How do you change habits? like not eating extra slices of toast at breakfast!

[takingawhile]

My husband says if I really need to change my way of eating (I'ma little overweight and I overeat on certain foods such as sugary cereal and bread) I need better willpower. He is right, it's me who is in charge. Yet I can have the best of intentions, be doing really well and am highly motivated and feeling much better for not overeating and having healthier foods, when, like today for example, making us all scrambled eggs on toast, I found myself wanting more toast with butter on and then devouring much more tun I should have done, feeling very ashamed. I start eating the buttery toast and one slice doesn't seem enough.

It's so contradictory to how I want to be, I had been doing moderation very well and feeling great for it, but when I am at home with the family, I find myself polishing off my son's food and when everyone else is full, I feel the need to keep going!

:-( I wanted a new year, a new me... it's not going to plan. I feel crazy because it's me I'm charge and me that should say "two slices is plenty" but I get a craving for more

its the sugar in the bread and the cereal that makes you want more

ive said this many times - i don't think people 'get' how addictive sugar is

it fucks with your lifestyle, makes you feel tired and bleurgh, makes you feel emotional

you get withdrawls

so if you think you are addicted to sugar and you have no will power - you need in place a firm structure

this can be any eating plan you choose

i choose low carbing becuase it is basically a sugar free diet

Hmmm. Try distraction. If I think about food or have it in front of me NOM it's gone! So I don't have a lot around. Fridge is mostly condiments and the freezer is a mass of frozen carrots (don't ask). If I'm trying to resist temptation I have to step away. Any excuse - washing up, walking, going to the loo. Anything. I just lost 10kg over a year with this inconvenient but effective method.

Leftovers go in the bin. Breakfast I hold out as long as possible before I eat and make sure I am about to do something else when I do. When I go out for a meal I order the starter and a side salad. Side salad for starter and starter for the main course. Then I fiddle with my napkin like a loon.

Not saying this is healthy. It's just the only way I have clawed my way back to the weight I want to be.

Um, I think Custardos plan is better than mine...

Make a breakfast omelette instead - no toast. Or have eggs and ham or bacon. Or make up a smoothie from liquidising a handful of berries some Greek yoghurt and a couple of tablespoons cottage cheese. No bread to crave more of.

Oh and keep family's sliced bread in the freezer. Defrost exactly their portions and no more.

Don't buy bread. It's worked in our house.

I'm doing a food diary, it's a real eye-opener but i write everything on it before i eat it. It's really making me think twice, plus dh is gently teasing me about it.

I think the sugar thing that custardo mentioned is spot on too. I need to take that on board.

Custardo is right, sugar can be highly addictive, for some people more than others. Definitely ditch cereal and white carbs, even if you don't want to go fully low carb this will make a big difference. Make sure you have protein with every meal.

Distraction is a good technique if you recognise you are eating because you are bored/stressed rather than hungry but I would advise the complete opposite of distraction when you do eat. Try not to have any - take a few breaths and relax before you start eating then eat as slowly and mindfully as possible so that the eating experience goes from brain, to mouth to stomach rather than food being demolished without consideration or taste or giving your tummy a chance to tell your brain it is full!

Another good thing to do is wait a couple of minutes and then pretend to yourself you've already eaten it as you'd have finished by then anyway.

To be clear - I mean try not to have any distractions, not food!