Restarting but motivation is hard and addicted to sugar

joycrowe
joycrowe Posts: 1 Member
in Getting Started
I’ve never been one to post but I’m finding it hard to restart a healthier way of eating and living. I’ve gained 50 pounds back and I’m starting menopause. I have a sugar addiction that I’m finding hard to break. I thought if I posted here and asked for some suggestions and help, maybe it could get me started again. I just find it hard to know what to eat. I sit at my job all day and I am tired all of the time.

Best Answer

  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,356 Member
    edited January 26 Answer ✓
    joycrowe wrote: »
    I’ve never been one to post but I’m finding it hard to restart a healthier way of eating and living. I’ve gained 50 pounds back and I’m starting menopause. I have a sugar addiction that I’m finding hard to break. I thought if I posted here and asked for some suggestions and help, maybe it could get me started again. I just find it hard to know what to eat. I sit at my job all day and I am tired all of the time.

    Yeah, most people don't really understand what your going through and believe you can just eat less sugar and voila your saved. I had to hardline it and remove pretty much all sugar and associated carbs although blueberries in my full fat yogurt seems to be fine. I hope you work things out and maybe start with a whole food diet that focuses on protein and leave out any desserts for the time being and see how doing that could be sustainable but I would give it at least 3 months to help work things out. :)

Answers

  • totameafox
    totameafox Posts: 183 Member
    Hello Joy.

    Start by making 1 change. Give it a week and make another. Log what you are eating so you can start to see your patterns.

    I often plan my food a day or two in advance so I know what to make. I eat when I am bored so I try to find active things to occupy my hands. I don't keep too many food items in my house that don't fit my plan. It is possible to lose weight and feel better while you are sitting. I'm disabled so exercising in any amount for weight-loss isn't going to happen.

    I focus on protein and fiber. I feel more energetic and rarely feel hunger. It will take some experimenting to find what works for you. But if you aren't disabled I would also suggest that you start walking. Feel free to join my group. I will be happy to support you in the future and figure out what will work for you.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/147555-speak-friend-and-enter
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 35,013 Member
    It doesn't work for everyone, but my cravings for sweets like candy and baked goods were reduced when I started making it a point to eat several servings of whole fruit daily. It wasn't instant, so maybe took willpower for a small number of weeks, but it was a help. I've seen others here say similar things, so maybe worth a try?

    Generically, many people will feel more full when most of their eating is meats, fish, veggies, fruits, whole grains, and that sort of thing. That's in comparison to mostly very processed and refined foods. There can be some treats in the mix, too. But the refined foods aren't as filling as the foundation of eating, and are quite craveable for a lot of people, so eating mostly those tends to make appetite more of a problem. We don't need an overnight revolution in eating patterns, it can evolve over time from reviewing the food diary and gradually making manageable, practical changes.

    It can also help to aim for a very moderate weight loss rate. I know we all want to lose weight fast. But sometimes a slower loss that's more manageable will get a person to goal weight in less calendar time than a more aggressive plan that causes bouts of deprivation-triggered over-eating, breaks in the action, or even giving up altogether.

    IMO, the real golden prize here isn't reaching a healthy weight, it's getting there then staying there long term, ideally forever. IMO, that's most achievable with a different mindset, focusing on finding new reasonably-happy routine daily habits that can continue almost on autopilot forever. That's a very different thought process from treating weight loss as a quick project with an end date, after which things go back to normal.

    People vary individually, so not everything works the same for everyone. These would be what I've personally experienced with losing about the same amount you're aiming for back in 2015-16 when I was 59-60, and in about 9 years of maintaining a healthy weight since. You may need different tactics, so this is just another possible thing to consider and maybe try.

    Best wishes!

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