or if you're used to eating desserts/ice cream everyday, eat some nonfat yogurt with sweet fruit instead of ice cream on 2 days of the week and slowly build to 7. Don't worry if you miss a day or find it hard sometimes, it doesn't have to be perfect, you'll get better at it. Remember to celebrate your accomplishments, however small, and you'll start feeling empowered. Over time your accomplishments add up significantly. You're already eating more veggies than before and drinking water, and you really want to change, so you're on the right track and have already accomplished something.

One trick that might work if you find yourself getting up for food or a drink out of habit, is to drink a glass of water or eat some fruit instead of what you ate/drank before. Then take the dog out and think of reasons why this walk is enjoyable to get positive associations with exercise. You can also put a reminder on the fridge as deterrent, I think a shot from the video you're not too fond of may be suitable, and put a jug of water next to the fridge.

Also try to find some exercise that you'd like to and feel like you could do. Exercise might also help you with your fibromyalgia and make you feel fitter and more able to make changes.

All the best

Unless you're addicted to sugar I wouldn't force it completely out of your diet. If you do you'll end up obsessing over the idea of it until you cave and binge. I would instead maybe phase out milk chocolate and go for a quality, dark chocolate that is richer in taste but less sugar per 100g. Decide beforehand how much to have. I usually have a square in the evening and it's great for satisfying that craving but with it being 19g sugar for the entire 100g bar (and I only have a square a day) I can easily fit it into my calories and macros. Same with ice cream. There are lots of healthier alternatives and as long as you make up for it in the gym there is nothing wrong with having some if you really like it. For this to be a sustainable lifestyle and change you need to make sure you don't exclude everything you love or you'll give up after a while.

What if I told you they put sugar in the potato chips

The three ingredients to make foods addictive are fat, salt, and sugar. You will find those three components in almost all 'junk' food from off the shelf box mixes to fast food.

I'm going to recommend two books and neither are diets.

The first is Habit by Duhigg

The second is

https://www.bullpub.com/catalog/Living-a-Healthy-Life-with-Chronic-Conditions-4th-Edition

You have all the knowledge. All you are missing is the tools to productively redirect your entrenched habits. This can be done week by week by tweaking your plan and building new strategies.

It's a major undertaking to lose significant weight. Take it in stages. After all this is how Mount Everest is conquered. One step at a time.

Hi Jessie. Not sure if you have read these, but I found them very helpful. Good luck! You can do this!

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300331/most-helpful-posts-getting-started-must-reads#latest

I feel you. I hit my highest point in my life (311) earlier this year and wanted to cry. Even then, I started off strong and then gave up and stopped for awhile...cue weight going back up. I'm an emotional eater, and absolutely love my chocolate and ice cream to the point of distraction.

What I am trying to do right now is to eat the good foods and then allow myself a snack that will satisfy that craving. Yesterday, I ended up having enough left over that I could have chocolate hazelnut butter (by Justin's, much lower in sugar than Nutella) and strawberries. Perfect nighttime snack for me and because I portioned it out, it fit perfectly in my day.

Feel free to add me! I'd love to support you and receive support in return!

Hey, I know how you feel, from 2012 up until Jan this year all I would do is sit on my couch, play pc games and eat pretty much all day, I was agoraphobic (fear of leaving the house) I suffer terribly from anxiety, I wouldn't have even think twice about eating 5 sugary jam filled doughnuts in the space of 10 minutes, I just tuned out didn't even think about it, I hit 30 in January and I don't know something just snapped and I didn't want to be stuck in my home and being obese anymore, weighing 320lbs, I was utterly shocked and devastated, I rarely play games anymore, I go out 1-2 times sometimes more if my partner is not working and I walk a minimum of 20 minutes when I go out, I used to love crisps (potato chips if your from the US) I switched them for popcorn which is a lot less calories, I'm eating better (not had 1 doughnut since my birthday) and I am even exercising, My mum gave me her exercise bike a few years ago in an attempt to get me to use it, for years it was used to hang clothes to dry but now I am using it every day, I weighed myself 2 weeks ago (4/18/2017) and I was 270lbs its all about changing your thought process when it comes to food and exercise, before this I had zero energy and now I have more energy then I know what to do with, I still have a long way to go with my weightloss journey but I'm more determined and motivated than I have been in my whole life to lose this weight and if I can change then you can too, I wish you the best of luck, you can do this ok, go talk to your doctor for advice if you have to.

Edit: My doctor gave me some really good advice I go by now, "Don't see it as a diet, see it as a healthier lifestyle as when you think of dieting you focus on all the foods you cannot have and chances are said diet will not be successful whereas a healthier lifestyle is more long term which it should be"