Self control vs constant temptation.

Jimmyswenson
Jimmyswenson Posts: 1
in Food and Nutrition
Ok. I usually do great with my diet until the end of the night. I'm 17 and I work at a grocery store where there is food everywhere. Ive tried all sorts of things, such as leaving my wallet at home, chewing gum, etc... but it always seems like by the end of my shift, I give in and eat a bunch of junk. Like hundreds of calories of junk, and it just wrecks all of my hard work for the day.

The same goes for my family dinners. I usually try to get my family to have something healthy, but we rarely do. And for some reason I always over eat at these family dinners, which happen quite frequently. And when I have work and my family eats dinner, they always save me some which I end up eating.

Im really trying to lose my last 15 pounds (out of about 70), and things like this just keep setting me back.

Does anybody have any tips on how to avoid snacking at work, as well as controlling my portions at family dinners? When I'm on my own, my diet works great. But when there are other people, its harder.

I aim for 1200 calories a day, and k try to save 500-700 calories for dinner.

Thank you all for any tips you might have, and I apologize for the random pile of info I typed out.

Thanks!

Replies

  • amysbaker7135
    amysbaker7135 Posts: 2
    3 small meals a day in which produce is half your plate, and 4-6 small snacks a day. Nuts are great fillers, about a quarter cup. Try granola or oatmeal cookies drink lots of water. At least 8oz before you eat and try to eat slowly if you can, like string it out over 20 minutes if you can.
  • TurnLeftNow
    TurnLeftNow Posts: 171
    Try and not save so many calories for the end of the night. If you are finding yourself eating a lot more at the end of the day, eat more earlier. It seems like trying to wait until the end of the day isn't really working for you. Move around the times you eat and see if that works for you.
  • WorkoutMaine
    WorkoutMaine Posts: 91
    I work around food also. Try keeping some snacks in your pocket. When you do see something you want that will kill your calories for the day look at the cal count on the package. That sometimes snaps me out of it.
  • missbabygirlx
    missbabygirlx Posts: 54
    what i usually do while feeling a bit hungry is a few sit ups etc but with you being at work that kinda wont work for you, lol have u tried drinking water when you feel hungry i always find a pint of water calms my cravings as for the self control just keep telling yourself that even though you want that massive dinner like everybody else your the one that will be happy with yourself at the end when you've lost that little bit more you want to loose!! I'm on slim-fast shakes and when everyone is tucking into lovely ham sandwiches and crisps for dinner i get a milkshake but only way i get through it is by thinking of the end result :)

    Keep going dont give in! Good luck!
  • douglasmobbs
    douglasmobbs Posts: 563 Member
    Self control, don't put the junk in your mouth and you wont eat it.

    If you try and substitute bad for good you are going to still be used to feeding your cravings whenever they pop up. Once you have lost your weight and relax your eating you would be more likely to revert back to choosing the junk food rather than beign used to missing out on the snacking.
  • bridgie101
    bridgie101 Posts: 817 Member
    Ok. I usually do great with my diet until the end of the night. I'm 17 and I work at a grocery store where there is food everywhere. Ive tried all sorts of things, such as leaving my wallet at home, chewing gum, etc... but it always seems like by the end of my shift, I give in and eat a bunch of junk. Like hundreds of calories of junk, and it just wrecks all of my hard work for the day.

    The same goes for my family dinners. I usually try to get my family to have something healthy, but we rarely do. And for some reason I always over eat at these family dinners, which happen quite frequently. And when I have work and my family eats dinner, they always save me some which I end up eating.

    Im really trying to lose my last 15 pounds (out of about 70), and things like this just keep setting me back.

    Does anybody have any tips on how to avoid snacking at work, as well as controlling my portions at family dinners? When I'm on my own, my diet works great. But when there are other people, its harder.

    I aim for 1200 calories a day, and k try to save 500-700 calories for dinner.

    Thank you all for any tips you might have, and I apologize for the random pile of info I typed out.

    Thanks!

    I am a very slow learner and have only just learned that if you have enough nutrition during the day, you're not a basket case at night.

    The diet I am currently on feeds me two nutricious bars a day, one for brekky, one for lunch. All the nutrients, micronutrients and vitamins I need.

    I have no cravings!

    I get very hungry, in the mid afternoon around five, and I fry up some vegetables, say a bowl of zucchini, no calories - or tomatoes and mushrooms - no calories - to give me something to go on till dinner.

    But because the only hunger I have is physical hunger, not cravings for nutrients, I am far more in control of it than I think I ever have been in my life. It doesn't play with my head. And because I'm getting the nutrients I need, I don't psych myself out at dinner time saying 'oh I have to have protein or I'll not get enough' - I can have just veges, or fruit, or I can have veges and carbs with no protein, or protein with no carbs... I always have vege because it's the micronutrients.

    Why am I banging on about this?

    Oh. Because I'm in control at the end of the night.

    One crutch I use if things go badly for me is a cup of milo.

    And the thing I had been going to say first off but forgot.... try for a few days eating all that junk in the morning, and see if you can control yourself at night on the late shifts. I think you're undereating earlier in the day, and it's eroding your self control in the evening. Don't work too hard about lowering your calories for the next few days - just try rearranging them and taking note of how it affects you and how much self control you have.

    An interesting experiment totally worth doing. :)
  • bcunning
    bcunning Posts: 81 Member
    I work in a Pizza store, so I understand the temptation problem....

    The way I handle this is through several things...

    1. I eat a meal every three hours, this is better for fat loss, and also, it helps you not be so hungry all the time. Most of my meals are around 400 - 500 calories.

    2. Eat a very big breakfast. Mine is almost 800 calories. This fills you up to begin with, and gives you plenty of energy for the whole day. Each meal should be a bit smaller than the last, this is not absolutely critical, but you burn more energy earlier in the day, so that is when you need the most.

    3. Make all of your food ahead of time. I usually fix all of my meals for the whole day while I am fixing breakfast. This is easy for me since I work nights, but many people cook their meals the night before.

    4. Have a few healthy snacks handy for when you get overwhelmed by the temptations... when I am around the hot wings too much it can drive me crazy, even though I am not really hungry. It is just a craving that I am trying to train myself out of. So I usually eat a banana, or a small bag full of mixed nuts, or even just chewing gum. It helps kill that craving.

    Good luck to ya!
  • aslm
    aslm Posts: 71
    I think you are not eating enough, your a 17 year old male, that is on his feet most of the day and your eating 1200 cals a day. If your holding half your cal for the end of the day, your not eating enough during the day. I'd up it to about 1500 and spread it out more. have more snacks through the day, almonds, oat bars etc. The reason your eating junk is cause your starving by the time you finished your shift.
  • funkycamper
    funkycamper Posts: 998 Member
    If you're a 17 year old male, you need even more than 1500 calories a day. That is the absolute minimum a man should eat to get his nutrition per places like the World Health Organization, and that figure is used for the minimum food allowance/day to provide to people who are starving. Yup, not nourishment level, just avoid starvation level.

    To to the Tools menu and find out what your BMR is. Raise your net calories to that amount. Then eat your BMR+exercise calories. You may gain a few pounds at first but, after your body adjusts, weight loss can continue. And the extra calories will allow you to eat more so that you're not famished by the time evening comes around making it easier to just say no to unhealthy snacks. Or, on the other hand, you could save some of those calories for a snack.

    Underfeeding yourself results in the loss of precious muscle mass which are required to keep your metabolism burning faster and will make it easier to maintain your weight at goal. It's far harder to rebuild muscle than it is to retain it.

    If this is difficult to you, add calories slowly. Maybe 200/day for a week, then more, etc., until you get to your BMR. You will still lose and your body will thank you for feeding it enough.
  • missyissy35
    missyissy35 Posts: 2
    im a female 135 with my goal of 120 lbs! and My problem is exactly simliar.....but with school. I do fine all day, eat a healthy lunch and breakfast. Drink plenty of water through the day (yay! i started a new healthier habit of carring my H2o bottle to my classes) 3:30 rolls around and i walk home. Im so hungry!! well i think its more temptation...i have this habit when ever i come home i go right to the cabinets.everytime. My worst problem is i just cant seem to wait for dinner. My family is trying to go healthy, we try to buy more salads, leaner food, greek yoguhrt ect. BUT my mom loves to buy all that tempting food!! I'd buy my own but asof now im jobless! rich chocolate muffins, chips, soda, poptarts cookies. I cant stop myself from going to the cabinets and fridge, then theres all the junk that i cant stay away from. Anyone have a suggestion how i can help curb it? and then i blow all my good work by 7:00....and night time is my worste battle, I really must change my habit.

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