I think I've cracked weightloss

[HomeSliceKnowsBest]

I need to loose weight so that I fit comfortably into my clothes (!) My weight is all over the place and I struggle to keep my hands off DD's packed lunch chocolate stash , and never eat just one or two bars .
Anyhow, on Monday I told myself I would have willpower 'just for today's and wouldn't eat any junk 'just for today'. Shockingly this worked, so I tried the same Tuesday, Wednesday and today. It has actually worked! I think I'm tricking my greedyguts self into believing I can binge on crap tomorrow, which is overriding my need and desire to binge today.
I appreciate this may sound deranged, but it is working so I thought I'd share it here incase anyone else is in a similar position, re. The unbreakable binging cycle.
I am calling it the 'Just One Day Diet! Please let me know how you get on .

Well done OP - I did similar to others with walking this week. It's a 4 mile walk from work to home and not very scenic, but I just went "up this road, now the next road, now this landmark", etc... I was knackered but I need to get some steps in (and WW fit points as I'm struggling with my allocated daily points)

That's really good, OP. Already you've made great progress and started to break that cycle.

It's the same principle I use when I'm running and feel that I just can't go on and can't possibly run another step. So I tell myself I'll just run to the next lamp post. When I reach the lamp post it doesn't seem so bad so I tell myself one more lamp post. And so on.

It really works - the enormity of the whole challenge is too much to cope with and you think you'll never succeed, but just breaking it down into small stages and not looking too far ahead seems to do it.

It does work, that's how I used to lose weight, I'd tell myself that there are 100s of chocolate bars in the shop, they're still be there whenever I want them so I've no reason to binge on loads today as they'll still be available tomorrow. Heaven knows why I'm eating everything in sight at the moment though! I'm stuck in a binge diet cycle. 😩

@BusterGonad

It does work, that's how I used to lose weight, I'd tell myself that there are 100s of chocolate bars in the shop, they're still be there whenever I want them so I've no reason to binge on loads today as they'll still be available tomorrow. Heaven knows why I'm eating everything in sight at the moment though! I'm stuck in a binge diet cycle. 😩

I used to say regarding my trigger foods 'I know what that tastes like. I don't have to try it again'.

That was very useful for me.

Thank you Blue, I'll try that, it's crazy because you know you're self harming but something in you makes you do it. I hate it when people say weight loss is easy, it's more of a mental disorder rather than just counting calories. I sit there eating crap knowing I'm harming both my mind and my body and yet I still do it. 😔

Oh I hear you @BusterGonad I am doing the same right now. It's hard hard hard. I self sabotage whenever I have a bit of success. It's like I am afraid to be successful.

This is actually brilliant. Especially for a binger mindset like mine.
Then tomorrow comes and you feel like you can keep going!

There is another way: alternate day fasting.

Thanks Blue, I lost a fair bit over a few months, then I moved and put on about half a stone and now I'm feeling worst than ever and like a failure. I should NEVER diet... I always end up in a worst situation. I need to relearn how to eat normally. Its good to know there's others out there who understand. 😊

Thanks for starting this thread @HomeSliceKnowsBest. I’ve found it really helpful. I have tried really hard today to not think about food unless I was hungry. I’ve used distraction and some breathing exercises and it’s helped a lot.

I tell myself I can wait 10 minutes if craving chocolate or something. Then after the allotted time is over I tell myself I would have consumed it by now & pretend I have.

This I how I quit smoking I've no idea why I've never applied the same thought to food!
I haven't smoked for 7 years now! Definitely applying it to food to help with my binge eating disorder. Just get through one day.

That's a good one grasstreeleaf. I've quit smoking successfully, and I've been a very successful dieter (to the extreme tbh which I think is why I know have massive food issues) but now I'm kind of stuck in limbo, I think I'll try all these tricks again and see how I go. One hour at a time. I know it can be done.

You don’t sound deranged. Well done! I’m going to try this tomorrow.

Good idea OP. As you get a few more days under your belt, try to notice the positive changes in how you feel - for example, less jittery or less anxious because of eating less sugar, less bloated, sleeping better, more energy etc. It will help you to keep going and extends the mindful approach that you've already started

Will also give it a go. May need to break it down to hours!

Its a great idea and I'm glad its working for you! I do a similar thing but on a day basis, so I tell myself I will have chocolate/treats if I want it that day, but not till late evening. Then when the time comes I don't want to spoil my healthy eating day.
I also had great success (2 stone off and maintaining) with 'crowding', so rather than focus on what I couldn't have, I focused on getting as many healthy foods as possible into my daily diet, and told myself I'd have the treat foods as well if I wanted them. As it turns out the healthy stuff filled me up it crowded the treats out and I couldn't manage them.

You are right Lala but their comes a point where you've dieted for so long that it's all you know and you don't know how to eat normally and /or you don't trust yourself to eat in a normal way.

Well I have thought about food/what I eat most of my life in a negative way - probably from early teens onwards I have never had any time not thinking about whether I "should" eat something and the consequences of that food :(

That's not even describing the periods when I have actively been on a fast diet or consciously reducing my consumption.

I like the positive idea of one day at a time, but often I'll succumb when I'm unhappy and eating to self-comfort (but it's not actual comfort is it? Cause I then beat myself up for pigging out...)

Will be resuming 2 fast days a week, starting next week. DH & I did this for a couple of years (he lost weight, I maintained a steady weight. Sigh) but had to stop for various reasons. Hoping it will be easier this time round.

Good luck everyone.

Pineapple I was the same and that's why the crowding thing worked. I decided there was no shouldn't haves just a lot of new should haves. Eg, I decided to have oats every morning for heart health and found I didn't want my white bread toast and jam as well, even though I had my own permission to have it if I wanted.

Pineapple I think 2 days fasting will just make your food issues worse as you're restricting your food intake, therefore making all food seem irresistible. I'm no expert obviously, but I can't see how it will heal your relationship with food. I coukd be completely wrong, obviously.

And just to add, today I'm telling myself 'I know what chocolate tastes like' (so I don't need to shove 2 bars down my cake hole!) 😂 and 'I can have those sweets tomorrow whilst I watch a film'. It's also the weekend for me, so everyone's home, I don't usually shovel food down when there's other people around!

You're right BusterGonad, I do have food issues but fasting 2 days had been an effective way of maintaining my weight rather than eating as I wanted and continuously gaining.

I do have to reduce my intake - age, stress and comfort eating isn't a good combination for me.