Help!!

[Nowillpower]

Hi everyone!
I always follow this forum but haven't posted much. At the moment I really need some advice!
I have had problems with yo yo dieting and binge eating for many years and over the last 5 years or so I found a balance where I was happy with my weight, was exercising and eating reasonably well but not being crazy with it, but I was happy.

I have recently started a new job as a live-in Nanny and the family are the most unhealthy people I have ever met. In the house there is croissants, cakes, white bread and a whole cupboard filled with every type of chocolate and potato chips you can imagine.

I'm going to the gym every day for about an hour and I'm happy with that. Usually when I exercise I won't undo all my hard work by eating bad food but in this case I cannot stop. It's getting to the stage where I say ok, tomorrow I will not eat all this junk and then tomorrow comes and it's worse than yesterday.

I know it's no excuse saying the people buy this food, but because it is in front of me I cannot stop.
This afternoon I ate: 1 croissant, 1/4 large white baguette, 1 bowl of Frosties, 2 small milky ways, 1 small mars bar, 1 large crunchie. Straight after lunch so I wasn't even hungry. It got to the point where I tried to make myself be sick because I felt so disgusting.

Any advice would be appreciated, I just don't know what to do anymore. I can't stop eating.

Thanks,
Kel

[CronicBadger]

Hello NWP

Try thinking of this in a different way - you have been presented with a wonderful opportunity to develop a valuable life-skill: The Art of Saying "No!".

You cannot out-exercise bad eating habits, nor is it likely the family will change their own, so unless you run away from your job your only option (aside from giving in and gaining weight) is to not eat all those tasty treats.

(in my Sir David Attenborough voice)
From my observations of healthy thin people it's apparent that one of the key aspects of their behaviour is that when presented with the option of eating crap, they generally make the decision not to. This is a learned behaviour and something that they use in other non-food related areas of their life. This behaviour can be learned by anyone.

The term "deferred gratification" is one I think you should "Google" for. Use that with the knowledge that less sugar and saturated fat in your diet means less chance of heart attack and diabetes and cancer.

I could tell you to stop right now and don't give in to temptation, but would you listen? No. The only person you are likely to listen to is yourself. You know what to do.

Hmm, the only piece of advice I can suggest is to hold one of the items of unhealthy food in your hand and visualise its fat and sugar content coursing through your veins and depositing fat in your arteries, caking it like the fur on the inside of water pipes. Imaging the sugar mucking up your blood and organs. Imagine the pain of a heart attack and the regrets might have in your later life as you hobble around in misery and pain, popping pills and awaiting the next surgical operation. Future regrets that COULD have been negated by a different decision than the "easy" one of scoffing down lots of unhealthy food. You get one chance at life.

[Nowillpower]

Hey CronicBadger,

You are so wise! Thanks so much for that reply.
It is so true what you say about generally thin people usually saying no to crap food. I just want to be at the stage where I can indulge when I want to, but not go crazy when I do have bad food. I just think about food all the time whether I am dieting or not. I don't think it is a good way to be!!

That's the thing I find hardest about losing and maintaining weight, I'm either going crazy dieting and not eating anything bad and when I finally do, it is a massive blowout which then tends to last days!

Aah the struggles! The thing is I'm not massively overweight, probably in the healthy weight range but could do with losing 5kg or so. I just want to be at the stage where food doesn't rule my life and I'm not either starving or eating like a pig.

Thanks!!!

[fatman2011]

If you really want a change, first thing you must have is SELF-DISCIPLINE. You are the only one who can master yourself, conquer yourself so that you can do what ever you can. Have some exercise, sweat it out. Eat healthy foods. Have a healthy living , to have a healthy lifestyle. As I have noticed, your username is "no will power", will power is just a state of mind, so it will be onto you, motivate yourself more so that you could stick to your plans.