Can't stop eating

[fatte]

I'm finding it very difficult to control my diet. It's like I've lost control of myself.

I have two young kids ( 3 and 1 ) and I work from home full time. They're very hard work and I think I reach for food as it's literally the only joy ( aside from my wonderful kids ). It's a stress reaction and I just can't stop.

I keep trying to get out of the cycle but I just can't.

I'm exercising a fair bit. But nothing shifts because my diet just is not on point.

I don't necessarily eat loads of crap ( I do sometimes ), but I just eat too much.

Has anyone been in this situation ? How did you overcome it ? I keep trying, but then when I'm hungry or bored or frustrated, I just eat again. It's ridiculous and it's getting unhealthy.

It’s happened to me when I was on a medication that caused me to have low thyroid hormone. Maybe worth getting a test

I've had a blood test quite recently and it didn't show anything like that.

Did it check this though? I’ve had routine bloods but I had to specifically ask for thyroid and diabetes tests on top of that, even though these were common side effects of the meds. Other than that though, I sympathise. It’s hard being hungry all the time and trying to deny yourself constantly

I’ve put on about 4 stone in maybe 8 months and trying really hard to lose weight

I'll have a look at my app. It didn't check for diabetes, I do know that. It was an unrelated blood test. I've not discussed this with my doc.

Serum TSH is the one to look for, right? It says 1.2 ( no action ).

I did have gestational diabetes. I had a baby 15 months ago.

Can diabetes cause you to be hungry all the time ? I feel like it's just in my head and because I'm unhappy.

What are you eating? High blood sugar and subsequent crashes can cause you to be hungry. I found cutting out sugar and starchy carbs dramatically reduced my hunger.

Unfortunately there's no magic cure. It's just willpower...which is horrible to hear because it takes so much effort. Especially with young kids and work!

Can you plan your day/meals? When I wanted to loose weight I had the same breakfast everyday. 11ish I'd have a coffee and chocolate. Lunch I had jacket potato/sandwich. Dinner was 'healthy' in that it had protein and veg. I'd have a lot of veg and less of everything else.

Not sure if calorie counting is for you but I used an app for a little while until I understood portion sizes and now have a good general idea of how much/what I can eat to maintain my current weight. Using the app also made me notice how much I'd snack because I'd have to consciously log it on the app IYSWIM.

I don’t know if diabetes does that, just that it causes thirst and need for sugar specifically

I have the same problem and think I need to concentrate more on protein and vegetables. I was also wondering if hypnotism would help.

I've thought about hypnosis too. I lost a bunch of weight last year and then it stalled. I was just doing low carb. Veg and protein which keeps you full and does reduce cravings. The weight came off so slowly that I just couldn't deal with it and lost motivation.

Did you whack back in the weight that you lost? That’s what happened to me, I’m raging! But, I had to have super-self control to do it. I looked great, felt great. As soon as I allowed myself some cake, a just got straight back onto a sugar binge. Now I’m fat again, and feeling terrible! I feel like eating is my hobby…

This is absolutely the case for me.

Stick to leafy green veg for your carbs, eat fatty meat, eggs. Don't be afraid of butter on veg and oily dressing on salad. Drink all the water.

Takes a few days but my appetite just drops like a stone on low carb. Avoiding eating because I am bored or want comfort is much easier when I eat like this.

Factor starch carbs (rice, potatoes and root veg, bread, pasta) back in and the blood sugar swings make my brain think I'm literally starving. So much more difficult to moderate my eating when brain is screaming that we are starving.

How could I be starving when I really need to shift a log of fat? Blood sugar swings caused by too much insulin. You can't bing gag when insulin is busy clearing blood sugar.

It really is that simple. Makes so much sense.

Omg, I was wondering if I posted this in the middle of the night and forgot. I asked this exact question online last night (incognito obviously as I'm too shamed to tell DH).

I cannot stop eating. It is the only thing that really makes me happy. I keep eating even when my stomach hurts because it tastes so good in my mouth.

I am remote worker and so completely fed up with it. I sit at a desk all day, alone in the house. I eat and drink through boredom and sadness. I barely move, maybe 2000 steps a day unless I actually try and do something.

I'm thinking about changing my job to one where I have to get out of the house (with all the extra hassle that brings the rest of the family) because it is so bad for my health. I've read Gillian Riley's Eating Less book before which has rung true. I think I need to read it again.

Every day I think this one more time won't make any difference, but they all add up.

I'll follow this thread with interest.

@CheshireSplat

Gillian Riley's Eating Less

Had completely forgotten how much her work has helped me. The idea that before I eat anything I work out how I'll feel after eating it, say for the 24hrs after eating (so I choose what to eat and the consequences of eating it together)) was transformational for me

Genuinely changed my life.

Do need to drink lots of water too , but mostly it's that thought that stops me binging these days.

@FinallyHere
Thank you for expressing this so well. This describes me exactly. I've realised over the last few weeks of trying 16:8 combined with low carb that I can cope with feeing a bit hungry in the morning, even though the hunger is genuine, but I absolutely cannot cope with the 'hunger' feeling from rollercoaster blood sugars after carbs.
I fell off the wagon after a couple of birthdays and restarting it is agony, but it's just the first few days where I need the willpower. Once I've stopped eating sweet stuff then the hunger pangs just go

@maidmarianne

Once I've stopped eating sweet stuff then the hunger pangs just go

Magic, isnt it.

Mostly my reason to not eat something is because I'll just want more and be less well equipped to resist. In my sixties, hey ho.

Better late than never.

Sugar is the problem, for sure!
I was fine until I went back on it.

I was doing great...until I gave up smoking. All I want to do is eat. And not healthy stuff either. Biscuits, crisps, you name it, it's going in. I had no idea how much smoking stopped me eating.