My diets last LESS than a day!
 

Typical day for me.... I start the day saying "I am grotesquely overweight. This is it. I will eat better and lose this weight!" I'm pretty good all day long. Thoughts of tempting foods I love go through my my mind, but I have control. Then I come home from work and all I can think about is FOOOOD! It's not like I haven't eaten throughout the day. It's just as soon as I make the commitment to lose weight, I sabotage myself by the end of the day! I actually do better on days that I DON'T think about losing weight! Why is that? Should I just give up and hope for the best?

Does anyone else do this?

Heidi

Oh man - I used to go through the same thing - I think every time I failed it just reinforced the next time. Over and over again. Many many years! Part of the "click" for me has been to do a 180. Instead of perceiving it as denial I look at everything good I eat, every bad food I avoid, and every extra bit I push myself on the exercise as something I'm doing because I love the little girl in me - I'm halfway through my life and I have never given her chance to live her dreams! She deserves better.

Another thought - it sounds like evenings may also be your "crisis" time. Mine is lunch through early afternoon. Maybe you can find something else to do then to keep you distracted? One trick I had once was to talk on the phone all night - I'd call everyone in my address book -

Course that was years ago when the phone was attached to the wall, it didn't have a mute and I couldn't eat while I talked! LOL. I guess it would be better to try to take some classes maybe? Or reschedule exercise for the evening?

I'm sure you can work through this - you've lost so much already - sounds like you might need some fresh motivation. You can do this!!

It might help to look hard within for some love for yourself and your body. It's awfully hard to lose weight, and even harder to maintain it, with disgust as your main motivation (you are in no way grotesquely overweight). You don't have to hate your weight off. You can love it off. It's so much easier to choose healthy food because you love yourself than to resist junk food because you hate your body. And dangit, it's so much more pleasant :)

I agree that doing something in the evenings is a good idea - and exercise does kill the appetite.
Other suggestions:
If there are certain foods that tempt you, don't have them in the house.
Promise yourself a non-food reward at the end of the week.
Stick an unflattering picture of yourself on the fridge.
Write down what you eat (makes you more accountable).
HTH...

You have gotten some really good advice. I will second (or third) the advice to exercise after work to distract yourself from food. After taking a long walk or going to the gym you will probably not be so ravenous, especially since you will feel sooo good from sweating and doing something positive for your body and health.

Exercise will also reduce the stress that you may have from work that might be leading you to overeat in the evenings.

Let us know what you decide to do!

Regarding the pattern that you eat worse on the days you resolve to "diet", I think that is super common. Our minds get stuck playing the "deprivation tape": "I can never eat a burger and fries again", "No more cookies ever again". I think you see the way this usually goes...... straight to the banished foods in a psychological attempt to get the goods before they are all gone. Looking at your food plan as a new way of life and adding new and exciting things into it can really give you a new perspective. You might want to check out the Maintainers forum here at 3FC where a number of women have maintained substantial weight loss. They eat really cool stuff, they exercise, they are excited about life, and they are really nice too! But they also struggle at times, getting back on the wagon before things get out of control. Good role models.

I do the same thing!

Maybe you could work on eating small/low calorie meals/snacks through the day?

That has been helpful to me at times! Once I get ravenous I lose self control. :devil:

I know the feeling...oh how today was gonna BE THE DAY!

I too know the feeling... I'm gung ho on my plan until I see cheesecake. *sigh*

i was like you only a few months ago, but i'm doing much better.
I think what has helped me was eliminating sugary sweet snack foods which were/are my biggest trigger. I eliminated everything for one year with the exception of one thing: cheesecake.
i think this is working because i know that if i want it, i can resort to cheesecake, which is something i love, and it also comes in many flavors and varieties as you may know. but on the other hand, cheesecake is just not really something most people are likely to have on hand, so it's just not readily available to binge on all the time.

I think the cheesecake loop hole works in that staves off the feelings of deprivation and banishment of sweets that i love.

other things that help are getting enough rest, salad, a variety of fruits and veggies, esp mixed greens, avocado, apples, berries and grapefruits.
taking baby steps with exercise. like signing up for a personal trainer and doing cardio a few days a week. just something. eating more protein and healthy fats, and taking suppliments, especially a greens suppliment.
Probiotics and learning more about good digestion and food sensitivities has also helped.

the biggest help though is when you finally start to feel good about the direction you are taking with your health.

Visualize your self living your skinny life and what kind of skinny habits you would have. Then when you feel tempted just think to yourself: "Now what would skinny me do?" :)

It sounds like you might be more successful with an established program as opposed to trying to do your best with being aware of what you are eating. If you go to the library and research some diets (South Beach, Weight Watchers, Atkins, The Zone, etc.) and find one you can live with, your life will be so much easier. Your food, for the first while, will be programmed and this makes it easier to stick to...
Kira

I can honestly tell you I was just like you.I was clinically depressed.Beginning to take antidepressants helped me with this.Talk to your doctor.Sometimes its more than just lack of willpower.

I agree^
i think emotional factors play a big part for me.
I don't like to take meds, but i've noticed when i eat low carbs, avoid wheat and eat more lean protien and dark leafy greens I feel better.
I've also been trying to get more omega 3's in my diet so i've added supplimental udo's 3-6-9 oil, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and cod liver oil to my diet. when i stick with a good diet, i naturally feel lighter, calmer and happier.

IF you have a craving go and brush your teeth the minty flavor will make probably take away the temptation to eat much of anything. It does for me sometimes. Also if I am getting to cranky and think I am going to over do it at night (which happens alot cuz i have the same problem you do!) i just go to bed early or i play a game online and once im all into it i forget that i wanted the food and that i was hungry. LOL. going out and taking a walk is always good to =) and you will feel better after!

This is my first post on 3FC. To the original poster - I am just like you! I couldve wrote this post! I had to quote JulieJ08's post, because I am guilty of trying to hate my weight off. I start out full steam ahead - super motivated & then its gone in a second. My last diet lasted 3 weeks (On weight watchers) & I only lost ONE POUND. I 100% changed my diet & lost a single pound - talk about discouraging! Im not blaming the plan, who knows why I didnt lose more, but it really set me back & Im back to eating whatever & whenever. - Good luck to you - hope you find inspiration & determination. Im right there with ya!