What to Expect (Anticipating Hurdles)

zenartist24 · March 2018

I have tried to change my eating habits dozens of times and it seems like every time, my failure is due to being blindsided by unexpected feelings or situations that throw me off and lead me scampering back to comfortable (aka unhealthy) eating.

For me, it was the first time I went grocery shopping by myself after eating clean. It felt like a magnetic pull towards the chips/cracker aisle. As much as I tried to resist, it felt like I was leaving a void and I ended up buying a box of Cheez-Its and eating the entire box in my car on the way home. This of course led to guilt which led to me not logging it.

This time, in planning my we it loss journey, I have made a commitment to only going shopping with my wife because I only buy junk food when I shop alone.

I'd be interested to hear what were the strong feelings or situations that blindsided you and threatened your progress in the past? And what, if anything, have you put into place to avoid this from happening?

Thanks!

Bill

SueSueDio · March 2018

What would have derailed me, if I'd gone that route, would be cutting out my favourite things in a mistaken belief that they were "junk".

If I'd denied myself chocolate I would have been miserable, craved it, eventually binged on it, and then given up the whole idea of trying to lose weight because I was clearly incapable of sticking to a diet.

What I did instead was allow myself a couple of squares of good dark chocolate every day, if I wanted it. Over time, I didn't feel as if I "needed" my chocolate fix as much, and these days I'm much more capable of making a conscious choice whether or not to eat some.

My advice would be not to change your eating habits drastically. If you're having trouble sticking with the new habits, that implies to me that they're unsustainable. Think about how you can gradually change things to fit your lifestyle and needs, so that you're eating healthIER but not cutting out everything you enjoy. If chips and crackers are something you love, buy a small bag each week and portion it out - get your wife to hide the bag if necessary! (My husband guarded my chocolate for me in the beginning, until I could be trusted on my own.

)

Don't try to be perfect - just aim for "good enough".

kommodevaran · March 2018

I stopped eating "clean", instead I just plan meals I want to eat, and for that I need certain items, that go on my shopping list. In the store, I focus on that list. I praise myself whenever I get out with everything on the list, and nothing that wasn't on the list.

cwolfman13 · March 2018

I personally didn't make any dramatic, overnight changes. I just kind of let my diet evolve over time and set myself up with small goals. One thing I noticed early on was that I wasn't getting even remotely close to the recommended veg and fruit servings...so I made that a goal and it eventually just became a thing. I noticed that I ate mostly beef 2-3x per day...so I made it a goal to branch out and incorporate more chicken, fish, and lean cuts of pork, etc.

I did a lot of research on nutrition and just started saying, "hey...I need more of this, and less of that" and just kinda tackling one or two things at a time instead of all at once. My initial focus was what I could and should add to my diet rather than focusing on what I could/should reduce...when I started adding, subtracting from the other side of the ledger just became a necessary thing.

JaxxieKat · March 2018

Going on hormonal birth control, then coming off of it, derailed my progress. I got on the scale and gained over 5lbs over a few days. Some of that was water, yes, but not all. I stayed hungry and tired, so I ate and didn't hit the gym. I'm back on track, though. Undefeated.

LivingtheLeanDream · March 2018

I wouldn't be interested in what people call clean eating because it feels too high an expectation to ever stick to..never mind boring!

I eat foods I like/enjoy, the more calorie dense ones I moderate and this has worked extremely well for me - I'm am coming up to 5 years at maintenance.

If a way of eating isn't sustainable, its never gonna last, which means the weight loss will be temporary.

concordancia · March 2018

Commit to logging everything, whether it was part of your plan or not.

Use grocery lists to shop.

Plan to eat things you like. It is easier to moderate if you don't have guilt on top of desire. As you noticed, guilt can make you kind of ignore what you are doing to yourself.

zenartist24 · March 2018

Thank you all!

I’ve actually been thinking about what I meant by ‘clean eating’ over the last couple of days. The term kind of bothers me as well but it was my lazy way of trying to describe what I think healthy eating is. When I say ‘clean eating’ I am referring to eating predominantly home cooked meals using minimally processed ingredients (e.g. making large batches of tomato sauce and freezing what I don’t use). It also includes predominantly eating foods that are not artificially flavored as I want to recalibrate my brain to seek out natural flavors and therefore eat a wider array of foods.

What you guys have helped reinforce in me is probably my biggest mental roadblock which is all or nothing thinking. If I am going to be successful, I need I learn that I can include pleasure foods that may fall outside of my “healthy” qualifications.

Thanks everyone! This has been incredibly helpful and I look forward to more enlightening conversations as I spend more time on MFP!!

Bill

SueSueDio · March 2018

That "all or nothing" mindset is very common among people trying to lose weight, so you're not alone!

Try to remember that it's what you do most of the time that's important. If you can learn to be satisfied with 70-80% healthy eating/habits, and relax a bit for the rest, you might find that you're a lot more successful. It allows room for treats, eating out, socialising, etc. without derailing you completely.

iowalinda · March 2018

zenartist24 wrote: »

Thank you all!

I’ve actually been thinking about what I meant by ‘clean eating’ over the last couple of days. The term kind of bothers me as well but it was my lazy way of trying to describe what I think healthy eating is. When I say ‘clean eating’ I am referring to eating predominantly home cooked meals using minimally processed ingredients (e.g. making large batches of tomato sauce and freezing what I don’t use). It also includes predominantly eating foods that are not artificially flavored as I want to recalibrate my brain to seek out natural flavors and therefore eat a wider array of foods.

What you guys have helped reinforce in me is probably my biggest mental roadblock which is all or nothing thinking. If I am going to be successful, I need I learn that I can include pleasure foods that may fall outside of my “healthy” qualifications.

Thanks everyone! This has been incredibly helpful and I look forward to more enlightening conversations as I spend more time on MFP!!

Bill

Bill, I think you have some very worthy goals. I know lots of people who are trying to eat less processed food, less sugar, etc. For some people it's actually for real health/wellness/allergy reasons. For me, it's just easier to stay away from stuff I don't want to eat. I've found that when I eat certain things, I crave them, but when I stay away from them for a few days, the cravings seem to subside. Of course, that is just my experience and others may and will have other opinions

iowalinda · March 2018

I forgot to add that everybody screws up. Just honestly log it (to keep yourself accountable) when you mess up and then move on. Don't beat yourself up and don't obsess over it. We are human. Wishing you all the best.

What to Expect (Anticipating Hurdles)

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