[hughs dad]

Hi all,

Where to start... I'm 38 year old male, married, 2 kids. Have always done things to excess, working out, golf, food, alcohol, you name it. Moderation and me don't exist in the same sentence.

Over a year ago I quit drinking. I thought that would help me lose weight. I'm 260 lbs and weighed 170lbs 8 years ago.

I start a new diet everyday. I wake up and say, "this is the day". I might make it past dinner but then at midnight I'm eating anything in site. My biggest problem is night eating. I eat sugary foods EVERY NIGHT.

Quitting drinking took me about 4 years to do. Very similar to this eating thing. The desire to stop was there, I just couldn't do it. Then one day I decided to get help and it worked.

So that is why I'm posting this. Looking for help, something to click.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks,

HD

[NJChick78]

Ask for help. Ask wife to police you. Pick one sugary thing to eliminate, like soda. Start there. Start small.

[Thousandsunny]

I think NJchick78 is right with starting small. Accomplishing the small stuff first can help you with motivation. If night eating is your bane, pick a time to cut off and meet it, then lower it every couple days. Start with 9:00pm and hit it, then move it to 8:00pm and hit that, etc etc. (I had to do the same with soda, I cut myself down day by day, until it went from like 10 a day (seriously, I loved the stuff) to 8, to 6, etc etc. And now I'm trying to do the same with diet soda.)
Also, welcome to the forum, dude!

[loser59]

i find that diet sodas help me satisfy my craving for sweet things (esp. diet pepsi). many times i am really craving desert, and -not so optimistic about it- grab a diet soda instead... it works for me.

[NJChick78]

Ok. First make a plan. I calorie count. Then write down all the food you eat. Watch serving size. Write down foods you don't want. Example: Don't say you can't have soda, tell yourself you don't want soda.

[Rana]

Eat fruit. It's hard to binge on fruit (although some people do!) and fruit like grapes which are really sweet can maybe satisfy that craving.

[Monkeysmom]

I have had a very difficult (and when I say difficult I am not exaggerating) time with moderation. I'm good at it in theory and I would wake up every day promising myself that I would not get takeout and drink that night and lo and behold, it would happen. I gave up alcohol as well which I haven't craved like I thought I would but the food cravings are still there. I haven't "cheated" which is a combination of things. I think one of the most important was that I took an inventory of all my food "weaknesses" and researched healthy, lower calorie alternatives. Does my VitaTop muffins taste exactly like a full-flavored carrot cake? I wish, but it is sweet and filled with fiber and super low-cal. Its not easy and I wish I could have my jaw wired sometimes but I've had to get around it. Whatever you crave, there's usually a healthier option that a lot of companies have been quick to get on the bandwagon with. My boyfriend who has a sweet tooth loves these fruity popsicles he picked up from Trader Joe's. If you can quit drinking which I know is super hard, you've got this!

[neon_zephyr]

hughs_dad, I'd suggest replacing some of those sugary items with less problematic sugary items until you can wean yourself off of the sugar addiction. See if you can replace some of the sweets in your house with fruit or diet soda. Drinking water or diet soda sometimes stops me from seeking out something worse. Additionally, if I don't keep it in the house and have to drive somewhere to buy something to fill my craving, I'm less likely to give in to it. Would that work with you?