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Original poster

Please help, I just can’t stop eating

36 replies

CathyTurnbull · 19/02/2021 17:44

Every Monday I start my healthy eating and intermittent fasting. By Thursday I’m reaching for the chocolate biscuits and cheese sandwiches. I’m so fed up of failing so miserably. Is anyone else in the same viscous circle? I just can’t find a way out.

OP posts:
TillyTopper · 19/02/2021 17:45

What does healthy eating for you entail? Personally if I have any carbs I cannot stop eating! Watch "carb addiction doc" on youtube, it may help.

doadeer · 19/02/2021 17:46

For me the only way is to not have it in the house.

If you live with other people, they just need to respect that, I ask my partner if I am on a diet to please have chocolate hidden somewhere that I don't know about if he wants to eat it.

Whenever I feel like I want to have a snack, I just have a cup of tea, it's obviously far more boring but it works.

justanotherneighinparadise · 19/02/2021 17:46

Are you eating enough fat?

BrumBoo · 19/02/2021 17:50

Diets and denial don't work. Do you keep a food diary? What exercise do you do? Just starving yourself and hiding some chocolate isn't a way to live, don't make food the enemy.

Eckhart · 19/02/2021 17:56

Things like chocolate biscuits (and probably cheese sandwiches) have a roughly 2:1 fat:carb ratio. Look on the packets of all the popular stuff, sweet and savoury. Pizzas and pastries and ice cream and chocolate and crisps and all the other stuff we find addictive. It's not accurate, it's just a rough idea. Twice as many calories from fat as from carb.

That ratio is only produced in one place in nature. Breast milk. Nowhere else at all. Breast milk is made so that babies want it. It's primal. If you don't eat it, you die, and there are no other options.

That's why we get addicted to food, in our society. Because the food manufacturers have cottoned on to this, and replicate it, to get our baby-money out of our baby-pockets. We are becoming a society of adult bouncing babies.

Check the labels of the food you bring into your house. There's a strong argument that if it needs a label, you shouldn't eat it, but if you're unwilling to go that far, at least avoid the 2:1 fat:carb ratio.

cookinahurry · 19/02/2021 18:00

I'm the same CathyTurnbull! I'm not eating because I'm hungry, I just love eating. Constantly grazing whilst being aware it's not doing me any good at all!
Sorry I'm no help at all.

hamstersarse · 19/02/2021 18:01

What @Eckhart said

You haven't broken your addiction to sugar / carbs. Withdrawal involves some overwhelming cravings - the ones you get on a Thursday!

Name it for what it is every Wednesday / Thursday - the withdrawal cravings, acknowledge it then overpower it with a piece of cheese on it's own, some water and electrolytes, or a handful of nuts.

It takes a good 2 weeks straight to start losing your cravings for shitty junk

Original poster
CathyTurnbull · 19/02/2021 18:03

The problem is not lack of knowledge or education of food, the problem is I just have no will power

OP posts:
devuskums · 19/02/2021 18:05

Me too Cathy, I really get your frustration!
I was watching someone talking about their eating disorder the other night, and they likened it to having someone bullying them. I have never thought about wanting to over eat like this before.
Last night when I wanted to snack i thought about my food bully making me eat so I stay fat and I managed not to eat anything! I have also started a food diary to try be honest with myself about what I am actually hoovering up.

HouseyHouse21 · 19/02/2021 18:06

You need to eat more throughout the week. The severe restriction required for IF isn't for everyone, and for some can cause a swing into disordered eating. This is your body's way of telling you not to starve it.

Inpersuitofhappiness · 19/02/2021 18:08

What I'm reading is you're heading for sugar and carbohydrates! These are the items that we all go for!

I only ever have any luck with anything if I cut out the processed carbs and sugar.

If you keep restarting, can you possibly make your fasting period shorter and increase it by an hour each week?

MagnoliaBeige · 19/02/2021 18:14

Rather than cut chocolate and cheese out, have you tried letting yourself have them as your daily treat? Obviously in smaller portions but maybe you’ll crave them less when they’re not completely banned?

Also, I find my willpower to eat more healthily is greater when I’m also exercising, as I don’t want to “waste” the effort to exercise by eating rubbish afterwards.

Ijustknowitstimetogo · 19/02/2021 18:15

You have to stop yourself buying the things when you’re out. Say STOP.
It will be painful to not buy them. But why?

Eat raw carrot that fills you up.

Eckhart · 19/02/2021 18:20

@CathyTurnbull

The problem is not lack of knowledge or education of food, the problem is I just have no will power
It's not. Willpower isn't enough to overcome traits that we've developed via evolution. That's why the food manufacturers have our money, and we are overweight.

It doesn't help that our government recommends a diet that will make you fat. The idea is to keep making money for the big food and big pharma who fund the trials and have a big say as to what's 'healthy'. We are being misled, in the same way we were when doctors were recommending 'cigarettes for health!' If you think it's not true, look at us. We are trying our best to follow the rules they set, but it's practically impossible because we can't stop eating.

It's not just you. It's most people. Even the slim healthy ones mostly think they should be having a few less biscuits, but they get carried away. If you think that pretty much everybody doesn't have enough willpower, doesn't make you question how much willpower we are actually being asked to have, here? Superhuman amounts, clearly. Otherwise there wouldn't be so many people saying 'I'm SO frustrated, I followed the diet and I put on 4lbs!' or, like you 'I start a new diet every week, but I always fail!'.

Symbion · 19/02/2021 18:20

Struggling here too. And I have to keep eating a good amount of bread/pasta until my next coeliac test, which could be months away.

OlympicProcrastinator · 19/02/2021 18:23

Saxenda has been an absolute godsend for me. I tried absolutely everything else first but willpower always crumbled after a few days. It’s not for everyone but if you consider it a short term solution for the health benefits of being a healthy weight and all else has failed it may help you too. I wish I had done it sooner.

Rowenasemolina · 19/02/2021 18:24

Imagine that a dog has vomited on your biscuits

Original poster
CathyTurnbull · 19/02/2021 18:28

@Rowenasemolina

Imagine that a dog has vomited on your biscuits
That’s good I like that 😂
OP posts:
Eckhart · 19/02/2021 18:28

@HouseyHouse21

You need to eat more throughout the week. The severe restriction required for IF isn't for everyone, and for some can cause a swing into disordered eating. This is your body's way of telling you not to starve it.
No it isn't. It's the body's way of saying 'Where is my easy fuel, my carbs?'

Our bodies don't start to starve until we're low on fat reserves. Until then, they have enough stored fuel to keep them perfectly healthy. That's what body fat is for. When we run out of food. What else would it be for?

Chloe1973 · 19/02/2021 18:29

Same here, I can't stop eating and have put on 2 stone during lockdown! It's so hard to be motivated but I'm planning on starting ( again) on Monday. We can only try right. I'll tell you what's motivating me this time, it's my health. My consultant has recommended that I cut out all processed foods, caffeine, sugary and spicy food Confusedas it effects my gastric issues sooo I've gotta try. Wish you luck x

BiscuitSewingTin · 19/02/2021 18:32

OP, instead of trying to fast or follow a diet for a set period, try and slowly incorporate healthy habits that you will stick to. Things like drinking hibiscus ice tea (zero calories) instead of a drink with calories. Another one is having larger portions of low calorie foods - look up “volume eating” on reddit.

Think of your favourite foods (e.g. cheese sandwiches) and think how you can reduce the calories without affecting the taste. Can you use a lower calories cheese? Less cheese? Open sandwich? If you toast the sandwich, are you satisfied with a smaller portion? Etc.

By the way, if you’re craving chocolate, this can mean you need to eat more leafy greens.

Eckhart · 19/02/2021 18:33

What sort of IF are you doing, OP?

RomeoLikedCapuletGirls · 19/02/2021 18:35

OP I feel you. I get so good on Keto. I don’t feel hungry cos I’m eating healthy and protein which keeps me full

But then I have one piece of cake or a homemade cookie and that’s it. It takes weeks, sometimes months to get me back on track

RomeoLikedCapuletGirls · 19/02/2021 18:37

If you’re doing IF in the morning I would make sure you have all protein/fat and no carbs as your last meal the day before

Coulddowithanap · 19/02/2021 18:45

I find I do better when logging food on my fitness pal. No food is restricted but obviously if you have healthier choices then you can eat more!