I feel like I've always had the problem that after eating something I enjoy/thought tasted good I always want more.
Does anyone else get this, how do you deal with it?
I can't finish something and think "wow that tasted really good, I'm glad I enjoyed it", I think "wow that was so good, I want to eat 5 more"
I remember it as a kid too, one spoonful of peanut butter was never enough.
This is the story of my life...and downfall of dieting for me. I am a person who CANNOT just have one. That one is the stick holding the dam and once you take it away, well...full snacking which used to (not so much anymore) turned into a binge.
If it is something that I have been craving for days, I will have some of it. I either give the rest to my kids or throw it away. If it is just something that is there, then I can't just graze. I am an all or nothing girl. With that said, I have come to understand my limitations. If I want say icecream, I substitute with a fudge pop (no sugar low cal) or frozen fruit. For something salty, some nuts.
Oh, do I struggle with this. I find it really helps if I pull out one serving from the bag/container, and then close up the container and put it away. I then enjoy my treat and follow it immediately with a big glass of water. The water washes the tempting flavor out of my mouth and fills my belly long enough for the craving to subside.
I know this is probably not going to be very helpful, but I mainly try to avoid having in the house foods where I can't eat "just one". I know if they're not there, then I won't eat them and if I go out, I will at least have some kind of portion size control (such as if it were a sweet treat or something).
However, I know that many people don't have that luxury. I live alone so what I bring into my house is really up to me.
I'm very much the same! If I've had something delicious I always want more. Recently I've had less craving to do so, and I wish I knew exactly what flipped the switch so I could tell everyone! It's such a relief to just have one of something delicious and then say, "you know what, I'm good."
It could be to do with the fact that I've started having more discipline in other areas of my life, so I guess I expect more of myself or something?
YES!! I can definitely relate to this. Moderation has never been one of my strong points, even though I know that's the key to living a healthy life style. I've actually come to realize that it's better for me to not eat something I truly enjoy as opposed to having just a bit, because I find it frustrating that I have to limit myself to just a small portion. Might as well give it up.
alot of us struggle with this. I was writing about this in my thread, well, I think Kelsey has A GREAT strategy. The water not only washes your palate, but it is filling (no cal) and it provides a break between the "stick something in your mouth" part of nibbling. which gives you a chance to examine your next move.
Recently I've had less craving to do so, and I wish I knew exactly what flipped the switch so I could tell everyone!
rocket pop, have you been eating more whole foods lately? I recently started back on a whole foods plan, but doing it really whole foods (with very little processed foods, not like in the past, when I would have just a few foods that were processed but in decent portions) and I find that my cravings have also really gone down a lot. This is amazing, considering I am in very high stress mode right now (new job started earlier than I thought it would).
Also, I'm eating a lot of salads (2 big green meal-sized salads per day), mainly because they're the easiest to fix for me right now, so that might also be helping.
I'm really not good with this , I'm trying to strictly calorie count and beat myself wiht logic that I don't have the room but that doesn't always work. "Just one more" seems to get me a lot. You know how lays "Betcha can't eat just one" I'm that way a lot. I am trying to pause, drink tea, and that seems to MOSTLY work during the work day if I really want a second cookie, sometimes I work it into my plan.
The weekends however it doesn't work so much especially with all the parties later. I am not good with parties I'm not a chatter so if there isn't dancing I end up eating. Horrid, I'm working on that and I think am better than before but I still don't think I have eating habits that will allow me to sustain a healthy weight in the long run. Hopefully the journey teaches me much more.
I think I belong here. I just didn't realise it. I have stopped the "Uber-Binges" that I use to have on a regular basis. But I still struggle to not binge when in party situations. I had a wingman for that, we help each other out but after midnight were not that great at supporting each other.
rocket pop, have you been eating more whole foods lately? I recently started back on a whole foods plan, but doing it really whole foods (with very little processed foods, not like in the past, when I would have just a few foods that were processed but in decent portions) and I find that my cravings have also really gone down a lot. This is amazing, considering I am in very high stress mode right now (new job started earlier than I thought it would).
Also, I'm eating a lot of salads (2 big green meal-sized salads per day), mainly because they're the easiest to fix for me right now, so that might also be helping.
Tam
I always eat a high proportion of whole foods, but you're right, the choices I make overall are probably linked to how easy it is for me to ignore the not-so-good-for-you foods. When I eat lots of snack-type foods, like nuts or crackers and cheese or toast even if they're whole grains, or less legumes/vegetables/good dairy products, I'm more inclined to have the treat-y type foods.
The more I think about this, I think the main thing for me that helped was focussing less on eating to lose weight, and exercising to lose weight, and transferring that focus on to eating for health and nutrients, and exercising for cardiovascular and bone health (as well as mental clarity). It's easier said than done, and it's a long process, and I'm not quite there yet.
I'm trying very hard to stay within my fat/carb/protein limits, and the 1200-1500 calories a day.
I'm starting to look at it like a checking account: if I only have so much in there, I can't waste it on junk...and if I eat a good filling breakfast, lunch, and snack, I use most of the remaining cals for dinner, but I still leave some for a WW dessert, or something sweet.
I have an aunt who ate very moderately all her life and whose only treat consisted of taking two or three m&m candies to her nightstand every evening. She ate the candy while watching a movie and never ate more than that. She will be turning 90 any moment now, and was never fat... I hope some day I will be able to measure out my portions like that.
Last edited by inglesita64; 05-20-2012 at 10:15 PM.
Try and buy as small amounts as possible I think! I know that the amoun of bags of crisps I could eat is pretty much.... however many bags there ARE! So, I don't buy multipacks, just individual.
I have taken to sometimes buying things I don't like that much. I am not sure if this is good or not!! Like, form biscuits, I will choose a kind that is not one of my favourites, less likely to eat thr whole packet. But it's funny how rich tea biscuits can become the yummiest thing in the world when that is all there is!!!
Enjoying just one
