Advice needed to stop binge eating / craving the unhealthy stuff

maddeningly

It's rubbish isn't it? It took me around 8 weeks to lose my baby weight first time round and over 3 years the second time! My tummy after 2 9lb plus babies (I am 5 foot) and 2 sections is a complete right off even after the weight loss though, only surgery could help me now! The thing I have found with losing weight is getting in the right frame of mind, if you are not then you are fighting a losing battle. The things that helped me were a fat pic on the cupboard that I hated, sticking to a strict diet mon - fri but relaxing it at weekends and snacking on a lot of home made low fat veg soup, quorn meat and lots and lots of rice cakes!

maddeningly

Oh I've just thought as well I didn't tell anyone I was dieting (in the real world) not even my partner. My mil talks constantly about losing weight but never does anything about it and I always think stop talking and start doing!! The most inspiring thing is when people notice (esp my partner a stone and a half down the line). I know people who mark every pound lost on Facebook, I rarely weighed myself and much prefer someone to notice of their own accord rather than because I have a status that says I have lost 1/2 a stone!

SunshineButterfly

angelil wrote: »

2 things that jump out at me:

1) Special K cereal is nothing but sugar. Change to a brand that's better for you.

2) How early do you eat your tea? If possible, have an afternoon snack and defer dinner.

I don't understand how to figure out which is healthy / unhealthy.
My cereal box is currently a mixture of shreddies / special k / fitennesse (no idea how thats spelt).

I eat tea between 4 and 5pm as I eat at the table with my children.

stir_crazy

When you feel a craving coming on, just drink a glass of water, it can distract from the craving by filling your stomach. Having the precut veggies in the fridge is a good idea too, or a hard boiled egg which is just protein. I know exactly what you're going through and find that if I am stressed I tend to make the wrong choices because I haven't planned so well. Good luck!

ETA: You might find that having a protein based breakfast instead of a carb based breakfast will set you up better for the day. Maybe scrambled or poached eggs.

SunshineButterfly

Had a wobble last night. Had done so well, but craved and craved carp. So had 5 boiled sweets (going to stock up on sugar free ones this week).

Was having a bad evening and found side kick in the fridge. Got it out with the thought of drinking A LOT (kids are not home at the moment).
Had 3 mouthfulls then sort of came to my senses and put it back and went to bed.

SunshineButterfly

stir_crazy I am not keen on raw veggies or fruit, but keep carrot sticks in the fridge. But they end up gone off before I get to eat them. My brain eggs me on to eat the carp and ignore the healthy stuff.

You'd think after quitting smoking I would have better willpower.

Thinking of starting my 30 day shred dvd again today. Plus maybe give my Zumba for beginners dvd a try. Motivation is needed lol.

heartbreak_star

Stop calorie counting. Up your protein levels, and do strength training - push ups, pull ups, plank, lunges, squats if you don't go to a gym.

I'm not keen on veggies, I tend to keep cooked chicken, jerky and sliced boiled eggs in the fridge for snacks along with dried fruit.

Good luck

HBS x

AlexMac

Good luck- you've made a fantastic start by wanting change and by identifying complex and inter-related problem factors- including stress and historic habit 'conditioning' (I'm guessing this includes eating sweets & snacks, maybe alcohol, occasional fad-diets and so-called packaged health foods that are often worse than simple foods). You're starting what sounds like serious exercise. I came from the generation of kids who experienced post-war rationing - and before processed or packaged foods; so porridge for breakfast- and no sweets or crisps, and no lifts in our block of flats so you ran up and down 60 stairs all day....

But I now still struggle to keep to a healthy weight despite such a good start and the fact that we only eat real food; unsweetened cereals like bran flakes, porridge oats or meusli, lean meat and lots of veg , rather than packaged or processed stuff with sugars, fats and added stuff - which others, above, correctly advise we should avoid.

It just takes time and determination- don't weigh yourself every day, or you'll be frustrated at how slow it seems at first- and remember, muscle weighs more than fat so you might not get lighter but you'll drop a dress size or two if you keep up the swimming- or eat snsibly- or even just one of them.

Be assured- it does work; it's just a lot harder, the older you get! Our grand daughter was diagnosed with a thyroid condition and this proved the stimulus to stop her snacking (her mum fed her well, but she could happily polish off packets of crisps and boxes of cocktail sausages between meals). She started to eat sensibly, didn't eat any weird 'slimming' products but just avoided fats and sugars and 'borrowed' someone's Weightwatchers advice leaflets, which state the obvious.

She started this about 6 months ago (but still doesn't exercise), has lost two or more dress sizes and although she is taller and bigger than her peers, she looks miles better! (She had started to look really fat for a teenager). Having realised it can be done- she'll probably try to be sensible for life.

So go for it - and best of luck

heartbreak_star

Oats are a farmed grain, so not as good for you as you'd think, and bran flakes are the same . Good for keeping you full though, personally I prefer eggs and bacon for breakfast

My nan used to always tell me I'd never have survived the times before lifts - she said she kept fit because she had to walk everywhere. She's right, that would have driven me mad

Fats are demonised - and wrongly so. You just have to make the right choices, although snack-wise I'll take cottage cheese or jerky over oatcakes or crispbread any day as I don't eat grains.

Our main issues with diets are certainly too much sugar, and in general far too many carbohydrates. Good job your granddaughter though - I really kickstarted exercise when I got diagnosed with an underactive thyroid and now despite still being heavy, I'm stronger and fitter than ever

HBS x

podperson

It might be worth you keeping a food diary for a bit. It sounds like it's more stress/emotional/habit snacking rather than actually being hungry (although some good advice on improving your diet given above).
Try and identify your trigger points - eg are there certain times of day, things you'll be doing, when someone annoys you etc that have you automatically reaching for the junk food.
Then try and think about what you could do to avoid this - so could you go for a walk, paint your nails (I find this one really good as then I can't munch), phone a friend, take a bath, do a fitness dvd, crafts/knitting etc to keep your hands busy.
As others have said, you've done fab to give up the smoking but I'm sure you found doing that that often it was habit rather than nicotine cravings that had you wanting to reach for them. You managed to break those habits so you can do the same with these x