Where’s my motivation? So overweight and need to lose weight.

[Anonymous]

I’m 5’11 and 240#. Ive crept up to a size 16.

I’m just a fat mom and I hate it. I should have all the motivation in the world: I hate the way I look, low energy, want to healthier for my kids, my husband, etc. I’m by far the fattest person in my family, extended and immediate, which is shameful to me. I shouldn’t have done this to myself.

We eat really well. My issue is overeating sugar and binges. Is it the solution simple: don’t buy sugary snacks????

I tried WW but didn’t like it. I’ve done challenges (whole30).
I know it’s 1# at a time. Where do people find the motivation?

[Anonymous]

Op, continued. I’d rather the advice NOT be to find a therapist. The shame isn’t the driving force behind the overeating...it’s a pure and simple sugar addiction.

I can break the addiction and do ok. Maybe I just need to do that again!

[Anonymous]

I'd suggest the Beck Diet Book - uses cognitive behavioral therapy to change your thought patterns. It's a 45 day mental reset.

One of the first things you do is list your reasons on an index card.

Weight Loss for Busy Physicians podcast is also really good for mental "drama".

I've used this plus WW, IF + Dr. Mark Hyman diet book. I'm down almost 30.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Cont'd from above

Re: sugar addiction. Dr. Mark Hyman's books have really helped with sugar/carb cravings. I'm adding more healthy fat and reducing flour. My prior carb cravings put me in an emotional frenzy. I felt I couldn't help myself, so much mental drama, giving in v. resisting. Then feeling bad about myself. If you don't have the cravings in the first place, you break the chain. He has a good podcast as well.

[Anonymous]

Sugary snacks on weekends only!
This family rule has been a lot of help.

Another, may be too hard, but not eating after dinner would be a huge improvement.

Put away the deep-fryer. Air frying only, if necessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sugary snacks on weekends only!
This family rule has been a lot of help.

Another, may be too hard, but not eating after dinner would be a huge improvement.

Put away the deep-fryer. Air frying only, if necessary.

Try one day a week plant-based only. Or high calorie & fat meals just on weekends. Insist on veggies at every meal.
Pick a couple do-able goals. And do them. Then increase the goal, type and amount.

[Anonymous]

I recommend watching this guy Greg Doucette on Youtube. He is a bit grating at first, bcs he is faking some yeller persona!
But, he offers great advice on how to eat and work out for weight loss and a permanent diet change that is sustainable.
Don't watch his body building crap, just low calorie, high volume foods and how to make the new diet sustainable.
He offers some great tips.
I changed all the condiments that I eat. No sugar added ketchup, no sugar bbq sauce, zero calorie pancake syrup.
I like phyllo dough sheets, and now I make my pastry with it. Two sheets instead of one, tart cherries or whatever filling you like with no added sugar, and mon fruit sweeteners.
Grandma used to put so much oil in it, but remember for centuries we tried to make our foods more caloric! I don't need that, so I put a tiny bit of spray oil just to make sure my fruit bites crisp up.
Same with potatoes, used to put oil when baking, now a tiny bit of spray.
No dairy or choose less caloric options.
Are you on a strict budget? This is not cheap, but I find that I went shopping for cabbage, low calorie everything and had snacks and fruits in the house.
It is still a struggle, but I keep tyring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd suggest the Beck Diet Book - uses cognitive behavioral therapy to change your thought patterns. It's a 45 day mental reset.

One of the first things you do is list your reasons on an index card.

Weight Loss for Busy Physicians podcast is also really good for mental "drama".

I've used this plus WW, IF + Dr. Mark Hyman diet book. I'm down almost 30.

Good luck.

+1 for Beck. I am reading the book now and am on week3. It does make a difference and wished I had read it earlier. I love that they don't recommend one eating plan over another, just a healthier way of approaching it mentally.

[Anonymous]

In addition to the PPs' suggestions, it helped me for my "treats" to just not be easily available. No ready-to-eat sweets around the house at all. Sure, I have sugar and flour and baking ingredients, and on the weekend I might bake a half batch of cookies for my kids and have one for myself, but most nights I'm not going to start up the KitchenAid when a craving hits at 10pm. (If a sleeve of Oreos were in the house, though...watch out.)

Same with booze. We have wine in the house, but I'm not going to crack open a whole bottle just because I'm a little thirsty watching TV. With hard alcohol around, it was just a little too easy to pour a little more, or have one more "splash."

As for movement, it needs to become part of your life. I personally didn't do well with multi-week challenges (because they end!), and it took me YEARS to be consistent, but a half hour or an hour of morning "movement" -- I won't even call it a workout -- is now a constant part of my life, every single day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In addition to the PPs' suggestions, it helped me for my "treats" to just not be easily available. No ready-to-eat sweets around the house at all. Sure, I have sugar and flour and baking ingredients, and on the weekend I might bake a half batch of cookies for my kids and have one for myself, but most nights I'm not going to start up the KitchenAid when a craving hits at 10pm. (If a sleeve of Oreos were in the house, though...watch out.)

Same with booze. We have wine in the house, but I'm not going to crack open a whole bottle just because I'm a little thirsty watching TV. With hard alcohol around, it was just a little too easy to pour a little more, or have one more "splash."

As for movement, it needs to become part of your life. I personally didn't do well with multi-week challenges (because they end!), and it took me YEARS to be consistent, but a half hour or an hour of morning "movement" -- I won't even call it a workout -- is now a constant part of my life, every single day.

OP here. This is a HUGE part of it. I can easily binge a sleeve of oreos, or several of the almond butter sandwich cookies from Costco, or chocolate covered almonds. Perhaps the easiest and first solution is to remove that stuff from the house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In addition to the PPs' suggestions, it helped me for my "treats" to just not be easily available. No ready-to-eat sweets around the house at all. Sure, I have sugar and flour and baking ingredients, and on the weekend I might bake a half batch of cookies for my kids and have one for myself, but most nights I'm not going to start up the KitchenAid when a craving hits at 10pm. (If a sleeve of Oreos were in the house, though...watch out.)

Same with booze. We have wine in the house, but I'm not going to crack open a whole bottle just because I'm a little thirsty watching TV. With hard alcohol around, it was just a little too easy to pour a little more, or have one more "splash."

As for movement, it needs to become part of your life. I personally didn't do well with multi-week challenges (because they end!), and it took me YEARS to be consistent, but a half hour or an hour of morning "movement" -- I won't even call it a workout -- is now a constant part of my life, every single day.

OP here. This is a HUGE part of it. I can easily binge a sleeve of oreos, or several of the almond butter sandwich cookies from Costco, or chocolate covered almonds. Perhaps the easiest and first solution is to remove that stuff from the house.

Dp. Or to have an alternative.

[Anonymous]

Read intuitive eating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Read intuitive eating.

Don't. Really don't. OP is intuitively eating a sleeve of oreos. I think this is the worst advice ever.
I would intuitively eat a whole giant bag of sour skittles!
We all eat intuitively, that's why we have a problem!

[Anonymous]

My husband has had good luck with intermittent fasting from 6pm-12pm with coffe for breakfast. He was a big late night snacked do that helped stop it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Read intuitive eating.

Don't. Really don't. OP is intuitively eating a sleeve of oreos. I think this is the worst advice ever.
I would intuitively eat a whole giant bag of sour skittles!
We all eat intuitively, that's why we have a problem!

I don’t think you understand what intuitive eating is, based on the book im talking about.

Intuitive eating isn’t eating whatever you want whenever you want. It’s about being mindful of what will satisfy your body and your taste buds, and being mindful of what, when, and why you’re eating.

The point of intuitive eating isn’t losing weight but I lost a lot by reading that book. More importantly I have a better relationship with food and my body. Eating is no longer a source of stress and shame but rather an experience in pleasure and making my body feel good.