How is it so easy for so many people to eat less?

georgeinthecord · May 2017

It's really hard. One day you are just eating whatever you want and not thinking about it and then you make a choice to try and get it together. The good thing is that you are conscious of what you're doing and you wanna fix it!

I think what's worked for me was taking it one meal/snack at a time. And even if I blow it, it's not the end of the world. It's not like you're just gonna eat spinach salad for the rest of your life, there is variety and sometimes you want a treat.

Also, the body fluctuates and some days you will weigh more and some less. Another thing that I do, along with weighing daily, is having one day a week that is my "weigh in day" and that's the weight I put in the MFP app and use that to judge my progress.

I hope some of that helps, just try and have a calorie deficit and if you have a bad eating moment/meal/day, just remember it isn't the end of the world and you can fix it

Packerjohn · May 2017

It's not easy, most things in life aren't. You just have to decide if good health is a priority for you.

With that said, without seeing your food diary, I would start out cutting out just half of what you consider the unhealthy, high calorie foods, keep the rest of your diet the same, maybe add an extra 15 minutes of walking a day (does not have to be all at the same time).

Give this 3 weeks and check your progress. Best of luck.

StaciMarie1974 · May 2017

For me, eating less is actually eating differently. I could easily eat a fast food meal of 800-1000 calories 2-3x a day, but I choose not to. I can build a meal that includes lean protein/starchy side/veggies for 300-600 calories. I do sometimes eat those big fast food meals, but its the occasional oddity and not the norm.

I realize that if you're not now eating big fast food calories on a regular basis, this does not directly apply. BUt the heart of the matter, I think, is to build a plate of food for the calories you need that is still filling, satisfying in quantity. Look for ways you can make changes. Substitute mustard for mayo, or have less mayo or have light mayo for example. Less fried food, more grilled/baked. Smaller portions of higher calorie food, larger portions of lower calorie food.

lemurcat12 · May 2017

AliceDark wrote: »

Relying on willpower and "just eating less" is really not a strategy at all. If that's all someone is doing, they're almost certainly setting themselves up to fail. There are actual strategies that people use to adapt to eating at a deficit, but the one that works for you may be highly individual, and most people pull from different strategies at once. I'm really not sure why we don't talk more about this concept, because it isn't just toughing it out mentally; there are concrete skills involved.

Some of the strategies that people use include:
Eating the same foods they were eating before, but in smaller amounts

Making lower-calorie food swaps (like nonfat or 2% milk in place of whole milk)

Eating higher-volume, lower-calorie foods because they like the feeling of fullness

Using IF or high/low calorie days

Starting off with a smaller deficit to ease yourself into it (rather than going for a significant deficit right off the bat)

Incorporating exercise so you have a higher calorie budget to play with

Cutting out liquid calories first so you can continue to eat the volume of food you're used to

I think this is a great post, and one of the most helpful here, OP, because it really focuses on figuring out what will work for you. One thing I think is important is really understanding WHY you are struggling, and keeping a journal (the food log works) with notes about how you are feeling, when you are hungry and not, what's going on when you are tempted to overeat is useful.

You may find that you just are hungrier on some days than others, and that's okay too. I think one thing that can happen is that people think they are supposed to be perfect and when they aren't get frustrated with themselves and give up for a while -- the whole "I messed up, so might as well eat as much as possible until I'm ready to get back to it in a day or week or whatever" approach.

IMO, when people are saying "it's mental," they don't mean that what you eat isn't important -- experiment with food choice and eating times, but remember that no everyone is the same and people telling you to eat whatever worked for them are ignoring that people differ. But I do think that there's a mental element, and that's the fact that many of us will want to eat (or perceive hunger) even when we are not really physically hungry for any reason, that habits are hard to break, and just saying "I will eat less today" is not doing everything possible to make it easier for yourself.

apullum · May 2017

Nobody here is superhuman, or a "cyborg." That sort of thinking makes it easy to believe that losing weight is something that only extraordinary people can do. I used to believe that, so I didn't even try to lose weight. That mindset is just flat out wrong.

It's not necessarily easy. It's work, and there is a big learning curve. We all learned, intentionally or not, how to eat the way we used to eat. Now we have to re-learn a new way of eating.

I started at 215 pounds too, though I'm a lot shorter than you are. I started MFP and went down to 1200 calories per day. It was hard. I figured out that just eating smaller portions of high-calorie foods didn't fill me up. I learned that I needed to eat more produce and lean protein and fewer processed carbs, in order to meet my calorie goals and not feel hungry. I learned how to cook things with less or no oil. I learned to make some flavored tea when I wanted an evening snack but didn't have any calories left. And I learned that I valued being able to have chocolate enough to save some calories for it every day.

It's tough for all of us, but I think we are all capable of learning and adapting.

duddysdad · May 2017

When I started losing weight weighing 340, my maintenance calories were 3500. A few weeks after I started I was eating 1300 and stuck to it for almost 9 months and lost 160 pounds. My appetite just adjusted itself after a while, but it takes time.

cross2bear · May 2017

Everyone is different and everyone has to find their own strategy, but honestly - it IS mental - you have to want to lose weight more than anything else in the world, because you have to be committed and focused on doing that one thing. For me, it was logging and using a food scale to discover what a "serving" was, and paying attention to everything I ate and how much of it I ate. When people ask me how I lost 115 lbs in just over 18 months, did I do weight watchers or have surgery I tell them NO! I just quit eating so much!! Portion control and calorie counting.

And many many many times I was hungry, but it was soon apparent to me that I was just experiencing the fallout of really destructive habits, and that those habits had to be replaced with the ones that didnt sabotage me - the mindless grazing, the choosing high calorie options, the "I have to be perfect" attitude (and if you cant be perfect then screw it right? and eat everything). I learned to fit in the treats that kept me sane and on track (bless you Special K cracker chips)

Not easy, but easy - easy in theory (thank you CICO), not so easy in practice (damn you peanut butter).

But I stuck to it and I am happy where I am now. And I am NOT a special snowflake. I tend to be lazier than I care to admit. I am a horrible procrastinator. I have a short attention span for stuff that I find boring, or irrelevant, or "stupid". I am impatient. But I am honest, and can muster a lot of discipline when necessary and I kept that food diary like my life depended on it - cuz it sorta did.

I am trying to maintain now, or keep a very small deficit for insurance purposes, and I still log and weigh - I cant stop, because I am still a lazy, impatient, procrastinator!!

RaeBeeBaby · May 2017

Not sure if this was already mentioned, but maybe you could step up your exercise to accommodate the higher calories. Twice a week is not enough even for good heart health. That whole eat less and move more is really good science based advice for weight loss AND general optimal health.

I love to eat! It's fun and pleasurable. People who say they don't care and just eat to fuel their bodies are the exception, rather than the rule. Since I enjoy my food I decided I need to exercise more to allow myself to eat yummy things once in awhile (not every day, though). Here's a few things I do to stay on track:

On a daily basis I eat a highly plant-based diet with lean proteins and dairy and moderate complex carbs. I eat quite a few egg/egg white and veggie scrambles. I eat a lot of BIG salads with a large amount of leafy greens, low-carb veggies, a little meat and grain (think mixing bowl size).
I splurge once a week or so and eat out, but I usually bring home half for another meal. I ask for a to-go box when I order the meal and put half the meal in the box before I even start eating. Nobody looks at me funny.
I exercise 5-6 days a week and I can pretty much fit in whatever I want to eat within reason. I almost always have a little chocolate or a couple bites of ice cream after dinner.
I joined several fun MFP challenges that have both exercise and nutrition components. It helps to keep my eye on the goal, which is to be as healthy as possible and I've made a lot of great friends doing it.

You can do this and have a good time with it! Challenge yourself and don't look at a lifestyle change as a punishment or deprivation, but as positive empowerment. Life is supposed to be fun!

Chadxx · May 2017

bbell1985 wrote: »

I don't like to eat "less", so I practice volumetrics. I like huge servings of lower calorie options. Also, lots of protein. I eat more than you and weigh 140ish lbs.

sporangia wrote: »

bbell1985 wrote: »

I don't like to eat "less", so I practice volumetrics. I like huge servings of lower calorie options. Also, lots of protein. I eat more than you and weigh 140ish lbs.

+1 to this, go for high volume, high nutrient, low calorie foods

This is basically my along with minimizing foods that don't do much to keep me full. It is a major reason I have been successful and lost 146 pounds.

Chadxx · May 2017

Geocitiesuser wrote: »

"How is it so easy for so many people to eat less?"

Just to respond directly to this: It's not. I've lost 130+ pounds. None of it was "easy". Simple? Sure. Easy? Absolutely not. It took months of building new better eating habits, took months for my palette to readjust. If it was easy everyone would be fit

For tips/recommendations, reduce sugars and simple flours to reduce cravings. Otherwise 90% of this is going to be pure will power. It was for me, and still is. It's still not easy.

Great answer

ruqayyahsmum · May 2017

Edited to remove the wrongly quoted person

I thouroughly dislike people who whine "you just dont understand" " my case is complex"

Nope. I was 387lb. That was alllllll down to me.
Family of chronic overeaters here too. Several autoimmune diseases here

Tried a buttload of diets that didnt work, i got even fatter

Logging does work. No its not easy. Yes making excuses is much easier and telling yourself your special and it wont work for you is easier than accepting your the problem

Start logging what your eating now and weigh it so you are 100% sure of what your consuming

Then alter it, have a bit less at each meal/snack.
Swap some high cal items for low cal items

Get in some more steps to raise your calories out

See a doctor if a medical condition including depression is contributing to the need to keep overeating

I started by promising myself i would eat the high cal item i wanted if in an hour i was still wanting it and go off and do something else. 9 times out of 10 i would forget about it

I also skip breakfast, im never hungry then and save a few hundred for the evening as i like to much while i watch tv and this stops me going over my goal

Im down 143lb over a couple years, its habit now

ccsernica · May 2017

Practice in self-control from my religious days. The point of religious fasting isn't to impress God; it's to strengthen the control of the mind/nous/soul over the body. So in certain seasons, and certain times of the week, I just got used to feeling a little hungry or denying myself something I really wanted. Now, I scarcely notice I'm doing it.

LAWoman72 · May 2017

Luna3386 wrote: »

I, too, have been doing this for a long time. It's been 5 years. I'm down 60 with 20-40 to go.

What has helped me is a small deficit. Honestly? I would eat what you are eating and exercise. Not decrease calories and exercise. Obviously, what you are doing isn't sustainable, otherwise it would have worked. That's why you end up quitting.

I also have taken lots of breaks.

I agree with every word of this!

And I agree with the person who was a little frustrated with "It's all mental." It actually isn't all mental...you are still in a deficit so to that degree it is still physical. It's not like your body just totally doesn't notice you're never quite getting enough to eat for weeks, months or years. I do get that the advice is well-intended and that to a degree it's mental, yes. It IS probably to a large extent about being used to very big portions. But really, if you're in a deficit I don't see that it's weird or that you could be considered not to be mentally strong for feeling hungry. You're supposed to feel hungry. You're in a deficit. Yes, some people report they have NO excess hunger even while in this deficit and for the life of me I have no idea how.

Hang in there, OP.

Ironandwine69 · May 2017

It's not easy. People do it because its something important to them.

LAWoman72 · May 2017

Ironandwine69 wrote: »

It's not easy. People do it because its something important to them.

I agree with this too.

Someone I've known for years looked me up and down recently and said, "I'm jealous!"

I said, "Don't be. I'm hungry."

She's jealous of me because I'm much thinner than she is now, but she's unwilling to eat less and feel bad that way. I'm jealous of her because she can eat all the macaroons and lasagna she wants, but I'm unwilling to be big anymore and feel bad that way. Each of us feels either bad or good per our own choices. But neither way is scott-free.

Sarahb29 · May 2017

300 carbs is too many, no wonder you're always hungry. Up your protein and lower your carb intake. I find drinking hot water (either as tea or just plain) also helps to suppress hunger pain if needed.

Sarahb29 · May 2017

LAWoman72 wrote: »

Ironandwine69 wrote: »

It's not easy. People do it because its something important to them.

I agree with this too.

Someone I've known for years looked me up and down recently and said, "I'm jealous!"

I said, "Don't be. I'm hungry."

She's jealous of me because I'm much thinner than she is now, but she's unwilling to eat less and feel bad that way. I'm jealous of her because she can eat all the macaroons and lasagna she wants, but I'm unwilling to be big anymore and feel bad that way. Each of us feels either bad or good per our own choices. But neither way is scott-free.

That's a good point! Never thought of it this way, but so true.

lemurcat12 · May 2017

LAWoman72 wrote: »

Ironandwine69 wrote: »

It's not easy. People do it because its something important to them.

I agree with this too.

Someone I've known for years looked me up and down recently and said, "I'm jealous!"

I said, "Don't be. I'm hungry."

She's jealous of me because I'm much thinner than she is now, but she's unwilling to eat less and feel bad that way. I'm jealous of her because she can eat all the macaroons and lasagna she wants, but I'm unwilling to be big anymore and feel bad that way. Each of us feels either bad or good per our own choices. But neither way is scott-free.

See, I'd say this is exactly why it's mental.

I found it pretty easy when I was losing to a point, because I was fat (or had so recently been fat) and I had a plan to not be fat anymore, and when I was tempted to eat in a way off my plan (i.e., too many calories), I compared my desire to eat to my desire to not be fat any longer than necessary and my belief in my plan and I stuck to the plan.

Before I had a plan that I believed in, it was really easy to think "I want to eat that cookie -- benefit, eating cookie!, detriment, maybe I'm fat one extra day (and in either case it's so far in the future that it's hard to imagine)."

Getting from the first state of mind to the second was, indeed, mental, and it's what made me not bothered by the difficulties of losing weight.

Now I find I'm having a harder time with the mental bit, because I don't mind being where I am now. I'd RATHER be a bit thinner, all else equal, but of course it's not. I need to mentally decide that I care more about that than just being fine, not overweight but not as lean as my ideal (or, really, being fine, not overweight, and not any leaner for yet another week longer with the benefit of sacrifice again seeming remote and far away), and having more flexibility on calories. That's mental too.

prpeterson2016 · May 2017

AniaMania81 wrote: »

I need help. I'm starting to think that I will never be able to lose weight. I've been trying to lose about three years now but it's not working. I lose a pound and quickly gain it back. I can't seem to stick to eating less, I will do it for one or two days at a time (three for the most) and then I get hungry and eat too much. I started off wanting to lose 25 pounds three years ago and since then I have gained another 30 pounds. I am 5'9" and currently 215 pounds and need to get to 160.

I think my maintenance is about 2250 but I normally eat about 2500 so that is what my body is used to. I try reducing to between 1750 and 2000 and to exercise consistently. I'll make it a few days and then feel crazy hungry and overeat again. I tried IF 16:8 and that helped a lot but again, hard to stick to.

On average I eat probably 100 to 120 grams of protein, maybe 100 grams of fat and about 300 grams of carbs. I know it's a lot. I normally exercise about twice a week and with this I gain about a pound a month.

I eat healthy foods everyday - fruit and vegetables, a variety of meat (not processed), beans, oatmeal etc but I eat a lot of unhealthy, high calorie foods too.

Anyone else experienced this and overcame it? I would really appreciate and welcome all thoughts and advice. Thanks for reading.

I would love to chat with you and try and help you. I am by no means a nutritional expert or a personal trainer; however, I have had issues with food over the past 10 years due to many different reasons. What I thought was becoming hopeless, I am now just seeing the light. I'm beginning to become successful with my eating habits, and I would love to try and research with you and from that research explore options. I have been doing research over the past 10 years of what would be good for losing weight, and I would put things to the test and fall off the wagon after only a week.. due to experimenting and failing, it caused my eating habits to become worse and worse and I gained weight at a steady pace every year. Message me if you would like to chat, add me as a friend

We are all in this together!

DrizztGirl82 · May 2017

I didn't read all of the other's post, so this may be repeated. But I drink a lot of water which helps me feel fuller. I also like a piece of gum when I know I don't truly need food, but I want something in my mouth. Another helpful thing is to eat filling foods. Find out what makes you feel full longer, and use those as snacks. Or you can also eat lower calories foods, as these you can eat more of without all the extra calories. And go down to a lower calorie count slowly. Start off with only a hundred less for one week, then add another hundred the next and so one. That one helped me big time in the beginning. Now there are days I am really low on calories, but I am content without hunger. I believe in you! I know you can do it if you put your mind to it!

How is it so easy for so many people to eat less?

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