Any will-power advice?

T

Thea

Member
Hey everyone-

I'm trying to lose weight and am having big trouble with will-power! I do plenty of exercise (6-pack, PS series, some running/walking), but I just eat way too much. I might be good for most of the week but then for days on end I just eat tons of junk. I keep telling myself I will stop this but I just can't seem too. I try not to deprive myself--I try to allow little bits of my favorite foods but I just end up going overboard--several times over! I try to convince myself that I am just sabotaging all my super hard work from exercise, but I still can't fight it! I've even tried a diet log so I feel guilty when I read what I eat, but I just end up "forgetting" to fill in a day if I know I've been bad! Does anyone have any advice? I think I'm a hopeless case! How do you gals do it? Help!!!

Thanks-
Thea
 
Here's what I do...

...I have will power, but not the kind that let's me stop after I've started! For example, I can't seem to eat just a couple of cookies - I need to eat the whole bag.:9 Or half the cake. :9 SO, I eat junk once a week, and then eat ALL, and I mean ALL I want. That seems to work. You don't deprive yourself, but you are exhibiting control.

Just a suggestion, take it or leave it
 
RE: You can always take a radical

approach. But you might gain weight by it at first. Stock your house with all your favorite foods and whenever you want them eat them and don't feel guilty!! After a week or two of eating all that you want, the taboo should off those foods, and you should be sick of them!! Go back to "normal" eating after that and (hopefully) the food won't have a hold over you like before. You'll lose your taste for these foods for a while and then when you do want it again you will eat it in moderation because it's lost it's magical powers! The first step is very radical and not practicing the moderation at all. But hopefully by doing this you will get "desensitized" to the foods and so next time you want some, you can have a serving and say "that was really good!" Rather than saying, "MORE, MORE!!!" And in the great words of HB, just a suggestion, take it or leave it! Have a good one!!


AIMEE
 
This might sound strange, but what worked for me to stop really bingeing on junk food (or any food) was to let my body rest for a while. i was exercising a lot, but also bingeing a lot. Then i just took a break from exercising for a few months. My body -- and mind -- rested and the uncontrollable cravings fell off. I have been able, since then, to start exercising again and to have a relaxed attitude toward food. Occasionally i will still overeat when at a party or holiday meal, but i eat well 90 percent of the time, and i can have treats without overeating.

It was really hard to not exercise, but it was worth it.

julie
 
Hi Thea! I feel for you. I've been there myself once upon a time. I used to scold myself and say "Bad girl!" and vow I'd never do it again (but of course I only ate more). What works for me these days is when I go to the grocery store, I have a list made out beforehand and I always buy my food ON A FULL STOMACH! This way when I look at all the tempting foods I can easily pass them up. I don't know if you work outside of the home as I do. I pack up breakfast and lunch and snacks. This way what I eat is very controlled. Also, I found that when I save Saturday to eat whatever I want as well as having my wine (I gotta have my wine on Saturday!) I don't feel deprived. Try this and see if it works. Please let me know what you think of my suggestions. I'm pulling for you! Kathy
 
Hi! Thanks so much for the advice! I really appreciate it. I have been making an effort lately to pack my lunch and snacks so I am not tempted by vending machines or by going out to grab some fast food. That seems to help. It's when I get home that the trouble begins....Anyway, I like the idea of sticking to a grocery list when shopping and to only go with a full stomach. I think part of my problem is that I dwell on it so much and make myself feel so guilty that I kind of "rebel" against myself and start eating junk. x( On a good note, I did very well today. I figure if I'm good all day I can have a little taste of chocolate of something for dessert after supper. Just a little one though! I used to have pretty good will-power and even lost 25 lbs last year. What happened? Thanks again for your advice and support, everyone! I will keep you posted!

Thea
 
Me? Get sick of junk food????????

Surely you jest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :eek::eek::eek::eek: This one would never work for me. If the doc ever told me I had to give up sugar, I don't think I could go on!!!!!!!!

Miss Aimee, have you tried this approach, and did it really work??? I wish I COULD get sick of chocolate! Well, not really!! ;-)
 
RE: Hey there Honeybunch!!

Believe it or not, I DID do this approach!! I was majorly addicted to Reese cups! I could buy a whole bag of the mini Reese cups and eat them in one sitting. While I still love peanut butter and chocolate, especially Reese cup blizzards, I can now only get a small bizzard and be satisfied and I never buy Reese cups anymore. If my husband should bring some home, I can take it or leave it now. Sometimes I'll eat one, but I don't go overboard anymore. I must've done this approach about 6-7 years ago and to this day, they still are not a "meal" for me!!


Aimee
 
RE: An idea

I just posted a message, a new string, about a book I just got that I swear sounds like it would help you a LOT. I have a MAJOR issue with sugar. Other than the sugary cravings I get I tend to eat pretty healthy and work out a lot. But fairly regularly I get a completely uncontrollable craving for sweets, even when I feel full. Is that how you get too? Well, my chiro (who also practices Chinese Medicine and all kinds of holisitic techniques) suggested a book she loves, The False Fat Diet. The title put me off, diets never work, but this isn't actually about a diet. It's about food allergies and how they effect your body and make you have uncontrollable urges for the exact foods your body can't digest properly. Physically, he likens it to alcoholics or smokers being uncontrollably drawn to the very things that are ruining their health. It really opened my eyes and if you're like me, with that kind of craving thing going on, you'd learn a lot from this book. I'm starting the plan to cleanse myself and find out which exact things I am allergic or reacting to on Monday and after reading it I can't wait. It gives me hope that I can get control here and showed me that I wasn't failing or lacking will power at all. Neither are you, I'm sure. Even if you just check it out of a library, take a look and see what you think. Maybe it will help you too. Just knowing what is going on inside has already made me feel empowered and ready to turn this around.

Hope this helps!
 
Hey Thea...

Read Lex's book idea, for reals, it is great for sugar addicts.
AND, I agree with HoneyBunch. Why stress yourself out? If people could "eat just one" grab bags wouldn't have increased 50% in size in the last two years!
Some things that work for me:

Agreed--NEVER grocery shop hungry

Do not keep taboo foods in your house. Make it a treat. Go to a restaurant with a friend just for desert once a week. Make it a well deserved reward. OR
Go out and buy treats when you absoluteley have to have it..and buy the smallest available size and SAVOR EVERY BITE. EAT SLOW.

HERE'S THE BEST TRICK FOR ME. Drink a full 16 or more ounces of water before you let yourself start eating treats. It gets to be habit, it fills up your stomach, plus it's good for you. (If you hate water, pick a healthy alternative beverage that isn't sugary) Then throw away the portion of the food you can't eat at that sitting.


Remember, you build up a taste for sugar. If you try to start substituting lower-sugar alternatives, over time you will loose your taste for the super sweet stuff.

GOOD LUCK GIRL! I know you can do it...
 
Hi,
A lot of good tips were already mentioned but here is an additional one that really works for me. I don't let myself get too hungry. I keep snacks on hand that are high in fiber like fruits vegetables, low-fat triscuits, and fiber-one cereal (don't laugh until you have tried them as a snack!!! they are good). Once I get too hungry I give in to the sweet or (high fat) salty snack trap.
Dawn
 
Hi Thea:

Boy, do I know what you mean!!! There is only one approach that has helped me, but you may not like it...

I view my overeating as a spiritual dilemma (i.e., head hunger instead of real hunger). When I feel tempted to eat when I'm not really hungry, I pray, read in the Bible, call a friend, or any other spiritual activity.

I don't know if you are Christian (or any religion), but if you are, you may want to check out the WeighDown program. This is where I learned how to eat ONLY WHEN I AM TRULY HUNGRY (my stomach is growling :) and to STOP EATING WHEN I AM FULL. No foods are "forbidden". It really works!

If you're interested, go to this web site: www.weighdown.com

Good Luck!
 
Hi Thea:
I would do the same thing. I would also do exercise tapes every morning, I would feel great doing it and then I would have breakfast and still feel fine, but the 10:30-11:00 comes along and I would just start eating, I work at home so it is very easy for me to eat, The chips were the worst for me I would eat them all day. I was starting to feel so overwelmed with food that I wish I could give it up like people do with cigarettes but of course I needed to survive. I would do the same thing with the diary good days were written it but once I went on a binge I forget about the diary.
I dont' want to offer any kind of diet, but I gave up the junk food, sugar and white flour, it has been a month so far and I feel much better.
It was a hard decision for me, but I looked in the mirror and didn't like what I saw. Junk food was taking over I couldn't do with a little bit I need the whole bag of what ever I was eating.
Good luck finding what works for you.
Diane
 
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