Please HELP me my slackening of discipline

Mike Zen

Member
Hi all... I used to be very disciplined in maintaining a clean diet and I record what I eat in a diary every day but I don't count calories. Of late, the past few months or so, I am slackening with my discipline and have been eating junk. I can't seem to get my act together.

How does the educated crowd maintain motivation - do you a kind of reward system? I know discipline must be intrinsic - you must want it badly yourself. I know I have been lazy but I am trying to get back on track again. Could you please give me some ideas how you make use of your food diary for trackin/monitring and the motivation aspect.

Many many thanks
Mike
 
Hi Mike,

I am terrible at "trying to eat healthy" and making good choices. I'm also terrible at writing down what I eat. So...for me, Body for Life works beautifully. I don't have to write down what I eat or count calories. I follow it diligently six days a week and then I know that on Saturdays (my free day) I can eat whatever I want. This keeps me motivated. Also, knowing that I will be in a bikini helps keep me motivated, but I bet you don't have that goal! :) I also do it because I know that I want to be healthy and eating junk every day is definitely NOT healthy.

Hope this helps!

Susan

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." - Anatole France

http://www.picturetrail.com/dogs2birds
 
In my opinion, life is not about dieting and discipline. It's about enjoyment and feeling good. Diets and discipline last for only so long until you go back to seeking pleasure. Humans are pleasure-seekers and you have to make pleasure work to your advantage.

I was feeling awful this weekend, so I ate a half a box of some really high-fat high-sugar cookies, which I hadn't done in ages. Frankly, although the first cookie tasted pretty good, I didn't really enjoy the next 6. They were too sweet and too rich and they made me feel awful and tired and I couldn't wait to get back to my healthy food!

Fatty, sugary foods just don't work for me anymore. My tastes have changed, and I love the way I feel when I eat stuff that's good for me. I don't count calories, or use a food journal, or diet. I love my oatmeal and my salads and my fruit and my yogurt and my beans and my fish and my chicken, etc. etc. I enjoy eating natural, delicious healthy food. It's just that simple. There's no reason I can see to make it complicated.

Of course, that doesn't stop me. I still struggle with keeping it simple and trusting myself. I still catch myself counting calories sometimes. It's been a lifelong struggle for me to be relaxed and just trust my own appetite. But I strongly believe that discipline is not the answer when it comes to something as pleasurable as eating.

Hope this helps,
-Nancy
 
I love eating clean, healthy food... but my downfall is sweets. I enjoy baking with my kids, and of course, I love tasting what we've created. I'm trying to take an "everything in moderation" philosophy: I try to eat lots of healthy stuff all day long... then after dinner, I'll have my treat of pie, cookies, whatever. I couldn't imagine going through the rest of my life baking treats and never eating them! So I just try to keep a good balance. And when my jeans start to feel too tight, then I cut back on those sweets for a couple weeks.
 
Oh Nancy, if only I could get rid of my desire for DING DONGS!!! :) I swear I don't know what I'd do if the stores in town were out of them on my free day! I think I'd cry. I think I like the "idea" of eating healthy food more than I actually like eating it, but I know that it's good for me and it fuels my body for my workouts, so it's a necessity. But I just don't know if I'll ever lose the desire for the junk. :(

I love your new avatar, BTW. You look adorable!

Susan

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." - Anatole France

http://www.picturetrail.com/dogs2birds
 
Thanks, Susan! I'm trying to look outdoorsy, although I'm a complete homebody who never sees the light of day. :+

Actually, in re-reading my post I think I was glossing over the hard part. I think it takes many years to really listen to your appetite and adjust your taste buds. It's more like a life time journey than anything else. I think my real point was that I don't think "discipline" really works for the long term. Over the long term, you have to eat what you like and like what you eat.

As for Ding Dongs, Susan, I recommend reading the ingredients while you are eating them. Picture all of the artficial ingredients floating through your bloodstream and into your vital organs. That should do it. }( }(

-Nancy
 
I realize I am not answering this question in terms of a food diary, but I hope these ramblings help you or someone!

I am far from perfect when it comes to eating, but I have developed a few strategies that help me stay motivated (or get me back on track):

1). I make a list (and add to it frequently) of why I am trying to maintain healthy eating habits (eg. I'm taking a beach vacation, would like to be able to wear some new fashion that needs a trim figure, or am trying to set a good example for me kids). You get the idea. I put the list on a note card and carry it with me all the time. When I get tempted to go astray, I whip out the card, read it, and then if I still want a ding dong or cheetos or whatever, I go ahead and have it, but a small portion. I stash multiple copies of my card in purses, glove box, desk etc.

2). I remind myself that emotion is not hunger and hunger is not emotion. So, I try not to eat out of emotion, and only eat when I am hungry. Obviously harder than it sounds. Still, when I start thinking about going off my eating plan, this idea does make me pause and rethink my motivation.

3). I have a day or two's worth of menus that are good to help rescue me from a downward spiral of eating badly. On these days, I concentrate on eating healthy food, and not so much on keeping the portions small. After a few days of eating healthy, I find it easier to regroup and then control portions too. Sample rescue menu: breakfast shake ( medium banana, 1 cup soy milk, 1/3 cup non-fat dry milk, 1 T cocoa, sweetener (I use the pink stuff), 1 scoop vanilla soy powder, water and crushed ice in a blender until smooth); Lunch is an enormous bowl of minestrones soup (from the original Moosewood cookbook) substitute quinoa for the pasta, a medium chicken breast (baked/ grilled), and a piece of fruit; snack: pineapple and cottage cheese; dinner: enormous serving of grilled vegies, 1/2 c brown rice and baked salmon. Weight watchers giant fudge bar for dessert.

4). I have found a few food substitutes when I MUST have a certain taste. For me that usually means figuring out how to satisfy a chocolate craving without wiping out 2 dozen choc chip cookies. So, Weight Watchers giant fudge bars (ice cream like) are good for that as is a cup of sugar free hot chocolate or fat free choc pudding...then after eating one of those, I get out of the kitchen (I take a bottle of water on the way out so I have no excuse to return to the vicinity when I get thirsty).


5). I have also found that I eat more when I am cold, co I drink a warm liquid (herb tea) before I decide to eat when or what I know I shouldn't.

6). Finally, don’t call yourself names. You are human (yippee). The most you can ask of yourself is to keep trying. You wouldn’t call a friend a “failure” or a “loser” when he/ she slips a little, so don’t do that to yourself either.

I hope all of that helps. I am finally at peace with the fact that keeping my body healthy is a constant project, and I'll never be done!
 
Well Mike I have been there got the t-shirt. Here is what I do:

1. Do a complete "START OVER." Whatever my weight loss/exercise key was, I go back to the place and start again. Since I do Weight Watchers this is easy for me. I start going to the meetings more than once a month and keep a strict count on my points.

2. Start something new. Sign up for some type of competition a race or something. Start kickboxing, bootcamp, karate or cycling classes and try to "master" them. With the weather getting warmer commit to walking your lunch for 30 days. Challenge your family to some type of healthy eating contest with a money prize. (My husband and I have a 100 bucks riding on who can go the longest without eating french fries at a restaurant) Check the paper, around here they have free hikes and walks that rangers give at the local parks on the weekend sign up for a couple. Moving more makes you want to move more.

3. Spend some time naked. I know it's not that kind of message board. I find the more time you spend naked the better you want look when you are so it really inspires you to work out. If you have kids and such and just can't be generally naked try wearing tight form fitting clothes at the very least you will work your abs by holding them in.

Hope you find your inspiration. :)


KIM
 
Thanks all for your FANTASTIC advice...you guys are an inspiration. There were diverse views but I ended up very inspired. I have assimilated all your helpful hints and I really appreciate time you have taken. I will carry a card to list down all reasons why I should not eat "badly" as opposed to dieting and perhaps start something new like kickboxing or Cardio Coach (waiting for my CDs from Collage).

What can I say..you guys are helpful and very very inspiring.

Million thanks
Mike
 
That thought never bothers me. Our lives are filled with artificial ingredients, pollutants, bad presidents, etc. Enjoy the ding dongs on occasion and savor the moment.
 

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