Fed up...

I guess just fed up with myself. I can't stick to this damn low calorie eating for anything. I'm so frustrated. I have all the things I need, plenty of options to choose from for each meal, time to cook, a place to keep things at work. I just can't dicipline myself for long enough to keep it going past 1 month. I lost 10lbs last month and just dropped the ball and now I've gained at least 5 back. I keep telling myself "OKay tomorrow I'm going to start over" and I'll eat a good breakfast and then mess up the rest of the day.

I bought a bag of Doritos the other day and got about 1/4 of the way through it then got frustrated with myself and threw it away. In the dumpster...so I wouldn't go back for it. What a waste of money I could've spent on something good for me.

How do you guys do it? Sticking to this until you meet your goal and then maintaining it so well?

u need to find food that is worth the calories to eat. u dont have to eat stuff you dont like just try diff things- if i want a sundae i will eat one bc if i dont i cant get it off my head, i just dont indulge w/o making it part of my cals or just eat less the next day!- once you discover the right foods to eat you will notice how bad the wrong food is!

fruits of all sorts and vegies- i love bell pepper slices and baby tomatoes, bananas peaches grapes cherries

fiber one bars- oats and chocolate

100 cal packs

almonds

i eat healthy froz meals for lunches at work

there really is a variety of stuff out there

besides when u find low cal stuff - u can eat cup loads of watermelon or 1 cookie- i like to eat all day so i eat low cal items

http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/account/flog .php

This is my food log for today.  It's pretty much "normal" food and I never feel deprived.  I also exercise 4-6 days per week for about 30-40 minutes a day (it's not like I'm a "gym rat" that spends hours working out).  Lately it's been only 4 days a week as I'm slacking a bit, but I still consistently lose weight.  I'm down from 159 to 134 and I've only managed to lose about .5 lb a week for the last few months.  I honestly don't care about the speed in which I lose though b/c it's not a race for me.  It's all about being able to sustain this way of life until I die. 

What do you mean by "damn low calorie eating"?  It's easy to go over your calories with the wrong types of foods (i.el junk, eating out a lot, processed, carb snacks).  Eating foods you've prepared yourself can save you A LOT of cals in and of itself.  Although my diet today might mortify some CCers, it works for me and I'm within my allowance for the day.  I never feel deprived and that is the key for me.  Do you exercise? 

When I first started seeing a personal trainer a few months ago,  he had me keep a log of everything I ate.   After the first week,  he took a look at my log and I thought he was going to have a heart attack.  Apparently his idea of "food" and mine were two different things, so we ended up doing a few classroom sessions to get me pointed in the right direction.

I learned that "food" is either born or grown and must meet either of those two criteria.  If it comes in a box or needs to be prepared, it wasn't worth eating.  I really had no clue what nutrition was about.  What macronutrient ratios were or anything like that.   I now eat more than I ever have before,  and have lost 40 pounds. 

I eat more food now than I ever have before.   I'm finding that natural unprocessed foods have a much lower caloric density and I need to eat twice as much stuff to reach my caloric goals each day.   I eat 5-6 meals a day, I'm never hungry and still rarely make it to my calorie goal.  It's easy to get to 2300 calories a day when you are eating junk. 

I do log my foods on here and ever since I've found this website things have gotten better and I've learned SO much, but there are times when all I want is junk food. I just want to figure out why my body craves it so much.

Being in the medical field I know a ton about weight loss and all the reasons why it's great for you. I'm just finding it hard lately to stick to eating right and carry it out for a long time to meet my goals.

I need to find some motivation!!

Hey there Navynoke,

I had a look at your profile and think you look great! However I completely get what you mean. 

I have such swings in motivation because to a lot of people, I don't look overweight, (including my boyfriend who loves me with some meat on he he)

so sometimes I get such conflicting feelings and reactions compared to the BMI chart which tells me I'm still a stone and half over weight?!

Some days (like yesterday) I am completely happy feeling fit and healthy, then others (like today, after I pigged on chocolate) it gets me down again and I feel the size of a house...

If you're in the Navy I assume you are pretty fit, healthy and have a fairly active job.  So is fitness not enough?  You still want to be smaller?

Maybe you could have a look at why it is you want to lose weight?  Because to me, you look great. 

I found my attitude has a lot to do with it.  If I approach eating with the idea of caring for myself, then I don't feel deprived.  The more I learn about "food" and where it comes from the more I realize that junk food really is junk.  Reading "The Omnivore's Dilemma" helped me put things into perspective. 

I'm not saying that at I never overeat- I just don't find the junk as tempting. 

Original Post by navynoke:

I do log my foods on here and ever since I've found this website things have gotten better and I've learned SO much, but there are times when all I want is junk food. I just want to figure out why my body craves it so much.

There is a lot of research right now that shows why "junk food" tastes so good.  A quick search gave me the following quote:

Apparently some people get addicted to the taste of popular fast food because it contains just the right mixture of fat, sugar and salt to set off the pleasure chemicals in the brain. Experiments carried out on lab rats showed that when they were fed a diet that consisted of 25% sugar – and then the sugar is removed, the rats become anxious, their teeth start to chatter and they suffer with the shakes - not unlike people going through a nicotine or morphine withdrawal.

The researchers also noticed long lasting changes in brain chemistry of rats fed with foods that had a combination of sweet, salt and fat in, which led them to conclude that there was a possibility that people too could see brain changes – and become physically addicted to eating fast food.

Lots of people find different ways to cope with junk food addiction, some quit "cold turkey", some allow themselves occasional, controlled quantities.  Although I was never "addicted" I have pretty much eliminated these foods from my diet by "crowding" them out with healthier choices.  I find that if I eat enough calories (my deficit is only 500 calories) and consistently eat only "whole" foods like fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, whole grains, unprocessed meat, and lower fat dairy that I don't really miss eating "prepared" food.  And the more I eat "real" food, the better it tastes to me, and the less I crave the "prepared" stuff.

If I do crave a "treat", I go to a nicer restaurant (not a fast food joint) and order something higher calorie, eat it, and move on.  That way it becomes a special occasion, it isn't in my house, and I can't binge on it.  So, if I want pizza, I go to the high end cafe, get a brick oven baked individual pizza (the thin one, along with the "gourmet" toppings, along with a salad), eat it, and am done with it.  Ironically, I often stay in my calorie allotment for the day, so no harm is done.

Like Michael Pollan says, eat food (that your grandmother would recognize), mostly plants, not too much.

Maybe you can buy a food scale and think things out before you eat a bag of chips.  I never deprive myself, I just say if I want chips, i'll weigh out one serving and i'll have just that. 
I agree with the other people.  Find some food that works for you.  I eat healthy, sure, but I also have popcorn multiple times a week.  Its a great treat and I pop it myself so it can eat a huge amount of it if I want for under 200 calories. 

I totally understand how you feel! 

First of all, don't feel like a healthy lifestyle change is going to happen overnite!  Anyone who sounds like they've gotten a good grip on their eating/exercise habit has had to work at it - with a lot of up's and down's!  You just have to keep trying, and not let yourself think that just because you're struggling with it means that you can't do it.  Every effort -whether it be 2 out of 3 healthy meals, or only spending 20 minutes a day a the gym - counts.  And the little steps will lead toward bigger steps.

Secondly - read.  I buy magazines and read health info all the time.  It doesn't necessarily send me into ultra-motivated mode, but I learn things that I didn't understand before, or find small ways to continually incorporate healthy habits into my day.  It helps you understand not only short term goals, but the long term benefits of taking care of your body!

Thirdly - don't have an "all or nothing" attitude.  If you mess up on one meal, do better on the next.  Just because breakfast went down the tubes, doesn't mean lunch has to go the same way! 

Last of all - read forums on CC and contribute your thoughts and ideas.  It'll help you reitterate to yourself that health matters to you, and keep the thought processes consistently going as to why you're doing this :)

Just keep plugging along!  As long as you keep trying - you will eventually get there :)

I totally understand as well!  I just joined this site today as I have been watching what I eat - and feel I eat pretty healthy, but wanted to track it.  I do a lot of hiking in the winter time as its too hot in the summer, and was hiking about 4 times a week and still not losing anything!  Its very frustrating!

Keep sticking to it, and be proud of yourself that you lost that 10 lbs, don't look at the negative of it thinking you have gained 5 back, just jump back on the wagon!

Original Post by dkenworthy:

Original Post by navynoke:

I do log my foods on here and ever since I've found this website things have gotten better and I've learned SO much, but there are times when all I want is junk food. I just want to figure out why my body craves it so much.

 

If I do crave a "treat", I go to a nicer restaurant (not a fast food joint) and order something higher calorie, eat it, and move on.  That way it becomes a special occasion, it isn't in my house, and I can't binge on it.  So, if I want pizza, I go to the high end cafe, get a brick oven baked individual pizza (the thin one, along with the "gourmet" toppings, along with a salad), eat it, and am done with it.  Ironically, I often stay in my calorie allotment for the day, so no harm is done.

Like Michael Pollan says, eat food (that your grandmother would recognize), mostly plants, not too much.

This thread was great to read and very motivating.  So many people don't believe eating can be an addiction or disorder; it's frustrating.  The above response gives a nice quote on how fast foods provide that "high" through the right combo of fats, sugar, salt, etc. I know people who think eating is a matter of self-control, but when getting a substance occupies your thoughts and life, it's a real problem.  I am self-controlled and disciplined in so many areas of my life.  But, food it's been another story.

This site has been great for me.  I thought for a long time I needed to cut all sugar and flour and processed food from my diet to overcome my addiction.  On this site, I am counting calories like in my (teenage) past.  However, in the past I was restricting and obsessing over calories and trying to eat too few.  Today I am not restricting.  I am following the guidelines for calories given to me on this site for weight loss and I am allowing the calorie count to give me the freedom to eat all foods again, but in a measured way.  I love what dkenworthy shared above.  I am enjoying eating good food and when I have a craving for something not so healthy, I measure it and eat it and add it to my calories. Then the obsession/compulsion to eat seems to go away.   I don't eat at night because I have no perspective at night and I cannot stop.  

 Thanks everyone for sharing.  This is a great and helpful thread.

Turnertower - I think that's part of it too. Nobody else sees me as overweight because I don't look like I weigh 170...I look like I weigh about 150, but I know I'm at least 15 lbs overweight for my height. My boyfriend tells me often how he loves the way I look and sometimes I look in the mirror and I'm like "Yeah, I look alright", but then the scale ruins it for me.

Samantha81 - I buy those magazines - Shape, Oxygen, Fitness, Cooking Light, Women's Health. I even cut out articles, pictures of foods and the girls and stick them up places to remind myself of my goals. I have one on my fridge about 'eating mindfully' now and it helps. When I walk up to the fridge it reminds me to eat healthy and watch my portions each time.

Kickinthehabit/Dkenworthy - I honestly think I am addicted to food. While eating sometimes I find myself not even thinking about what I'm putting in my mouth and that's a problem. And don't even get me started on how great McDonald's french fries taste. I do try to allow myself a treat usually once a day, whether it be chocolate, the french fries, or a handful of doritos (when I am doing the diet the right way). I find I typically slack off around 'that time of the month'. I get ravenous and want everything in sight, but knowing what my weaknesses are will help me get through them.

Thank you all for replying to my post. You all help me put things into perspective.

i dont buy foods  i know i love and cant control myself with ;D

there's only one food i havent eaten in a very long time, 2 years (donner kebab meat, you know your own food)

i dont agree with all these people doing low calorie varieties of their favourite foods, it just reminds you what you could be having

but the trick is being able to know the side effects of eating this or that

weigh up how you will feel afterwards

make sure the calories you eat are worth it, if you know its 100 calories, but is the size of a thumbnail, it isnt worth it

i weigh up my food options like this

will it fill me up, im not blowing 300 calories on a mars bar when that's half a meatball casserole.

will i enjoy it if im not enjoying it, it's a waste of time.

i wont eat it if it doesnt fit those criteria

and liquid calories dont fill you up, stay away from them

you'll find it hard to resist food when you're hungry

eat small and regularly

if you're on 1600-1800

make 5 meals as and when you're hungry

(make a 600 cal meal, split it into two,

eat 300 cals worth of the meal with a portion of veg/salad

then if you feel hungry after 30 mins, eat the rest with another portion of salad veg for instance) your body takes 20mins plus to know if its hungry, if you're scoffing the food down, you've let yourself get too hungry

the more frequency meals you have, the less your sugar levels drop, the less hungry you get

plus it shrinks your stomach, and you feel full much quicker after a few days

but dont starve yourself, keep eating little and often, if you feel hungry, eat your next 200.

be aware of this, drink water, your body sometimes/often tricks your mind into thinkin you're hungry when you're thirsty, drinkin water helps you understand which is which more.

so next time you cook, drink a pint of water, while its cooking, decide if you're still hungry, if you are, then tuck in ;D

(that's what i do, i ignore all these diets, and just do the science part)

my girlfriend moans about her weight sometimes but i genuinely love the way she looks, your boyfriend isnt 'just' saying it, but he does not like the fact that its upsetting you.

i also found when im living with my girlfriend, its really difficult to stick to a diet because she 'ruins' it for me. but then it's because she makes me not care about the way i look, and that's how it really should be,

but i want to get back into sports, i like being able to run up a few flights of stairs and not be breathless, i like not sweating like gary glitter in a daycare nursery, i like clothes that fit.

but that's just the way i do it

the things in bold though are, i think, important to everyone who's experienced, and knows what they're doing

and dont think of it in lbs

(i have xxx amount of pounds to lose)

or weeks (xx weeks etc.)

just see the next weekend, shorter goals are far easier to keep than long term goals