How do I get healthy eating on track again?

[Anonymous]

I’m having so much trouble with food. I’m just going to get out as much info as I can:

For the below, you might want to know that I have three kids and Sahm.

-in February I did a fairly intense plan for exercise and diet. I did awesome! I exercised 30m daily for a long time consecutively. And I ate “well,” which I will define shortly, for 90% of that time. The food was taking so much longer than the 30m exercise but “abs are made in the kitchen!” Or whatever. I have no real idea of the time, but I felt like I was thinking about my food plans all day long. Drank 3x the water I used to previously too. I lost 10lbs. But it was more than 10lbs of fat bc I was building muscle too. My tummy was getting so slim and I was fitting in dresses that I hadn’t since before 3rd baby’s birth.
-by May, I was still doing the above ^ but I noticed I was sneaking in treats all the time. So eating healthy, but then adding treats on top. I noticed it was my stress relief. My brain would feel better. Instant drug. If my kids were acting out like crazies, I would eat a dark chocolate. Then another. And another. It made me feel better. Then I started keeping more sugary treats around.

-in June my oldest dd was out of school for the summer, and it was stressful to have her. She’s just an extrovert, sort of demanding for my time, wakes up early, doesn’t like to play independently. Whereas my younger two sleep in while I would exercise or plan my day. And when they woke are much more low-key. If I had to exercise while they’re up, they’re fine and would simply play alongside me. Dd wants to get involved. At minute 10 it’s cute. At minute 25, she’s getting in the way. If I wake up earlier, she does too. Light sleeper I guess.

-I pretty much didn’t exercise at all over the summer. Food was out the window. No planning or eating healthy. Sugar galore.

-by now, life has changed. Exercise happens rarely. It’s like the person I was in the spring has been replaced by a much busier sahm. I accomplishing house projects, volunteering (not at school), tons of great worthwhile activities.

I think I need to start with food. But I’m addicted to comfort food, the feeling of my brain being satisfied, and the way sweet things taste. I did a couple of fully healthy days, and still couldn’t stay away from carbs.

(My plan has been low carb, but not no carb. Protein and veggies increased to make up for it).

Tl;dr: I think I have emotional eating issues. How do I get healthy eating going again?

[Anonymous]

Op here. I’m 5ft tall. I was 142 before I broke down and started exercise/diet last year. I got to 132 even with adding muscle. Now 136 again, but hugest belly of my life.

I’m very motivated to make lifelong changes as opposed to temporary ones.

[Anonymous]

When I feel motivated to eat well (little carbs, more protein veggies, little fruit [but that doesn’t bother me]), I start off my day thinking “I can do it!”
1) then I get tempted to eat a huge bowl of cereal for a mid morning snack
2) or if I make it further, i eat the leftover lunch my kids didn’t eat. La Tortilla factory fresh tortillas are so tasty! For example
3) or if I make it all the way to dinner, I don’t know what to cook that is carbless. I’ve eaten my carbs already and my family wants them. Hard to come up with ideas that we can all share.
4) guaranteed daily I’ll eat a chcolately treat, even if it’s not kept in the house

[Anonymous]

^that was op again. Thanks in advance for anyone who’ll read all of this. I’m really feeling down about my weight and my look. It’s not who I want to be and I don’t want to be like my diabetic maternal line whose lives were very much changed/shortened due to their health.

[Anonymous]

Same stats here. 5’0” and 142. I got down to 136 by lower carb and intermittent fasting. I do mostly 18/6 but sometimes 16/8. That has helped me. I posted here about not being able to get on track with the lower carb eating after Thanksgiving. Some jeans felt tight today and I felt badly about myself. I made a lower carb meal for dinner. I made enough to have leftovers tomorrow for lunch. I think I have to take a one meal at a time mentality. The IF helps with overall hunger levels. When I start cheating on it I feel hungrier more often and it’s harder to train myself again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Same stats here. 5’0” and 142. I got down to 136 by lower carb and intermittent fasting. I do mostly 18/6 but sometimes 16/8. That has helped me. I posted here about not being able to get on track with the lower carb eating after Thanksgiving. Some jeans felt tight today and I felt badly about myself. I made a lower carb meal for dinner. I made enough to have leftovers tomorrow for lunch. I think I have to take a one meal at a time mentality. The IF helps with overall hunger levels. When I start cheating on it I feel hungrier more often and it’s harder to train myself again.

Op here. Awww thanks. I just feel good that you read and posted. In the same boat perhaps, though you have figured out something that is working. I will think some more and decide what’s right in terms of trying IF.

[Anonymous]

Do IF to become comfortable with hunger and relearn to say no to treats.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP. I strongly recommend meal planning and prepping, and a food log. Plan what you will eat each meal, including your family dinner and dessert. You can start a day at a time but it's easier to do a week at a time for shopping and leftovers. Look at your menu and see where you can sub in alternatives, eg a sugar free pudding or hot cocoa instead of candy.

Then write down every bite and taste. There are lots of apps for this, free or paid. Logging will itself prevent you from snacking (because you don't want to have to write it down) and it helps you plan your meals to reduce calories.

A lot of people on this board suggest IF. I'm not a fan, personally: I think eating healthy filling meals, including "good carbs," is more sustainable. But either way, logging and planning will work.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP. I'm in a similar boat with healthy eating. I'm curious, what was the meal plan you did in the Spring?

I don't have much advice in the meal department other than to keep it simple. Find a few meals that you can cook in 30 minutes or under and rotate them. I'm still trying to find more to add to my weekly meals. One meal I rotate recently is just simple sauteed chicken breasts with steamed or roasted broccoli and a small side of naan and avocado.

Can anyone else share some easy meals they make?

As for exercise, I think you just need to start somewhere. I subscribe to Moms Into Fitness. The trainer, Lindsay Brinn, has a lot of videos you can stream at home. Some are as short as 10 minutes. Start with a 10 minute workout and go from there. Just start the habit.

Tell your daughter how important it is that you do this - she needs to learn that you need to take care of yourself as well. My kids used to bother me when I was working out, but now, for the most part, they know that I won't stop unless it's an emergency and they need to find something to do that doesn't require my help. I try to work out in the morning before they wake up but sometimes I have to sneak in a workout in the afternoon after they get home from school (I WOH) and I might suggest a craft activity of something else they can do while I'm working out.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP! I'm also addicted to food, as it sounds like you are. Not the funnest addiction lol! What has been working for me, albeit slowly, is starting with triggering "times" of the day. For instance a lot of my empty calories come in the evening after DD is in bed. Now I go to the gym during that time or craft (funny I always complained I never had time to do that, but had plenty of time to stuff food in my face...).

Once that was done I focused on one meal at a time. I had to cut out sweets 100%. For me it's honestly like telling an alcoholic to have a sip of wine/beer/vodka once a day. One sip/bite is going to lead to a LOT more. If I don't allow myself any of it, I don't slip.

Now I hope at some point I will be able to do it, but looking at the past 35 years I rather doubt it