Attention Deficit Dieting

F

fitnotfat

New member
Hi Everyone,
I've never actually posted anything before but my husband and friends are sick of hearing about my diet. In fact, I'm not even allowed to mention food or exercise anymore in my house, as the persistent diet failures have caused a loss of credibility with my very fit (and thin) family members.

I've tried every diet under the sun; they all work IF I stick to them. But that's the problem: I have about a two week attention span with any diet. Usually after losing 3-5 lbs I start rationalizing a cheat then I abandon everything for a box of cookies. (my greatest weakness)

It's now the middle of my second week (again) of being faithful to my diet but distraction is just around the corner. Hopefully this board will offer the inspiration to keep me on track. I love to read every all the motivating stories and if anyone has advice on sticking to it....please share.
 
Hi, and welcome :)

I know the feeling- I got on this forum about the time that everyone got sick of me talking about my diet too. It's a great outlet.

I'd suggest reading some of the diaries (for ideas and inspiration) and starting your own if/ when you feel comfortable. Having people (albeit anonymous internet people) to be accountable to has been really helpful to me. (I record everything I eat, first on a calorie counting program, and in my diary, and I'd hate to have to say "I ate a whole block of chocolate today"- that thought in and of itself keeps me a little stronger) More generally, the stickied threads have some invaluable information in them about diet and exercise.
 
Sorry to hear about your problems with your family....maybe this forum will help keep you focused? :)
 
Welcome to the forum.

I say, just eat the whole damn box of cookies and go back to where you were on your diet. You probably need to learn how to do that.

Also what is it that makes you need the cookies? Are you hungry? or do you just give in to the idea of cookies?

When i binge, i give in to the idea of the food that comes into my head. Well that's what i do when i am not on a diet. On the diet I do try to resist. If i fail, i don't quit my diet. I keep going and so do most of the others here i have noticed.

You probably need to find more commitment. What's stopping you i wonder? its worth pondering isn't it? Maybe the stakes aren't high enough for you. How's your health? How old are you? If you still young, then you are probably not conscious enough of the health consequences of your eating habits. Well that also is more critical if you are overweight and at this point we've no idea about that. Does it help if i tell you that obesity and alcohol are the greatest risk factors for breast cancer in women over 50. Women who get it younger are more likely to have a hereditary predisposition i think. I vaguely think its one in three people will get cancer and i am not sure of the breast cancer numbers but they are very high in western societies. And breast cancer is not one of the more curable cancers either. Diabetes type 2 is also a great risk for overweight women and that usually doesn't hit till you are older as well. These things may be ahead of you if you don't try to tackle the matter of your weight. And then there's knee problems. Back problems. and so it goes on.

Or maybe its something more deeply psychological. Why not have a counselling session or two, particularly I would recommend doing it with a psychologist who does cognitive behaviour therapy. Ask them to teach you some mental skills to help deal with this.

:rant: I hope i haven't frightened you away...
 
Hi Forty-four,
I'm not sure why my commitment tends to drop after a couple weeks but I think it has to do with focus. In order to be successful at dieting, I have to be single-mindedly focused on it 24/7 or I tend to forget my goals. I know it sounds crazy but I can be absolutely obsessed with dieting for a while and then in a split second I just sort of "forget" and eat whatever I want. By the time I remember my diet, the damage is already done. And no....I'm not usually hungry, eating is more like a nervous habit.

I'm in my 40's so the stakes are fairly high. I've lost the same 10 lbs countless times but it always comes back (with a few more). Now I'm about 25lbs overweight. No health problems except hypoglycemia if I eat sugar.
I used to enjoy running but now I am too big to do it comfortably, so I go to the gym 4-5 times a week. Since I can get pretty obsessed with exercise, I try to limit it to 45 minutes a day.

What I really need is to be balanced -mindful without being obsessed.
 
Hi fitnotfat. I totally understand where you are coming from. My friends, family & work colleagues roll their eyes whenever I talk about my new diet & I'm all or nothing so I have to be completely focussed (obsessed?) with it else it all falls apart.

Anyway, I just wanted to say hi and I'm sure I will see you around here :)
 
Oh my goodness... are we long lost twins?? I think my family wants to put earplugs in when I talk about losing weight. I'm kind of the black sheep of my family. I come from a long line of very fit and perfectly skinny people. My sister has even had twins and is back to her pre baby, high school weight!

So this time I've decided it would probably be easier to talk to other people who understand what I'm going through. My weakness is buttery, creamy, delicious food. I love to cook and bake, and I also love to eat what I make. I guess I need to learn how to cook differently from now on.

Good luck and I hope we can both lose some weight and lead healthier lives!
 
Hi Jericasdash,
I find it nearly impossible to resist eating something I've baked. In order to avoid temptation, I try not to bake sweets at all, which is a real shame because I do enjoy it.
Lately, my kids started baking. (apparently I can't seem to resist the treats they bake either)

I wish I had the control to just stop after one or two bites.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top