How to change bad eating habits?

[MindlessEater]

I have put on a lot of weight over the last couple of years (15kg) due to stressful situations my BMI is now 32. I am a bit of a binge eater and overeater.
The stressful situations have now stopped but I'm stuck in the same patterns of eating too much.
I feel quite anxious thinking about losing weight which is maybe left over from before when I'd get the urge to binge eat when I was anxious.
How do I break the pattern of overeating and lose weight?
I'm at home (alone) for the next few weeks as I work in a school and am starting a new job in September which is not helping.

I’m still on my weight loss journey.
Things that I have found helpful.
List 10 situations where you overeat, pick the easiest one to tackle and work on reducing overeating in that situation. In my case I learned to stop buying snacks in garages and to stop eating in the car.
Reduce portion size by using smaller plates. This really helped me.
Intermittent fasting. I eat between 12 noon and 8pm. Fantastic for me and I go to the gym in the mornings so I’m burning fat.
Low carbing has really helped.
I’ve lost 41kg so far
Do what works for you and good luck

Tiny bit by tiny bit. Drink an extra glass of water tomorrow. Add in some extra veg a few days later. Cut out the second or third packet of crisps in a few days after that. Etc. Be kind to yourself about it.

I was like this. The ONLY thing that stuck for me was eating the same three meals a day and treating food as fuel and not anything else. I counted up all the calories that those meals (fruit for snacks) were so I know I'm constantly in a deficit. Each meal is highly nutrious and I get all I need from those three meals. It's not the same for everyone though. But you have to look at it as a lifestyle choice and not a diet.

I tried making a list, it's really helped to put things down on paper. Snacking is one of my downfalls. I eat mindlessly whilst I'm cooking so when the dinner is ready I'm already full up but eat the meal anyway, I'm going to prepare some salady snacks to eat before I start making dinner so I'm not having too many calories. Another one is buying Marks and Spencers cakes on the way home so I'll change my route.
I have tried low carb before which was good but made me very tired, I am trying to have more protein especially for snacks as that fills me up and doesn't give me horrible hunger pangs.

Well done on your weight loss btw, 41kg is amazing 🙂

Yes I think you're right, I need to balance making changes with not getting anxious. I'm making a plan which I will implement bit by bit.
I do need to start drinking more water so I'll start monitoring that, maybe before meals is a good time so I feel more full up.

Probably sounds obvious, but not buying things I know I will be tempted to overeat helps me - if they're not in the house, I can't eat them.

Planning ahead - working out what meals I'm going to have for the week.

Meticulous nothing between meals, even if it's healthy.

Having tried various things over the years, I have concluded calorie counting works best for me. Low carbing is effective but sooner or later I get an overwhelming craving for carbs. Calorie counting means I naturally avoid UPF and excessive carbs, but I will have things like a jacket potato which are filling but not high in calories.

This is a really good idea, I think I would find it easier if things were black and white and I took away the option to eat anything else.
Do you mean you eat the same every day? Can I ask what meals you have?

I will basically eat anything 😂I suppose I can reduce the damage by having healthy food available though.
Planning meals is a good idea, I tend to eat mindlessly so will just eat what's in front of me and not stop when I'm full up.
I do think I need to do some kind of measuring as well.

Identify points in the day when you overeat and tackle them one at a time. So the snacking while cooking - buy a good quality ready/ish meal for everyone sometimes, so there isn’t time to snack. Have apples / carrots / ice water / black coffee as snacks, nothing else in the house. If you binge at night - brush your teeth straight after dinner and declare the kitchen closed. And so on. Little steps.

You only really need to measure once and remember the calorie value - e.g. of a mug full of dried pasta, the usual size of jacket potato you would buy etc. I keep a tally in my head using what I've memorised plus calorie values on labels.

I'm not as extreme as pp but I do tend to stick mostly to the same few meals that I know work for me.

I know it’s a contentious issue and also depends on your financial circumstances, but using WLI has changed everything for me. I now have 2 meals a day; usually Greek yogurt and berries late morning, with a sprinkle of granola, collagen powder and chia seeds then a sensible dinner. Last night we had chicken with roast veg and bulgar wheat but it’s usually meat and salad of some kind or just a smaller portion of whatever I cook for the family (chili, fajitas etc).
Using Monjaro has given me the headspace to stop mindlessly snacking and allowed me to plan my meals. I’m full up from what I eat so although I’ll occasionally have a small treat, I’m not fixated on chocolate, biscuits, crisps etc anymore. As I said, I know it’s not a choice for everyone but I’m 73lb lighter, 12 inches off my waist, normal BP now, no swollen ankles and joints, far more flexible and active and the extra energy from eating well means the dog is walked for far longer and I am less tired all day.
I needed a drastic break from my awful routine and see my new way of eating as sustainable and healthy. Of course if I go back to getting through the day eating chocolate biscuits and substituting tea for a family bag of crisps, it’ll all pile on but I have a plan to nitrate down and keep eating well. Good luck whatever you choose. The only thing that came close to this solution for me was keto but I found that impossible to sustain.

I have thought about WLI but for me that would be as a last resort because of the cost and other health issues that might make it difficult to take. But it works amazingly well for some so I would consider it

Some good suggestions here!

I’m an anxious binger and mindless snacker too. I know that physically removing myself from the kitchen helps.
If I’m checking up on MN and I’m in the kitchen I will keep on eating snacks. If I go and sit on the sofa the compulsion just goes.

I find certain foods I just can’t snack on in moderation, especially crisps, I always want more than one bag. So I have to cut them entirely, as that’s easier than feeling like I’m depriving myself of having what I REALLY want (ie, loads of crisps!).

Also, some foods lead me into a ‘cycle’ of snacking - if I have crisps, I then want something sweet, so will have chocolate or biscuits too, and again, I struggle with moderation.

If I avoid crisps, chocolate and biscuits, I can still have a snack, but it’s much more restrained - eg a small bag of sweet-salty popcorn - I still enjoy it, but don’t feel inclined to have more and more of it. I also try and pair some fruit with it, as it makes the snack more substantial but for fewer calories than it might be otherwise - eg a couple of satsumas, or a bowl of strawberries.

I also met someone who lives a very healthy lifestyle, and states “I just don’t eat unhealthy food” - I figured if she could have that ‘rule’ and live by it, I can be someone who just doesn’t eat crisps and chocolate bars, and if that’s the ‘rule’, I’m not tempted by them because they’re not an option, IYSWIM.

For weight loss, calorie counting is what works for me, and is successful as long as I stay on the wagon (if I stop religiously logging my calories, what I eat starts to slide as well as portion sizes if I’m not weighing food out). But the more deprived I feel, the more likely I am to cave to something unhealthy - I never ever take a leaf-based salad to work for lunch as it doesn’t matter how big it is, I know I won’t feel satisfied and it definitely feels like ‘diet’ food, as I wouldn’t normally choose that.

I know I feel more satisfied if food takes longer to eat, even if the calories/volume of food is the same. So for breakfast almost every day, I have a portion of ‘super nutty muesli’ with a fat free Greek-style yogurt, it takes longer to eat than cereal with milk, and the crunchy texture feels more satisfying. For lunches, a chunky soup or leftover chilli with lots of veg in takes longer to eat than a sandwich and crisps, but has fewer calories. I have a Thermos food flask that keeps food hot for easily 5 hours, as I don’t have kitchen access at work. You can also have LOADS of carrot sticks for minimal calories, as long as you keep an eye on the amount of hummus or whatever.

Good luck with whatever changes you decide to make!

I get that; it was my last resort too. Im mid fifties and I’ve done years of slimming clubs, self help books, online courses, gym memberships etc! Good luck with your journey.

You can also have LOADS of carrot sticks for minimal calories, as long as you keep an eye on the amount of hummus or whatever.

I make my own dip with greek yoghurt and stir in a spice mix. I get the spice mixes from a local international supermarket, but you can also get them in regular supermarkets in the Asian/African sections. Jerk seasoning or harrissa spice are my favourites at the moment.

Oddly enough the answer is to eat!
But eat the right things, regularly.

That helps me too, I don't have a lot of will power when it is in front of me

That sounds delicious. Silly question but do you need to fry the spices before you put them in?

You make some interesting points.

It makes me think that I'm like an alcoholic in regards to food, I can't just have 1 biscuit, I'll eat the packet, so maybe I need to go teetotal on unhealthy foods like your friend.

And feeling deprived feels quite dangerous for me, I have been a binge eater and feeling that way can mean I get anxious and spiral so moderation is the way forward

Sometimes when you think you are hungry you are actually thirsty. I have got into having a glass of iced water with some lemon or lime in when I feel like snacking and 8/10 it’s really satisfying and I no longer want to eat afterwards

Yeah I eat the same things every single day and took away the enjoyment of food (although I still very much enjoy what I eat) so I don't indulge. It was my last option.
It's the fastest I've ever lost weight.
Sure, breakfast - I eat oats with no sugar almond milk, flax and chia seeds with vegan honey (no sugars).
Lunch - one piece of wholemeal bread with 1 mashed avocado, 4 cherry tomatoes sliced with garlic granules, salt and pepper on top. Drizzled in no sugar hot sauce (just tangy not spicy). 2 salt and vinegar rice cakes (to help my crisps addiction) a plain oat cake (Asda ones) with sweet freedom chocolate spread (tastes like ganache, only sugars from fruit and almost no calories) with sliced strawberries on top.
Dinner - wholegrain rice, vegetables and air fried tofu with soy sauce drizzled over the top and nutritional yeast sprinkled on top for extra nutrition. And a bowl of fruit for pudding.
Plus 3 litres of water throughout the day.
It was hard at first and now I don't get hungry between meals at all. I don't even think about food!
When I first started if I got hungry I would reach for a banana.

No, I just mix them in. I suppose you could dry fry them if you wanted extra flavour.

I am very similar in terms of mindless eating and have literally started this week after a wake up call at the weekend. I’ve decided to go completely cold turkey on all snacks As however good my intentions I don’t seem to have an off switch and whilst I might start with a cup of miso and nibbling on a Ryvita it all too often move onto crisps or multiple rounds of toast.

To be fair, it’s only day three, but I’ve actually found it easier than constantly tracking and counting the snacks and then feeling deprived. I’m just eating three decent meals a day and literally nothing except drinks so not even fruit & veg in between. I’m Trying to make sure my meals are balanced and always contain a decent portion of protein so I don’t get hungry and using MFP to log and check in in a calorie deficit.