Why do I have so much trouble controlling my eating :(

[Jwolf]

I resolve each day to cut out sweets and extra junk, but by the end of the day, my resolve disappears. I'm not even that hungry, but I'm craving the comfort foods. I also tend to drink too much wine and beer, especially these days. All this while I desperately want to shed the extra fat around my middle and those 10-12 pounds that just won't go away.

In the past I've always been able to lose weight simply by eating less junk and cutting out foods and drink after dinner. I know what I need to do-- why can't I do it? Any tips to help me stay motivated?

[IronGoddess]

I find if I just drink more water and try to cut out one junky thing a day it helps. I don't drink so my vice is chocolate, the good stuff. And I do let myself have a small bit often otherwise I would go crazy if it was off limits. Sorry this is probably no help.

[VeloCarrie]

What works for me is not to have access to it. I don't buy it or bring it into my house. This might be a problem for you, living with your family who might not appreciate this.

[ultraslacker]

What works for me is not to have access to it. I don't buy it or bring it into my house. This might be a problem for you, living with your family who might not appreciate this.

This doesn't work for me because when I am at work I get bored and restless, so I go for walks... and those walks almost invariably end in buying food!

Jen, if you ever figure out the answer to this then you should market it. ;)

[hmacdonald]

I'm right with you on this. Same resolve every morning, I usually cave around 2:00. Sometimes I manage to get through Mon/Tues/Wed, and Thursday is my undoing.

I'm no help to you, I don't have the answer either. And yes, I want to get rid of the sugar belly and the 8 - 10 lbs extra that I am carrying.

[Robbie-T]

I know how you feel, I tend to binge at times too, mostly candy and sweets. One thing I do is don't bring them around home, and have a supply of better alternatives around, diet pop, apples, bananas, dried fruit, cereal, stuff that I can chew and crunch on that is better for me. The other thing I do is to have some major running goals planned out, as the race gets closer my will power increases, cause I know what my running weight needs to be to run well, if I don't run well I don't meet my goals. Then I reward myself after the race season.

Good luck Jenn

[ultraslacker]

Christmas is the worst.

First, the starbucks eggnog lattes and polar bear cookies get me.

Then I get three starbucks gift cards for Christmas, from my addiction-enabling family and friends.

Then people are constantly feeding me eggnog, cookies, and Christmas goodies.

Even at work... today I had one coworker giving me chocolate. Then I show up at my other job this afternoon to a turkey dinner coming out of the oven. Just now I was putting something away and noticed a box of chocolate with my name on it (literally!) so now I am eating purdy's.

It's hopeless. Just give up now. :)

[Jwolf]

I know how you feel, I tend to binge at times too, mostly candy and sweets. One thing I do is don't bring them around home, and have a supply of better alternatives around, diet pop, apples, bananas, dried fruit, cereal, stuff that I can chew and crunch on that is better for me. The other thing I do is to have some major running goals planned out, as the race gets closer my will power increases, cause I know what my running weight needs to be to run well, if I don't run well I don't meet my goals. Then I reward myself after the race season.

The running is part of the problem for me now-- my injury is still preventing me from being able to train fast, so I can't set time goals. But you'd think I'd be able to be as obsessive about the calories as I am about the running. I am doing about 50K/week now so it's not like I'm doing no running, either.

Your other ideas are good, though. I used to be better about not having junk food around. It doesn't help that I have a skinny husband who can literally eat whatever he wants.

I talked to Kerry about this a bit, and I think when we get back from our vacation I will start tracking my food intake. Keeping myself accountable might do the trick. I will just use my own calorie-counting-- I don't think any of those on-line programs are accurate enough to make them any more useful. There's just too much error in the method, but if I'm consistent, it will be useful. Mostly because I won't want to write down certain things.

And Holly-- I'm waiting till the New Year to start-- no worries this week.

[Robbie-T]

The other thing I do is weigh myself regularily that way I can't get too far out of control before fixing things

[ChrisL]

Not having it available does help. There is no point for me to say that I will just eat a few chips, the whole bag goes.

I also find that if I do not have a snack between meals (10:00am and 3:00pm), I tend to eat all kind of crap later on. So, I have a banana at 10:00 and an apple at 3:00, and it does help.

One think that works for me is to brush my teeth in the evening if I crave something, bizarre.

Finally, I weight myself every day. While, I am already pretty light, I do not have a big frame so any weight over 160 shows, so I want to catch it early; it is easier to lose 3-4 pounds than 10-15.

As usual, YMMV.

[Spirit Unleashed]

Sugar is addictive. Stay away from it at all cost.

[RA.]

I am doing ok, but ya, this time of year when it is right out in front of you, it is hard to not have it. I'm going to let myself indulge until December 31. Then it's healthy eating again!

[DougG]

add: Christmas time - lots of eating
plus :Winter time - lots of comfort food

= pounds gained by me

[Spirit Unleashed]

Processing and going beyond the emotions symbolized by "comfort foods" sets me free of over-eating. i may eat a little more now and then, but not the demoralizing food binge.

[Habs4ever]

I go through times when I'm in total control and then times when it seems no matter what it's a losing situation. When I'm in control this is what works for me:

1. write everything down-visual reminder of what you really eat.
2. If you want something that is not "healthy" wait 10 minutes, think about it and if you still want it, have a tiny bit of it.
3. Keep a reminder with you. Sounds corny-but I wear a necklace with a small gold heart on it; all the time. When I start to feel out of control with myself, I touch my heart and think about why I need to be at a healthy weight. This works for not just eating, but also when I start to feel other pressures as well. My necklace and heart is kind of a life line-makes me stop and think before doing anything drastic.
4. Like you, my running and eating kind of go hand in hand as well. If I'm running good/consistent then I'm eating good, so as not to jepordize my running.

Unfortunately, there is no magic forumula. Best wishes with this and continued re-building/running success for you.

[Spirit Unleashed]

If I say to myself, "I'll quit tomorrow;" than i've programmed myself for failure. I've used the rationalization synapse instead of the positive action synapse. I want to avoide the rationalization synapse.

Then I have to ask myself what I value. Why do I value a tiny few seconds of potato chips more than the joy of winning? If I admit that i must want to feel bad, then i am well on the way to healing my thinking.

[Spirit Unleashed]

If you go to the barber shop often enough, you'll eventually get a hair cut.

If I stay AWAY from certain foods long enough, I'll find I don't want them. My brain gets revolted at what used to be my favorite junk.

[lisaannr]

I agree with others, this is a difficult time of the year to avoid the junk. I'll be getting back to the "healthy eating" program again in the new years for me that means;

1. If I shouldn't eat it then I don't buy it (somehow need to keep DH from buying it also )
2. Weight myself..often
3. Drink water
4. track my "points", I am a numbers person and it's how I stay focused so I need the numbers to see my goal each day.

I also find that like anything starting is the hardest thing, once I start and become focused it gets easier. I'm reading The Eat-Clean Diet, hopefully I can change some of our habits in this house so we can all eat a little better in 2010.

[La]

The time of year is for sure a factor: less light, hibernation instinct, availability of sweets/treats, parties where food/wine are the focus, etc.

Another factor is age. We're at "that age" where our weight-loss efforts aren't as effective as they used to be. The fact is, as we get older we need fewer calories than we used to to maintain the same weight.

I do follow the "if it's not in the house I can't eat it" approach, and that mostly works. Except if you are entertaining over the holidays and you have to have all that stuff around.

When I started my weight loss program 13 years ago I began the week before Thanksgiving, and managed to stick to my plan through the holiday. Mindless eating is your worst enemy. If you're going to have something that will blow your calories for the day, make it something good, something you really like/enjoy, and savour every bite. My weakness is snacking on anything that happens to be lying around, just because it's there. If you're going to have a treat, make it the best darned treat you've ever had (and then stop there).

[seuss]

If you go to the barber shop often enough, you'll eventually get a hair cut.

If I stay AWAY from certain foods long enough, I'll find I don't want them. My brain gets revolted at what used to be my favorite junk.

very true.

it has taken a lot of work for me to get to the stage of mindful snacking - only eating what i want to eat, not some crappy substitute. now i am working on stopping after i am satisfied.

[ROW]

If you go to the barber shop often enough, you'll eventually get a hair cut.

If I stay AWAY from certain foods long enough, I'll find I don't want them. My brain gets revolted at what used to be my favorite junk.

very true.

it has taken a lot of work for me to get to the stage of mindful snacking - only eating what i want to eat, not some crappy substitute. now i am working on stopping after i am satisfied.

It happens to me too. In march I had chips and pop for the last time, I decided I didn't want to eat them anymore, because well, there bad for you. The first month was hard, but after that I don't even think about it, even when i'm around them. It's been about 9 months and I haven't had one since.

[Spirit Unleashed]

If you go to the barber shop often enough, you'll eventually get a hair cut.

If I stay AWAY from certain foods long enough, I'll find I don't want them. My brain gets revolted at what used to be my favorite junk.

very true.

it has taken a lot of work for me to get to the stage of mindful snacking - only eating what i want to eat, not some crappy substitute. now i am working on stopping after i am satisfied.

Seuss....I'm guessing your are teasing: "only eating what I want to eat..." Hope so, it fits with what you post on the guilt thread and lets me laugh (something I don't do that much). So thanks...I hope!

But stopping after i am satisfied? When I snack, its always for an emotional reason so "satisfaction" is a meaningless term unless it means I've hurt myself enough finally after 2 candy bars, a jar of peanut butter and a bag of cheezits....

[Jwolf]

But stopping after i am satisfied? When I snack, its always for an emotional reason so "satisfaction" is a meaningless term unless it means I've hurt myself enough finally after 2 candy bars, a jar of peanut butter and a bag of cheezits....

This is very true for me too.
For most of us, our bodies have lost the true physiological hunger satisfaction messages-- we have to retrain ourselves through behaviour.


Anyway, thanks everyone for the help. Mostly I need to just cut out the extra junk, especially after-dinner snacking. I know I sometimes eat out of boredom and for emotional reasons-- all of which need to be retrained. And I need to get to the root of the problem which is not usually the food itself.

I've thought of doing the calorie-counting, but I'm still not convinced that's the way to go. I KNOW what I need to cut back on. Just writing things down might be enough to make me think a bit more about what I'm eating (one day so far and I already have), but I still think there's too much error in the calorie-counting to make it worth it. (I'm NOT going to start weighing all my food.)

[getfit]

Anyway, thanks everyone for the help. Mostly I need to just cut out the extra junk, especially after-dinner snacking. I know I sometimes eat out of boredom and for emotional reasons-- all of which need to be retrained. And I need to get to the root of the problem which is not usually the food itself.

I've thought of doing the calorie-counting, but I'm still not convinced that's the way to go. I KNOW what I need to cut back on. Just writing things down might be enough to make me think a bit more about what I'm eating (one day so far and I already have), but I still think there's too much error in the calorie-counting to make it worth it. (I'm NOT going to start weighing all my food.)

Jen you sound exactly like me, I know what I need to cut back on, but I just don't follow through with my good intentions. I'm not really into calorie counting either, but I think I need something to make me more accountable. I'm wondering if you and maybe some other people would be interested in starting a separate thread, maybe call it the 'Say No to Crap Thread' or something like that. But of course I'd want to start it on Monday, because we have dinner plans for tonight and I'd be setting myself up for failure Anyone interested?

[Jwolf]

Anyone interested?

I'm interested. If you start it, I will post.