Anonymous wrote:I was an Au Pair long ago. Couldn't believe Americans have a cookie jar (sugary cereal and pop tarts,) and kids are only allowed to play in their back yards. If you have a cookie jar full of cookies available 24/7, you better allow the kids to roam the whole town with their friends on bikes 10 hours a day. Can you imagine what all the sugar does to grown-ups.
I have no idea what they put in the food here, but as I'm eating, I'm thinking about my next meal. Not the case when I go back home. I get full and stay full.
Start walking up the hills and cut out processed food. Most fruits are very sweet if you need sugar fix.

I've heard this several times before. I wonder what it is, as well. It must be something.

Because I have a weird food allergy, I don't eat most processed foods. If I do slip something in, it triggers me to want more food. It's strange.

For me, I don't buy packaged sweets. On Sundays, we bake something sweet and eat it the same day. If we don't make it ourselves, I don't eat it. I don't find that all or nothing mentality helpful. I can't say "I'm not going to eat this type of food from here on out." I can say, though, that I'm going to eat this on Sundays only.

I also struggle with eating in the late evenings. I'm trying to replace that need with something else, like a hot tea, an orange, or maybe even some sugarless gum. I'd say it works about 90% of the time, which is a huge improvement.

I recently watched a doc about Okinawa and longevity. As well as a Netflix Chinese cooking show about different delicacies from different regions.
What struck me is that they eat pork, even in Okinawa they eat spam still.
The Okinawa doc said out loud that they eat nutrient dense, calorie lacking foods.
The food doc was not about that, but it was clear to see that much of the episodes were about eating leaves, flowers and pickled veggies. This was a bout village food. I am sure cities are a different story.
There was a lot of pork and mutton too, the fat was cherished like the best shot! Half of the shots about meat were about the quality of the fat!
But, then a mom worked for two days to make her dd a specialty of the banana tree trunk for her wedding.
Another worked to make the banana flower dish.
There was no meat in either of these, just cabbage and like chilly flakes.
I am sure they had meat too, but most of the talk about meat was about using it to flavor dishes. Same with Okinawa.
I think our European food culture has created an abundance of high calorie foods. And they taste good!
In Okinawa they asked teens if they would rather have a traditional Okinawan dish or a burger from the American village. They said burger as fast as you can say it.
But, of course, they did, it is delish! But, not nearly as nutrient dense as some dried, then beat, then soaked in water, then fermented cabbage leaves!
This whole rant of mine, is basically me doing a review, don't have any idea why!
I love food, can you tell?

I’ve been where you are - similar height and weight. I’d suggest medication- either phentermine or saxsenda- at least to start. It will kill your appetite and you don’t need to take it long term. Daily walking. And change your dinners to remove the carbs. This helped me to lose a lot but it happened pretty slowly.

PP here - also figure out what 'sacrifices' are easy for you. For me - I don't care about soda, salad dressing, and grocery store baked treats. I don't miss them if I don't eat them, so I just don't ever eat them, period. I can't, however, say no to homemade cookies and cake - so I either make a batch and eat a few and give them away, or make only a half batch, or I don't make them at all.

I am also finding that I can cut the sugar in half in almost every recipe I do actually end up baking, which helps train my tongue to like less sweet things. At least, that's what I'm telling myself.

OP - I, too, would eat an entire sleeve of Oreos, a whole box of Somoas, etc. I love sugar. I simply don't keep it in the house. I don't bake cookies any more unless they are leaving the house for some function. I really enjoy making my kids' bday cakes and decorating them, but we don't any more. We get mini cupcakes from a bakery down the street, or a tiny ice cream cake from a lovely ice cream shop, and have the treat for one meal and then we are done with it. Otherwise, I'll eat the rest by myself. Figure out where you have control and then use those areas to help yourself. I have control at the store - I am not tempted to buy anything sugary there. I have no control in my house, so I just don't bring the food in.

The first step is absolutely to evaluate your environment and change it so that you are successful which means not having processed sugars in the house. When your kids want sweets, have your husband take them out for ice-cream or to a bakery.

What helped me get over my sugar addiction was transitioning from processed sugars to natural sugars, and now I have a very healthy relationship with sweets. If I wanted a dessert it was a banana with almond butter or frozen banana blended with fruit for "ice-cream" or dates. I now rarely want sweets, but I will have something maybe once a week, but I am no longer in love or binging on sweets. Good luck, OP!

Anonymous wrote:Either you stop buying the sweets or you have your DH hide them.

I am overweight too, and I gained about 15 pounds over a couple of months from eating dates.

I have a very picky 6 year old who loves them, so I decided we had to keep buying them. However, I asked DH to keep them and give her a cup a day.

It's working very well. I have lost about 8 of those 15 pounds in less than a month (I have increased my movement too).

That sounds like me. I can put on that much weight, and have, from eating ridiculous foods.

Either you stop buying the sweets or you have your DH hide them.

I am overweight too, and I gained about 15 pounds over a couple of months from eating dates.

I have a very picky 6 year old who loves them, so I decided we had to keep buying them. However, I asked DH to keep them and give her a cup a day.

It's working very well. I have lost about 8 of those 15 pounds in less than a month (I have increased my movement too).

Don't completely cut out sugar, it sets you up for a disaster. Find alternatives that you like that are healthier. Do grocery pick up or something similar so you don't buy more sweets. Try counting macros VS calories. Gives you a better idea on how to balance your diet.

Thanks all. I’ll check out the podcasts.

I think I’ll start with revisiting IF, if anything it cuts down on my calorie intake and I enjoy being able to eat “anything” from 12-6.

Plus, I’m going to a beach house and that seems like a great opportunity to detox. I’ll be grumpy at the beach (!!) but it’ll be easy to just not pack Oreos.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I forgot about intermittent fasting! How could I, that’s all that’s discussed here.

I did it for a short amount of time before I got pregnant, and I really liked it. I don’t have time for breakfast anyway; usually just a coffee on the way to school drop off. Perhaps I’ll revisit this idea.

Also, we’re going to a beach house in a week. Maybe I just won’t pack sugary snacks. It’ll be good opportunity to break the habit.

100%. You and your family simply do not need them! Good luck OP!

I was an Au Pair long ago. Couldn't believe Americans have a cookie jar (sugary cereal and pop tarts,) and kids are only allowed to play in their back yards. If you have a cookie jar full of cookies available 24/7, you better allow the kids to roam the whole town with their friends on bikes 10 hours a day. Can you imagine what all the sugar does to grown-ups.
I have no idea what they put in the food here, but as I'm eating, I'm thinking about my next meal. Not the case when I go back home. I get full and stay full.
Start walking up the hills and cut out processed food. Most fruits are very sweet if you need sugar fix.

OP here. I forgot about intermittent fasting! How could I, that’s all that’s discussed here.

I did it for a short amount of time before I got pregnant, and I really liked it. I don’t have time for breakfast anyway; usually just a coffee on the way to school drop off. Perhaps I’ll revisit this idea.

Also, we’re going to a beach house in a week. Maybe I just won’t pack sugary snacks. It’ll be good opportunity to break the habit.

I started listening to the podcast weight loss for busy physicians. I’m not a doctor, but so much of what she said resonated with me.