Hi!

[marky_mark896]

Hi everyone. I’m 48 years old and trying to lose about 40 pounds and modify my eating habits. I am around 235 right now. I am reading a book called the power of habit and I am trying to change the ones I have that cause me to binge eat at odd times. I read that having a support group helps achieve habit change by modifying routines while keeping the same cues/cravings and rewards. I plan on reading on this forum when I get the urge to snack and that should subside my cravings. It worked for me when I quit smoking almost five years ago. So, let’s see if I can modify my behavior again! Wish me luck!

Mark

 

[ChrisB1]

Hey Mark,
Congrats on quitting smoking. For many, that's not easy.
I read the same book on habits. Really liked it as well. There were a couple of important lessons I took away from it. First, if we can recognize why the habit exists in the first place., as you point out, the cue, action, and reward, we can begin to play with and change the habit. The second big takeaway for me was that, as human beings, we are all kind of hard-wired towards forming habits. Just because you've formed a bad habit doesn't mean that you're a bad person or a lesser person. It just means that you're a human being that forms habits. Some will be good. Others bad. Many of us tend to beat ourselves up about the bad habits that we form, allowing these habits to become part of our identities. This can easily affect self-image and self-respect.
Anyways, great to meet you in this forum. I'm curious what goals have you set for yourself surrounding your weight loss and changing of your eating habits? Can you share?
Thanks
Chris

 

[marky_mark896]

Thanks for the reply! I am happy to say that I’ve lost over 5 lbs since I posted. I am working toward a goal of 190lbs by the end of March when my family and I go to Florida for spring break. I have modified my behavior by grocery shopping more often and buying mostly fresh vegetables and unprocessed meats. I am cutting vegetables up when I’m not hungry and putting them in glass storage containers in the veggie drawer so they are displayed nice for people to pull out and eat as easy as a bag of chips. I found that if they are ready to eat, i’ll choose them over carbs. I’m using minimal amounts of veggie dip when I eat broccoli or cauliflower or green peppers or carrots. I’ve also cut up lettuce and spinach for salads. I found out I really like cutting up vegetables. It’s rewarding for me to see the food being used and look nice. In the past we always had these things available but we never prepped them for quick use. I think it’s a behavior modification I can keep long term. I also bought my wife and I new road bikes since the kids have taken over our old mountain bikes. I bought a spin bike for the sunroom, which I will be using today because it is raining.

Mark

 

[Aariyo]

I hope you find an online group that can help

I will provide you with some tips that may be of help.

Always eat fruits or vegetables with every meal.

Perhaps eat the vegs and fruits first before eating to reduce your appetite for the main meal so you'll eat lesser potions. Also drink lots of water

Always carry fruits with you so you'll munch on them whenever you feel like snacking.

Another tip is to go on long walks. As much as possible take walks rather than the car. Also make it a habit to take the stairs rather than the lift

 

[ChrisB1]

Thanks for the reply! I am happy to say that I’ve lost over 5 lbs since I posted. I am working toward a goal of 190lbs by the end of March when my family and I go to Florida for spring break. I have modified my behavior by grocery shopping more often and buying mostly fresh vegetables and unprocessed meats. I am cutting vegetables up when I’m not hungry and putting them in glass storage containers in the veggie drawer so they are displayed nice for people to pull out and eat as easy as a bag of chips. I found that if they are ready to eat, i’ll choose them over carbs. I’m using minimal amounts of veggie dip when I eat broccoli or cauliflower or green peppers or carrots. I’ve also cut up lettuce and spinach for salads. I found out I really like cutting up vegetables. It’s rewarding for me to see the food being used and look nice. In the past we always had these things available but we never prepped them for quick use. I think it’s a behavior modification I can keep long term. I also bought my wife and I new road bikes since the kids have taken over our old mountain bikes. I bought a spin bike for the sunroom, which I will be using today because it is raining.

Mark[/QUOTE/QUOTE]
It's really interesting what new things we can learn about ourselves when we make lifestyle changes. You found cutting up vegetables to be really rewarding. For me, I used to eat 2-3 sandwiches a day. A breakfast sandwich in the morning, a sandwich for lunch and (sometimes) a sandwich for dinner. Not exactly the healthiest choice, but that was my habit and for the most part they were the same sandwiches all the time. I found when I switched to protein and veggies for lunch, I really liked the variety. I loved meat to start off with. The veggies were crunchy. Different textures. Different tastes. I made sure that I only ate things that I liked and discovered that I actually enjoyed my new habit better than my old, something I could never have imagined before I made the change.
Sounds to me like you're off to a great start Mark.
How does your wife feel about these changes?

 

[marky_mark896]

Thanks Chris! I'm really happy about the changes, and my wife is too. She has always been an advocate of eating healthy, although I would rather have eaten a pizza or steaks or sandwiches. I have, in the past, dieted with Lean Cuisines, and other frozen meals to get to a weight I wanted to be and then I'd go back to my old eating and gain all that I had lost back. This time I'm attempting a true change of lifestyle. I've cut out most grains and potatoes. I don't eat much meat. I'm just eating an egg or two for breakfast, a salad for lunch, and fresh vegetables and a small portion of meat for dinner. Today I'm roasting a venison shoulder roast in the oven with carrots, onions and spices. This will be dinner for all of us tonight. The energy I've got from this new diet is making me happy. I took my wife golfing yesterday because we used to golf all the time, but have gotten away from it since having the kids. We had a great day. I think we're doing it again on Friday. Today I'm going grocery shopping after I get the roast started and replenishing my veggie supply. Good luck with your habit changing as well!

Mark