Can't stop eating! Please HELP!

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  • 03258
    03258 Posts: 60
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    First of all....you are in the right place with MFP. And second, the fact that you are reaching out for help means you really want to find a way to do this.

    I think most of us on this site have felt the way you do now. I KNOW I have and will again. It's an ongoing battle. I think of it like any other addiction. I can't think about days or weeks without eating my favorite foods. That's impossible for me. I have to take it a day, a meal, sometimes an hour at a time and just focus on the moment. Like....I won't have that piece of pie right now because I can have it later. I don't tell myself that I can't have it...I just tell myself I'm going to wait abit. Then, SOMETIMES you won't feel like eating it later, and sometimes you will. If I feel like eating it, I try to just have half of it. Or at least leave some little tiny piece left. Slowly (sometimes VERY slowly) you develop new habits. But its VERY hard...

    TAke and care and good luck to you.,

    You can do this.

    You are not alone. :-)
  • Sp1nGoddess
    Sp1nGoddess Posts: 1,138 Member
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    I agree with dropping your carbs and increasing protein to break the craving cycle. Get rid of processed foods with wheat flour or sugars. Make yourself drink a glass of water and eat all your veggies before you can have the rest of your meal. Generally if you can wait about 20 minutes most cravings will pass, find a diversion that you like. (i like to move out of the kitchen and read)

    Also understand that you really do deserve to have the healthy fit body you want. Keep your eyes on the prize - you can do it!
  • bmkell
    bmkell Posts: 4 Member
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    I agree with the low carb.... It truely has helped me!
  • VICKYORTIZ
    VICKYORTIZ Posts: 37 Member
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    i agree with this!
  • webdiva1
    webdiva1 Posts: 326 Member
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    Drastic times call for drastic measures, right? So consider doing whatever it takes to change your behavior. For example ...

    Carry water with you everywhere, and drink LOTS more than 8 glasses a day. Opinions here on MFP vary, but if you're anything at all like me -- I suspect you could double that every day without any harmful effects. Speaking just for myself, it REALLY cuts down on the hungries.

    Put PostIt notes on your fridge and cupboards that say "Step AWAY from the refrigerator". Or something to that effect. :)

    Give the leftovers away.

    Take good stuff to your potlucks, and only eat that.

    When friends come over, prepare and serve only good, healthy, fresh food.

    I'm sure you can come up with a zillion other things. What it comes down to, though, is what you've already discovered: you have to change your behavior.

    You know what you need to do ... or NOT do, as the case may be, right? So start thinking about it every single time you reach for something to eat. Are you REALLY hungry? If so, drink an 8 oz. glass of water and wait for half an hour or so. If you're still hungry then -- by all means, eat something. Just choose something healthy.

    You can't change the last week, but you can DEFINITELY learn from it. Based on your post, you're not happy right now. So learn from that. Next time you want to eat something, remember how you're feeling right now, and ask yourself if it's worth feeling that way again. (It'll be a trick question, but it's one worth asking anyway. :)

    Speaking just for me, being really conscious of WHY I want to eat has been almost as important as WHAT I eat. Just gotta get your head around it, know what I mean? You can change your behavior starting right this minute. So come on ... let's go do it. I know you can.
  • TXBlonde81
    TXBlonde81 Posts: 78 Member
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    I'm not sure what you have in the leftover department but throw out any type of sweets and then if you have main dishes you could try freezing them in X serving containers - 1 serving for you and X for remaining family members but no extra. That will solve the issue of the leftovers right now.

    After that it is just learning moderation - not to binge and not to completely eliminate.
  • Heidi1987
    Heidi1987 Posts: 191 Member
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    TIP TO REDUCE WEIGHT
    First turn your head to the right and then turn it to the left. Repeat this exercise everytime you are offered something to eat.


    Its hard but its the only way XD discipline for the win!


    Haha!!! I LOVE this!! :laugh:
  • erinrose07
    erinrose07 Posts: 140
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    Don't have the mentality of, "tomorrow will be better." Start now. Stop eating. Throw out the leftovers and have your old normal dinner. Then tomorrow morning have your normal breakfast and so on.
  • erinrose07
    erinrose07 Posts: 140
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    If it helps, right now I totally want to eat more goldfish with my soup.....but i'm quite sure that i've had enough, so i'm going to stop while thinking of you!
  • kducky22
    kducky22 Posts: 276 Member
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    Whenever I find myself grabbing for icecream or something when I'm not hungry, I tell myself over and over again:

    "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels"
    "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels"
    "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels"
    "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels"

    It usually works for me.. Willpower is one of the hardest things to gain, I'm right there with you!
  • Dauntlessness
    Dauntlessness Posts: 1,489 Member
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    What kind of food are you eating? Normally potluck/celebration foods are fairly high in calories. Its all about decadence. :)
    I bring that up because if you have high sugar/high calorie/high fat foods it makes "your hunger" have a roller coaster effect. You get that high feeling from all the calories and then you bottom out a little while later and your body wants more even if it doesn't need it.
    Anytime I have a high calorie meal or overeat I am starving within the next few hours or even the next day sometimes. The only way to get control of it again is to simply eat better food, more often and portion control. If your hungry, eat any green vegetables, Jillian says those are "free food" hehe.
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
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    Hello all!
    I am really looking for motivation. Over the last week, my family had a few celebrations and what was planned to be 1 cheat day had turned out into a week long feast. Dinner out 1 day, Baby's first birthday the next day, friends over next few days and baby shower potluck at work, PLUS tons of leftovers that are calling my name. I cannot stop eating. I am trying to up my water intake, ignore the food, but it seems almost impossible. I feels so gross and big. I have tons more weight to loose, and started out slowly but steadily and was doing great, exercising every day, eating right and I really do not want this to ruin what I have accomplished so far. So, I am looking for tips on how to stop this, since its getting harder and harder every day. Its like my head says I thing and I do a complete opposite.:). Thanks in advance.

    First step is to stop saying you can't stop eating. You can, you just have to figure out how to do it.

    Lifestyle changes are difficult, even moreso when you try to tackle it all at once. Don't think about the total amount of weight you have to lose, or how long you have to keep within a certain calorie range. Break it down into smaller more manageable chunks. How much weight are you going to try to lose THIS week? How are you going to stay in your calories THIS meal? And if you don't meet your goal...let it go. You have your entire life to get it right, don't kill yourself because you were lax one week.

    That's not to say that you shouldn't push yourself to meet your goals, just that the negativity of saying you can't coupled with the immensity of trying to get it all done at once can be overwhelming.
  • SoulNeedsBeauty
    SoulNeedsBeauty Posts: 154 Member
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    TIP TO REDUCE WEIGHT
    First turn your head to the right and then turn it to the left. Repeat this exercise everytime you are offered something to eat.

    i cant agree more. this says it all.. just dont eat. be there, but dont eat
  • polarcubby
    polarcubby Posts: 38
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    Hello all!
    I am really looking for motivation. Over the last week, my family had a few celebrations and what was planned to be 1 cheat day had turned out into a week long feast. Dinner out 1 day, Baby's first birthday the next day, friends over next few days and baby shower potluck at work, PLUS tons of leftovers that are calling my name. I cannot stop eating. I am trying to up my water intake, ignore the food, but it seems almost impossible. I feels so gross and big. I have tons more weight to loose, and started out slowly but steadily and was doing great, exercising every day, eating right and I really do not want this to ruin what I have accomplished so far. So, I am looking for tips on how to stop this, since its getting harder and harder every day. Its like my head says I thing and I do a complete opposite.:). Thanks in advance.

    Get rid of the leftovers. Package them up and start giving them away. Treat friends or family or even bring them to work as a surprise little feast for co-workers. I know at my office if there's free food it will disappear in a flash! It might not be an ideal solution but all the tempting food will be gone and you'll be forced to cook something from scratch and you can cook something healthy.
    Don't beat yourself up. You'll eat even more if you get depressed about how much you've been eating. Forget the past week, you'll have these challenges during and after weight loss. Just focus on getting back on track. Try lowering your portions, eating very slowly (it helps if you start with something you crave and stretch out the meal until you feel full).
  • Pinacleo
    Pinacleo Posts: 9
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    First thing first: Give away or throw out the leftovers. It's just asking to be tempted. Never bring anything into the house that can be sabotage.

    Next really focus on why you want to be thin how much you want it. Is it truly worth the temporary enjoyment of food? Will that make you feel better about yourself or will it riddle you with guilt? Only YOU have the power to change you. It's not a matter of wanting it. It's wanting it bad enough.

    Fill up on good stuff first. A huge salad. A piece of fruit. A cup of yogurt.

    Experiment making diet versions of your favorite foods. It's amazing how much you can get the same tastes and satisfaction with a fraction of the calories.

    Limit your carbs to 100g a day. You will stop craving the starchy foods but still have that satisfaction.

    Don't give up on yourself!! Don't let friends, family or anyone else who doesn't understand your struggle get in the way of your progress. Get back on the wagon and keep moving forward. Nothing worth attaining is painless.

    YOU CAN DO IT!
  • carriann2012
    carriann2012 Posts: 180 Member
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    Put an end to it now!!! and dont' look back but know there will be more challenges ahead, more potlucks, birthdays, etc. You will need to decide if you can say NO or use portion control. Load up on the veggies, stay away from the breads, cakes, etc. Drink tons of water before going to any of these events. Maybe do more exercise that day if you plan on having that slice of cake. Don't give up!! I have fallen of the wagon many times...lol :laugh: Good Luck!! :bigsmile:
  • cofakid
    cofakid Posts: 213 Member
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    wow so many different bits of advice... i think theres a few ways u can approach it, but u have to find that thing that makes u say NO MORE being big!

    i was dieting, went off track, and binged lots, as soon as i jumped on the scale and saw 1 kg more than the last time i went NO! Im not undoing my work, no i need to jump back on in.

    Yeah, u want that yummy food, but u have to remind yourself that yummy food got you into this mess in the first place! you have to stand up and really say no i dont want to be this big anymore, and really mean it!

    you REALLY want to loose the weight well then you just have to make yourself do it! You just have to do it, say no to the nice food. u dont have to starve or eat only veggies, but keep that nice food as an ocassional treat not as all ur food in one day.

    well thats my 2cents. GOOD LUCK! YOU CAN DO IT! MAKE IT HAPPEN!
  • Dianaka
    Dianaka Posts: 48 Member
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    WOW! Thank You All so much for all your advice! I certainly did not expect it! I think as soon as I put it in writing and shared it with you all, something clicked and I feel I have a better control of things! My food diary was not perfect today, but it is on its way to get better! You are all right and all your tips are greatly appreciated and will be put to use now! Again, Thanks a lot for motivation and support!
  • babymegelo
    babymegelo Posts: 3 Member
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    Hi i cant stop eating either but we are strong n we can do this so lets do it :smile:
  • Lisa_222
    Lisa_222 Posts: 301 Member
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    Don't tell yourself you can't have something. Just think that you'll have it at a later date. Get all trigger foods out of your sight. Keep a cooked or raw, whichever you like bowl of vegges out for munching. Cucumbers and tomatoes are almost zero calories and are quite filling. Keep busy. Plan your day, don't leave gaps. After a couple days, you'll be back on track.

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