I think I have an eating problem or something!

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Ok, so I was doing great there for a while with my eating and getting back on track with eating healthy, then all the sudden I start eating a ton!! And not healthy stuff. I feel like I have a problem or something. Its like I don't have any self control. Between eating tons of candy each day and eating the left overs from catering in the office I am stuffed! I mean today for instance I had candy then actually ate my lunch today a nice soup, then I go to throw away the soup when I was done and oh look left over enchiladas, I think I'll have some!! I dunno why its so hard for me to say no! Especially with the candy that's really bad!! I am eating like 300 to 400 calories alone in candy a day. I am sure its all will power and I just need to make some changes but I dunno why its so hard for me. And then I complain about my weight and its like if I keep this up I'll be like 200 or more pounds by christmas! I guess I just wanted to vent and maybe hear some opinions. Thanks!!! Sorry for complaining but I just feel so yucky!!!:frown:

Replies

  • Jeff92se
    Jeff92se Posts: 3,369 Member
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    I have that problem. Precious kid pic BTW.

    I have to make deals with myself. ie... okay, I'll eat some candy but I have to eat this entire apple first. What usually happens is that the apple is good enough or I won't eat nearly as much candy/chips etc.. after eating the apple. Or if I want chips, I'll make air popped popcorn instead.
  • Jeff92se
    Jeff92se Posts: 3,369 Member
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    ugh...
  • Jeff92se
    Jeff92se Posts: 3,369 Member
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    ugh double post
  • coloradocuppiecake
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    Try keeping sugarfree gum in your mouth as often as possible. That with lots of water.
  • Shanna_Inc86
    Shanna_Inc86 Posts: 781 Member
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    1st, I've so been there. I personally believe there are 2 sides to this...1. an emotional side and 2. an actual addiction

    1. The emotional: When I would do things like that or any time I've had slips along the way, it was because I was suppressing SOMETHING. There was something I didn't want to deal with. I've been trying really hard to NOT do this and feel whatever it is...I cry ALL THE TIME NOW! LoL It suxs! BUT I'm actually processing things, like a break up that I just refused to think or talk about...few months later I'm finally dealing

    2. I firmly believe that the chemicals put into overly process foods like that make us want more. I believe they are addictive.

    As far as advice...sheesh...drinking warm tea, counting...I will sometimes say "STOP" right out loud or snap a rubber band on my wrist.

    Best of luck hunny!!
  • ohthelawd
    ohthelawd Posts: 29 Member
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    Ok, so I was doing great there for a while with my eating and getting back on track with eating healthy, then all the sudden I start eating a ton!! And not healthy stuff. I feel like I have a problem or something. Its like I don't have any self control. Between eating tons of candy each day and eating the left overs from catering in the office I am stuffed! I mean today for instance I had candy then actually ate my lunch today a nice soup, then I go to throw away the soup when I was done and oh look left over enchiladas, I think I'll have some!! I dunno why its so hard for me to say no! Especially with the candy that's really bad!! I am eating like 300 to 400 calories alone in candy a day. I am sure its all will power and I just need to make some changes but I dunno why its so hard for me. And then I complain about my weight and its like if I keep this up I'll be like 200 or more pounds by christmas! I guess I just wanted to vent and maybe hear some opinions. Thanks!!! Sorry for complaining but I just feel so yucky!!!:frown:

    I have this same problem. The joke is that people in my family have a multi-chambered stomach a la cows. I really have no idea how much I *could* eat if I were into competitive eating. I've gone to Golden Corral before and finished 6 plates of food before making it to the dessert bar. Ahhh... those were the days...lol
  • My1985Freckles
    My1985Freckles Posts: 1,039 Member
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    I'm this way when hubby isn't home..... I have AMAZING self-control in front of others, so if I'm not alone, I'm fine.
  • fitzie63
    fitzie63 Posts: 508 Member
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    You are either totally committed to becoming heart healthy or~~~you are not. You're in total charge, accept the responsibility.


    Welcome to my Heart Healthy World
    The Making of the New You


    Welcome to the beginning of your new, healthier lifestyle. You have embarked on a great program where you are the only one “in charge” of your own personally developed nutrition and exercise program on My Fitness Pal (MFP).

    From my age of 18 until the present, more than a 55 year adult life span, I have lost and re-gained from between 30 to 75 pounds in my life so many times (the yo-yo dieting syndrome), if I had not done that I would weigh over 800 pounds (IF I was still alive).

    On 15 November 2010, a good friend and I were visiting ladies in our church and I was telling her how depressed I was over my frustration in trying to stop being overweight. She told me how one of her adult sons (she & her husband raised 10 children) had lost a whole lot of weight using this free online food and exercise diary program. I went home that afternoon and checked the web site carefully and said, “YES”! I started the program the next morning.

    From that first day, 16 November 2010, I started accurately weighing or measuring (depending upon the food/fluid item), leveling off all excess quantities & recording it all on MFP. You may look at my photos and statistics and scoff while thinking that I didn’t have very much weight to lose. Please consider this, 35 extra pounds on my short, very small body frame is not much different than 75 or even 100 extra pounds on a taller person with a larger body frame. It has taken me more than nine very long, very slow months to shed all but the last 1.1 pounds.

    To begin, you should have the proper tools for accuracy and ease of staying with your program. Those are:

    A digital food scale
    An individual set of 4 measuring cups: ¼ c, 1/3 c, ½ c, 1 c
    An individual set of measuring spoons: ¼ tsp., ½ tsp., 1 tsp., 1 tblsp.
    A small, straight blade spatula or knife for leveling off all excess quantities

    START THINKING DIFFERENTLY but do NOT think “diet”. Use the lighter, lower calorie mayonnaise (that has olive oil). Look at the various brands of lower calorie margarine spreads that also have olive oil. SHOP DIFFERENTLY in the SUPERMARKET. Allow a lot more time when you shop. Do NOT pick up items and put them in the shopping cart until you have carefully READ every single label. REMEMBER THIS: All ingredients are listed in order of highest quantity to lowest. If the first 4 items on the ingredients say: salt, sodium, corn syrup or any form of sugar, dextrose, maltose, or other sugar forms, buy something else. High sodium contents will prevent you from losing weight well & can cause water retention as well as cardiac overload. When we’re packing around all those extra pounds, our hearts are already over-worked. All our body systems work as a team so when one organ system is out of whack, so is everything else. Prepared or frozen foods are nearly always overloaded with sodium and fats. Low calorie is not always low sugar nor low fat. “Healthy” is not always labeled correctly. Once you become an avid “label reading shopper”, you will learn which items work best for you and which ones to avoid.

    Beware of well-meaning family members, friends or even co-workers who think they know what is best for you. You are the only person who knows how you feel and what will help you become successful in achieving your personal healthy goal. I believe in your unique ability to be successful. You can and will succeed if you keep following your program faithfully by taking things one meal at a time/one day at a time on a continuous basis. I have had some former MFP users complain about “too much counting”. It does not take me any more extra time to take the proper measuring spoon to level off my single PORTION of mayonnaise or mustard that it used to by just dipping the spoon in the jar and dumping a lump of stuff on the plate, the food or the bread. Then we have, what I call, the “enablers”. Those are the people who consciously or even sub-consciously, are out to keep you from being successful. They’re the “Oh, just one little piece of this dessert I made just for you won’t hurt you”. Or, I made all your favorite recipes for your birthday, Christmas dinner, etc. Just tell them that you’ve developed some difficult ALLERGIES and are under medical supervision (do not tell them anything more than that). You don’t have to tell them that the “allergies” make you “break out in FAT”. Then we have the proverbial, “You’re getting so thin, you’re going to get sick and end up in the hospital” types. They may even try to carry on by telling medical horror stories how someone they knew who ended up dying because of blah, blah, etc. Change the subject quickly and keep the conversation light and comfortable.

    MFP tells us how much of each items chosen is ONE PORTION. It is up to us to tell the computer how much of the portion we plan to have or did have. I call this program a “no brainer” because the computer does all the work for me. All I have to do is look up the item in the database and select the correct product. Watch out for all the idiots who’ve monkeyed around with the database by putting in their own screwball versions of many items. As you first begin, keep that product label handy as you do your food diary recording so you can check before you add that item to your diary. As time goes on, you’ll understand how this works better.

    You will soon get into the mode of thinking of “eat this…not that” of the items that you enjoy having that are working to help you reach your successful heart healthy ultimate goal.

    GOAL SETTING: Please be extra kind to yourself and not set impossible goals. Think in terms of short-term, reachable goals for now. I started by using Dr. Mehmet Oz’s “Just 10” program, i.e. thinking in terms of just reaching the next set of 10 pounds off short-term goal.

    I’m personally in this for the “long haul”. That means, I will be doing this for the rest of my life as long as the program is available and I have the capability of using it. If I stop keeping a daily food diary or stop weighing, measuring, etc., I know that I’ll end up piling the fat pounds right back on and never get them off again. Last November, I was in a full-blown DIABETES state and was sick all the time. I refuse to put my body through that ever again.

    You WILL be successful because you’re a WINNER. I strongly believe that and believe in your ability to keep on winning.

    Remember, you are in charge~~~no one else can ever take your place!
  • adidrea
    adidrea Posts: 275 Member
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    I looooooooove candy, it's my weakness!! Anything sweet, really. When we eat so many carbs our body naturally craves them when we don't get them for a while. One thing that worked for me (several times actually) is to just go cold turkey and avoid all of the sweet stuff for a week or two. It's very hard, especially the first few days but after that the daily cravings were pretty much non-existent.

    It's hard to always have to say no, day after day, especially if you're exposed to foods you like (but that are bad for you) all the time. If you give your body a little break from all this sugar and carbs it will naturally crave less of them.

    You could give it a shot? It takes a week or two :wink:
  • AmyJo54915
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    I can do really well most of the time, then I binge...usually on something like cereal at 12:30 in the morning. Sometimes I don't even realize I did it until I see the bowl in the sink the next morning. I hate myself afterwards, and feel like giving up. It's hard to get back on track after a binge.
  • flabulous4
    flabulous4 Posts: 599 Member
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    Where do you get the candy from? Is it lying around in the office or at home, or do you buy it specially?
  • LisaLittle05
    LisaLittle05 Posts: 10 Member
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    I am dealing w the exact same problem. On top of that..I eat out ALL the time. I have ZERO energy and its so depressing. I am trying to add more friends on here that will keep me on my toes! I lost 25lbs and then all of a sudden I gained 8lbs back! Idk how to control my eatting habits :(
  • Puffins1958
    Puffins1958 Posts: 614 Member
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    I just hope that it gets better for you. Keep sugar free candies, if you feel the NEED to snack on something. Be careful though, they can have loads of calories.....
  • peaceinside
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    Have you tried gum? Also maybe psyching yourself out as in pretending it just came out of the garbage, has magets on/in it etc...I know that's gross but whatever works! Good Luck :flowerforyou:
  • storknursekelly
    storknursekelly Posts: 94 Member
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    I personally believe what we put into our body our brain craves. It is no different than a drug or alcohol, the brain is smart, if you feed it healthy foods it starts craving healthy foods, but in the beginning of a lifestyle change once you put an unhealthy food into it such as white flour, sugar etc. it triggers a reaction like an addiction. Some foods are triggers for our brain, for me it's anything like breads, crackers, chips, baked goods, candy, pasta. I have chosen to go gluten free and eat clean foods so I don't have these triggers constantly making me hungry. Does it mean I can't have a piece of bread or candy ever? No probably not, but until I get rid of the toxins in my body that these unhealthy foods continue to trigger then I will not eat them. I truly after a couple weeks stopped craving any bread, crackers, chips, candy, etc. It was amazing how smart my brain was !! I know from previous experience if I introduce even once, one of these foods, it causes unbelievable cravings in my body for days. It takes 3-4 months for your cells to change, so to re-educate your brain takes that long. For me I don't want to be going back and forth fighting these cravings, so I chose to eat fruits, veggies, whole grains (quinoa, couscous etc) and lots of beans and legumes (the fiber fills you up). I will occasionally have chicken or fish. Because dairy,red meat and flour are known to increase and cause inflammation in the body, I choose not to have these as well, to help relief joint pains and stiffness. It's what works for me I have found. Hope this helps :))
  • vdubmomma
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    Well, I don't buy it but the candy bowl is at my desk and can't really go anywhere else. I started it to be nice to the office. And to be in the Holiday spirit. Thanks for all the advice so far I might try the gum. I already have the water! i drink 2liters a day!!!
  • vdubmomma
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    I am dealing w the exact same problem. On top of that..I eat out ALL the time. I have ZERO energy and its so depressing. I am trying to add more friends on here that will keep me on my toes! I lost 25lbs and then all of a sudden I gained 8lbs back! Idk how to control my eatting habits :(

    Maybe we can help each other get back on track. Hold each other accountable!..
    :flowerforyou:
  • tiedye
    tiedye Posts: 331 Member
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    Can you separate yourself from where the food is? I find that if I ONLY buy fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low fat meats, and low fat dairy that I have less to tempt me at home. Work is definitely the problem for me. I'm a nurse, and families love to bring goodies for the nurses. If you find the answer to willpower let me know ;-)
  • lagcrg
    lagcrg Posts: 38 Member
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    I set up a plan for eating sweets. Doesn't work all the time, but most. First I buy what fits my calorie amount. Smaller candies aren't always better. But I also limit myself to no more than one serving when I eat it. As for chips or junk like that, I try to stick to the serving size on the bag or cut it in half. So if 12 chips is the serving I'll eat 6. If you want this stuff, and I mean really want some, then make your own plan and bring your own to work. As for the left overs...JUST SAY NO!!! Or if you're aware of the meal that's being provided than plan to eat that and count it on your calories...Apples and carrot sticks seem to curve my sweet tooth cravings and are more filling. Good luck in fighting the temptations we all face.
  • CashierCantin
    CashierCantin Posts: 206 Member
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    I have a food addiction that comes and goes. Keeping myself on a plan really works. But on those days where I feel I am going to go off the deep end.....I eat pickles. The sour salty pickles really keep me from wanting anything sweet.

    And you need to get that candy at work out of your life. If you buy it-stop. If its on your desk, move it. If someone else is bringing it in, tell them politely to put it somewhere else.

    I dodged three birthday cakes in two days!!! Two of the cakes were for me!!!! It was super hard but I did it because I wanted to see that number on the scale move more. It rewarded me the next day and I lost another pound.

    You can do this. If not now...when? Don't let food rule your life!!!!! Let life rule your life. Just think of the things you can do once you conquer this issue!!!

    You can be strong. You can say no....just choose to! :)