Out of control

You're not alone. I'm the only one in my immediate family that is overweight, extremely overweight.

I'm new to the site also and hope to find some people that we can make this journey a success together.

Maddie,

Yes, I feel your pain and shame but baby steps and consistency...you know what to do..I know what to do..so why aren't we doing it? It doesn't really matter..what matters is that we start again and this time stick with it!!!

You're not alone.

Today is day one for me... let today be your day to stick through it all day..My biggest problem is the evening time after dinner..I will need to get online here or walk the dog or clean house or something!!!! to avoid mindless snacking....

Hang in there and love that beautiful baby!!!!!

Prairiewalker

You know, I could have written that very post. I appreciate how you feel that food controls your every thought and I want you to know that you can turn your life around. It's a matter of baby steps and taking it hour by hour and learning to recognise even the tiniest change and positive step. This has been a real motivator for me and the new outlook is making me happier than I've been in a long time. Keep at it, you can do it!

Okay here I go! I am so sick of myself. Everyday I wake up with the desire to eat healthy, exercise and most of all CONTROL myself. They fact of the matter is....I AM OUT OF CONTROL!!!! I can't stop eating. I am constantly eating, thinking about eating, preparing the food I'm about it eat, or buying the food I will eat later. It is truly an addiction. I have a history of addiction and will celebrate one year of sobriety next month.

Replace your addiction with a healthy one. Find some photos of what you want to look like and put them up everywhere as inspiration. On the fridge, in the pantry, on the mirror in your bathroom. Get it in your head what you want your goal to be. You have to think before you can act so make that your focus. Spend the extra time doing research on healthy meals or a good exercise routine. Once you find yourself at the grocery store you'll search out the things you've been dwelling on. For me it's looking for a new seasoning recipe for grilled chicken, or what's a good and new interesting thing to have with Greek yogurt. Perhaps I'm looking for a new way to work on my shoulders.

"You are what you eat" is really just half the truth. The whole truth is that you are what you think. The battle is all in your mind. You body will do what ever the hell you ask it to. Listen to your body's input on how it feels but have the knowledge in your head to know when it's lying to you or just is unsure. Any time I feel hungry my first reaction is to drink about 16 oz. of water and see if it was really asking for hydration. Those signals are actually fairly similar. When you're really honestly hungry there's no mistaking the feeling but just slightly hungry is often just boredom or thirst talking.


As always, here's my weekly video on dedication. It's always the same video and always the same question. How bad do you want it? Watch this every week. I do.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsSC2vx7zFQ

I even have a shirt with this now. On the front is says "Take no days off" and the back says "How bad do you want it?"

I assure you, you are absolutely not alone - I, too, try everyday but then a couple of cheats ends up in a terrible binge. This site has really kept me accountable and it seems to be working. Although I have only lost a couple of pounds, due to going up and down on the scale, the true difference is how I FEEL and the difference in how my clothes fit. You will be successful in this journey, you only need to take it one day at a time and knowing each day is a new start is very motivating Good luck, dear!

If you are familiar with the program then you have all the steps you need to succeed at this. I too replaced drugs and alcohol with food when I got clean. It's just another battle to be won. You can do it. It helped me to go pescatarian, that makes it easier to be healthy and make better choices.

I think maybe you could use the support of an in person support group like OEA (Over Eaters Anonymous). Having people hold you accountable and listening to the stories of others can be very life- changing. The first step is recognizing the problem and you have done that. Now take the next step and reach out to a support group of like minded individuals like yourself!!

We overeat for many reasons: for emotional reasons, stress or during situations that are beyond our control. I find that in an out of control world, with so many things I cannot change or control- I have learned to enjoy the control that MFP brings me. Controlling what goes into my mouth is the one thing I can learn to do. When you reach that moment- it is a wonderful feeling...One step at a time- one meal at a time- never give up!

I'm no expert on psychological disorders, but this is just a thought. What if you channeled your thoughts? You know you are already going to obsess over what you are going to eat and the various steps that make it happen. What if you made this productive? Instead of trying to make the thoughts go away, buy a healthy cook book, control your shopping list by obsessing over the right things to buy. Buy a day planner or something and plan your meals out with the various ingredients, etc. I know everything is good in moderation, so obsessing too much about it wouldn't be good. But maybe this will help?

It will take some real willpower and desire. I too have an addictive personality. I think about food a LOT still it has gotten better. I was able to break my fast food habit of 5 visits per week + fairly early on. I was able to knock off the coffee creamer and soda. I had to go to bed hungry for a week or two until I learned how to eat better. I had to get past hunger pangs at or before lunch frequently in the beginning. It gets easier. I started Jan 29th and have felt amazing for a couple months now. But yes at first it is very hard.