Somebody Stop Me!!!

[pursuingpurls]

UGH! I cannot seem to stop eating the stuff I shouldn't! First it was Christmas, and now it's Valentine's Day candy and sweets.

I am working out so hard at the gym and them sabotaging myself when I get home. When I get up in the morning and get to the gym I am constantly telling myself I am not going to do that today, but I get home and the day gets going and ... well ... just a couple of pieces won't hurt me, right? Then those turn into more and more ... a few here, a few there ...

UGH! UGH! UGH! Somebody stop me!!!!

[rixatrix]

Okay, a few basic mind/life hacks.

One, where are you getting this candy? If it's in your house, throw it away. I don't care what your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, kids, dogs say - chuck it. Don't buy more.

If you're getting it at work, stop going by that part of the office. If it's on your desk, see above. If you can't avoid it, for whatever reason, bring something else as a "treat" - on the scale of bad for you, you're still probably better off with a Diet Coke if you feel like you need aversion therapy.

Okay, mental stuff:

Stop telling yourself to stop. Our minds don't respond well to negatives. So stop thinking of what you DON'T want and start focusing on what you do - to be fit and healthy. It's more helpful to think "I'm getting stronger and leaner" than "I don't want to be fat anymore." Focus on your goals. "I'm going to eat the healthy food I brought today" is more productive than "I'm NOT going to eat that candy!" Because even when you're telling yourself not to do it, you're still thinking about the candy. Ok?

Tell yourself this: You can have candy whenever you want to. Yeah, that's right. But you know what? You're doing so freaking good in the gym, you just don't feel like it right now. You'll have it later if you want. But not now. (Repeat forever. There's ALWAYS later - just like "tomorrow" never comes.)

Believe me, the candy industry isn't going away anytime soon.

There are a million different tricks...eat almonds instead, carry a BAD picture of yourself in your pocket all the time, write out your goals every day, kick the candy-peddling office mate in the face...

Whatever you need to do.

[MuscleMom23]

What works for me is staring right in the face of what I just put in my mouth by finding out how many cals, grams of fat and sugar.

I am usually so horrified I lose my taste for things.

It may not have stopped my little candy binge but it prevents me from going after more!

So at least you have stopped it at one cheat and not 25

[marygrace]

Designate one day a week where you can have stuff like that. You'll have something to look forward to and hopefully won't feel deprived.

I usually plan for a treat once each weekend. When I knew last week that I was going to have a big cinnamon bun on Saturday, it made it easier to resist other temptations throughout the week.

[goldpaws]

Hi Heather~

You can throw out the unhealthy food, give it away or don't buy it in the first place. If it's not around, you can't eat it, right?
If I had a bag of peanut M and Ms in the house right now I would take 2 or 3 and have them. Then I'd have couple more a while later and I'd continuously do this throughout the day (I'm only having 2 or 3!) and pretty soon the bag is almost gone and I was the only one eating them! (been there, done that)
They are a red light food for me so I don't keep them in the house.

You work so hard at the gym don't reward yourself with bad food that won't help you achieve your fitness goals. If you go a whole week eating clean treat yourself to a new book, manicure, new lipstick, itunes downloads, etc.

HTH!

[missjane]

Originally Posted by goldpaws

Hi Heather~

You can throw out the unhealthy food, give it away or don't buy it in the first place. If it's not around, you can't eat it, right?
If I had a bag of peanut M and Ms in the house right now I would take 2 or 3 and have them. Then I'd have couple more a while later and I'd continuously do this throughout the day (I'm only having 2 or 3!) and pretty soon the bag is almost gone and I was the only one eating them! (been there, done that)
They are a red light food for me so I don't keep them in the house.

You work so hard at the gym don't reward yourself with bad food that won't help you achieve your fitness goals. If you go a whole week eating clean treat yourself to a new book, manicure, new lipstick, itunes downloads, etc.

HTH!

This is so true!! Which is why I donated all of the Girl Scout Cookies I bought to the troops! No sense in even having them in the house -- even in the freezer!

And, it's the same reason I CANNOT have Halloween candy around. Year before last, I bought SOOOOOO much candy to pass out. Of course, I bought EVERYTHING I liked (whoppers, milk duds, baby ruth, mounds, reese's, junior mints!). So, one for them, one for me....one for them, one more for me. What a disaster! I'm sure all of those "treat size" candies I had probably added up to half a dozen candy bars! This past year, I wasn't around for trick or treat....thankfully!

[dillytl]

Originally Posted by missjane

This is so true!! Which is why I donated all of the Girl Scout Cookies I bought to the troops! No sense in even having them in the house -- even in the freezer!

And, it's the same reason I CANNOT have Halloween candy around. Year before last, I bought SOOOOOO much candy to pass out. Of course, I bought EVERYTHING I liked (whoppers, milk duds, baby ruth, mounds, reese's, junior mints!). So, one for them, one for me....one for them, one more for me. What a disaster! I'm sure all of those "treat size" candies I had probably added up to half a dozen candy bars! This past year, I wasn't around for trick or treat....thankfully!

Jane - I did the same thing. And of course, this was during my "I don't care, I'm gonna eat whatever I want" phase, so I consumed soooo freakin' much candy!! And after we only had about 4 kids come to the house, we decided this Halloween, we won't be home!

To the OP - it really truly all boils down to "HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT??" If you want to meet your goal, you will do what you have to do to get there. That doesn't mean depriving yourself, but instead giving yourself limits - and following the great advice that has already been given here!

[LaraT]

Originally Posted by marygrace

Designate one day a week where you can have stuff like that. You'll have something to look forward to and hopefully won't feel deprived.

I usually plan for a treat once each weekend. When I knew last week that I was going to have a big cinnamon bun on Saturday, it made it easier to resist other temptations throughout the week.

I do this too and it helps. While I don't have a whole "cheat day" I usually have one treat each week (cookie from my favorite bakery, brownie, etc) and one bigger/richer meal out at a nice restaurant with a glass (or two) of wine. I still order something on the healthy side but naturally eating out is always going to be richer/higher cal than you eat at home.

And I have to be very careful about what I have in the house. I am a chocolate addict and find a square or two of high quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa or higher) really curbs my sweet tooth and keeps me from feeling deprived yet doesn't cause me to go overboard. I buy a big bar each week and break off the squares and take with me to work each day. But if I had a bag of M&M's in the house they would be gone in a day

[marygrace]

Another thing that tides me over is eating protein bars occasionally. They are sweet enough, and usually have some kind of chocolate-y coating. I don't have one every day, but a couple of times a week. My favorite is Clif Builder bars.

[LisaS]

if it is going to be in the house (something you cannot control because of others)

you could start logging your food - every bite of every thing - when you have to keep going back to add "3 M&Ms" 5 or 6 times in an evening - you SEE what you are doing better - it makes your unconscious eating more mindful and you can see where and by how much you go off whatever your plan is for the day - or see patterns - maybe you snack on this stuff when you have a particularly light lunch or miss your snack or have a particularly big lunch or whatever.

[kfisherx]

I second the LOG YOUR FOOD suggestion and would add that it will help you in more ways than just being held accountable. Once you starting honing in your diet you will find that your cravings start to go away because your body is getting the right sorts of foods.

[pursuingpurls]

Thanks, guys! I needed to hear every word of every post ... I di much better yesterday and my DH is great in helping me stay focused and accountable re: this.

I eat well normally, it's just when the candy is sitting there when I walk by I grab one piece here, one piece there and the next thing I know I've walked by the candy and grabbed 30 pieces .... Why is it so hard to throw it away???

Thanks, again, for the encouragement!

[starfish]

Originally Posted by marygrace

Designate one day a week where you can have stuff like that. You'll have something to look forward to and hopefully won't feel deprived.

I usually plan for a treat once each weekend. When I knew last week that I was going to have a big cinnamon bun on Saturday, it made it easier to resist other temptations throughout the week.

I second this! In fact, Cupcake Sunday has saved me from indulging in sweets, and other foods that won't help me meet my goal, during the week. I told the folks at my local bakery that I need to lose these last 20 lbs and when I went in there on a Wednesday two weeks ago, they told me "It's not Sunday yet, you're not supposed to be in here! Come back on Sunday". I love Cupcake Sunday.

[night1021]

Also, I keep Semi-Sweet Choc chips in the house and 2 tablespoons is one serving.. It's like 70 cals. I eat them one at a time and it pretty much does the trick.

I big thing that has really decreased my sweet tooth, is I gave up Pop for lent and well...it makes a big difference in what I do and do not want.