I can't change my eating habits!!
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Every week never fails. I go through the week thinking I'm going to start on Monday... Monday comes and I get through 1/2 of the day going strong and then the next minute I'm in a bag of chips, candy, etc. I know it takes a long time to develop a healthy eating schedule, but why can't my "being overweight" trump my eating habits. Maybe I need better motivation to not go back to my unhealthy eating?? I don't know.. any advice?
This is a problem for me too. More often than not.0 -
We can eat the hot foods for free.
I can see that is a challenge. If you're like me, you've been raised to not waste food, to be polite and grateful, and maybe you don't have too much money either. Our deepest instincts also tell us to eat whenever there is food, to seek out the tastiest food, and the most calorie dense, and we've evolved by picking the lowest hanging fruit. But we haven't evolved in this environment. This situation forces you to take a lot of different and conflicting aspects into consideration at once, and you have to use a different part of your brain than the one that says "eat!". Any offer that seems like a great bargain but you also know it really isn't, does indeed create an inner conflict. It's not easy, and especially if you're confronted daily, all day, and have no viable alternative.
Assuming the free food isn't providing you a sufficiently wide range of nutrition, you have to weigh the pros and cons of eating it, against each other. You could ask yourself questions like these: Will X amount of this food fit into my daily calories? Will any amount of this food be enough to satisfy me? Is there anything else I can eat, that is just as nice, but easier to fit into my goals?
You have no obligation to eat up the leftovers. That is a logistics problem, not an eating habit problem.4 -
You first need to decide what you want most: the junk food or being healthy. That's not to say that you cannot be healthy and still have junk food from time to time amd seeing as how you are at a crossroad, it's time to decide between what you want now and what you want most.
For me, it clicked when I was trying to 'do everything' I 'thought' I needed and should have been doing in order to lose weight and get healthy and nothing seemed to be working. The only thing I received from that is stress (which made me want to eat more) and this revelation: the only thing I 'needed' to be doing is what's right for me and also on my time frame.
I realized that I couldn't just jump into the deep end of this weight loss journey pool to start and expect the long term changes I wanted to happen overnight or to stick. What I am doing now is focusing on short term goals that have long term results. Every 30 days I am giving myself a new goal to focus on so that not only do I have something to build on, but I also build my confidence and get healthy along the way.
My first 30 days, I am detoxing from sugar. For me, sugar is my kryptonite, especially since I am a baker. It's also helping me get away from the fast food and other "junk foods" too because if I would normally stop into the corner market for a Coke or Gatorade, chances are I would pick up more than just those drinks. That's not to say that I haven't had the occasional piece of bread or fruit, but that is less processed or not quite as bad as the stuff I was pouring into by body just seven days ago. Next month, I will be focusing more on portion control and adding in more whole food.
I hope this helps and that you find what works for you.1 -
You're trying to do a diet you can't stick too. I eat chips and ice cream frequently. I just eat ONE SERVING, account for it in my daily calories. The rest of the time is food that I need to fulfill my macro/micro nutrient needs.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
So much this.
If you're trying to eat "healthy" (heavy restricting) then give up, it's not for you.
Balance your eating. Nutrition first, treats/snacks second. I eat treats/snacks every day and have no trouble losing when my heads in the game (I have BED triggered by stress, so I deal with the stress first).
Plan for treats/snacks. Don't deprive yourself. Weight loss is all about calories.1 -
I did the same we have a vending machine at my work and I would get stuff all the time. I made a rule for myself that I had to eat a cup of celary (brought from home) before I had anything else. So usually I was either full or disliked celary enough it wasn't worth it. You can do the same with 2 cups of water or some other low cal veggie or fruit.2
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kommodevaran wrote: »Do you by any chance eat chips and candy because you like it and because you have it available? What motivation does your self on Tuesday-Sunday have for being normal weight some time next year?
It will take forever if you don't get your things together. What can help, is not buying chips and candy, and planning meals that are in line with your goals, and not deeming foods you like, unhealthy, because that will only increase your desire for it.
I work at a gas station so it's kind of hard to avoid it. We also get to eat the food we serve which isn't healthy at all. I basically live there so I think that's why I switch back to eating unhealthy. I can definitely see a difference when I'm not at work.
I work at a restaurant that is famous for its pancakes, french toast and crepes. I have looked up the calorie counts for some of them, and decided that most of the time, they aren't worth it and eat something healthier.4 -
I have the same problem! I always try to eat clean and then next thing I know I'm chomping down on some chips or drinking a soda! I'll send you a friend request so we can motivate each other to stay clean!!!5
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It has nothing to do with motivation, period. Those types of eating habits come from a lifetime of eating wrong, it's a lifestyle. You have to reset your lifestyle. I got on Phentermine at my doctors suggestion and I've been using it for a month. It is a valuable tool not only to help curb hunger and food cravings, but while the medication helps with that it's allowed me to step back from myself when I start craving the crap food and say why do I want this. 9 times out of 10 it was for emotional reasons. Bored, stressed, sad...eat chips and junk food. So I am starting to buy things to make healthy replacements when I get those cravings and I also stop and think about the emotions I'm having and am I really hungry. It's hard to do, but you have to change your lifestyle of eating and exercising, not just go on a diet. Portion control is another huge one, buy the little 1 cup, 1/2 cup, etc...tupperware type containers and seriously measure your food. We eat huge portions that are way more than we should most of the time.4
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Unfortunately, it sounds like the atmosphere at work is really not advantageous for you. My suggestion is to painstakingly plan out a week's worth of eating (and exercise). Make sure you've got all the supplies/food on hand when you need it. Make sure you're eating frequently enough to not let hunger creep in. In my experience, the clearer the plan I have (even if its just for today), the less pressure I feel to think about whether I should or shouldn't eat something on the fly, and the easier it is to dismiss random thoughts of chowing on something I really don't want to. I think this is a helpful approach because it is incremental -- every couple hours you can go sticking to the plan is proof-positive you can do that, and should give you more confidence in your will power and commitment.
Good luck!1 -
If you say you can't do something you won't be able to do it. You are setting yourself up for failure2
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There's a big difference between "can't" and "won't". You can change - the problem is you don't or won't. Bring from healthier foods from home so you'll eat less of the higher calorie foods at work.3
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I do not really understand those that say motivation has nothing to do with it. If you are not motivated to do something, what propels you forward to actually do something about it? My two cents is this, at the end of the day if you want it bad enough and it is important enough to you then you will do it. If you know you cannot control yourself around certain foods then do not eat it at all. Ultimately you will have to learn to eat in moderation unless you plan to stay in your house all day every day. There is temptation every where you go but you have to make up your mind that food is just food. It does not or should not control you. Unless you are being force fed, you can stop.1
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You are getting really good advice. Bringing in your own food, and logging every single bite is a great start. You also have to have a good, solid "why". Why do you want to lose the weight? Remember your "why", and if it isn't big enough to stop you from eating the wrong thing, you need a different "why".4
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Every week never fails. I go through the week thinking I'm going to start on Monday... Monday comes and I get through 1/2 of the day going strong and then the next minute I'm in a bag of chips, candy, etc. I know it takes a long time to develop a healthy eating schedule, but why can't my "being overweight" trump my eating habits. Maybe I need better motivation to not go back to my unhealthy eating?? I don't know.. any advice?
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818701/the-myth-of-motivation-and-what-you-need-instead/p16 -
TavistockToad wrote: »Every week never fails. I go through the week thinking I'm going to start on Monday... Monday comes and I get through 1/2 of the day going strong and then the next minute I'm in a bag of chips, candy, etc. I know it takes a long time to develop a healthy eating schedule, but why can't my "being overweight" trump my eating habits. Maybe I need better motivation to not go back to my unhealthy eating?? I don't know.. any advice?
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818701/the-myth-of-motivation-and-what-you-need-instead/p1
That article is brilliant! Thanks for sharing it!1 -
Simplest solution, don't bring money to work, you can buy chips, you can't eat them. Start there, then start bringing your own food for lunches and stay away from the free hot food. Baby steps, maybe also start with a small deficit like 0.5lb a week, once you have the hang of staying at that deficit they slowly lower it to the loss rate you want a week. Small sustainable changes are more likely to stick0
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Switch out what you want for the healthier options, baby steps. I LOVE chips, I F*cking LOVE them! I started switching them out for the kettle chips, then I switched to sweet potato chips (yum) and would alternate that with Boom chicka pop, then I just went to only popcorn with chips every couple months, now I barely even eat popcorn and I don't really eat chips at all.
I Love pancakes, now I make keto pancakes (almond or coconut flour), but now maybe only Saturday mornings.
I love ice cream, not I eat Halo Top, but only buy 1-2 times a month.
Find what works for you to swap out and make that change, then start incorporating more fruits and veggies. Try and limit your pasta, bread, and rice in take... find alternatives that are satisfying, it's the best way to make this a long term thing.
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You're trying to do a diet you can't stick too. I eat chips and ice cream frequently. I just eat ONE SERVING, account for it in my daily calories. The rest of the time is food that I need to fulfill my macro/micro nutrient needs.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
When I start to eat my one serving, I eat an extra one and that how it starts going bad.
something that i always do with binge foods is have something to balance it out. if i have chips ill have a sandwhich with it or cottage cheese and with something like icecream ill have fruit or toast and lots of water. you can see if that helps!0 -
i think everyone has hit on the points that are helpful with the range between tough love and just tough. You can do it. You're here, you know we can't lose the weight for you, so you want solutions.
i was a little disappointed that in the month since i've started i had only lost 4 pounds. i took some time to go back and look at my tracking (i mainly concentrated on tracking more than anything else) and saw what was 'costing' me my successes.
you have to decide what has value because what you value is not necessarily what i would value. i suggest a hard core tracking of at least one month - food, fitness, everything - and then go back and decide what you can change. and make small changes. if you're going to eat at work force yourself to keep portion control in mind. (eta) DRINK WATER. For the love of all that is unholy, drink it. Keep drinking it. If you are hungry? drink water. If you think you should have a second portion? Drink water. You'll get a ton of steps in just going to the bathroom!
instead of setting big exercise goals, set a goal to walk for 15 minutes. do not shock your system with a ton of things at once. one thing, one goal, one moment at a time.
you *can* do it. the question is do you *want* to do it. good luck!2 -
Yes you can!0
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