Eating healthy - the inner voice that some people have to stay in control

[Anonymous]

I’m surprised no one has mentioned Noom yet. I was probably 130 lbs overweight and started using it less than three months ago. I’ve lost 20 so far. It’s easy to use and intuitive and gets at the psychological issues behind why people like me and OP eat the way we do. I also have had a happy life and wonderful career and never cared much about the weight until my health recently started to creep up on me. It’s very low cost to start and personally I think the issues it tackles are significantly more invincible than what ever got when on WW. Good luck with your journey!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You need to rewire your brain to crave healthier foods. It IS possible, but it takes time.

You also need to actually lose some weight to realize how much better it feels. I recognize that's a catch 22 (you have to eat healthier to lose weight, but it's hard to have the motivation to do so until you lose weight and therefore see results). However, push through and you'll get there.

Totally agree with this. I use to eat a pretty standard american diet- protein and carbs, very little vegetables. Then I started eating more vegetables, I credit whole 30 for getting me in the habit of centering meals more on protein and veggies. These days I eat everything, including grains/regular carbs, but I still make sure that every meal includes vegetables and I actually crave veggies if I don't get enough. I also think you can eat filling meals that aren't super heavy. You don't have to eat salads. Personally I like salad but I don't find that they fill me up for very long. Instead my lunch will be chicken breast, roasted vegetables and maybe some rice. Or turkey chili make with lean ground turkey, peppers, tomatoes topped with some cheese.

[Anonymous]

My inner voice told me to reach out to dates yesterday at Aldi. "Look, only $5, and remember that video you watched about benefits of eating 2 dates per day? Your health needs this." Then my reasoning said, "remember that you ate the whole darned box of them last time you bought them, saying you will only eat two every other day? How did that work out for you?"
So, I told my inner voice to shut up and didn't buy them.

[Anonymous]

I don’t have that consistent inner voice either, OP. I go through phases where I’m good at making only healthy food choices, but that is not my baseline.

What has worked for me is limiting the hours in which I allow myself to eat. Within that timeframe I still try to make healthy choices, but I don’t restrict myself. I don’t go crazy, just eat as I normally would. Outside of that timeframe, though, nothing but water.

I have followed a few different IF models, and this one works best for me. I find that it’s easy to put up with the eating restriction when I am totally free of it for several hours every day.

Good luck. I hope you find something that works for you.

[Anonymous]

Second the recommendation for Bright Line Eating. I’ve lost over 100 pounds.

[Anonymous]

I started to read bright line eating but stopped at the no bread and sugar. Nope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I started to read bright line eating but stopped at the no bread and sugar. Nope.

Well, sure, if you're able to make the changes you want to make without eliminating sugar and flour, why would you go this route? I'm the poster who has lost 100+ pounds, and I could not lose weight and keep it off until I realized I had a food addiction. Sugar and flour are highly addictive for some people. Eliminating those foods has worked extremely well for me.

[Anonymous]

You have to make it easy to eat well. So, don't stock junk food at home, or unhealthy carbs, sweets, colas (diet or otherwise). Get rid of what you have at home. Load up on fruits and veggies (already prepared things like salads make it a lot easier). For heavier foods, rely on things like nuts, low-fat cheese sticks, hard boiled eggs. Also, set an alarm so that after, say 7pm, you can only drink tea or water--no food.
Also, you say that you spend a lot of time in the car--is there any way for you to reduce your commute? Sitting in a car for two hours a day is a diet-killer. (There are a ton of studies showing that a longer commute is unhealthier on a number of levels than a shorter one.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am someone who lost almost 100 lbs so I can speak with some measure of authority, although everyone is different.

First, your OP is written very subtly in the tone of being the victim of your nature or genetics. I used to think in those terms too, and it’s extremely unhelpful. You have to change that mindset.

Second, the book The Power of Habit could help. I lost weight before I read it but I realize in hindsight that shaking my habits and cycles was of vital importance.

Third, everyone I know who has lost weight had a sort of epiphany about it. You have to ride a wave of really deciding to change EVERYTHING. If you’re bargaining with yourself (“well it’s not realistic to give up cake forever” or “counting calories obviously isn’t sustainable”) you’re not going to pull it off.

I was scrolling down to say this. Or a variation of this. It isn't about your willpower. It is about your habits. I also suggest changing just one habit at a time. I used to walk by the snack table at work first thing every morning. And once I had some M&Ms, I had to have more. Once I broke that habit (by stopping and getting tea first), I was able to not "NEED" to go get some M&Ms in the morning.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, I think the trick is to not focus on food so much. I don’t ever deny myself. When I think of something I want and it’s easily available, I eat it no matter the time of day. But I don’t pig out, because if in 30 minutes I want more, I’ll just eat more then. I stop eating after I stop enjoying it and it’s usually before I feel yucky full. Eat slower. I do not eat less at lunch so I can pig out at dinner. Sometimes I eat cookies as I’m cooking dinner, not healthy, but it does spoil my dinner so to speak.

Replace your eating habit with something else enjoyable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My inner voice says "go ahead, order the pizza! And the cake!" My inner voice is totally and utterly unreliable. It likes the bad stuff. So I have to not listen to the inner voice, the impulse, but intentionally counter that voice with my intellect. "Hmm, yes, the pizza looks really yummy. But I promised myself to make healthier choices. What else is on the menu?"

One thing that helps to do this is a calorie counting app - any one will do, like My Fitness Pal or Lose It. Set yourself a daily max (many apps will have a questionnaire that asks for weight and age and gender and goal and suggestions one) and then start tracking. Use it religiously and it becomes that voice for you - you know you have 400 calories left for the day, and two pieces of pizza have 450 and you know you want a drink, too...so you'll have something else.

LOL. I have no control when I snack, so I’ve had to go cold turkey on snacking. There is no “just a handful of crackers” - I eat the whole damn box. So ignore the voice inside that says “oh just one will fit in your calorie plan” because I know that voice is just trying to trick me into eating the whole bag.

[Anonymous]

+1 Bright Line Eating
Not everyone has a natural “on/off” switch. You can get the book from the library...

https://brightlineeating.com/


I also like the new BLE cookbook, it’s a faster read plus helpful if you are following the plan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First, there may be something physiological. Don't discount it, and don't pay attention to people who do. Personally, I pay no attention to anyone who is normal weight and never struggled with weight because they have no idea what it's like to be in my body, and their advice is worse than useless. As an example of what I deal with: I am almost never, ever satiated. I am always hungry. I can eat a meal full of fats, proteins, and low carb and I will be hungry again in less than 30 minutes. I don't have the satiation signals others do. In any event, it took close to ten years to diagnose, but it turns out I have a serious autoimmune disorder. I'll never be normal, but life is better now that I'm finally under treatment.

In addition to treatment, I can only control weight by setting strict time limits on when I eat. I don't eat after 8 or before 2 pm, although I drink bone broth in the morning. I have also trained myself to live with hunger on this schedule. Since I am always hungry, it just meant learning to live through it rather than satisfy it. It's not wonderful to be hungry, but I view it as something I have to deal with as part of my overall health.

I had an interesting experience a few years back where I was put on a medication that made my satiation "normal." OMG. It was so, so easy to not overeat. I could not believe how easy it was. It made me realize just how different my body is from all those sanctimonious, fat-shaming asshats. They are so freaking lazy (and lucky) and have no idea.

Winner of the most delusional post of the year.

[Anonymous]

If it was easy, everyone would do it.

I've battled sugar addiction and complained as much as anyone else, but a more disciplined friend hit me with that. I've just accepted that it IS difficult. Change requires new lifestyle habits and discipline. Motivation for me tends to run out after 2-3 weeks, right as I'm able to see some results. I had to come up with a bigger "why". I'm in my mid-30s but I lost a close cousin to obesity-related illness. My mom also gained a ton of weight at 40 after years of having a gorgeous shape. I figured that it would be prudent to use the rest of my 30s getting myself in excellent shape beforehand.

This is also completely for me. I'm sharp at work, I'm always there for others, and its time that I show up for myself. Why wait until I'm ill to prioritize my health?

[Anonymous]

Basically, don't expect to feel full. Why is that so important? Do you feel super rested every morning? It's kind of like that, just continue with your day.