Motivation would help, please.

janiejoey

janiejoey

Cathlete
I don't mean to be a winer, but, gosh darn it. How do you keep motivated? I start off so cool, and all of a sudden, I splurge with sugar mostly. Non fat chocolate yogurt icecream. Or ginger candy that is hot naturally. I can have salads, protiens (chicken beans and brown rice, fruit and vegies all day long (witin portions of course), but then when it comes night time, I get a sweet tooth. Gosh Darn it! Then I think since I blew it I might as well not do my exercises.

Does anyone out there have creative motivations for me and others who might be having the same problems as I am. Or is it just me? How do you stick with it? I do really want to be healthy and committed.

Janie
 
Don't buy it...IF you have to have it in the house, put it somewhere that you have to make a real effort to get it. Soemtimes you can stop yourself if it's not easy to get to. I personally think sugar is slightly addictive. The more you eat it, the more you want. I drink hot chocolate at night to satisfy my sugar craving. It works for me.

Tracy
 
If I want something sugary, I tend to reach for a piece of fruit. If there is no fruit, I brush my teeth, doing that seems to stop you from eating anything !
 
I am having a problem now too with all those Girl Scout cookies all over the place. I go into work with a determination not to touch the things or to only have one...but it hasn't been working ...and I lose my control. I need some help now too.
 
I have to agree - if it's not in the house, you can't eat it. Part of creating the "no fail environment" Dr. Phil talks about in his Weight Loss Solution book.
 
I usually like to eat fruit when I crave something sweet. Sometimes, I will just eat a lifesaver to help me thru, but only one. TTOM I still have cravings although I am on a schedule to eat throughout the day so I don't crave, but I still crave TTOM so I will sometimes too buy Russell Stovers Low Carb Chocolate candies made with splenda.
We went to pizza hut last week and I just filled up on the salad, by the time the pizza came, I wasn't hungry.
Charlotte~~
 
My problem is it's not in the house and I am good at keeping junk out of the house. Its at work and its everywhere at work. At meetings, in the breakroom etc. How do you maintain control at work when everyone is bringing in homemade bakegoods, girlscout cookies etc. Help!
 
Cathy,

I just wouldn't eat them. You have the right to say, "no". Was in the office myself several weeks ago and donuts were brought in. I announced to everyone that I would not eat any. Probably thought I was a bit of a snob, but I don't care.
Charlotte~~
 
I think the main problem is that once you have something sweet, you may tend to say the heck with it and you either eat more or you don't exercise. I have a bit of something sweet every single day. If I ever go overboard with something, I never say, "Oh I've blown it now I can't exercise." Or whatever. I just start over with the very next meal or with the next exercise video. I tend to eat 90 percent good, natural food and 10 percent junk like chocolate or pizza. I am still able to lose weight this way. I totally agree with keeping the junk out of the house. But I live in Switzerland and am close to the French border so there is always Swiss chocolates and/or French pastries around. I had to really learn over time to limit myself to what I really enjoy and then have a small portion of it.

As far as coworkers bringing junk in, look at how in shape these people are. Usually it is a foodie that is bringing this stuff in. She is usually way out of shape and wants others to join her. Misery loves company. With what everyone knows about diet and nutrition these days, I am surprised that people still inflict that junk on others. You have to be living under a rock not to know what this stuff does to you. It's fine to have the occassional birthday cake or indulge in the office Xmas party, but not every single day.

Keep some protein bars (watch the cals. in these, small yogurt containers, or whatever in the office so while others are munching you can have a treat too. Drink a ton of water before you do this so you don't get so tempted.:)
 
I hear ya!
It is hard isn't it? I use to be so motivated.My eating and workouts were prefect and I was in the best shape ever.But sloooowwwwwllllyyyyyy,my old habits crept back in.I made the changes slowly,at first, so it was no big deal.But now I expect to cut alot of things out of my life at once.
I think we need to keep oursleves occupied in the evenings and like someone else said, don't bring it in the house!I don't have alot of junk food in the house but my daugther does like certain things, and I pick them up for her.
It is very important though b/c we can workout as much as we like and it isn't a ticket to eating whatever.We are not going to see results until our eating is cleaned up.
I just started a new food journal today.I am also going to right down my measurements and my weight.Then I will take them again in another month.
Good Luck.Hope you find the answers you are looking for.
Lori:)
 
Janie, first of all if you just have to have something sweet, instead of those sugary things, buy sugar free jello and sugar free jello pudding, you can even buy the fat free cool whip, 1 cup of jello is 10 calories no sugar, if you add 4 tablespoons of fat free cool whip you gonna have 2gms of sugar and 60 calories.... its a nice treat just don't eat it too late unless you work out at night.... low fat yogurt is good too, but it has about 20 something fat grams.... hope this helps......

OR just get into the habit of NOT buying it.... Rhonda:7
 
Thanks everyone,

Rule #1. I will not bring my cheats in the house anymore. Rule #2. And if I do cheat I will cheat a little, and again, out of the house. Rule #3. When I absolutely have a sugar tooth in the house, then I will have fruit. Rule #4. I'll follow as close as I can to my book "Eat To Live."

If I get started on sugar, I seem not to be able to stop. So I do believe it is an addiction. I quit smoking years and years ago, now I know it won't be easy, but I'm going to lick this addiction too. Thank you for giving me so much advise. I will be thinking and implementing what you have said to make it a sugar free environment.

I'm right in the middle of MIS and took a break for a mixture of a few nuts, an orange, and 1 cup of soy milk so I can get through the rest of it and not feel like my energy is depleted.

Thanks again everyone,
Janie
 
I asked my husband, who does the goricery shopping, to not bring home any WW Ice Cream bars anymore.

After dinner yesterday, I opened the freezer and said, "Did you get any ice creams yesterday?" And he siad , "No, you told me not to!"

Stupid me - LOL! But after a big self-pitying sigh, I wound up having fruit for dessert - a Fiji apple to be exact, and a small spoonfull of peanut butter. Much healthier!

So I am definitely of the "don't even bring in the house" school.
 
Have you tried a plan that includes a free day? One day a week to eat whatever you want? I do BFL and Saturdays are my free day. I eat whatever I want and I'm still sticking to plan.

Colleen
 
Colleen,
That sounds wonderful! I won't think about being deprived that way. If I feel that once a week is to much, I could at least do it every other week.
Thanks for the tip,
Janie
 
I have a thing for those non-fat and low-fat yogurts\ice creams too. Life is way too short for perfectionism. The key is to give yourself credit for all that you are doing right, which sounds like a lot in your case.

And as sugary snacks go, you can't do better than fat-free yogurt. It's got lots of redeeming value. It's got loads of calcium and has protein too. In fact, my nutritionist said it was okay to eat because the protein in it balances out the sugar and makes it a low Glycemic Index food! I kid you not. Although I never actually PLAN on eating it, if I do, I'm fine with it. You could do a lot worse. Leave the cookies and the donuts in the grocery store, but I say bring home the frozen yogurt so it's there when you want it.
 
Sounds like those non-fat yogurts are OK then. But I believe perhaps in moderation. I just have to be a little more committed. Maybe now I can lose some weight.
Thank you,
Janie
 
Read "Sugar Blues." It claims that sugar is more addictive than heroin, and (though I've had no experience with heroin), I would tend to believe it.
 
Some good suggestions. Need to focus on the motivation behind the eating, it is rarely hunger. Esp at night. In my case I found I needed a treat/reward for getting through the day with 3 little ones. I used to have ice cream every nite. Now I substitute it with either sugar free choc pudding (not clean I know, but better than ice cream) or some nice varied flavors of loose leaf tea (NOT the bag kind...the loose leaf is much better flavors). It is an attitude. I found I needed something to do/eat/sip while doing whatever the sedentary (often)evening activity was.

Find an activity or something that can healthfully reward you, instead of unhealthy food.

HTH
Jen
 
Sometimes a sugar-free hot chocolate, or a cup of chai, will do instead of ice cream, as a nice change. I try to consider are my munchies really munchies or just "thirsties".
 
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