I can’t stop snacking. Working out seems pointless and defeating until I do.

[Anonymous]

I’m the heaviest I’ve ever been. I need to lose roughly 30lb. I’m motivated to do this, but it’s so much change!

I’m an emotional eater. I’m bored and lonely at night when the kids go to bed. My husband works nights, so when he’s working, I’m alone. Eating is what I look forward to. It’s like I can’t picture my evening after 8:30 without thinking of snacks. I can do great all day, but once the kids are in bed, all rules are out the window.

I’m not looking forward to the gym. I think that routine will be as hard as stopping snacking in the evenings.

Which should I work on first, because I don’t think I can do both successfully.

Should I work on my diet first, then add the gym once I’ve mastered that? Maybe once I’m down 10lb from food alone?

Thinking of also adding walking in. Starting with a daily walk to pick up my kids from school (roughly 20 minutes total), and then maybe adding longer walks, weather permitting. Then, a gym routine.

I don’t even know what the best approach is. I know I won’t succeed at all until I knock out this evening snacking. Help!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m the heaviest I’ve ever been. I need to lose roughly 30lb. I’m motivated to do this, but it’s so much change!

I’m an emotional eater. I’m bored and lonely at night when the kids go to bed. My husband works nights, so when he’s working, I’m alone. Eating is what I look forward to. It’s like I can’t picture my evening after 8:30 without thinking of snacks. I can do great all day, but once the kids are in bed, all rules are out the window.

I’m not looking forward to the gym. I think that routine will be as hard as stopping snacking in the evenings.

Which should I work on first, because I don’t think I can do both successfully.

Should I work on my diet first, then add the gym once I’ve mastered that? Maybe once I’m down 10lb from food alone?

Thinking of also adding walking in. Starting with a daily walk to pick up my kids from school (roughly 20 minutes total), and then maybe adding longer walks, weather permitting. Then, a gym routine.

I don’t even know what the best approach is. I know I won’t succeed at all until I knock out this evening snacking. Help!

Tell me about it. Same boat. Winter makes me bored and hungry

[Anonymous]

I do this so I figured best to eat healthier snacks. I really like grapes so I eat a lot of them. Pop corn, I can justify eating an entire bag of skinny pop.
Also, I used to crave a glass of wine and goldfish or cookies after the kids went to bed. I found a replacement behavior. Tea and a bath.
Eventually, i just stopped craving the crap.
I've lost 5 lbs and got so excited that i started working out too.

[Anonymous]

also try to get a certain number of steps a day. set the bar low. Look at your phone and see how many you do on a normal day and try to do 500 more than that. Don't set any high goals or a lot of goals. Small changes, slow weight loss. But you will be more likely to keep it up.

[Anonymous]

Same boat. I needed major help to get on track. I joined Medifast per my doctor. Life changer. I follow it. It works. Good luck.

Kept off 30 pounds for three years

[Anonymous]

You will probably see more results from dieting, although you will feel better with exercise. It’s like that meme-2 margaritas=800 calories. To burn off 800 calories you need to jog about 7 miles, which for most people is not going to happen.

[Anonymous]

The key is to lower your carb intake. Eat snacks that are low, low, low in sugar. Adding cardio to the mix, will speed up your weight loss goal. Stay. Too aged and it the scale value will lower.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The key is to lower your carb intake. Eat snacks that are low, low, low in sugar. Adding cardio to the mix, will speed up your weight loss goal. Stay. Too aged and it the scale value will lower.

I meant "stay motivated, and the scale value will lower." Damn autocorrect!

[Anonymous]

Personally, I think you should start making yourself work out - even if you start small. Once I have started getting into good physical habits and practicing the self discipline involved in making myself go to the gym (or do a workout video), the snacking and overeating aspect has a tendency to fall into place on its own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Personally, I think you should start making yourself work out - even if you start small. Once I have started getting into good physical habits and practicing the self discipline involved in making myself go to the gym (or do a workout video), the snacking and overeating aspect has a tendency to fall into place on its own.

Agree 100%

Earlier this year I put on about 10 pounds all of a sudden and felt disgusting. My clothes felt all weird and yet I kept craving and eating crap.

I committed to going to going to the gym for a month straight to get into the habit. Within a couple weeks I felt better and naturally craved healthier foods. And since I am spending time at the gym I have less time where I am sitting around wanting to snack.

I don’t think I’ve lost all the weight, but my clothes are hanging so much better now and I feel stronger.

The gym is best for me, but figure out what activity works for you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m the heaviest I’ve ever been. I need to lose roughly 30lb. I’m motivated to do this, but it’s so much change!

I’m an emotional eater. I’m bored and lonely at night when the kids go to bed. My husband works nights, so when he’s working, I’m alone. Eating is what I look forward to. It’s like I can’t picture my evening after 8:30 without thinking of snacks. I can do great all day, but once the kids are in bed, all rules are out the window.

I’m not looking forward to the gym. I think that routine will be as hard as stopping snacking in the evenings.

Which should I work on first, because I don’t think I can do both successfully.

Should I work on my diet first, then add the gym once I’ve mastered that? Maybe once I’m down 10lb from food alone?

Thinking of also adding walking in. Starting with a daily walk to pick up my kids from school (roughly 20 minutes total), and then maybe adding longer walks, weather permitting. Then, a gym routine.

I don’t even know what the best approach is. I know I won’t succeed at all until I knock out this evening snacking. Help!

Tell me about it. Same boat. Winter makes me bored and hungry

This. Except I’m stressed rather than bored.

[Anonymous]

None of this advice is particularly good because it's all trying to answer your question. What you are asking the wrong question.

Meaningful changes come from meaningful reflection. You need a way of reframing your outlook. Listen to the way you talk. You can't imagine a night without snacking. You don't want to start a tedious routine of working out.

you are mentally resistant to change, which means you need the right approach. I'm not sure what exactly will work for you because I don't know exactly why you're snacking at night (I think you said stress. So you need to address that stress first)

Why do you think starting a new routine will be so awful? What is it that keeps you from wanting to work out or walk more?

But the poster who said you should start with working out is probably right. It's easier to start a new habit than to quit an old one.

See if the exercise helps your stress levels, see that you can get yourself into new routine. And then you can deal with mindless snacking at night next

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Personally, I think you should start making yourself work out - even if you start small. Once I have started getting into good physical habits and practicing the self discipline involved in making myself go to the gym (or do a workout video), the snacking and overeating aspect has a tendency to fall into place on its own.

+1 I’ve been a daily gym goer for 5 years. The first 3 months I only went to the gym and made no dietary changes. Then one day it clicked where I wanted to get my diet under control too. I focused on eating for performance and that made it easier to choose healthy foods and the proper portions. I lost 30 pounds within a year and have kept it off for 3.5 years.

[Anonymous]

0700 is right, you have to get your head in the right place or you won't do anything. You have to want to change.

Replace bad habits with good ones. Exercising at night would actually be ideal because you replace the snacking and alleviate the boredom (get a livestreaming class if that would help with loneliness). But you can also replace your snacks with other activities - knit, call your mom, read, color, play a game. It sounds like something with personal interaction would help. Or replace your snacks with healthier food, although eating at night is not great for weight loss. You would do better to look at your daytime diet to be sure you're eating filling foods before evening.

I am using Noon right now to lose weight and it deals really well with the psychology of eating. I'm sure there are other support groups and classes too.

Walking is great, btw. Years ago, I lost 40 lbs by walking. But sounds like you need a plan for being home at night.

[Anonymous]

That's why I run. I'm not going to stop eating. I'm on my third sugar cookie and it's only 830am. I love to eat and I'm a snacker. So I run. It's the fastest way to lose weight. And if you run consistently, you'll stay thin. I can't keep weight on if my milage is above about 20 miles a week. As long as I run three or four times a week, I can eat anything I want.