Consistency

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vargasmicaela68
vargasmicaela68 Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
How do you guys stay consistent with your meals? I always seem to go off track and binge eat.

Replies

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,996 Member
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    A frequent cause of binging is undereating prior to the binge. Does this article and image resonate with you? (Rather than every few days, the binges could also be the same night or on the weekends.)

    https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/1200-calorie-diet/

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    Is your weekly weight loss goal appropriate for the amount of weight you need to lose?

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  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,688 Member
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    You build consistency by NOT caving in just because. The "oh well" attitude usually will be with people who really aren't serious about doing what you need to to reach a goal whatever it is.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,098 Member
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    I agree that under-eating in general can lead to binges.

    So can trying to cut out all the food you love. Work it in, change the portions, change some of the ingredients to make it a bit lower cal, and if it's something really high calorie like ice cream then plan it as a treat once a week if you can't control how much you eat of it.

    Secondly, some foods cause me to compulsively eat them. I have a list. You don't have time to read my list, trust me, but these foods "trigger" something in me that causes me to eat the whole package in one sitting - or at least eat the whole thing in the same day.

    So...I don't buy them very often. For instance, French bread - the crusty kind. I will eat the entire loaf by myself within a few hours of bringing it home - usually with peanut butter or cheese which compounds the problem :lol: There are many foods that do this to me, almost all of them are wheat-based or sweets. Trail mix is another one.



  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,310 Member
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    I think the important thing is to figure out the reason for your binges:
    - binges because of an inappropriately low calorie goal or because you've eliminated too many of your favorite foods
    - overeating because of a lack of discipline... (discipline is like a muscle, it gets stronger with practice :smile: )
    - binges because of 'temptation foods' that you are unable to moderate your consumption of
    - poor meal timings: for example skipping breakfast or lunch or having only light meals earlier in the day makes some people so hungry they binge afterwards
    - emotional triggers: to give an extreme example, subconsciously someone can be afraid of reaching a healthy weight because it would make them more attractive to the opposite sex, which scares them because they were sexually assaulted in the past; but there could be other less traumatic emotional reasons that lead to subconscious self sabotage -> this is best addressed via therapy
    -
  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 1,836 Member
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    Include your binge foods in your diet within your calorie target then you won’t be so inclined to “binge”.
  • Corina1143
    Corina1143 Posts: 3,120 Member
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    I try to eat satisfying meals so that I have no need to binge. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
    I try to have abundant low calorie things I like readily available for times when I must have more. For me that often means celery sticks washed, cut, trimmed and in ice water in the fridge and lots of broccoli.
    Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
    I have frozen fruit and dark chocolate (85%) for when I really need sweets. It works well for me because I don't really have a sweet tooth.
    In other words, I don't panic. I just try to think ahead and keep on trying.
  • whoami67
    whoami67 Posts: 297 Member
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    I am most likely to be consistent if I stick to a schedule

    I eat similar foods and amounts (macros/calories) for breakfast, lunch and snack each day at mostly the same time of day. I get more variety in my food choices at dinner, but eat that at the same time everyday, too. I also find it easier to be satisfied if I eat more protein...without paying attention to it, I'll naturally eat about 30 grams of protein a day. That leads to cravings and binges. When I eat 110-130 grams a day, I'm not only full, but satisfied and without cravings. I also do best with around 100 grams of carbs a day (or 95-120ish). More or less than that and it can set off cravings and binges.

    Unfortunately, life is not perfect and I can't always stick to this schedule. And it takes some work and planning to stick to this schedule. So when I'm tired or the day gets messed up, I do struggle with being hungry, being unsatisfied even if I'm not hungry, and getting nearly uncontrollable cravings that can lead to bingeing.
  • BriansTrident
    BriansTrident Posts: 483 Member
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    If you’re craving it to the point then you’re probably restraining yourself too much
    I’ve always believed in eating less of the junk but not starving or restricting myself to the point I binge. I just ate a bacon cheese burger and disco fries. Now for the rest of the week I’ll eat good.
  • ReReNotMe
    ReReNotMe Posts: 63 Member
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    Personally, I find small changes easier to stick with in the long run, starting with just limiting juice and soft drinks to meal times and carrying a water bottle everywhere, brushing teeth after meals to limit snacking on sugary sweets, finding easy, healthy versions of my favourite foods like pizza ow low calorie ice cream that I can cook myself etc. Small changes that accumulate over time.

    Also adjust your calories as you go. Only eating 1500cal/day and doing 500cal workouts daily off the bat is too much. You're gonna be hungry, burned out and unmotivated leading to cheat days and feeling guilty. I started at around 2200cal/day and am now at 1800cal/day plus exercise and it's enough for me to be energised, feel full and feel less guilt even when eating out with family occasionally.

    Also as a side note, never do your shopping when hungry. I haven't bought chocolate in over a month meaning I can't reach for it whenever I want and after a while I've gotten used to not having it just from not having it in the house. Making eating unhealthily inconvenient is a strangely effective method, at least for me.

    Hope that helps :)
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 7,883 Member
    edited July 2023
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    I pre-log several days out.

    I know what groceries I need, and eat before I go to the grocery store. Having a list and eating beforehand helps me control impulse buys.

    I schedule multiple snacks throughout the day in additional to three larger meals.

    For me, protein is very satiating so I schedule in a lot of meat, cottage cheese, skyr and yogurt.

    I keep trigger foods out of the house. Minimal amounts of candy or (even the lower cal ones I choose) cookies, no cake or pie, pastries, canisters of pretzels.

    If I feel particularly “carby”, my go-to is hot air popped popcorn with a little margarine and soy sauce.

    If I’m super hot, a simple smoothie of a cup of almond milk, serving of low fat cottage cheese, dash of chocolate extract, and a chocolate zero cal syrup, blended with ice is filling, hydrating and chilling- for well under a hundred calories, and includes that nice hit of protein.

    I’ve experimented with rotating new foods in. I find if I have a dish to look forward to, I’m happy to hold back elsewhere to make room for extra of it. We save leftover pickle juice and marinate chicken breasts in it, drain, sprinkle with Garam masala and grill. Makes a fabulous and low cal chicken for a wrap or salad. I got an electric smoker and can’t even express how much joy chopped smoked beef or pork has given me, hit with some Hughes sugar free spicy bbq sauce. A giant pile of meat and a sliced tomato are heaven.

    Ate there certain foods you eat that make you crave more foods? I find that with small loose chocolates or individual packs of cookies I lose my mind, so I limit them.

    Sadly, I’m limiting visits to Mexican restaurants. I ask for a bowl of sliced bell peppers to use in lieu of chips, but most places won’t do that or bring out (ugh!) frozen ones. My husband and I both lose utter control with a basket of chips set in front. No matter how wonderful their 630 calorie chicken super burrito is, a basket of chips can dig a hole that’s impossible to get out of.

    So we are cooking a lot of Tex Mex at home these days. More control.

    Brush your teeth after your last meal of the day. Surprising, but works.

    If you’re serious about weight loss, I mean really ready to make some long term changes, sit down and analyze yourself and your habits and start making changes here and there. Don’t go for an overnight rebirth, though. That’s where people fail.

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