How do you stop craving and keep from over eating?? [ advice NEEDED ]

Oh btw, I should probably mention that I take supplements as well.

So if it seems like I'm skimping I'm probably making it up somehow in supplements cuz I take quite a few. But most of them are for strengthening my hair.

Background on that -- I'm and African American female who "relaxes" her hair (I'm hoping you all know what that is, if not you can ask). Also for the past two years I have been putting "weave" (again if you don't know what that is, ask) and it has really damaged and weakened my hair. Now I'm not bald-headed--don't get it twisted...far from it--but I'm trying to repair and restrengthen my hair, so most of the supplements I buy are for that purpose. But they serve other purposes too. Here is my supplement list:

-Biotin (just finished taking the 5000 mcg bottle, but have now switched to 1000 mcg bottle)
-Folic Acid (800mcg)
-Omega 3 Fish Oil (1000 mcg)
-Iron (65 mg -- this is not for hair, but b/c i don't eat red meat or beans)
Just purchased...
-Beta-Carotene (25,000 IU)
-Calcium plus Vitamin D & K (750 mg)

I know it's a lot. I know. But I discovered a multi-vitamin for hair, skin, and nails in the store maybe about 3 hours ago which contains pretty much all those supplements ^^ and then some in just two tablets a day. But by then I had already purchased everything else (kinda upset cuz i coulda really saved some money). Also, post every workout I drink 14oz of fat free milk with 1 1/2 scoops of whey protein mixed in for a shake (so there's some extra protein).

It's a bit much, but due to the lack of variety of foods offered at my school, this is my only other option.
 
KaraCooks said:
For someone who is dieting, you need to be consuming somewhere around 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight in order to maintain lean muscle mass while dieting. That means you should probably be consuming around 110g per day or so (depending on what your bodyfat percentage is). The RDA for *sedentary* people who are eating a full amount of calories is 1g per every 2lbs of bodyweight. So even if you were not dieting and were not working out, you'd still need to be getting 65g per day.
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Damn! I am way off!
 
BTW, just to give you an idea, here is my livestrong.com log for yesterday. Notice that I got a full amount of protein, plenty of fiber, kept my calories under 1600 (my goal for each day is between 1500-1700), and even managed to fit in a martini in the evening and a piece of dark chocolate for dessert.

fooddiary.jpg
 
Oh, wait I lied.

I consumed 1309 calories today--I had hot chocolate this morning. ( i know its bad, but its so cold and i'm sick of tea )
 
( i know its bad, but its so cold and i'm sick of tea )
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I know .. :) But keep in mind that this is exactly what you started this thread about. :)

I would love hot chocolate in the morning (with whipped cream) but I don't have it. I have coffee or tea. It's a choice I make - and I can't justify it with "but it's cold and I'm sick of coffee". It's 200 or more calories that I simply cannot afford if I'm going to eat healthy and hit all my nutritional goals. Either I choose to have hot chocolate or I don't ... it's all on me (and you).
 
KaraCooks said:
I know .. :) But keep in mind that this is exactly what you started this thread about. :)

I would love hot chocolate in the morning (with whipped cream) but I don't have it. I have coffee or tea. It's a choice I make - and I can't justify it with "but it's cold and I'm sick of coffee". It's 200 or more calories that I simply cannot afford if I'm going to eat healthy and hit all my nutritional goals. Either I choose to have hot chocolate or I don't ... it's all on me (and you).
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Yeah, I know. I drink it very sparingly tho. I still have the same box of 10 packets I bought back in September, and there's still 3 more left.

But still--no more. Least not for a long time.
 
I'm curious where you go to school. I have a daughter at UNCC and she is on a meal plan that is covered by her student loans. She has the dining halls as an option but also has several restaurants on campus, including Subway and Salsaritos. She's able to find plenty to eat that hasn't caused her to gain the dreaded "freshman 15" that she feared.

I assume you live on campus. Are you on a dining hall only meal plan or are there other options like the NC system offers?
 
Kellyana said:
I'm curious where you go to school. I have a daughter at UNCC and she is on a meal plan that is covered by her student loans. She has the dining halls as an option but also has several restaurants on campus, including Subway and Salsaritos. She's able to find plenty to eat that hasn't caused her to gain the dreaded "freshman 15" that she feared.

I assume you live on campus. Are you on a dining hall only meal plan or are there other options like the NC system offers?
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I go to SUNY Albany. We do have on-campus "restaurants", but they aren't the best options, at least for my weight loss goals, so I'm going to start steering away from them. They include Wendy's, Sbarro's, Zepps (a bootleg version of Subway) and others. There are healthier places to eat, but everything here has a specific time in which it is open and those healthier options (which is where i went today for my salad. I went and got an extra one for lunch tomorrow too) are usually open during the day time, while I'm away off-campus at my internship (from 9am-5pm) and the less healthy options are available after 7pm (see the issue?). But the dining halls stay open till 8pm, so i will go there for dinner because they offer a wider variety of foods than the "restaurants". That's my new plan. The restaurants are only for last resort, and I'll select the healthiest items from there i can find.
 
Wendy's actually has some really good salads you can eat and most include grilled chicken as an option. You can also get a grilled chicken sandwich and not eat the bread. If you get a menu, you can find good choices at most restaurants, even Sbarro's which has salads (well, ours does). Just do some research, check the calories and fat contents of the foods, and then plan to plan. It's really easy once you get a plan in place.
 
You have to be absolutely 100% fed up with where you are at to the point where you can do it. You also have to come to terms with the reasons you over eat. Everyone has them.

It took me many years to reach that point. I was overweight since I was a teenager.

Standing and looking in the mirror and telling yourself all the things you don't like about what you see is something I did. Not just passing look but standing there for 5 minutes and really thinking about it, letting it sink in where you are at.

Picking a goal even if it's shooting impossibly high is something I also did. Pick someone with a perfect body you want to look like, you may not get all the way there, but you will always have something to work toward. This may or may not be a good idea, because it could frustrate you if you set your heart on getting to it and can't, but it helps to be sickeningly positive, and not accept the possibility of failure.

The good news is that once you get into a routine, and get your brain accustomed to the reward of seeing the scale drop and make the connection of how it works, you can become addicted to the progress, to the point where it gets easier. Your thought process starts to become rewired eventually.

Now I feel bad when I eat what I perceive as being too much, or have something like cake. In turn I feel best when I know I've eaten a healthy amount of good quality food for the day.

Something I saw quoted that was actually kind of a negative thing, but can be a positive if you are not too over the top with it was "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." A model whom I can't remember the name of said that and it was demonized because she was stick thin. If you look at it in a more moderate frame of mind though it is true. I can attest, the high of seeing all that weight go away feels better than anything any junk food ever provided.

It's a high that grows progressively more addictive too.
 
Kellyana said:
Wendy's actually has some really good salads you can eat and most include grilled chicken as an option. You can also get a grilled chicken sandwich and not eat the bread. If you get a menu, you can find good choices at most restaurants, even Sbarro's which has salads (well, ours does). Just do some research, check the calories and fat contents of the foods, and then plan to plan. It's really easy once you get a plan in place.
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Wendy's salads may taste good, but their calorie-content is ridiculous--esp for a salad. Some have about as much calories as a large order of fries.

But yeah I'm doing my homework. I guess I can't expect a health food store to be located on my campus (tho i'm sure some schools have them) but I'll work with what I've got.
 
Superstar922 said:
Wendy's salads may taste good, but their calorie-content is ridiculous--esp for a salad. Some have about as much calories as a large order of fries.

But yeah I'm doing my homework. I guess I can't expect a health food store to be located on my campus (tho i'm sure some schools have them) but I'll work with what I've got.
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Where are you getting the calorie count for the salads? Are you including the dressing they offer per salad or are you counting just the salad and then using low cal dressing? Here's a link to a PDF for Wendy's (Salads are listed on page 1, fries on page 2) ~ 180 calories for the base chicken salad is not that much. Pass on the rice noodles and almonds and you have a great choice for dinner. Take it to go and buy your own dressing. That will be of great help.

Re the health food store ~ I believe my daughter's college has one but it's also got a nursing program and it's trying to get a football team.
 
Kellyana said:
Where are you getting the calorie count for the salads? Are you including the dressing they offer per salad or are you counting just the salad and then using low cal dressing? Here's a link to a PDF for Wendy's (Salads are listed on page 1, fries on page 2) ~ 180 calories for the base chicken salad is not that much. Pass on the rice noodles and almonds and you have a great choice for dinner. Take it to go and buy your own dressing. That will be of great help.

Re the health food store ~ I believe my daughter's college has one but it's also got a nursing program and it's trying to get a football team.
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Well, in the Wendy's line at my school they have the Nutrition facts of the Wendy's menu posted on the wall, and they were high; but i guess its when you add everything up. But it doesn't matter cuz there are salads everywhere on this campus, not just wendys. Finding one is not a problem. Its the lean meats/protein, and green veggies, and low fat options/low cal options (there's other healthy foods besides salads) that I'm going to be on the hunt for.
 
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ocd said:
You have to be absolutely 100% fed up with where you are at to the point where you can do it. You also have to come to terms with the reasons you over eat. Everyone has them.

It took me many years to reach that point. I was overweight since I was a teenager.

Standing and looking in the mirror and telling yourself all the things you don't like about what you see is something I did. Not just passing look but standing there for 5 minutes and really thinking about it, letting it sink in where you are at.

Picking a goal even if it's shooting impossibly high is something I also did. Pick someone with a perfect body you want to look like, you may not get all the way there, but you will always have something to work toward. This may or may not be a good idea, because it could frustrate you if you set your heart on getting to it and can't, but it helps to be sickeningly positive, and not accept the possibility of failure.

The good news is that once you get into a routine, and get your brain accustomed to the reward of seeing the scale drop and make the connection of how it works, you can become addicted to the progress, to the point where it gets easier. Your thought process starts to become rewired eventually.

Now I feel bad when I eat what I perceive as being too much, or have something like cake. In turn I feel best when I know I've eaten a healthy amount of good quality food for the day.

Something I saw quoted that was actually kind of a negative thing, but can be a positive if you are not too over the top with it was "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." A model whom I can't remember the name of said that and it was demonized because she was stick thin. If you look at it in a more moderate frame of mind though it is true. I can attest, the high of seeing all that weight go away feels better than anything any junk food ever provided.

It's a high that grows progressively more addictive too.
Click to expand...


I like that ^^^.

Thanks. I think i've gotten it together...in my head. I know what I want to look like, and I know how i'm going to formulate my eating habits to be more sensible, and I have finalized my workout plan as well. I think i'm well on my way...!

:driving:
 
OP, so your main issue seems to be with how to eat properly at your campus kitchen/cafeteria, correct?

Do you have a car to get to your internship or is it within walking distance
? Are there grocery stores en route?

I'm asking these things because there are other options, we just have to be creative and work with what you've got. You might need to go to the cafeteria in the mornings and get your meals for the day prepared (ie. sandwich for lunch, fruit for snacks, etc.) For dinner, you might have to work to make sure you get to the cafeteria before the main area closes, which gives you a 2 hr window to get from your internship to the food hall for a meal. I agree, the after 7pm offerings are crap.

I remember back when I went to college (nearly 10 yrs ago), they always had a huge basket of bananas, apples, oranges, etc right at the cashier, always the last thing to see after picking up everything else (mainly bad choices such as buttered/cream cheesed bagels, pancakes, greasy eggs, etc you get the picture). So, I visualized a quick map of the food line: milk and other drinks were first, breads and pre-made quick breakfasts were next, hot food cart was next, and then an array of chips cookies and other crap snacks, and lastly was the fruit basket. Do you see the problem with this map like I do? It was laid out more for the purpose of moving food than it was for providing you with the appropriate food items. No cynicism intended, it is no mystery that a cafeteria is trying to protect their bottom line, too.

Regardless though, all you need to do is learn how to navigate that map. I knew what I should get: let's say, a piece of fruit and yogurt, maybe a granola bar, too. That's all I grabbed, and was at the cashier as fast as I could be.

For lunch, I did a similar thing, just with whatever good food items they had available: salad bar, fruit, etc. I did my best to already know what items were good and which were less than favorable.

You do have choices, you just have to be creative. You can stop at a grocery store and stock up your dorm room with some fruit or other healthy snacks. I admit I don't know how your cash flow works or how the food system at your college works, but you can limit yourself to $10-$20 for snacks for the week from a grocery store, mainly bags of fruit or already cut up fresh veggies like broccoli heads, carrots, celery, etc. You'd probably be spending that amount anyway on other junk throughout the week. It's not that much. And if that is too much, try $5-$10 a week. You might surprise yourself. But at least this way you'd have food for yourself at any time of day, especially at your most vulnerable.

As far as training your brain out of cravings- it is like any other addiction, and force of habit. You need to break it, period. Associating certain times of day or activities with foods is something most if not all of us do, so just work on learning those cues and trying to switch them off one at a time. Just as an example, if you habitually like to eat chocolate at the end of the evening, try going for a walk at that time for 20 minutes. Sometimes replacing a bad habit with a good one will help you break that cycle. Sooner or later, better habits will turn into your routine, replacing the bad, and you'll be wondering why it seemed so hard before. Keep in mind, you may still get those cravings from time to time (my cravings for chocolate are mostly nil, but when it is my time of month, that craving comes on like a tsunami for at least a day but sometimes up to a whole week- I have to be very careful).

Good luck!
 
P.S.- for eating less, you could wrap half your lunch to go and use it for dinner or you can do what I did lots of time- throw what I knew I shouldn't have in the GARBAGE. Better in the trash than on my @$$ is my motto ;-p
 
Thanks for the advice, Lizabell!

Yeah, I'm selecting good options here at school; staying away from fried foods, eating veggies, and taking fresh fruits back with me. I'm limited on my selection, but hey, it's just something I got to deal with.

As far as not overeating ... that's still a work in progress. I feel as though I haven't gone anywhere. But today may be different b/c I've consumed less than 1200 calories and I'm going to the gym, so that should make up for the past two days that I've overeaten. (don't worry...it's only for today)
 
What you have to remember is where you are today and the weight that you are is down to you. Now that's a good thing because that means where you are going to be next month and the weight you are going to be is also down to you.

The choices that you make today will affect the weight that you are going to be next month, next year. The weight you are today is due to the choices that you made in the past.

So the key to real weight loss is to make the right choices today because those choices will have an effect.

So when you are faced with an urge to snack just ask yourself, "Is this going to move me towards my goal or away from goal?" Then smile and feel good about making the right decision.
 
Isn't it true that the longer you have been at a certain weight, the harder it is to lose it?

B/c I've been 145 forEVER, so maybe that has become my body's comfort zone and any attempt to lose weight my body kicks into craving mode to get back and remain at that 145.

Hmm...
 
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