Eating fast food all this week! Will I ever get to 299!

TeachergirlCeleste · April 2018

Hello everyone. The past 3 weeks have been horrible for me! It all started with a craving for salt and vinegar 3 weeks ago. I was also having symptoms like my cycle was about to start and possibly that was the reason for the cravings. I purchased a bag of salt and vinegar chips and munched on those periodically. Then the following week, the cravings continued. Nothing but salt and vinegar and sweet stuff. This week was worse. My cycle finally came on and I was diagnosed with 5cm fibroids sitting on my endometrium line this week! The doctor prescribed me hormonal medicine and she also wants me to continue losing weight. She also suspects my hormones are way off and could be the reason for the cravings. I go back and see her in 3 months and I need to be down another 40 pounds! All this week I craved salt and vinegar, McDonald nuggets with sweet and sour sauce, and burger king breakfast. I am now craving a sub with full of vinegar!

I am currently 304 and I am so close to 299 but it is hard for me to get there. Please help. How to curb cravings

I am a teacher and I am battling stress because it is so close to the end of the year. Kids got graduation and 2 field trips!

MerryMavis1 · April 2018

Nothing wrong with restaurant food, you just need to fit your choices into your calorie goals. Pre-logging your day is a great way to do this, most restaurants have their foods nutritional info/calorie amounts on their websites.

eta: one thing to watch out for when eating out is the calorie amounts in the condiments/sauces. This was a huge issue for me, since I like a little chicken nugget with my sauce

Things like regular ranch, honey mustard etc are calorie bombs, but it's easy to switch them out for lower calorie options, you just have to be intentional about your choices!

solieco1 · April 2018

Hi There, sounds like a tough few weeks. You can do this, you are in charge. Pre-log your day. Decide ahead of time what you're going to eat and stick to it for 3 days and you'll feel more in control. It doesn't have to be miserable and rabbit food. If you want a burger, log a burger. But doing it ahead will let you know what you have room for in your calories. If everything you want doesn't fit then you can have that thing the next day. You got this.

TeachergirlCeleste · April 2018

Thanks MerryMavis1

Go_Deskercise · April 2018

Pre-logging definitely helped me because I can physically see what I'm about to eat BEFORE I eat it and decide to go ahead and eat it or scale back depending on how many calories will be left in the day

collectingblues · April 2018

Just because you have a craving doesn't mean you have to give in to it. It's all about the choices you make.

quiksylver296 · April 2018

Salt and vinegar cravings, I make vinegar cucumbers and then salt them. Totally hits the same need that Lay's Salt and Vinegar chips do, for a fraction of the calories.

plythacur · April 2018

Dill pickles, kimchi, pickled okra, and other pickled or fermented veggies really hit the spot when I have a craving for salt and vinegar, and have a fraction of the calories of chips and other foods you mention. Alternately, I also find that simply acknowledging that a craving is hormonally driven or just a response to stress and doesn’t mean that my body actually needs that food helps me to overcome the craving entirely. Instead of giving in to the craving I think about the stressor and what other things I could do to to help with the stress rather than eat, like go for a walk, watch one of my happy movies, call a friend to talk about it, etc. Food as stress relief is a learned pattern, so you need to teach yourself a new pattern that isn’t just food based.

JeromeBarry1 · April 2018

It is not difficult to get from 304 to 299. Just remember that.

You don't crave salt and vinegar. You might like the taste of salty and vinegary potato chips, I think I do, too, but you are not addicted to them.

The food scientists at Frito-Lay are in a constant war to increase Frito-Lay's share of your stomach. They are your enemy. Deny them any victory.

MichelleSilverleaf · April 2018

You've made similar posts, all with the same root issue of stress. At this point, is there anything other than food you've tried to help alleviate your stress? Have you tried starting to calorie count and at least get an idea of how much you're eating? You've been given great advice in your past threads and things to try.

Leannep2201 · April 2018

I can relate on two counts- I also have hormonal issues, and am on medication (over-produce oestrogen and don’t produce enough progesterone. Also have PCOS). And I’m a teacher, so I get the stress.

I’ve given in to cravings so many times in the past during weight-loss attempts.... I also love chips and take-out, but in the end I have always ended up with a “*kitten* it” attitude and have fallen off the wagon.

This time, I really don’t want to do that, so I’ve been more disciplined. I pre-log all my food for the day, regularly including things that I look forward to. I pre-prepare it all in a lunch bag on busy teaching days, too. Sometimes I set aside a few calories for treats- like sorbet, if I’m in an ice-cream mood, or cheese and crackers, if I’m wanting something savoury- but I portion it, so it fits in my calories. We also make homemade equivalents of our favourite take-out foods too (we have burgers and sweet potato fries on a weekly basis, and last night was burrito night). Again, it’s about portion control.... I make it fit into my calories.

I think that what’s different this time is that I’m more determined... I know I will feel so much better when I’ve lost all the weight I want to lose, and to me, meeting my goals is more important than giving in and eating all the food.

You’ve got to find your why. Challenges are part of life- stress and hormonal issues included. But it can still be done if you want it bad enough.

But you have to want it.

aliblain · April 2018

Could you find some lower calorie alternatives to satisfy your vinegar cravings- do you like pickles? Could you snack on some gherkins? I get massive carb cravings before my period but I find having a black coffee and plenty of water can stave off the cravings for a while. You can have a little of what you crave, chew it throughly and savour it with no distractions and then log it. It doesn’t have to become an all out binge.

aliblain · April 2018

PS stress at work is making me want to break out the wine at home at the moment. I’ve bought myself some premixed diet gin and tonic and allow myself one with my dinner- 98 cals instead of a load more if I cracked open a bottle of wine and drank most of it!

MichelleSilverleaf · April 2018

Leannep2201 wrote: »

You’ve got to find your why. Challenges are part of life- stress and hormonal issues included. But it can still be done if you want it bad enough.

But you have to want it.

^This, especially the bolded.

corinasue1143 · April 2018

You can also make homemade salad dressing with salt and vinegar.

AnnPT77 · April 2018

Go to Subway, order a chopped salad, have them dress it with just vinegar and hit it really hard with the salt & pepper. Filling, salty, vinegary, low calorie, plenty of micronutrients. Add a lean protein if you have the calories and need the protein to fill out your macros for the day.

Actually, for those kind of cravings, my personal go-tos are usually more like the kim chi, pickles and sauerkraut kind of stuff. I particularly like the raw/unpasteurized ones, because I think probiotics are good for a gal.

But Subway salad with vinegar & salt works.

psychod787 · April 2018

I am the first to state, that I am still struggling with my relationship with food. I used to binge eat/ waaay over eat. As people have stated before, you might want to visit how you see food in general. I have read that narrowing food choices helps people stick to eating better. That does not mean you can't go out once and a while. It's a running joke at my work. Hey Dalon. Whats for lunch? I reply, "Same thing as last week." Nothing wrong with mixing things up, but for me, prepping pretty much the same thing helps me. As far as cravings, stress, and hormones, most of us can relate to it. I am not going into my story, I have posted it before. I understand to a point. All things are subjective though. I find that when I get a "craving", its usually just for a taste of familiar. I will go onto youtube and find a less calorie dense recipe, or tweek my old recipe to make it more calorie friendly. Notice I say calorie friendly not healthier. All food is healthy, its just the dose I think. As far as the chicken nuggets here is what I do. I take chicken breast, tenderize them, put some egg whites and seasoned flour on them and air fry them. If you don't have an air fryer, the convection setting will work on your oven. Saves me several hundred calories. Can't forget the sauce right? I use a sugar free BBQ. Saves me calories. Want fries? Asparagus in the air fryer, seasoned of course. Ding! Less calorie dense dinner, that taste familiar, or I have a salad earlier in the day and eat the "kitten" nuggets! As far as weight, I might add a suggestion. Don't zone in on a scale weight. Notice how you feel. I got way too small and now am paying a price for it. If you are happy at 300lbs, then stay there and be happy! Life is short! Live how you want. Though, the decisions we make today will effect tomorrow! Best of luck in life, but decide what you want. Bless you.

ulookfabulous135 · April 2018

The end of the school year is your friend. I smoked cigarettes for 30 years. I cut back, I smoked lighter cigarettes, I rationed myself, for years. Then came one magical week. I planned a week off, from work with no concerns beyond the front door of my home. I planned projects to complete inside my home, to keep myself busy and away from the TV. (I listened to music instead.) I had all the supplies I needed to complete my projects in advance - so I would not have to leave the house. I did NOT have cigarettes. I still remember the last cigarette I smoked. I remember asking myself if it would really be the last. For the next week, every time I got that craving, I said to myself . . . it has been six hours since I have had a cigarette, and I am not going to have one now. It has been 48 hours since I have had a cigarette, and I am not going to start now. It has been 6 days since I have had a cigarette, and I am not going to start now. When I went back to work, and the 10:00 break time came along, I said "it has been 7 days since I had a cigarette and I am not going to start now." I said it again at noon, and again at 3:00. And the next day, and the next day, and the next day. Every single time, I would overcome the craving without that mantra. Do you know how often a smoker get's those cravings? But I addressed each craving as it come to me. Eventually, I became afraid of cigarettes - in a weird kind of way.

It has been 14 years since I had a cigarette, and now the thought of having one of those nasty things is unthinkable..

My suggestion to you is to look forward to the end of the school year, and to plan ahead for the change in your life. Plan to hole up in your home where you will have ONLY healthy proteins and veggies to eat. Plan meals and snacks ahead and stock your home with those foods. When eating out, binge eating is irresistible, so stay home or at least stay out of restaurants. Only go to the grocery store when your stomach is FULL. If you don't know how to make irresistible healthy food at home, then learning to make such will be a good project for you.

Equally important, is DO NOT PLAN TO FAIL. Do NOT bring home that one bad snack that will get you over the hump of cravings. That is giving in to the craving. I told myself thousands of times that ONE cigarette would not hurt me. You want to know something? ONE cigarette did hurt me because I smoked that one cigarette for 10 years.

The hard one will be your friends. They'll tell you that one brownie or one serving of potato salad isn't going to hurt you. Tell yourself that if it were a cigarette, they wouldn't be saying that - and they shouldn't be saying that of the brownie, or the potato salad. Friends don't get to make that choice for you. Also if you must go to a restaurant, make the stipulation that you will only go to restaurants where you know you will make a delicious, healthy choice from the menu.

I am new to this forum. I would love to follow your progress, and to share mine. (I have 90 pounds to reach my ideal weight.) I see from this thread that others are following your progress. If you wouldn't mind . . . can somebody tell me if I can join your other friends?

vallary14 · April 2018

ulookfabulous135 wrote: »

The end of the school year is your friend. I smoked cigarettes for 30 years. I cut back, I smoked lighter cigarettes, I rationed myself, for years. Then came one magical week. I planned a week off, from work with no concerns beyond the front door of my home. I planned projects to complete inside my home, to keep myself busy and away from the TV. (I listened to music instead.) I had all the supplies I needed to complete my projects in advance - so I would not have to leave the house. I did NOT have cigarettes. I still remember the last cigarette I smoked. I remember asking myself if it would really be the last. For the next week, every time I got that craving, I said to myself . . . it has been six hours since I have had a cigarette, and I am not going to have one now. It has been 48 hours since I have had a cigarette, and I am not going to start now. It has been 6 days since I have had a cigarette, and I am not going to start now. When I went back to work, and the 10:00 break time came along, I said "it has been 7 days since I had a cigarette and I am not going to start now." I said it again at noon, and again at 3:00. And the next day, and the next day, and the next day. Every single time, I would overcome the craving without that mantra. Do you know how often a smoker get's those cravings? But I addressed each craving as it come to me. Eventually, I became afraid of cigarettes - in a weird kind of way.

It has been 14 years since I had a cigarette, and now the thought of having one of those nasty things is unthinkable..

My suggestion to you is to look forward to the end of the school year, and to plan ahead for the change in your life. Plan to hole up in your home where you will have ONLY healthy proteins and veggies to eat. Plan meals and snacks ahead and stock your home with those foods. When eating out, binge eating is irresistible, so stay home or at least stay out of restaurants. Only go to the grocery store when your stomach is FULL. If you don't know how to make irresistible healthy food at home, then learning to make such will be a good project for you.

Equally important, is DO NOT PLAN TO FAIL. Do NOT bring home that one bad snack that will get you over the hump of cravings. That is giving in to the craving. I told myself thousands of times that ONE cigarette would not hurt me. You want to know something? ONE cigarette did hurt me because I smoked that one cigarette for 10 years.

The hard one will be your friends. They'll tell you that one brownie or one serving of potato salad isn't going to hurt you. Tell yourself that if it were a cigarette, they wouldn't be saying that - and they shouldn't be saying that of the brownie, or the potato salad. Friends don't get to make that choice for you. Also if you must go to a restaurant, make the stipulation that you will only go to restaurants where you know you will make a delicious, healthy choice from the menu.

I am new to this forum. I would love to follow your progress, and to share mine. (I have 90 pounds to reach my ideal weight.) I see from this thread that others are following your progress. If you wouldn't mind . . . can somebody tell me if I can join your other friends?

Congratulations on beating nicotine addiction! My mom is coming up on her 7 years and I’m so grateful. I’m pretty new here too so hi.

Eating fast food all this week! Will I ever get to 299!

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