Struggling with cutting out carbs and sweets

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m1sskattbaby
m1sskattbaby Posts: 2 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hello, I'm Katt,
So anyways, I saw someone make a post about binge eating, which I really related with.
I love carbs and sugar and its been the hardest for me to cut that out, and it's been the reason I haven't been able to lose weight like I've wanted to.
I weigh (164 pounds and my goal weight is 135.) I'm 5'4". Anyways, in addition to my love for sweets and carbs, my boyfriend loves to eat all kinds of carbs and unhealthy foods and has no interest in changing the way he eats. When I see all those types of foods around the house or he eats snacks and stuff right next to me I can't help but crave some of it as well.
Often times I have enough willpower to ignore it but other times I choose to indulge and give into my cravings.
I'm NOT trying to blame him for my choice to eat that stuff at all!!
I'm just saying that it makes it hard for me to not eat it when it's around.
I've talked to him about my goals and told him how I feel about it and we have agreed that he will keep it out of my sight, but it's still been really hard for me and when I eat sweets and carbs I feel really bad about myself afterwards.
Anyways, I just wanted to share, feel free to share your thoughts, personal experiences or advice about this type of thing. How do you deal with cravings? What helps you to follow your diet and stay away from binge eating/eating carbs and sweets in general?

Replies

  • seahawks_12
    seahawks_12 Posts: 12 Member
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    I have a very hard time resisting sweets and carbs. I try to eat fresh fruits when i am craving them and it seems to be working. Instead of crunchy chips i have been eating crunchy carrots. Not the same but it helps with the craving. I try to buy snacks that i dont like so everyone else can have some but I dont have to worry about it. If I do eat junk it goes in my calorie counter and I just have to earn those calories by working out. It gets easier resisting junk as i continue on my healthier path. If I dont buy it I cant eat it.
  • indigowildorchid
    indigowildorchid Posts: 10 Member
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    I struggle with cravings sometimes.I've found that if I eat more protein, drink adequate amounts of water, and enjoy small amounts of the goodies I love throughout the week I tend to have a lot less cravings.
  • 23MJ88DBFan
    23MJ88DBFan Posts: 51 Member
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    I struggle with those cravings too but don't completely deprive myself or I'll lose my mind and binge and then hate myself afterwards for allowing it to get that far. All in moderation is my philosophy, so if I want a Dr Pepper or Grandma's Peanut Butter cookies really bad I'll have them but just in small portions and I exercise extra to "earn it." Also, I came home one day and threw out all the junk food I actually keep at the house and quit carrying cash unless I have to for some other reason so I can't buy from vending machines, so it's harder to cheat on the lifestyle change. Good luck girl!
  • jasonpoihegatama
    jasonpoihegatama Posts: 496 Member
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    Tell him to buy Protein cookies, kale chips, Nuts, healthy snacks, Peanut butter, If you have these kind of food in your house unlikely you have no choice. And have less for you meal. There are lots of nice food that are healthy.
  • cask16
    cask16 Posts: 196 Member
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    Bump!
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
    edited February 2019
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    What are you looking for by bumping this, @cask16?

    There are two options:

    1. Abstain
    2. Moderate
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
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    High-fiber carbs with protein are pretty darned satiating to me. And sugar isn't addictive.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
    edited February 2019
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    What is satiating to people is personal. I find potatoes, oatmeal, and pasta VERY filling. Meanwhile, I could eat a canister of nuts or a block of mozzarella cheese without taking a breath.

    "Carbs" are not inherently unhealthy. Fruits, veggies, whole grains can all be part of a healthy diet, in fact they can be a sizable part of a healthy diet.

    OP, I assume you are talking about treat carbs and maybe starchy carbs? Because vegetables and legumes have carbs too. Have you decided to cut them out because you can't moderate them? Or because you think you have to in order to lose weight?

    Some people find that when they try to abstain from something, it causes the cravings and they do better pre-measuring and planning these foods (that's me). Others find they need to abstain, but I'd caution against deciding you need to abstain from an entire food group before playing around with how to moderate it. Is it really ALL carbs, or are there specific foods like pretzels or M&Ms. IMHO investigating why you make decisions you didn't intend to make and why you lose control is important before demonizing an entire food group.
  • imxnianne
    imxnianne Posts: 216 Member
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    My diary is always over. I don’t cut out anything. I just tell myself, when I workout tomorrow add an extra 10 minutes for it. Lol!
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,885 Member
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    m1sskattbaby wrote: »
    I love carbs and sugar and its been the hardest for me to cut that out, and it's been the reason I haven't been able to lose weight like I've wanted to.

    Anyways, I just wanted to share, feel free to share your thoughts, personal experiences or advice about this type of thing. How do you deal with cravings? What helps you to follow your diet and stay away from binge eating/eating carbs and sweets in general?

    I continued to eat carbs and sweets in general when I lost weight. In fact, prior to going on a diet with MFP, I rarely ate bread. Now I eat at least one slice each day.

  • stricklee11
    stricklee11 Posts: 218 Member
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    What has been a good deterrent for me is pre-logging the sweets before I take some. It really makes you pause because spending 270 calories on Swiss rolls seems like a waste. Another way I've tried to avoid binge-eating on desserts is by allocating a set amount of calories per day to something sweet. I also try to consume them at work rather than at home. Yesterday, for example, I had two snickers minis. The other day, I had a snickers ice cream bar (which is only 180 calories!) I've also realized not all white breads are the same. Sarah Lee's butter bread is 70 calories per slice while Arnold's (my preferred brand) is 120 per slice. A hamburger bun (top/bottom) is 120 calories which isn't too bad when wanting to make a sandwich.

    Calorie counting is a b*tch sometimes but then you really see how you've manage to gain all this weight eating items you thought weren't that bad. The home can be a minefield of temptation but you have to try to stick to your daily caloric goal.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,969 Member
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    Some people (me included) have a very hard time stopping eating carby foods, sugary foods. It's a problem for a lot of people and moderation is just not something I do well. I've tried for over a decade to control myself around *certain foods* and it just isn't possible for me, regardless of every method.

    So I have a whole list of foods I just don't touch unless I'm ready to accept the fact I will eat the entire package in one sitting. I treat them as off-limits-foods. There are several online eating programs that address this particular issue like Overeaters Anonymous, Brightline Eating, and other methods. Basically it comes down to abstinence, for me.

    Can you look at the food your BF eats as "His Food" and not take any of it? I mean, if you can't moderate then your choice is abstinence. Getting to that acceptance is key.

    I wish you well.

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