Staying motivated and accountable with lots of food distractions around...
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xoxoniesha
Posts: 22 Member
Hi guys! So I am a college student and I live with my family who tends to have not so healthy habits. This can be kind of distracting when I am trying to transition to a vegan lifestyle and lose about 25 pounds. I know it is all in my willpower to stay consistent and motivated even if I have lots of junk food distractions, but I am not going to lie, it is a little more challenging to go for that package of oatmeal in the morning when I see the cookies and Skittles, too lol. Is anyone here in the same situation or can give some advice?
(I know it is okay to have fun foods that are not "clean" occasionally, but I want to make sure I'm not tempted to be eating this stuff all of the time.)
Also, feel free to add me! Always looking for buddies to help me stay accountable.
(I know it is okay to have fun foods that are not "clean" occasionally, but I want to make sure I'm not tempted to be eating this stuff all of the time.)
Also, feel free to add me! Always looking for buddies to help me stay accountable.
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Replies
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That's a real challenge! I play mind games. Those Skittles on the counter? They belong to the person who bought them and I'm not a thief, so I don't help myself. Those cookies in the jar? They belong to the one who baked them, and even if offered I think they should continue to own them so I politely say, "No, thank you." I also imagine that they were dropped on a dirty floor.
A game changer for me, though, was logging in my treat to MFP to see if I could afford to eat it that day. Usually I can have one cookie after dinner, or some sugar free chocolate Jello pudding. Last week, I baked a cherry pie and had a piece plus Reddi Wip whipped cream. It was a possible calorie budget breaker but I had a great and filling veggie dinner first, and came in close to that day's calorie goal. You really don't have to deny yourself all the time, you can treat yourself every day with planning. Life is supposed to be fun!
I assume you're doing your own meal prep because your family probably hasn't joined you in the vegan lifestyle. It is hard to be the only one making a change. My husband and I take turns cooking. When he's planning something that doesn't really work for me that day, I make my own dinner and we sit side by side eating our own things.5 -
Not in the same situation but i cant keep m&m's around.2
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Rest of my post didnt post. I try to plan out meals ahead of time and that helps.
Feel free to add me.0 -
DebLaBounty wrote: »That's a real challenge! I play mind games. Those Skittles on the counter? They belong to the person who bought them and I'm not a thief, so I don't help myself. Those cookies in the jar? They belong to the one who baked them, and even if offered I think they should continue to own them so I politely say, "No, thank you." I also imagine that they were dropped on a dirty floor.
A game changer for me, though, was logging in my treat to MFP to see if I could afford to eat it that day. Usually I can have one cookie after dinner, or some sugar free chocolate Jello pudding. Last week, I baked a cherry pie and had a piece plus Reddi Wip whipped cream. It was a possible calorie budget breaker but I had a great and filling veggie dinner first, and came in close to that day's calorie goal. You really don't have to deny yourself all the time, you can treat yourself every day with planning. Life is supposed to be fun!
I assume you're doing your own meal prep because your family probably hasn't joined you in the vegan lifestyle. It is hard to be the only one making a change. My husband and I take turns cooking. When he's planning something that doesn't really work for me that day, I make my own dinner and we sit side by side eating our own things.
That is a fun and interesting way to keep yourself accountable. I will definitely try it out.0 -
GrayRider61 wrote: »Rest of my post didnt post. I try to plan out meals ahead of time and that helps.
Feel free to add me.
Yes, meal planning definitely helps me. I cook my food on Sundays and then mix and match different veggies and proteins during the week. I will continue this. Thanks!0 -
I have a similar problem, all by my own doing. I live alone and am the one bringing home all the things I, for whatever reason, shouldn't eat right now. I can't allow myself too much of the candy and similar junk because then I know I will overdo it (over and over again) in place of real food. So now I try to find other strategies and if (ahem, when) I do bring things home I log a certain amount of it each day as a treat.
I just need to get over the chocolate craving that I know is mostly (if not all) in my head. Once I do that, I will hopefully be able to enjoy these treats in moderation if I still want to, without fear.
Long and rambling, sorry! What I wanted to say was basically this; only you can decide what you want to eat. If you want to not eat candy, focus on what you *are* eating instead of what you are not (for me, berries are a treat; I even log them as such) and not at what you are limiting. If you do "give in", just enjoy the piece you are eating, log it and move on. (Easy to say, harder to do!)
Best of luck!! I will add you. Also always want more buddies!0 -
My house is full of snacks and crisps mostly eaten by my husband and children - what I find helpful is trying to set aside calories for treats and planning them in - so for example weighing out 15g of chocolate covered raisins for after dinner or weighing out 15g of popcorn (or both) and then putting the packets away. The occasional single scoop of ice cream fits in my allowance too and that helps me eat mostly healthily - my go to meal is a huge salad with smoked tofu and quinoa with homemade miso dressing for about 350 cals. (Am vegetarian rather than vegan)0
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I have a similar problem, all by my own doing. I live alone and am the one bringing home all the things I, for whatever reason, shouldn't eat right now. I can't allow myself too much of the candy and similar junk because then I know I will overdo it (over and over again) in place of real food. So now I try to find other strategies and if (ahem, when) I do bring things home I log a certain amount of it each day as a treat.
I just need to get over the chocolate craving that I know is mostly (if not all) in my head. Once I do that, I will hopefully be able to enjoy these treats in moderation if I still want to, without fear.
Long and rambling, sorry! What I wanted to say was basically this; only you can decide what you want to eat. If you want to not eat candy, focus on what you *are* eating instead of what you are not (for me, berries are a treat; I even log them as such) and not at what you are limiting. If you do "give in", just enjoy the piece you are eating, log it and move on. (Easy to say, harder to do!)
Best of luck!! I will add you. Also always want more buddies!
Kudos to you for having so much self-control! I want to get to that point where I can just eat my goodies without feeling guilty and most importantly, without over-doing it and eating way too much. In addition to berries, what other healthy fun snacks do you keep on hand?0 -
My house is full of snacks and crisps mostly eaten by my husband and children - what I find helpful is trying to set aside calories for treats and planning them in - so for example weighing out 15g of chocolate covered raisins for after dinner or weighing out 15g of popcorn (or both) and then putting the packets away. The occasional single scoop of ice cream fits in my allowance too and that helps me eat mostly healthily - my go to meal is a huge salad with smoked tofu and quinoa with homemade miso dressing for about 350 cals. (Am vegetarian rather than vegan)
This sounds so yummy! What I am getting from everyone's advice is that yummy treats are perfectly fine in moderation. Thanks for the advice!0 -
xoxoniesha wrote: »
Kudos to you for having so much self-control! I want to get to that point where I can just eat my goodies without feeling guilty and most importantly, without over-doing it and eating way too much. In addition to berries, what other healthy fun snacks do you keep on hand?
I fixed it for you.
No but seriously, it's an ongoing process. Some days I can't handle it and I eat every last piece of chocolate I have at home. The way I see it, so long as I log it I still consider it a win, because I don't allow that day of "bad eating" to derail the rest of my progress or my want of healthier habits. What I try to do is get smaller packages of things; so instead of one larger bar of my favourite chocolate, I will get the same but from the pick'n'mix in a much smaller size. It might cost more, but I'm now at a point where I can force myself to ignore the fact that "it costs more money to buy the same amount if I get them in individual wrappers!" because I only think that with things that will help me lose weight (like healthy food; I think nothing of spending lots of money on chocolate and other junk when I'm not logging and just doing things mindlessly).
Like I said, I might still end up eating all of the chocolate (that's my junk of choice; sometimes I get cravings for chips, but that's about it) but I am at least creating an environment for myself where I don't have to force myself to put a half-eaten bar of chocolate away -- which is so much easier to return to, than having to unwrap and log each individual piece of chocolate, but where it is still totally ok to eat chocolate each day if I want to. I do the same with ice cream; preferring to get smaller sizes of things on a stick instead of in a tub. Because even if you log it, the more you have, the easier it will be to "just get a little bit more". Take chips for example; I would get just as satisfied eating 50 grams of chips as I would eating three times as much (with the added benefit of not feeling full and sick).
As for your question! I do have nuts (mostly cashews, walnuts and pistachios; but I will only replace the walnuts and cashews when I run out) and fruit, as well as the berries I mentioned. I drink tea (which isn't a snack as such, but helps in the evening) and drink warm milk with cinnamon and cardamon. Other people like having popcorn at home, but I don't have a microwave and I can't do it on the stove (I just keep on burning it). I might look into buying pre-popped (we have some healthy alternatives here) but that would give me the problem as above; a big bag and what to do with all of it. I sometimes create dip (for chips) with Turkish yoghurt and eat it with cucumber; it can satisfy my desire for chips (even though I rarely eat chips with dip).
This got really long again! Sorry about that.
If you want to talk more about it, we could always message each other instead?
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What I try to do is get smaller packages of things; so instead of one larger bar of my favourite chocolate, I will get the same but from the pick'n'mix in a much smaller size. It might cost more, but I'm now at a point where I can force myself to ignore the fact that "it costs more money to buy the same amount if I get them in individual wrappers!" because I only think that with things that will help me lose weight (like healthy food; I think nothing of spending lots of money on chocolate and other junk when I'm not logging and just doing things mindlessly).
Like I said, I might still end up eating all of the chocolate (that's my junk of choice; sometimes I get cravings for chips, but that's about it) but I am at least creating an environment for myself where I don't have to force myself to put a half-eaten bar of chocolate away -- which is so much easier to return to, than having to unwrap and log each individual piece of chocolate, but where it is still totally ok to eat chocolate each day if I want to. I do the same with ice cream; preferring to get smaller sizes of things on a stick instead of in a tub. Because even if you log it, the more you have, the easier it will be to "just get a little bit more". Take chips for example; I would get just as satisfied eating 50 grams of chips as I would eating three times as much (with the added benefit of not feeling full and sick).
Small packets helps - I buy multipacks of small bags of popcorn (15-17g), little packs of 4 chocolate covered mini rice cakes (designed for kids lunchboxes!) and small bags of dried chewy banana slices (30g) which are my easy to grab snacks.1 -
It's never going to go away...there will always be food "distractions" and whatnot...self control is a learned thing through practice. You just have to exercise is. There really isn't any kind of magical solution other than exercising self control...like any exercise, it becomes easier the more you do it. Self control and moderation...2
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My family never eats healthy. I was doing good for awhile, went to a dance camp and lost weight there, but the second I came back my parents said "you eat what we eat or nothing" and it's always so unhealthy.1
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It's all about planning your meals and having healthy snacks close by.
Feel free to add me2 -
It can be very challenging. Strong minded is the key and healthy snacks around.1
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brandyjackson01 wrote: »My family never eats healthy. I was doing good for awhile, went to a dance camp and lost weight there, but the second I came back my parents said "you eat what we eat or nothing" and it's always so unhealthy.
That can be so frustrating! Have you tried to buy your own food? I have been trying to buy my own food but sometimes my family eats it lol I meal prepped roasted veggies one night and came back home the next day and they were gone
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I am not a vegan but I do incorporate vegan food in my diet. I suggest making a vegan dish for your family. I made vegan chocolate ice cream for my mom and brother. They loved it and it gets them to try healthier options. Hopefully you can help change their eating habits.2
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