The Money Mustache Community

General Discussion => Throw Down the Gauntlet => Topic started by: annapana on November 12, 2018, 10:53:23 PM

Title: I love food
Post by: annapana on November 12, 2018, 10:53:23 PM
I’m hoping to get some tips on how to handle this.

I’m not overweight but could with losing a few kg’s and sticking to it (67kg and about 168cm). But I love food and I always talk myself into buying healthy treats that I eat way too much of, then I feel bad for it !

If I can control this habit of mine, lose a few kg’s, then I can save money on food shopping,  have a capsule wardrobe that consistently fits me so I’m not increasing/decreasing my weight.

Any tips for me to stay focused ? Note that I don’t keep any treats in the house as it’s too tempting.

Thanks
Title: Re: I love food
Post by: lexde on November 13, 2018, 04:41:11 PM
So, you don’t keep any “treats” in the house, but you overeat regular food?

May help to invest in meal prep containers (like you get for takeaway) and prep each of your meals ahead of time. Not just lunches, but breakfast, dinner and snacks, too.

1. You can’t bored-eat since you’ve already got meals packed.
2. You think about food less because your food decisions are already made.

This has been helpful for me.
Title: Re: I love food
Post by: GuitarStv on November 13, 2018, 04:55:49 PM
Go vegan.  I don't know anyone who has stuck with a vegan diet for a month who hasn't lost several kg.
Title: Re: I love food
Post by: Serendip on November 13, 2018, 08:24:32 PM
Good for you for reaching out @annapana  --maybe check out some of the other gauntlets as well for interesting ideas and recipe inspiration?

I have been (what I term) a mildly compulsive snacker as well but after losing 12 lbs just by going on a meditation retreat (no mid-meal snacks, no booze, no eating after 5 pm) I realized that even my 'healthy' snacking was turning into an unhealthy habit.

 Trying to keep it real and honest by now only eating if I am truly hungry but making herbal tea throughout the day so I feel like I am enjoying different flavours, warmth, etc without compromising my health. If I am hungry I eat, but usually I am not. I am bored or looking for some type of stimulation--I was increasing caloric intake without needing to.

 Bengal spice tea, chai tea, etc...all of that can add real flavor to my day without adding all this extra intake of food.
Hope you reach your goals!
Title: Re: I love food
Post by: annapana on November 14, 2018, 02:25:48 AM
Spot on Serendip!  I snack far often than I need to, even though I snack on healthy foods. Just adding this post has helped me, I got through the day only eating what I needed and no ridiculous snacking.  It has been good reading the other posts also.
Title: Re: I love food
Post by: soccerluvof4 on November 14, 2018, 03:01:32 AM
One thing that worked for me after battling the same thing for awhile is I eat my calories only within a 8 hour window. There is alot of evidence that letting your body fast for 16 hours or so each day is healthy. So I eat my calories from 11am-7pm .  Its really all about trying different things that will work for you. There is no magic pill and its control. But there is a way out there to find what works for you and you can control. What works for one person might not work for you. I lost 60lbs doing this and have kept it off over 4 years without any mental challenge and that is a first.
Title: Re: I love food
Post by: annapana on November 15, 2018, 02:13:00 AM
Thanks soccerluvof4
Title: Re: I love food
Post by: soccerluvof4 on November 15, 2018, 02:39:21 AM
Thanks soccerluvof4





Just keep trying that is the key! never give up never give in. Eat to survive don't survive to eat.  A lot of data has been shown as well that people that are slightly overweight like 10-20lbs are healthier than those that are thin and can eat whatever they want. So if you just keep trying and are conscious of it your already doing your body good.
Title: Re: I love food
Post by: PeteD01 on November 15, 2018, 08:45:15 AM
Thanks soccerluvof4





Just keep trying that is the key! never give up never give in. Eat to survive don't survive to eat.  A lot of data has been shown as well that people that are slightly overweight like 10-20lbs are healthier than those that are thin and can eat whatever they want. So if you just keep trying and are conscious of it your already doing your body good.

Be careful here. What you are referring to is the “obesity paradox” (the overweight living longer than the normal weight, as determined by BMI). This has been debunked with the latest research showing that the survival advantage of the overweight disappears when BMI is corrected for muscle mass.

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0194697

The obesity paradox is just an artifact of the BMI which does not account for body composition.
Title: Re: I love food
Post by: ketchup on November 15, 2018, 09:39:18 AM
Spot on Serendip!  I snack far often than I need to, even though I snack on healthy foods. Just adding this post has helped me, I got through the day only eating what I needed and no ridiculous snacking.  It has been good reading the other posts also.
Snacking is big, and an easy one to cut.  I know a guy that was wanting to lose weight and just by cutting out soda and snacking (and leaving the rest of his mostly-standard-American-diet intact), he lost something like 25lbs over the course of about 3-6 months.

It's also generally crappy for your teeth to "graze" vs having specific meals and nothing else.
Title: Re: I love food
Post by: soccerluvof4 on November 16, 2018, 03:05:20 AM
Spot on Serendip!  I snack far often than I need to, even though I snack on healthy foods. Just adding this post has helped me, I got through the day only eating what I needed and no ridiculous snacking.  It has been good reading the other posts also.
Snacking is big, and an easy one to cut.  I know a guy that was wanting to lose weight and just by cutting out soda and snacking (and leaving the rest of his mostly-standard-American-diet intact), he lost something like 25lbs over the course of about 3-6 months.

It's also generally crappy for your teeth to "graze" vs having specific meals and nothing else.



Thats an interesting point. During Halloween they actually had a doctor on stating basically its better for you kids teeth you just let them have that one night to pig out on the candy then toss it then to let them eat it in small servings on going. Might have to keep them from bouncing off the walls but it would make sense that the more you graze if your not brushing your teeth more that would add up. My wife is a grazer and I never knew she had problems and 3-4 months ago she had to go see a periodontist? cause her gums were getting so slight. So alot of sense to what you said. Or fact I should say
Title: Re: I love food
Post by: Moustachienne on November 19, 2018, 10:35:13 PM
I designed my own plan of no snacking, no seconds, no sweets except for very occasional treats and lost 25 lbs very slowly and painlessly at about a pound a month. I wasn't looking to lose weight, just to focus on optimum nutrition and portion sizes.  But wadda ya know.  Turned out I was eating too much and when I dialed it down I lost weight.

Then someone on here clued me in to the No S Diet.  Pretty darn similar! Reinhard is the MMM of sensible food behaviours and a hilarious writer to boot!  Enjoy! http://nosdiet.com

I also really like this healthy life blog - https://www.the10principles.com/blog/

You're on the right track  annapanna!  It is great to spend less on food and to be confident that clothes will fit down the road because my weight is stable.

Good luck!
Title: Re: I love food
Post by: annapana on November 20, 2018, 02:02:43 AM
Thanks for sharing Moustachienne - I’ve been doing really well since my original post and my pants are feeling a little roomier. But I need to remain strong to avoid snacking !
Title: Re: I love food
Post by: 2Birds1Stone on November 20, 2018, 08:34:55 AM
Snacks and naps are the best.

I too love food, and could stand to lose ~7kg
Title: Re: I love food
Post by: Moustachienne on November 20, 2018, 10:36:17 AM
Thanks for sharing Moustachienne - I’ve been doing really well since my original post and my pants are feeling a little roomier. But I need to remain strong to avoid snacking !

I have a few quick snack options if I really can't wait till the next meal (e.g. a handful of almonds when I'm out and about; 4 triscuits with cheese at 4pm; an apple and cheese at 11am) but I find that if I'm strongly craving a snack, it's often because I didn't eat enough at my last meal.  So I concentrate on having delicious, nutritious and satisfying meals.  Especially lunch.  For some reason that's a meal that I often squeeze in and downsize due to time or whatever.  The French (and Chinese and Italians and Spanish) eat well at all meals.  That's my goal!