I had read this book Super Foods Rx: 14 Foods that Will Change Your Life and I knew, down to my bones, that I could lose weight and be healthy and lose the weight forever. It was...galvanizing.
So, I immediately started trying to eat as many super foods a day as possible and trying to eat pretty much only super foods (just for the record they are: oatmeal, tofu, turkey, berries, tomatoes, walnuts, yogurt, oranges, broccoli, spinach, pumpkin, beans and salmon). Each super food has sidekick foods (like orange pepper and carrots for pumpkin, so I ate those too). I was rational enough to know that stuff like mushrooms or zucchini weren't super foods but were okay for my plan.
Well - look what I did. A whole foods diet. No junk. No sugar. No white carbs. Very little processed foods. I was eating wonderful, healthy foods every day, in generous portions. In one month, I had dropped at least 10 lbs, I felt energetic, I felt wonderful and for the first time in my life, my food cravings were GONE. All my life, I had thought I had a problem with food, it turns out I have a problem with CERTAIN FOODS (pretzels, chips, cold cereal, crackers, bread). I got rid of those and I went from a 20 year yo-yo dieter to a 6 year maintainer. Like magic. Seriously, after all those years of struggle, it felt like someone had waved a magic wand over my head.
My plan has evolved over time, but it's mainly the super foods diet. Sticking to it works for me.
So, like Robin, I will always advise at least trying a cold turkey approach. What's the worst thing that can happen - it doesn't work? Then try something else.
You don't have to completely give up pizza hut. According to my nutrionist, you can have 2 slices of thin and crispy cheese pizza from Pizza Hut (380 calories total). Also, if you can't quit soda cold turkey, then ween yourself off by drinking diet soda at first and then eventually ween yourself off of diet soda and onto water.
I use to eat an entire medium size pizza from Pizza Hut in 1 sitting (I'm a self-confessed emotional eater). After about a week of eating smaller meals, I think my stomach got smaller because 2 slices of cheese pizza filled me up! Hang in there!
Well, unless you are me and 2 pieces of pizza starts off an internal GONG of "pizzapizzapizzapizza". It might be okay if I buy it by the slice so there are JUST 2 pieces and no more, but in a social situation with a couple of pies on the table, I have EVER been able to stop at 2. Not even after all my years of maintenance. Plus, carbs like that can have this weird effect where I get a hollow, achy hole in the pit of my stomach. I noticed it earlier most recently when I had half a bagel at a company breakfast, my stomach felt hurty-hungry and I wanted MORE food.
David Kessler's book "The End of Overeating," really opened my eyes. Although I already (thought that I) understood carb addiction, I didn't realize that my attempts at moderation with trigger foods were much like trying to use heroine, crack, and crystal meth "in moderation." If even lab rats got hooked on these foods, how can I break the addiction?
I'm trying to eliminate all of the foods that trigger overeating, but I'm having mixed success. I'm a former probration officer, and if bingeing on trigger foods were illegal and there was "food probation" my probation would be revoked (or at least I'd be mandated into treatment).
We don't look at food issues as addictions, though. While there are treatments available for a lot eating disorders, overeating is not one of them (well, there is treatment available, but it tends to be more expensive than other eating disorder treatments, and it's generally not covered by medical insurance).
If you stop eating, you're ill with anorexia, but if you can't stop eating you're just a lazy glutton (or if you're thin, you're lucky, unless you barf it up then you're ill with bulimia).
I'm not whining that there isn't help out there for overeaters, there is and a lot of it's even free, it's just buried in so much misinformation it's hard to find.
Confusing the issue even more, is the fact that not all overeaters are overweight, and not all overweight and obese are chronic or compulsive overeaters.
I'm learning that even some foods people assume to be healthy foods, are nonetheless triggers for me, and it's so hard to look at these foods as drugs when our culture does not. Even when I know these foods are as emotionally and physically dangerous to me as street drugs would be to a drug addict, I'm still thinking it won't be Christmas unless I have a few pieces of my mother's homemade caramels, even though last year I had a "sugar bender" like I hadn't had in decades after a few pieces of those caramels. In less than 7 days, I had eaten more sugar than I probably had eaten in the entire previous year (I didn't gain much weight, because I did get right back on track, but I felt like I was hit by a bus, and the taste of those caramels was not worth walking out in front of a bus on purpose, so what the heck did I think I was doing?)
Maybe there will be a day I can do trigger foods in moderation, but I rather doubt it (especially after reading David Kessler's book). I just don't know if I'll ever acheive true and complete abstinence with so many people, including close family and friends and even the television pressuring me to have at least "just one bite" all of the time.
Lots of good advice here, but I'll weigh in with mine.
I was a binge eater for about 30 years. Maybe longer. I started when I was a kid-- I used to sneak into the kitchen at night and steal food-- I got hard core as a teen and kept it up until my late 40s.
I'm a health care provider and I knew all about calories in and calories out and exercise and nutrition, and all that. What I did not know was the answer to your question: how do I stop myself from eating the bad stuff?
I went to a specialist psychologist at a huge and famous medical center in New York. I went to a hundred dollar an hour nutritionist at another famous university hospital. Nothing. Nada. Zip. I felt that I had a special psychological quirk that kept me from being able to stop eating.
So I gave myself a pass. I was "unable" to stop. I "couldn't" I was "powerless. I was miserable, morbidly obese and getting worse every year.
But here's the thing. Believing that I had a "special psychological quirk" allowed me to pretty much eat whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. Craving a cupcake? I'd make a secret run to the store and buy six. Sometimes I wanted some very specific thing, like a pound of Twizzlers, or chocolate eclairs. And if I wanted it, I'd go get it, and if I couldn't get it I'd always find something to binge on... Sure, I tried to stop, but I thought I was powerless.
Then, one day, about eighteen months ago, I actually did stop. I had a powerful motivation because I had a career goal that I could not possibly meet because of my weight. I panicked and just STOPPED EATING CRAP.
Guess what? I already knew which foods I shouldn't be eating. I had never once binged on veggies, or chicken breast. But baked goods, salty snacks, candy, and the kind of carbs that can be slathered with butter: rice, noodles, pasta, bread, they all went on my no list. I stopped eating them. And it did NOT trigger a binge.
When I was in training for my health care career I had to do a psych rotation, and I remember sitting in on a group therapy session with a bunch of drug addicts. The discussion was about saying goodbye to their best friend-- the drug, and how much they missed that drug, and how there were good things about being an addict.
So, that's how I felt about food. I wanted to be healthier and thinner but TO BE PERFECTLY HONEST I always wanted the food more.
Now, I still struggle from time to time, but I don't ever binge, and I don't need to keep myself away from those foods, in fact, I can keep them in the house and I don't even look at them.
It IS POSSIBLE to teach yourself not to eat those foods, but you have to actually sit down face to face with yourself and be brutally honest and decide: which do you love more, yourself and your health? Or the pizza and the pop? Are you truly and genuinely willing to say that you will not eat or drink that ever again and that you have eaten and drunk enough already in your life to make up for lost time. If the answer is yes, then you just need to set your mind to it.
The hopeful thing I can say is that the struggle is surprisingly easier than it seems. The struggle not to eat certain foods is only horrible and unbearable when your brain is pretty sure that eventually you are going to give in. It keeps tapping on your shoulder whispering "are you going to say Uncle, or what?" But if you are 100% certain, deep down, where it matters that you are DONE eating and drinking the stuff that makes you fat, then the little voice will die down and go away in a surprisingly short amount of time.
There are definitely people who succeed without "going cold turkey" but the cold turkey method seems to work very well for people who feel very out of control around food.
The most important thing to remember is that being obese is very very hard, and getting thinner is relatively easy-- the hardest part is believing it can be done.
i'm really enjoying reading this interesting thread. it's completely intriguing to me that when we all read the first post, we had different reactions. i read it and thought she needed specific substitions. healthier alternatives, ways to transition into the healthy eating. others read this and realized she may have an addiction to certain foods. i don't think either is wrong, it's just really interesting that we all have such different approaches and reactions.
the really great thing about those rules, 'no pizza' or whatever the rule is. once you've made the rule, you just don't have to think about it anymore. there's no more negotiating of moderation. 'oh, i'll just have 1 little piece...etc.' once you give in, you keep thinking about having more.
i tried the cold turkey method/rule method with Halloween candy this year. while i can't say i've banned all sugar or junk completely, i completely abstained from eating any of my kids' candy this year. first time ever. and i rarely thought about it, or looked at it. i'm not a chocolate addict, i hardly think about desert, but i knew once i had a little, i would want more. the negotiations in my head would begin. so i just had none.
instead of feeling like i was missing out, i felt proud. it's the mental victories that may seem so small, that often matter the most.
for me, this was always about my mind. my head. i get in my own way. i knew what to do. thankfully, this site and friends i've met on here have helped alot.
i think with a bit of experimentation, an open optimistic, determined mind, you'll no doubt have success! i'm sure we'll all be eager to find out how you are doing.
I felt that I had a special psychological quirk that kept me from being able to stop eating.
I loved your whole post, ubergirl. This sentence really jumped out at me, because for pretty much forever, I really thought there was something about my psychological makeup that made me want to eat, eat, eat. And I just didn't think there was anything to be done about it. I'm just the girl who wants to eat ridiculous amounts of food all the time, so I guess I'll just always be the fat girl. Sure, I could use my decidely considerable will power to lose weight from time to time, but it always ended in giving in and eating back to where I was before and then some.
I can't say with 100% certainty that I finally have the whole thing figured out, but I have had a couple of revelations lately that I thought I would share.
For me, eating certain things just begets more eating. I scared myself with my high weight of 350 lbs, and made the decision one day that this was going to stop. Thankfully, when I decided this, I also got myself on a really good plan of calorie counting and being mindful of carbs, especially sugars and processed stuff. I hit the ground running and didn't really look back. I've lost 70+ pounds since May with this way of eating, and because I am so committed, I didn't really veer from the course at all. Losing weight was becoming pretty easy for me, because my appetite was totally in control. I was not hungry! I got to the point where I ate my healthy meals, then didn't really even think about food again until it was almost time for the next. This experience has really made me wonder how I ever got so large in the first place. I was thinking to myself, WOW, all I have to do is stay under a certain amount of calories, and the weight is just falling off at a nice steady pace. EASY!
Well, over this Thanksgiving, I am realizing why I got so large in the first place. I had my meal, and it did include some foods I'm no longer accustomed to eating. Not very much, mind you. A spoonful of corn casserole, a spoonful of stuffing, a spoonful of a squash bake with a sweet and buttery crumbly crust, and one piece of pumpkin cream cheese pie. Okay, I'll take the calorie hit for the day, no biggie. Right back on plan the next day, back to eating my sensible way. HA! The next 2 days I pretty much had to tie myself down to keep out of the leftovers, even having thoughts about raiding my DD's Halloween candy that has been sitting there for a month untouched and un-thought-of by me. I abstained, and now 5 days later, I'm back in my regular mindset. But I had to white-knuckle it for at least a good 2 days because of the cravings those few spoonfuls of rich, buttery, carby foods brought on. Luckily, I am still at a place where failure is not an option. But that may not always be the case.
So now. I doubt I will ever tell myself I will never eat X again as long as I live. But I am extremely aware that it is a very slippery slope. It's not the calories I'm eating right then, it's that I will need to go back to that initial discomfort and cravings for at least a few days every time I do. And I must decide on a case-by-case basis if it's worth it. 99% of the time, it's not.
Sorry so long, but this realization is becoming THE difference for me. It is what will make this possible for me for the long haul. Good luck, OP!!
Yes Uber, another great post. Your post resonates with me in a big way.
Yours too Shannon.
Certain foods give me the sensation that I can't shove it in my mouth fast enough. They send me into a feeding frenzy.
When I made the decision to lose the weight, I knew without any doubt that THOSE were the foods that would have to go.
I made peace with it. Those foods certainly tasted good, but they were extremely harmful to my health. And I was no longer willing to put my life on the line for food.
When we speak of cold turkey, so many people can't fathom it (I was one of them for decades quite frankly), and are so opposed to it as if we're suggesting this bizarre out of this world, unthinkable thing, totally undo-able thing.
Lots of people have to adhere to special diets to keep their conditions at bay and no one opposes them or thinks they are so unreasonable and undo-able in the same manner that this special diet gets treated; And it makes me sad as you hear successful person after successful person share their experiences
Yes, there is more than one way to do things, but here you have a tried and true method.. just sayin'...
I'm kinda sad that the OP hasn't checked back in....
This is a great thread.
I wanted to post to the OP that I know what you are going thru. I have fallen back into my old food patterns.
Sugar is addictive. White bread and pasta and processed crackers, snacks and such just turn into sugar in your system.
I had lots of success a couple of years ago and one thing I did was totally cut out all forms of sugar and most carbs. It truly helped me get ahold of my appetite. The constant blood sugar swings kept me hungry and when I got that in line with a pretty low carb diet I was able to get back in control.
I am starting back on this plan today.. for breakfast I am making a large serving of eggs (mostly whites with one yolk) and lots of veggies.. onions, tomatos, green and red bell and jalapeno (love it!). This was my fav. breakfast back then.
It helps me to make a plan for 2-3 days.. what my meals will be with a snack or two and have it all on paper.
Not having the food around is key for me. I started Mid October, got rid of anything bad, filled the house with healthy whole options. And in a little over a month I was down 14 pounds.
Last week I went home for Thanksgiving. I took things with me, I planned on buying other things when I got there. My sister's house was FULL junk and holiday goodies. Being surrounded by all that stuff, my mom cooking delicious meals, getting talked into eating out, I COMPLETELY lost my will power. I managed to get in a healthy breakfast and had a banana or apple during the day, but for lunch and dinner I completely indulged. And I wont lie, I REALLY enjoyed it. I felt guilty, but I kept telling myself it was a holiday and I was with family and I would get back on track when I got home.
And I have. I got back in my own environment Saturday evening, and I've had no problem getting back on plan. Here I have complete control over what's in the house. I'm doing the cooking, and there is no longer junk around, it's out of site out of mind for me.
I know I should have had better control while I was gone, I'm not happy with myself for losing a week on my journey because I gave in, but I'm not beating myself up over it and now I'm 100% back in the right mind set because I have complete control over the food around me again.
[QUOTE] I'm 100% back in the right mind set because I have complete control over the food around me again.
Sounds like you're recovering nicely. Good job for getting back to it.
At some point though, you may have to learn how to adhere to your healthy food plan while outside your home.
There's a LOT of events that take place out of our home between all the holidays, parties, social functions, business meals, and what not, so getting a handle on it is fairly important.
For me, planning it out ahead of time is vital. Deciding which foods I will eat and which I won't. I need to set myself some boundaries, some limits, otherwise the choices are overwhelming and I'm MUCH more likely to stray. I need to narrow my food pool.
Oh believe me Robin, I know I have to learn to control it no matter what situation I'm in. I definitely failed my first test, but I'm a work in progress and hopefully the longer I do this, the easier it will get. =)
Social situations and "surprise food" are still my downfall after all this time. Sometimes I do okay, and sometimes I don't. I just remind myself that one night of cheese, wine and crackers didn't make me heavy and get right back to it the next meal.
My eating is so planned and structured I am "on plan" by default probably 95% of the time. I know exactly what I'm eating (meals and snacks through Friday night, for example). Being so careful makes indulgences possible, as long as they are controlled (someone else's house, for example).
all these posts have given me a lot of insight about what i need to do.... i thought i should also kinda fo ezxplain the situation.. i live in a house with alll boys who think a carboard box is whole wheat...... i cant stock the cupboards with healthy food.. becuase it isnt my house... i feel as if im ruining it for everyone else, when they want somehting and because me we cant get it.. then i end up feeling horrible.. and it turns into a crazy tug of war game in my head.... another thing i wanted to know about is.. have any of you ever gotten the feeling when u start eating something bad.. and u feel it hurting... giving u bad feelings in ur stomach and burning ur throat.. but u cant stop.. my heart starts pounding and i just want more n more.. i dont even need to taste it.. i just need to have it.. .... it makes me feel rly ashamed.. im starting to think its cause i dont like who i am.... i love animals.. and one day just decided to go vegetarian and i havent touched meat in over 5 months.. that meant saying goodbye to all that fastfood... but how can i not say goodbye to crap to help me? how can i do something to save someone else? but completely disregard everything my body is telling me... and keep diggin my own grave???? im sorry if i sound crazy but there is so much going thru me and i dont no how to handle any of it....
