How can I stop comfort eating and using food as a treat/reward?

[Namechange3007]

This is my problem.
I enjoy food, I like everything unhealthy and am putting on so much weight. I think for me I need to look at the psychology behind my eating and change it. If that makes sense? Anyone managed to do this? What would help? Every day I have good intentions then my resolve weakens and I think oh I deserve a treat.

I'd echo all the above. I've not joined dietdoctor before but I know lots of people find it helpful and I think if you can find a way of accessing useful info it makes life a lot easier. I was never a fan of Instagram until someone suggested I follow some keto-related accounts. They've been great for inspiration and ideas

Think it's so important to not restrict anything other than carbs in those earlier, more difficult days. Although it sounds implausible, you won't be eating your body weight in cheese, extra thick double cream and nuts for long - all those extra kcals and fat are what your body (and mind) need to push the carb cravings away. For my first few days I was eating 85%/90% chocolate along with almonds and brazils. I was eating more than ideal but I wasn't eating the things that really trigger me (bread, potatoes, biscuits and milk chocolate are my worst triggers). And, as I said, after a few days I wasn't thinking about them anymore...

Once you've got into it there are lower carb breads and recipes for keto breads but I personally found that a lot of my false starts in the last year had been because I was having them from day one, ie I was still very sensitive to the sensation of eating them. However last time I succeeded on keto, I was able to incorporate them successfully after the first couple of weeks.

If you don't succeed when you try tomorrow don't beat yourself up but do give it another go (and another again if necessary) because sometimes it does take a lot of brainpower and energy just to read up on all the articles and to make sure you have the helpful foods in to 'eat your way' through the first few very low carb days.

For an really helpful take on the problem, Gillian Riley's https://eatingless.com is as good as it gets.

Not easy, but very, very simple.

Try Susie Orbach's book "On Eating" - it's in the same vein as Paul McKenna but a bit more straight forward and easy to digest (hehe)

@BeatrixPottersAlterEgo, there is some low carb on a budget Info at www.dietdoctor.com/?s=Budget (if that link doesn’t work just search “budget” on www.dietdoctor.com - I signed out of my account to make sure the info was available for free to non-premium members and it is)

@Limeavocado, you have some great advice. I’ve decided to not worry about the amount of lc food I’m eating in the first few weeks, I know from experience that I will quickly adapt to eating less food naturally. It’s amazing isn’t it how lchf curbs the appetite?

I’m going to try bullet proof coffee too, I’ve bought some MCT oil and stevia drops, once I’m in the ‘zone’ I’ll do intermittent fasting but I won’t beat myself up if I’m hungry and want to eat during a fasting period, I’ll just eat something.

Knowing that being overweight is a factor in the number of COVID deaths has spurred me on, even though there is heart disease and cancer risks in my family, it’s taken this to really make me get my act together and not use my age, medication (AD’s) and the menopause as excuses for weight gain.

I have the same problem. I've been doing low carb to lose weight and I think it's helping reset my brain a bit.

Before I would go for "bad" foods whenever I was sad, angry, needed a pick me up etc. I'm trying to train my brain to not associate food as a reward, and I think stricter eating for a time is helping.

Would love to hear any other suggestions!

I lost a lot of weight in 2004 and bought myself magazines as a treat if I stuck to my diet and also to help me with my diet and distract me from food

This is brilliant thank you. I'm on a low carb Facebook group which is a really supportive community. I agree about overweight and diabetic being a factor for some who have died from covid 19 being a spur. I was due to have my blood sugar checked again in march as it was pre diabetic before. Obviously it got postponed.

It's very hard when there is nice food at home and my family cant keep up whether I'm on low carb, no sugar or I'm in full on gorging sugar mode.

I dont want diabetes. I agree, I use being on ADs as an excuse for why I've put on weight too. Am really struggling not being able to exercise due to injury or whatever it is I've dont to my foot.

If anyone would like to message me, we could offer support to one another?

@Innitogether and OP absolutely agree re wanting to bring my risk factor down, whether on Covid, cancer, having a stroke etc.

I really did eat large on the low carb food in my first few days. Once I felt more in control I started consciously cutting back a little each day and the amazing thing is that it wasn't hard for me to do this (usually I find it impossible and can feel upset at how much I can't stop thinking about food) Just to say for some it might take more time to be 'in the zone' - I've read that if you've done keto before sometimes your body seems to 'remember' what to do earlier than if it's first time. No idea if there's any science behind that though!

One more thing I wanted to say is that what I have in common with my friends who struggle with food/weight is that we're all very hard working, busy individuals and that I think it's so sad that carrying extra weight around can imply we have less willpower. I truly believe that we have a chemistry in our brain which is triggered by carbs in a similar way that alcohol does for others. It doesn't matter how many non-food treats I promise myself, and how motivated I am by fear of bigger health issues, if I eat carbs it seems to send my brain into a food fixated frenzy where my 'hunger' can barely be satiated.

However that unhelpful 'chemistry' does seem to disappear once I've trained myself away from eating carbs and I can honesty say that I feel life with food is no longer a struggle. Even though I've done keto successfully before, just two weeks ago I wouldn't have remembered I would feel this way, to the point of now doing 16:8 fasting which I wasn't even planning to do, it just feels so achievable.

I'm also surrounded by 'bad stuff' at home. My husband and children can take or leave any food and are thankfully free of my carb issues but it does mean that in order not to restrict them we have lots of bread, crisps and chocolate in the house (which they all eat in tiny quantities because their brain chemistry doesn't tell them to keep eating past the initial pleasurable few mouthfuls).

Sorry for another long post but I do feel that my brain chemistry has properly switched and that, although I do obviously have to employ self restraint, I feel like a 'normal person' who can, say, go outside for some quiet contemplation or read an article or have a cup of coffee to make those eating urges go away. Quite frankly that would never have worked when I had the carbs coursing through my body because I couldn't think 'normally' about food.

BTW I've tried bullet proof coffee and it wasn't for me but I think thats the beauty of LCHF, that there are so many options for people to choose from to suit their personal tastes and lifestyles.

I should also add that I'm in no hurry to get on the scales. I have that much weight to lose that there are many other non-scale milestones for me to look out for eg my 'biggest' jeans not being uncomfortable, feeling like I have more mental and physical energy, just looking better overall. I think part of my issues in the past have been when I've been a slave to the scales and they've dictated how I behave. I've decided to weigh monthly only, crazy as it sounds, with my first weigh in taking place in a couple of weeks. I know I'm eating so much less and feeling so much better that I don't need to follow the numbers at the moment.

I think you have encouraged me to do this in a way I've never felt before! Your last post is so relatable it almost made me cry!

I lost four stone last year, training to run a half marathon. I've put back on half a stone since lockdown. It was getting ridiculous, I was seeking solace in food - and my life really hasn't changed! I still go to work, run etc so I was using lockdown as an excuse.

What I am trying is weaning myself gently off eating too much. I quite like the feeling of being hungry (which led me into disordered eating last time I dieted), so I am trying day by day to control my eating. So instead of cutting everything right out and going 'full diet', I am having one 'hungry day' with the promise that tomorrow I can eat everything I want.

On the 'hungry day' I will still let myself eat what I want, but put it back maybe an hour. I can have toast - later. I can have cake - later. When 'later' comes, if I've distracted myself enough (going for a run/walk, watching something gripping on TV, reading a magazine/book), I no longer want it as much, or I try pushing it back another hour.

On 'eat what I like' days, I feel so much better for not having 'given in' to myself the day before, that I find I'm having another 'hungry' day voluntarily. And, even if I don't, well I reckon I've halved my calories by not eating what I want all day every day - just every other day!

@Namechange3007 good luck with it! I will watch this thread if you have any queries or feel free to message me. I'm obviously in fairly early days of doing LCHF this time round (only started Sunday before last) but it's transformed my relationship with food and I know it's a bit odd to say but I like my body better just for not feeling stuffed and tired.

Read as much as you can about LCHF to work out what would feel like an indulgent treat to you as you will need those to fall on as you start weaning off carbs. Have a couple of 'sweet' snacks and a couple of savoury snacks in your arsenal that are super speedy to grab. I bought a keto friendly sweetener - to have on berries, for example which I then slathered in extra thick cream. At first I had loads of cream, now it's a more modest portion if I have it. As I mentioned above, a little bit of zero sugar caramel syrup is amazing on mascapone and I've discovered that it also makes a great iced coffee with cold good black coffee, a splash of double cream and a dash of the zero sugar syrup (and ice). Like a Starbucks frappucino (or that might be Costa)

Although butternut squash isn't quite as low carb as the leafy greens, it's still much less than potatoes so when the family is sitting having chips/roasties/wedges I find it's great to roast some squash, courgettes, mushrooms, peppers and an onion to stop me feeling like I'm missing out. I have that in addition to any salad or veg they're having and I cook enough ahead for a few days as I don't have lots of cooking time in the week.

I genuinely believe you will see what I mean about the 'carb obsession switch off' if you keep your carbs low enough (fine to do gradually if, like I wasn't, you're not ready for cold turkey). But can't emphasise enough about needing to be a voracious reader of articles to have a really good feel for what is helpful and not helpful to eat. Some people also track their carbs/macros and last time I did keto I did this on myfitnesspal for a little while but if you know what you can eat in the first place then you don't need to count. I'm not counting but will probably use myfitnesspal (free version) for logging weight when I weigh. The app is also quite handy for future eating out at friends or in a restaurant as it means you can make a measured decision as to whether to go for the sweet potato fries or not and not to get too hung up about whatever you decide. Social eating is probably a little way away at the moment so not a current temptation at least.

Thank you I have found this thread really helpful and inspiring. Today I have eaten whatever I wanted but no carbs and no sugar at all.

@Namechange3007 that's brilliant! Give it a few days/a week and I really really hope you'll feel the benefits that I and the other lchf fans have mentioned. Well done on the first day! 👏

Stayed on plan yesterday too! Didnt really think about food yesterday.

This works for me. Am I actually hungry, this means tummy rumbling hungry not I fancy a..... If so grab a healthy snack. If not then you need a displacement activity. In the winter I'd make a hot blackcurrant drink and by the time I'd drunk it the urge to eat had passed.
My dietitian suggested snack limiting which means that instead of half a pack of biscuits put a couple on a plate together with something healthy like a piece of fruit or some carrot. Eat the biscuits and pay attention to them, the crunch, the flavour how it feels in your mouth. Then eat the healthy snack again paying attention to it.

@Namechange3007 I'm so pleased, it's going well for me too and I'm relieved the 'chemistry' benefits haven't worn off after a week and a half. I felt a need for salt yesterday - I think I've read somewhere that lchf can deplete your salt consumption or something and that there are healthy specific things to buy but I had salted almonds and because they're 'allowed' on lchf I'm OK with that for the moment. It was strange though to feel the need for salt but not to feel the need to eat the whole bag of almonds in the way I would have done with a big bag of crisps!

Anyway as I said I'm so glad it's feeling OK for you x

I think what's helped limeadvocado is when you said you dont have to be 100% on plan, dont weigh yourself, just do your best, dont at this stage worry too much about portions. Feels freeing and pressure off.

So I'm not as tempted

Good on you, Namechange, it's not easy, is it? I'm doing 16:8 fasting (that I stretched to 21:3) today. It's normal for me not to eat in the day but as you say, we are all very different in what works for us. I'm more mindful of what I'm eating and making conscious choices to eat better things and not rubbish.

It's been 3 weeks now, so far so good. Keep going!

Thank you

Stayed low carb no sugar today but am now wanting a snack and dont know what to have. Really fancy something naughty!!

Hi OP, when I want a snack I go for nuts (peanuts or cashews) or cheese. High calorie so hardly weight loss inducing but they are satisfying and the snack urge usually disappears after having some (unlike carb based snacks!).
Sometimes if I snack on nuts/cheese before dinner I'm just not even hungry enough to bother with dinner at all. That never happened when I ate more carbs.