[aseret123]

Hi everyone! I've been a member here for a while now, but this is the first time I've ever started a thread. I'm doing so now because I desperately need some help with motivation. I feel like I actually cannot stop eating. I've tried going to the gym (usually don't like undoing my good work with food) but hasn't worked. I've tried reading through the goal threads so I can see other people's success. I've joined challenges here at 3fc. I've tried listing every single reason why I want to be healthier. It's just none of it seems to be enough to stop me from putting that food in my mouth! I'm not hungry at all, I'm not bored, the only thing making me sad is that I can't stop eating. The only reason I haven't regained the weight I've lost is because I've been working a lot over Christmas, which involves being on my feet all day. I just don't know what to do anymore.

What do you do to get yourself back on track?

[Glory87]

Have you tried changing what you eat?

All my life, I thought I had a problem with food, it turns out I just had a problem with SOME foods, specifically - white carb, sugary foods. For example, if I eat a plain Saltine cracker, I want to eat the whole sleeve of Saltine crackers. Ditto for pretzels, Wheat Thins, cold cereal, chips, cookies, etc. I either get ravenously hungry or I just get munchy, but it always feels uncontrollable.

I was finally successful when I strictly limited/restricted those foods.

If you had told me 7 years ago, I wouldn't eat scones or chips or cookies anymore, I would have thought you were crazy. Those were my FAVORITE foods! It turns out, I don't miss them. I definitely don't miss the out of control eating. I used to think I could never stop binging, restlessly eating, going back and back and back to a sleeve of Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies until they were all eaten.

I feel...I had that time in my life to eat whatever I wanted and it didn't make me happy. The taste of a sweet roll might have made me happy briefly, but the result - fat, sluggish, no energy me who HATED myself for not being able to say no to food - that did not make me happy.

Now, I eat lots of veggies, protein, fruit and I don't feel ravenously hungry. I am a size 6, with a closet full of beautiful clothes and I love shopping, I love pictures of myself! I have energy, I don't fall asleep at work every day in the afternoons.

My willpower did not change. If I eat a chocolate chip cookie, I immediately want MORE chocolate chip cookies. I just learned that it's a lot easier to say no to the first chocolate chip cookie than the second chocolate chip cookie.

With this small change, I can live as a thin person. It's a miracle.

[deblosingit]

If you are obsessed with certain foods and can't control yourself and just keep eating and eating and eating them then I would seriously consider completely eliminating them from your diet. I have many trigger foods that I had to say goodbye to cookies, candy, ice cream, diet pop, fast food. I did go through a withdrawal when I gave them up. It wasn't easy. I replaced them with whole foods like fruits, vegetables, meats and nuts.

You can retrain your taste buds. You might not believe it but I am living proof that it is true. I had 55 years of eating the "typical American diet" and would mindlessly shovel food in my mouth in front of the tv all night until my stomach hurt. I ended up weighing 255 lbs. Now, I consider myself to be a reformed food addict. Since I have been eating clean for about a year now my body actually craves whole foods.

I sympathize with you because you feel like the food is controlling you and you have no power over it. I was in the exact same position 1 year ago. Well I am here to tell you that you can take back that power. You may have to completely revamp your eating habits and eat in a new way that you have never tried before, but you don't have to be a slave to food.

You can ease into this gradually. I don't believe in "all or nothing". Start making small changes. Eliminate a trigger food and eat more fruit and veggies, rinse, repeat. If you do this consistently over time in a few months you will have transformed your diet.

[4newtsmom]

This thread is awesome. I feel the same as you aseret123. I will eat potato chips just because...Not cause I'm hungry, I just want to eat them! It is so hard to stay motivated not to.

I am so glad you posted your philosophy Kara. I never EVER thought of anything in my life that way, but now that I have read that, it completely makes sense! I am going to try to use that in my life, and hopefully it will help in all aspects!