Self control?

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  • donaldstokley
    donaldstokley Posts: 18 Member
    edited December 2018
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    I had to completely purge our house of all the bad foods. Probably at least $200.00 we gave away in junk. Best decision I ever made as long as we had that stuff I knew it was there wanting me to eat it lol. I still have a long ways to go but so far this has been the easiest diet I have ever been on just because I don't have all the bad stuff to fall back on. I also just don't buy the bad stuff anymore. Also knowing I gave away that much food I don't want it to be for nothing.
  • Larkspur94
    Larkspur94 Posts: 114 Member
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    Before I started my diet, I brought a take away of fried chicken and chips. A large portion. I stuffed myself till I was painfully full. Hurt to move and felt sick and lousy for hours after. Put me off getting it again. This was a planned for method since I found self control hard before. If it was in the house or an option to have, I'd have it. Out shopping, I'd want to buy the chocolate, biscuits and pastries. Especially if I was having a bad day or felt I deserved it. I wanted to remember how horrible junk food could make me feel.

    Being on my diet now, I have no desire at all. My sister lives with me and buys takeouts 2 or 3 times a week. She constantly has snacks and frozen junk. But I still don't want it. I'm on keto which helps with sugar cravings. What's really nice is there are plenty of desserts and snacks you can make, while still losing the weight and not triggering a binge. (since no sugar to trigger sugar craving). You eat the amount that fits into your daily goals and don't feel the need to have more. You can just wait until tomorrow if there are more portions. I actually prefer these keto deserts over actual deserts with sugar and wheat.
    The diet has made me happier and more emotionally stable, so I don't really need the comfort side to eating as I used to have. If I do have a stressful day or something and want a comfort, I just look up some quick recipes and fit it into my allowances. The making of it is a nice distraction from my thoughts and the dessert is then my reward.

    I think apart from the reduced sugar cravings from keto, what also helps is my progress. I've been doing so well, losing weight, being more active, feeling and looking much healthier; that I don't want to hurt that. The way I feel now is so much better than how I'd feel if I cheated. Why cheat if it won't satisfy you? That gives me will power.
  • lexxx9890
    lexxx9890 Posts: 6 Member
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    i try to avoid buying junk if i can, although i don’t live alone so not all the groceries in the house are my doing. that being said, i keep my snacks in the open. all my refrigerated foods i put towards the front of the fridge so they’re the first things i see when i open the door.

    self control is tricky because some days i couldn’t care less about a brownie and some days i’d love to eat 20. and i have slipped up a few times throughout my diet, but i try to remind myself how crappy i’m going to feel after a binge. also, find some healthier foods you actually crave. i’ve surprisingly fallen in love with baby carrots lol.
  • flmnbently
    flmnbently Posts: 20 Member
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    I'm big on the "Treat is a choice" train of thought. I usually try and plan out what I'm going to eat in the morning and log everything. That way I just eat what I log. So I put in expecting me to eat my kids advent chocolate or the hostess donette I'm going to eat watching the Good Place. It helps if I figure it out beforehand.
  • cheryldumais
    cheryldumais Posts: 1,907 Member
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    My husband has a buffet of snacks at night and it drives me crazy. Chips, nuts and candy are always around. I've tried picking it up and putting it away but he takes it right back out. Finally my strategy was to save some calories for the evening and pick a low calorie substitute. For example an apple for candy, low fat air popped popcorn for chips. You get the idea. If I have something that isn't as calorie laden I can still have a treat without blowing my calorie budget for the day. I don't feel left out and I stay on track.
  • BrettWithPKU
    BrettWithPKU Posts: 575 Member
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    I'll go a different route and ask the following:

    Is there a particular time of day when you find yourself susceptible to giving in to these temptations? If so you could rearrange your eating schedule so you're not as hungry during those weak times.

    Historically, my weakness comes in the mid-to-late morning, between my breakfast (formerly at 5am) and lunch (at noon). By delaying breakfast until later in the morning I'm not as hungry--and it's far easier to resist tempting foods when you're not hungry.
    NOTE: This worked for me. It may not work for you or anyone else; this is just an example.

    The important thing is that you've identified and stated your problem. The challenge now is to dig deep to diagnose the causes and circumstances involving that problem. Then figure out how you can change the circumstances in a way that neutralizes the problem.
  • Hyacinth_Hippo
    Hyacinth_Hippo Posts: 51 Member
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    I'm trying the substitution thing out, and it's working ok so far. At night is when I usually have cravings, and, if I want a sweet treat, I'll have a juice box, or a berry flavoured tea, or a piece or fruit or a small portion of yogurt. If that doesn't satisfy my craving then I either brush my teeth and go to bed, or just have a small bit of whatever it is that I'm dying for.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 5,948 Member
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    pinuplove wrote: »
    Self control is a limited resource. Use it wisely. Better to adopt new habits that help you cope with the inevitable temptations, whatever they may be (both the temptations and the habits).

    ^^^This!
  • kbmnurse1
    kbmnurse1 Posts: 316 Member
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    Like the slice of pizza I just inhaled. LOL.
  • hroderick
    hroderick Posts: 756 Member
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    chromium supplement helped my sweet tooth.
    i have to keep junk out of sight and not watch food tv
    for birthdays, we get the smallest nothing bundt cake and sometimes split that
  • ShopGirl9999
    ShopGirl9999 Posts: 775 Member
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    I eat what i like but I call portion control. I call them 'baby bites' or 'thank you bites'. You get to have a bite or small portion and enjoy it!
  • amy19355
    amy19355 Posts: 805 Member
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    I wonder how much of the evening cravings have to do with not getting enough to eat , balanced calorie wise, during the day?

    In my experience, over the last few months, it's the days when I am 'off balance' with macros that the cravings get in the way of my committment.
  • thehealthmentor
    thehealthmentor Posts: 1 Member
    edited January 2019
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    Desire is literally the regulator of difficulty in self-control, the bigger the desire, the easier it is to resist, some times you're not even resisting or even aware of the food you want to avoid, I know that there are research studies about self-control being a limited resource, this is the case only if there's no emotional pull towards the action you want to perform and there is a lot emotion what you want to avoid (ex. if you "have to" resist junk food, but you love it, will exhaust self-control, see emotion as the fuel of self-control). We are driven by emotions.

    You can grow that desire by writing your goals down, and why you want them, all the benefits they bring in your life, and going very in depth in it so you find emotion. And keep your reasons in mind always and see things that remind you of that desire, books, pictures, videos etc... That will solve those self-control problems.

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