Why do I keep sabotaging my diet?

[Confuzzleduzzled]

I’ve put on about 2 stone over the past couple of years and am way bigger than I want to be. I know exactly what I need to do to lose weight and I love eating healthy food. Unfortunately I also love unhealthy food and have a massive appetite. I hardly ever feel full. I just feel disgusted at myself. I beat myself up every night at how much junk I’ve eaten but then just go back to it the next day. It’s like my brain switches off while I shovel the food in.
How on earth can I stop this?
I can’t not have the food in the house as my DCs like it. They both seem to have an off switch which I’m lacking. They complain that they hardly get a look in on the treats because I’ve gobbled them all up during the day. I replace food so they don’t know I’ve finished it. I finish off their plates if they don’t finish a meal. I cook healthy food, eat that and then eat a pack of biscuits or crackers with butter or spoonfuls of chocolate spread.
Please help. Or at least tell me I’m not alone. I’m not quite big enough for weight loss injections and would really like to avoid them.

You sound exactly like me, OP.

No answers but I think for me it’s a combination of exhaustion- single mum with very busy job so less time to sleep as much as I need, so I eat- and if not depression, then a lack of dopamine/ endorphins - which I get in short, quick bursts from eating.

If I manage to fit in a yoga class, or something (rare) I don’t do it- but time is the key issue so…

You're not alone and you keep 'sabotaging' because it's very, very difficult to change the cycle and there's very, very little support to do so.

There's that 'think yourself thin' book and audio. A friend used it and it really changed her attitude to food. I think it's pretty much free on Amazon. Worth a go?

The recommendation to avoid binge eating is to eat 3 meals and 2 snacks a day which is supposed to at least reduce the bingeing caused by hunger and blood sugar slumps. Not sure if you already do that OP? By allowing yourself a certain amount of snack food, that may reduce the all or nothing thinking?

Emotional eating. Tiredness. Motivation. These were my issues. I helped myself by writing it all down. Even the disgusting days. Everything. I grossed myself out, it's helped.

Try the skipping breakfast fast

Only eat two (big wholesome loads of veg and protein) meals and a snack between 12pm -8pm

Or 11-7

That’s likely to increase the urge to binge.

When I skip breakfast it makes me want to eat even more later.

Skipping meals will usually make you want to eat. It dips your blood sugars. You should aim for 3-4 hours between planned meals and snacks and try not to eat other than that.

Ive lost a fair bit of weight this year. I’ve used the injections too, but they haven’t affected me as efficiently as they seem to everyone else and I still have good portions and snacks. I’ve cut out processed food and unrefined sugars. Still have carbs (but smaller amounts) and I eat lots of fruit. Where I would eat chocolate or biscuits in the evening, I now eat grapes and Greek yoghurt. I absolutely love it. While it’s probably way too much natural sugar and calories for many people, I just think it’s got to be an improvement on how I was - and I’m 50lbs down now. So while I am still snacking and eating large portions, I’m choosing natural, healthy foods. I think going on harsh diets and cutting out food groups or fasting is ok if you want a short, sharp loss, but it’s not sustainable long term. I personally need to enjoy what I’m eating and not feel deprived.

Oh- and drink lots of water and get lots of sleep. They are two big factors in weight loss.

Must admit I am similar.

Do you have trigger foods you can not have in the house? Eg chocolate bars.
Have you tried eating slowly?
I try to have a rule of just 2 small sweet treats a day after lunch and dinner. I definitely feel affected if I have too much sugar.
I mostly don't have breakfast but then have a lot for lunch.

Agreed. Skipping meals goes against the medical advice for controlling eating disorders (I’m not necessarily saying that the OP meets that diagnosis)

It's like eating breakfast open the floodgates for me. I never used to eat breakfast and it was fine, it worked for me. I for some reason then bought into 'three meals a day, breakfast most important meal' stuff despite that and it wrecked any regulation I had. Once I've eaten breakfast, I want to eat all day. If I wait, I'm less likely to graze or binge.

I've been taking Mounjaro and all I can hope is that it's enabled me to reset as I've done the work. I've reverted to my pre-weight gain routine of exercising on an empty stomach in the morning and eating two large, healthy meals. Of course if I'm hungry in the morning I will eat but I try not to because I definitely have more self-control and willpower if I wait and eat properly relative to what works for me.

It's not actually 'skipping breakfast' for me - it's eating my first meal of the day at a later time.

Edit: sorry, quoted the wrong post

Use the two day rule to shrink your stomach.

So choose two days where you're not going to eat very much, and stick to it - just for two days (48hours). You want to make yourself hungry for these two days and you should hear your tummy rumbling. It'll be tough - but after this, you'll not feel half as snackky and the food noise will be much less

Should add that I'm with you OP on wanting to avoid weight loss jabs.

It didn't with me, hence why I recommended it

Your desire to lose weight needs to be greater than your desire to eat. Every time you are tempted, ask yourself ‘will this help me reach my goals’? Also imagine yourself this time next year or next summer. If you don’t take control you will look/feel the same. The time will still pass.
And you don’t need to have loads of tempting snacks be ayas you have kids. They can eat healthy too with only the occasional treat - and choose something they like that you don’t if possible.

Yes, that’s fair enough. I’m just adding the medical perspective for balance.

Going to download this later-thank you x

It’s good to know I’m not alone in this (not that I thought that I was).

I have done the fasting and skipping breakfast and only eating 12-8. It did help a bit but I can fit a huge amount of calories in 8 hours if I feel like it.

I think I eat from boredom and for the quick dopamine hit. I’ll try the “think yourself thin” thing again. I’ve done it before but never kept it up for long.