How to stop eating

LegacyUser

ANy ideas on how to curb my sweet addiction?

I'm 34 and all my life have being addicted to eating sweet things to the point of having rotten teeth and gaining 5 stones. I eat when I'm sat and sad when I eat!

Any ideas on stopping eating all this junk?

Thanks

star-pants

Part of it is down to your own willpower. Removing all junk food and replacing it with sweet treats to pawn you off them, like strawberries and things might work?
I find coming into the warmer months my body wants more fruit and less crap. Plus with better fruit available in these months it makes it a bit easier.
Also exercise and plenty of water are very helpful too.

R.D. aka MR.D

its all about willpower.

but some tips that have helped me are:

fruit, as mentioned. i can eat a who net of oranges which is not good either but slightly better! especially after meals, which is when i crave sweets the most. try eating a load of fruit to replace it.

another thing is if its chocolate you crave i've found eating sweets without chocolate on them like marshmallows, mints, fruit pastels etc can help you get a sweet fix and eventually the choco cravings go away.

or keep a diary of everything you eat in a week and identify the bad things and strike them off and say your not allowed them next week etc.

also just don't buy them! super hard i know.

its all about weening yourself off.

other than that go seek professional help. go to your GP and explain your situation.

BillyGoatGruff

I think if you just try and give sweet things and junk food up for 1 week. Just 1 week. Try to eat healthy for 7 days. Drink plenty of water and go for a brisk walk every day. You will feel so much better after the 7 days which will encourage you to keep going and working harder at your goal. After all, we are creatures of habit, and you have just got into a bad habit. Making eating healthy and exercising regularly a daily thing and it will soon become your new habit. Hope that helps. Sometimes I feel like what I write makes no sense.:pac:

tolteq

rosey 1975 wrote: »

I eat when I'm sat and sad when I eat!

Any ideas on stopping eating all this junk?

Thanks

Why are you sad?

TheKells

Try chewing gum and drinking lots of water.

Laphroaig52

Porridge.

Eat a bowl of porridge in the morning - If you like, throw a bit of sugar on it because Hey, Life's a lark....

Seriously, a big bowl of porridge for breakfast and you won't even want to eat anything - specially not sweets - until lunch time.

I agree with others that lots of water keeps hunger away also.

A banana is good as well in the afternoon....although I never know where to look while I'm eating it.

LegacyUser

Did anyone see paul mc kenna tonight on sky, he was doing an i can make you thin special,

It was really good, he had a lot of techniques about how to change your eating habits, basically you need a better self image, you have to picture someone who loves and respects you, you step in their shoes and see how they see you, then you put all the horrible things you think about yourself in an imaginary ball in your hand get it all out, and you smash the ball away, then yo love and accept yourself, i cant remember the rest but i am curently going through a weight loss program myself and i am doing a life style change not a diet or anything, i too had emotional issues, i saw a therapist and got to what it was that was 'eating away at me' i then felt lighter and now i am on my way to a better self image and better healthier life, you start slow and it stays off that way.........

I found a girl who does aerobics near by and i got her to train me twice a week, in 8 weeks i have shifted no weight but i have changed in inches, everybody is different, you do what you like doing and the best way you can, this girl was not full trained as a personal trainer so she was only 200 quid for 10 sessions having someone come to your house and jog beside you is amazing and yields results!

Bog Butter

Just before you have your next sweet close your eyes for one moment and ask yourself do you really want this sweet knowing that it will further perpetuate the rotting of your teeth and the growth of your body fat, which will in turn lead to further health problems? Ask yourself is it really worth it? Do not eat that sweet until you have asked yourself those questions.

If you don't eat that sweet ask yourself what you really want. Ask yourself, do I want to be healthy? You need to start afresh from Monday morning and begin a whole new life. Aim not only to keep sweets as a treat food (which is what they are) but to eat healthy all round. You also need to make sure you are doing enough exercise.

Why don't you set yourself a goal e.g to lose the excess body fat. Find out how do it and go and do it. That way you will have a plan, a mission, a new determination, a new way forward!

If you visit the fitness section under Rec you will find out everything you need to know. Good luck!

LegacyUser

Flyer28 wrote: »

Porridge.

Eat a bowl of porridge in the morning - If you like, throw a bit of sugar on it because Hey, Life's a lark....

Seriously, a big bowl of porridge for breakfast and you won't even want to eat anything - specially not sweets - until lunch time.

I agree with others that lots of water keeps hunger away also.

A banana is good as well in the afternoon....although I never know where to look while I'm eating it.

+100, especially the porridge. Really sets you up for the day and improves your moods. Less anxiety, leading to nervous/comfort eating.

I use maple syrup on the porridge, tho. nom nom.

Now , I did come across a book in the library - I think it's called "The Sugar Addict's Diet" and though I didn't finish it, it did suggest that you need to change your brain chemistry first by having a high protein breakfast for a year, to begin with. (stir in some nut butter/toasted nuts as well as sugar/syrup into porridge). Had to return the book but am working on the high protein brekkie.

graw

Hi rosey 1975. A lot of people admit that they eat sweets and junk food at home purely because they are bored or at least not occupied. Im not certain but maybe try to spend less time in the house. For example, dont sit in during the summer evenings. Simply go out for a walk in the park, bring a family member, a friend or even the dog. It would be good exercise and there you wont be able to reach to the drawer for some sweets.
Set yourself a goal. It is very difficult to give up something you like so much over night, so go out walking in the evening (or some other activity) and lets just say that when you gone on 5 evening walks, your reward would be some sweets. (C`mon, everyone can eat sweets, its just a matter of eating in moderation and doing regular exercise.) You dont have to do exactly that but something along those lines might help you.

Another idea is to just not buy sweets. Maybe your partner brings the sweets into the house but if you dont have them... you cant eat them. Simple as that. If someone in your house buys them for you, tell them not to buy any. If there are no sweets around, you wont be able to nibble away.

It is difficult to stop eating but the hardest part is actually starting to stop. Best of luck with it.

jdivision

The food you're eating reflects your emotional situation. You want a quick rush to feel better. It takes a lot of effort and the first few weeks are difficult but you can get through it. Liquorice is good for sugar cravings, but buy good stuff not the crap in sweet shops. Eat it in moderation.

legend365

A friend of mine eats nothing but junk. I mean the man would eat 4 kinder-buenos for his lunch!

You can see the affect the food has on him big time! One minute he's nice and calm, the next he's jumpin down your throat runnin around like a mad man.

Addiction is addiction. Theres no quick fixes and its ALL down to willpower. If you really want to change you will.

myusernameis

A few tips i would think you could give a try

-only eat food sitting down with a plate and at the table. Sometimes its possible to eat lots of food just walking but its good to just associate food with the dinner table instead of sitting down watching tv and thinking your hungry instead of its more like a habit.

-Drink water between meals.

-Try to recognise when your hungry and when your just feel like a quick emotional pick up. Food wont love you back, instead a nice brisk walk will help increase the happy hormones - endorphines (spelling??) and help you physically.

-If you still feed the need to have a chocolate fix, i find hot chocolate helps me, but a treat some of the time such as a 1 bar every 4 days or something might be good.

With all addictions it just takes time to adjust, so don't be too hard on yourself.

Good luck and take care

Handsome Bob

rosey 1975 wrote: »

ANy ideas on how to curb my sweet addiction?

I'm 34 and all my life have being addicted to eating sweet things to the point of having rotten teeth and gaining 5 stones. I eat when I'm sat and sad when I eat!

Any ideas on stopping eating all this junk?

Thanks

I know it's a cliche but this is true; the change has to happen within yourself first. Why do you want to lose weight? Is for other people? Or are you at the stage where you are so desperately unhappy that you know that the only thing that will stop the downward spiral is taking action? You have to want to do it OP, and once more you have to want to it for yourself. If you can get into that mentality then your willpower will improve.

I imagine you might be a bit embarassed about going to the gym. I was the same, what I suggest is that you buy an exercise bike or a threadmill to start you off. Once you start to lose weight using these machines in the comfort of your own home it will improve your confidence in continuing the weight loss out doors. They aren't massively expensive, I got my exercise bike for 250E in Argos.

Good luck OP.

Firetrap

OP, how about joining the likes of Weight Watchers? If you have to stand on a scales every week and be weighed, it will help you lose weight. If you're trying to be careful what you eat, perhaps you will go easier on the junk. Also they give talks on eating at the meetings and give out recipes for meals that will fill you up and not leave you room for junk. Just a thought.