[Arctic Mama]

Well, willpower gets conflated with something beyond a choice, and that's my beef. Make a different choice, or don't. There's a Yoda-ism about that

Truly though, this is where so many folks fail and with good reason. It's simple, it isn't necessarily easy, but it must be done.

[DoingMyBest79]

Originally Posted by ADL

This might be a little unorthodox but when I first started dieting I purposefully made myself bloated so I would be too full to overeat. For example, I would have a ton of diet soda and air popped popcorn, or a large plate of raw vegetables with salsa as a dipping sauce, or a lot of pickles or tea etc... I wanted to feel full without eating a lot of calories and so feeling bloated (which normally made me feel gross) at that point in my diet was useful. If you really just can't stop eating then this would be a better alternative. Of course this has the potential to lead you down a bad road but it's worth a shot if you feel like your only alternative is just to binge on high calorie foods

I did this too and found it incredibly helpful. In addition to having nighttime munchie cravings, I struggle with bingeing, and I found that when I had several diet sodas or seltzer that filled my tummy and made me feel bloated, I had no desire to binge. It was actually one of the most effective ways I found that curbed my urges to binge.

[coolacrity]

Thank you so much for all the suggestions, everyone! The last two days have been successful because of your help thinking outside the box.

I basically went with switching my evening snack and dinner so I wouldn't be starving when I got home in the evening and eat more than I planned to. Sure it means I have to pack at night, but that's a teeny price to pay.

Thanks again!

[35X35]

Originally Posted by krampus

Drop breakfast and snacks and eat more in the evenings

Originally Posted by JohnP

That's certainly worth trying.

I third this suggestion. Ever tried intermittent fasting? There are lots of ways to do it, you tailor it to what works for you. It's NOT starving yourself, it's NOT deprivation, it's simply delayed gratification and working with your cravings/hunger rhythms. There are a few pretty awesome studies on the benefits of it, but studies aside -- if it works, it works

For me, I like/crave three things: the ability to eat larger portions, eating in the evening, and being able to eat what I want within reason.

So, I either fast most of the day OR eat very little portions when hungry, then use the bulk of my calories in the evening. It works on so many levels. It tricks my mind into thinking I can eat whatever I want and still lose weight. It lets me have portions that are more satisfying to me, it lets me go to dinner out etc without stressing that I've "used up" all my calories. It allows me to have ice cream at 9pm without ruining any weight loss or being above my calorie levels.

It's not starvation or deprivation because I'm eating the same amount of calories I would if I'd eaten all throughout the day, just in a shorter window of time. It has actually helped my weight loss a lot.

Just thought I'd throw that out there.

[QuilterInVA]

Willpower is a myth. Losing weight is about choices. We make choices that support our goal or we choose to not do it. Planning in your head isn't enough. Write down every BLT and take pictures of your food so you can looki back and see all the food you have already eaten. As a side note, veggies, fruit and other carbs are on the bottom of the satiety level. Protein keeps you followed the longest, followed by fat, and then carbs. You might try changing up what you are eating. There will always be food around that I choose not to eat. I am not the food police to tell other people what to eat or that they can't have it. Give your roommate a separate cupboard or shelf for her food and keep healthy choices to the front of the fridge or cupboards so that is the first thing you see.