Thanks everyone for all of the responses and suggestions!
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Originally Posted by krampus
Stop counting calories. Nothing good can come of that panicked "I ONLY HAVE X CALORIES LEFT" sensation!
Alternatively, stop eating breakfast/reduce breakfast and lunch portions a bit and have a bigger dinner.
Oh man, I read this and just about pooped my pants! That's how scary the idea of not counting is to me. I don't think I'm at that point yet where I can intuitively eat small amounts - I think I'm missing that switch that goes off when I'm full, LOL. I have been considering delaying my breakfast by an hour or so.
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Originally Posted by EskaDee
If you prefer to count calories, can I suggest you try planning your daily food intake in advance? Plan what you are going to have for your meals and work out the calories, so you will definitely be able to have the big dinner, and then you can eat the extra calories however you like, rather than the other way around?
I wouldn't suggest missing any meals to make up for it, but remember that it isn't necessarily a bad thing to have different calorie consumption on different days. If you go overboard with a big dinner today then you can plan ahead for tomorrow and have only one sandwich instead of two, or salad instead of chips to 'compensate' for the extra calories the day before.
I've also seen people on these boards suggesting that you count your calories from dinner the night before, instead of from breakfast. I'm not sure if that makes sense - basically, if you have 1650 calories as your daily allowance and you eat an 850 calorie dinner then you will have 800 calories left for breakfast and lunch the next day, and you will start your 1650 calories again the following dinner time. That way you will always have dinner to see you through the evening!
I hope that helps, I know how hard it is when you are fighting against the binges.
I might try to incorporate this a little bit. I already plan out most of my dinners for the week, but I pretty much leave my lunches and breakfasts up in the air, and I think that may be where I am running into problems.
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Originally Posted by betsy2013
I agree with EskaDee. The only way I can consistently lose weight is to count calories (and carbs and sodium.....) AND make up the day's menu either first thing in the morning or else the night before. If I write things down as I go along, then I end up in a world of hurt. Of course, I don't have a nursing infant so adding in one more thing to your already incredibly full list might seem like it's just impossible. But maybe you could take one of the baby's nap times and write down several days' worth of menus.
If I have to, I make changes, but I always input them before eating them to see what the "damage" will be. I would also suggest that if you have a smart phone, you use one of the dieting apps. Otherwise, they all have sites you can access while on your computer.
Good luck. Sounds like you've hit a speed bump this last month, but with a few changes in what is basically a good approach, you'll be able to get back on track.
That's basically been what's been happening - a world of hurt! A few unplanned pieces of zucchini bread ruined my whole day.
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Originally Posted by ChickieBoom
I also plan all my meals the night before. I grocery shop and only buy the specific foods that I plan to cook and eat. I eat a small salad with my lunch and a huge salad with my dinner and that usually keeps me full. I don't usually feel the need to snack but I have also completely cut sugar out of my diet so that has eliminated the sugar cravings.
This is exactly what I do for dinner... Not so much with breakfast/lunch, and maybe I should. I've noticed that really sugary/processed foods almost make me hungrier after eating them than before, it may be time for me to re-evaluate my whole "I can eat anything I want so long as it's in moderation" approach, since I'm having trouble moderating.
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Originally Posted by Ferny1730
I just got out of a seven week period where I struggled with binges at work because I was unable to make and follow my meal plan. The whole time it was happening, I wanted to put the brakes on, but there were too many other things happening in my life that prevented me from putting time and thought into my eating habits. I wish I could have stopped this in its tracks weeks ago before I gained back five pounds (evident in being unable to button my pants) but I was too busy managing other things.
With a new baby, I imagine that you probably have some crazy life events that are preventing you from focusing too! My suggestion is to accept that days might not be perfect all the time and to have some plan B meals on hand. This could be some canned soups or frozen dinners or something else that is really low calorie. That way, you can have a backup for when you can't eat your planned dinner. I don't know if this helps, but I know it would have helped me.
Wow, what a simple solution! This is a great suggestion. I think this week when I do the grocery shopping I'll pick up a few lean cuisines or something just to have on hand as a "Plan B". Thanks!