Advice on how to stop eating like a degenerate...

[oI2ange]

So I've been struggling heavily on my eating portion sizings lately. This is a lot worse during the football season and I'm a bit alarmed on the way I've been eating the last few months.

Tonight I just ate a lil ceasers Hot N Ready...I'm fine with cheating some. I don't mind eating the foods I enjoy...but I need to stop eating so damn much. I ate the entire pizza without blinking an eye- that's 2240 calories in my gut. I don't really know why I do this.

In the past I've used monetary incentives/punishments to keep myself in check. After I ate that pizza tonight, I immediately texted my friend that "the next time I eat a hot n ready in the next 2 months, I owe you $50".

Obviously if you do punishments/statements like this, you need to follow through with them in order for them to be effective. But I find that these messages to friends have helped me in the past.

What are some things you do to keep your eating in check? Maybe I'm just an anomaly...I've always enjoyed eating a lot of food for weird reasons. It's fine for now since I'm young and I'm very active, but I need to control it before I get older. Ugh...

/rant

[LeafUF]

One thing I would do is simply not buy foods that I gorge on or prepare myself for when i want to gorge. Granted downing a full days worth of calories in one sitting is extreme but if you only eat.once a day it's brilliant.

Other things you can do is eat more filling food that is fewer calories. Foods that make it harder to down so many calories in one sitting.

Of course if you just have to have big meals you may want to research leangains as people doing that have trouble eating enough at their meals.

[oragator1]

For me the light went on a few years ago when I had a G/F who ate healthy and now three things motivate me below. While I don't have to worry about weight, weight and bad food go hand in hand.
First is a fear of health problems. Eating healthy lowers risks for every major illness including cancer, stroke, heart disease etc. And given that I hate hospitals and dying, that in itself is motivation.
Second is the disciplinary aspect and the self challenge. I watch calories, sodium, saturated fat, good fat, red meat intake ( once a week only), sugar, and the good things like vegetable/fruit intake religiously. Every day I keep track of all of them.
That leads to the third thing which is a feeling if pride and accomplishment in getting it done day in and day out. It might sound a bit over the top, but it really does become a sense of pride in being able to manage something that is so important and potentially daunting.
One other benefit is it becomes like a game and challenge to be won every day.
None of this means I don't eat badly on some days, but it's calculated, I make up for it the day before or day after. Once you get in the groove it's not that hard.

[oI2ange]

I eat fairly clean typically during the week. I could still cut some of my portions down...but the weekends, ugh, it just becomes hell. Overall, I really just need to cut down on the portions that I eat.

One problem that I have is that I eat super super fast. Maybe it's because I grew up in a big family, I dunno. Eat fast or don't eat at all...If i can learn to slow down, I think that'd help alot.

[Dreamliner]

I eat fairly clean typically during the week. I could still cut some of my portions down...but the weekends, ugh, it just becomes hell. Overall, I really just need to cut down on the portions that I eat.

One problem that I have is that I eat super super fast. Maybe it's because I grew up in a big family, I dunno. Eat fast or don't eat at all...If i can learn to slow down, I think that'd help alot.

Yes, in a nutshell: s-l-o-w down. S---L---O---W down.

Chinese study showed that participants who chewed each bite 40 times consumed 18% fewer calories than those who chewed each bite 15 times.

[LeafUF]

http://summertomato.com/how-to-become-a-slow-eater/?utm_source=pulsenews&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2Fsummertomato+%28Su mmer+Tomato%29

[oI2ange]

thanks for that link, leaf. i inhale my food and really need to slow down.

[johnl]

I think about this all the time. I'm 6'0 175 and 26yo and I'm scared to death of the pending "metabolism halt" everyone warns me about. Where I'm from, it seems like most males pack on a ton of weight after high school or in college, and I mean in their gut, face- not just filling out. My dad supposedly gained 18lbs (21yo) over their 2 week honeymoon, but I'm pretty sure I've got my mom's genes when it comes to weight, fortunately.

I can't say I'm trying to lose weight, though I'd imagine that it would be extremely difficult to lose 10 or even 5lbs for a male my age, height, weight simply by cutting 500 calories or so and not exercising regularly. So would it stand to reason that someone who is 10-20lbs overweight should focus more on exercising daily than dieting, assuming it's still around 2000cal/day?

Also, if I've learned anything about limiting food intake, it's easier to not eat hardly anything or maybe a pack of baby carrots and a few ritz crackers throughout the day and drink beer and water, maybe a spoonful of Nutella for desert. It's best to never whet your appetite to begin with. Being extremely hungry and refusing to eat will make the stomach shrink. Drink a beer, eat a couple crackers, drink lots of water and try living like a model for a week and you'll quickly learn it's easier than eating what you like, then stopping. Stop teasing yourself and shock your body into what I like to call food deprivation, not starvation. Buy yourself a Bowflex with the amount of money you'll save. Of course, active people will need to eat more. I despise working out and running.

I'm not a model by the way, but live alone these days, am poor, and know nothing about cooking so at least I can play by my own rules, not by what my body desires food-wise. Sure I could still kill a pizza by myself, maybe, but I don't need to if it's there. That's the goal, right?

[Dreamliner]

Good news is that anyone in any station of life can learn to eat more contemplatively.

Why not you ? Why not now ?!

[oI2ange]

I don't mind the eating nothing strategy...but I work out like a fiend and that simply wouldn't cut it for my energy. I'm partly glad I ate that pizza tonight- It might force a real wake up call for me and helping me fix my diet. The last 'enlightening' moment I had diet wise was during college, right during nutrition class. Though I got like a D in the class because I skipped a group project, that class taught me more than I can describe and literally changed my life. I took out all frozen foods/most of my processed foods that I used to ALWAYS eat from my diet. Perhaps this will be my second 'enlightenment' lol...

Thanks all for the replies.

[Dreamliner]

Good luck!

[oI2ange]

welp...ate ~4000 calories for dinner last night. FML

[Dreamliner]

welp...ate ~4000 calories for dinner last night. FML

Don't FYL. Just stop eating that much. You don't have to give food that much power over your life.

[LeafUF]

This wont help but damn that's awesome.

[Dreamliner]

This wont help but damn that's awesome.

Yes, on a certain level it is awe-inspiring.

[ATL_Gator]

This reply won't help either.

First, a whole pizza... then (different day) 4000 calories for dinner.

/golf clap!

In similar fashion, my son wanted to go out to eat with one of his friends the other night and we ended up at a Stevie B's pizza buffet. DEMOLISHED.

When I go on binges like that, I don't typically worry about it too much. Just budget it out over the next few days and you will be OK.

Eat big for a couple of days, and it was a spur of the moment thing? Impart a few days of "intermittent fasting" to make up (if fancy terms help at all, I just call it skipping some meals). If you need need to eat before a workout or whatever, just don't skip that particular meal and skip a meal after your workout instead.

You could also do more veggies when you do eat for a few days (assuming you aren't adding a bunch of calories through butter, sauces, dressing and other additives). Veggies pack a lot of volume with little calories. I will try to do 1/2 or more of the volume of food I serve myself in veggies (broccolli, cauliflower, green beans, peas, spinach)

If it is an event that you know is coming, start attacking the "budget" ahead of time and follow through after. The budget can be less aggressive if need be.

[LeafUF]

Good advice ATL. I think you are basically saying to look at your calories consumed in weeks instead of days. If you do it that way a 4000+ calorie day wont look so bad when you pair it up with a bunch of days below 2000.

[ATL_Gator]

Exactly.

I found that looking at it that way gives you a bit of latitude in how you approach things.

I went from 260ish to 205 a number of years ago with that strategy.

So far this year I have gone from 215 to 198 doing the exact same thing, inspite of some odd weekends.

[Dreamliner]

Yes, weekly strategies seem to work better than daily strategies. And of course it all comes down to budgeting. Apparently, ATL has balanced his checkbook successfully.

However, many people don't handle blowouts as well. They would do well to shoot for less 'ambitious' fluctuations in eating.

Now back to being serious. 4,000 calories ? Really ?

[ATL_Gator]

It's all in the math.

[Dreamliner]

It's all in the math.

I just don't think I could get that kind of math in my stomach.

[LeafUF]

I know I couldn't. That is about double the worst I can imagine doing, more likely a bad meal for me would hit 1500 or less and I would be absolutely stuffed.

[oragator1]

I have to ask...
What the heck was the 4k dinner?

[oI2ange]

35 wings from buffalo wild wings. I figure most of those are anywhere from 80-100 calories per.

Entire basket of potato wedges for myself.

Finished it off with a medium mint oreo shake from DQ right after.

Disgusting...

I moved my friend into his new house for 2 hours...obviously that's a ton of work. Then I rode 6 miles or so on my bike at a decent pace. I didn't really eat much during that time span and was really hungry...the above was the result.

[Dreamliner]

Quick google and I get over 4,600 calories.

You were within 1,000!

[oI2ange]

Lol...good lord....I'm disgusting.

[malscott]

I'll take the shrink approach. So, what's really bothering you? Show a little more self love. This can be obtained with a bit of self control. Just call me Freud. (or asshole) :) During the week you can be more regimented and allow yourself to splurge (not back to the old ways ( relative splurge))on the weekends. But as far as portions go, you really need to cut way back. Eat more meals during the day, but smaller ones. Vegetables and salads will help you lose weight. Beer, bread, refined foods, chips=bad. Pizza is not good either. But a few pieces is better/whole pizza? sheesh! Who's your buddy?

[oragator1]

35 wings from buffalo wild wings. I figure most of those are anywhere from 80-100 calories per.

Entire basket of potato wedges for myself.

Finished it off with a medium mint oreo shake from DQ right after.

Disgusting...

I moved my friend into his new house for 2 hours...obviously that's a ton of work. Then I rode 6 miles or so on my bike at a decent pace. I didn't really eat much during that time span and was really hungry...the above was the result.

They are a little over 70 per...

http://mobile.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/buffalo-wild-wings/chicken-wings

But this speaks to my earlier point about eating well helping more than weight. Look at the saturated fat in a wing, at 1g per wing you ate 35 grams of sat fat... daily RDA is 20, and that's before the 7g of sat fat in the potato wedges (560 calories).

http://mobile.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/buffalo-wild-wings/potato-wedges-(basket)

And if you had a shake similar to this, it's 13 more grams of sat fat (820 calories).

http://fast-food-nutrition.findthebest.com/q/634/891/How-many-grams-of-saturated-fat-are-in-a-Dairy-Queen-Oreo-CheeseQuake-Blizzard-Medium


So all told, you has almost 3 days of sat fat in one meal and you were right on, it's 4040 calories. And that's not even taking into account transfats, Sodium, sugars etc.
I didn't post any of that to be critical... We all eat bad sometimes, it's just easier to figure when it is all broken out. And it took someone doing something similar for me on a regular basis before I started changing.
Also as i am sure you are aware, it takes a whole lot of budgeting to compensate for a meal like that, so makes the rest of the road harder too.

[LeafUF]

Lol...good lord....I'm disgusting.

I dont know about disgusting but you sure can eat a lot. I love chicken wings, I mean love wings, and I see no way I could put down more than 20 on their own. Usually if I go out for wings I will get a dozen, fries and some beer.

I also happen to not find this all that terrible. I mean you had an active day and did not eat a lot according to you.

Dont be too hard on yourself about this. No, you should not make this a habit and yes if it is a habit you need to work on stopping it. So, its probably best to not get yourself in situations where you can end up eating like this. Hitting BWs after moving a friend and a bike ride probably not a great idea. Next time get a snack before you hit the restaurant and I bet you will be full a lot sooner.

[ATL_Gator]

35 wings from buffalo wild wings. I figure most of those are anywhere from 80-100 calories per.

Entire basket of potato wedges for myself.

Finished it off with a medium mint oreo shake from DQ right after.

Disgusting...

I moved my friend into his new house for 2 hours...obviously that's a ton of work. Then I rode 6 miles or so on my bike at a decent pace. I didn't really eat much during that time span and was really hungry...the above was the result.

Sounds delicious.

Seriously.

[oI2ange]

Good advice all, thanks a lot.

I'm fortunate that I'm young and very very active...but this needs to be addressed as I get older and metabolism slows.

[Dreamliner]

Good advice all, thanks a lot.

I'm fortunate that I'm young and very very active...but this needs to be addressed as I get older and metabolism slows.

Or just rock climb several hours a day until well into your eighties. :wink:

[ATL_Gator]

For what it's worth, I don't buy the "slowed metabolism" thing anyway. I find it more that we just aren't as active during the day as we age.

[oI2ange]

one more update- i've definitely watched my portion sizings. have yet to eat a full pizza and been fairly good all around. i'm really thankful for some of the posts in this thread- they've helped me with regards to changing my mentality on my diet. i can think about diet in a 2-3 day span instead of just day to day. for instance, i ate pretty awfully on saturday night (probably 2/3rds of a huge pizza). the day after i only ate a few remaining slices though and called it good for the entire day (the old me would have probably pushed through and eaten the rest of it the first day- i used to laugh at people who took boxes home from restaurants).

i've definitely seen results though in my overall body composition. not that actual weight matters, but i AM down a few lbs from my normal weight (182.5 tonight as opposed to probably 186-187..could just be water weight though, so w/e). body fat % is definitely down though...thanks again to those who posted in this thread.

[ATL_Gator]

5 ish lb can certainly be water/other weight fluctuations.. However, in my experience, 5 lb is indicitative of some other change as well.

[Dreamliner]

one more update- i've definitely watched my portion sizings. have yet to eat a full pizza and been fairly good all around. i'm really thankful for some of the posts in this thread- they've helped me with regards to changing my mentality on my diet. i can think about diet in a 2-3 day span instead of just day to day. for instance, i ate pretty awfully on saturday night (probably 2/3rds of a huge pizza). the day after i only ate a few remaining slices though and called it good for the entire day (the old me would have probably pushed through and eaten the rest of it the first day- i used to laugh at people who took boxes home from restaurants).

i've definitely seen results though in my overall body composition. not that actual weight matters, but i AM down a few lbs from my normal weight (182.5 tonight as opposed to probably 186-187..could just be water weight though, so w/e). body fat % is definitely down though...thanks again to those who posted in this thread.

Sounds like you're on the right track!

[vbmatt]

Good job! 35 wings is pretty easy to consume, especially after a few pitchers of beer!

Calories add up easily and it's not that hard to go out to dinner somewhere and start approaching the 2000 calorie mark in one sitting...

[LeafUF]

Good job oI2ange

[rburnett]

If I ate 35 wings in 1 sitting, i would have crapped my drawls before finishing

[oragator1]

one more update- i've definitely watched my portion sizings. have yet to eat a full pizza and been fairly good all around. i'm really thankful for some of the posts in this thread- they've helped me with regards to changing my mentality on my diet. i can think about diet in a 2-3 day span instead of just day to day. for instance, i ate pretty awfully on saturday night (probably 2/3rds of a huge pizza). the day after i only ate a few remaining slices though and called it good for the entire day (the old me would have probably pushed through and eaten the rest of it the first day- i used to laugh at people who took boxes home from restaurants).

i've definitely seen results though in my overall body composition. not that actual weight matters, but i AM down a few lbs from my normal weight (182.5 tonight as opposed to probably 186-187..could just be water weight though, so w/e). body fat % is definitely down though...thanks again to those who posted in this thread.

Good job, I know it's not always easy. If you commit to it though, it gets easier and part of your lifestyle quicker than you even realize.

[oI2ange]

update: i've definitely lost a good amount of body fat % over the last few months. i've started to skip breakfast and have had good results- i don't really miss the extra calories much and can function fine without it. haven't really had too many huge eating degenerate moments...last weekend i went to taco bell after eating a large dinner (sure didn't need that)...but no big pizza fiascos.

i'll be going on vacation here in a bit so maybe i'll gain some back...but i'm extremely happy with my results. thanks to everyone again.

[fubar1]

I applaud anyone who's taking on the challenge of eating healthy and keeping their weight in check.

I've been a convert to fruits and vegetables and eating organic over the last 5 years. It's not necessarily a weight loss accelerator, but you'll feel better for it. Many more nutrients than other foods and will keep you feeling less bloated and run down.

Speaking of bloated...my new fascination is with recent studies showing the harmful effects of foods that cause inflamation, and how inflamation is really one of the primary causes of later diseases...diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, etc.

Basically, processed sugar, carbs, etc are literally killers in this regard. Interesting reading to say the least.

[Juggernautz]

Anyone read and/or seen: Forks over Knives?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forks_Over_Knives

[Dreamliner]

Yes ... didn't think much of it.

[ATL_Gator]

I have not. Haven't decided if I want to waste my time with it, from what I understand.

The China Study, which I think this movie is largely based on, has been largely discredited, and at worst is mostly false and made up. At best, it is just a practice in very POOR scientific study and data gathering. As far as I understand. (haven't read this either).

Anyway, these "meat is bad for you" movies/arguments reminds me of a line...

"I didn't fight my way to the top of the food chain to eat plants"

Aside from that... Lets assume that 100% of the planet suddenly went vegan. Ever think what would happen then? Would we survive? Keep in mind, not only would we be needing more plants to survive as a population, but the animals that would have otherwise been eaten and know nothing of population control would also be eating our ONLY food soruce as well. AS I see it, the current population levels would be unsustainable and mass famine would ensue.

Compound that last problem with eliminating technology from plant based farming, and go old school completely organic. Dealing with pests and crop losses, and all that sort.

[LeafUF]

I watched about the first 20 minutes of it and realized it was complete garbage then shut it off.

I do find it funny that back to back posts basically reference two different villains for the same problems.

[Dreamliner]

Meat and sugar are killing us! We're all going to die!

[oragator1]

back to the original point of this thread being bumped, good job oI2ange, it's not always easy but totally worth it.

[fubar1]

I have not. Haven't decided if I want to waste my time with it, from what I understand.

The China Study, which I think this movie is largely based on, has been largely discredited, and at worst is mostly false and made up. At best, it is just a practice in very POOR scientific study and data gathering. As far as I understand. (haven't read this either).

Anyway, these "meat is bad for you" movies/arguments reminds me of a line...

"I didn't fight my way to the top of the food chain to eat plants"

Aside from that... Lets assume that 100% of the planet suddenly went vegan. Ever think what would happen then? Would we survive? Keep in mind, not only would we be needing more plants to survive as a population, but the animals that would have otherwise been eaten and know nothing of population control would also be eating our ONLY food soruce as well. AS I see it, the current population levels would be unsustainable and mass famine would ensue.

Compound that last problem with eliminating technology from plant based farming, and go old school completely organic. Dealing with pests and crop losses, and all that sort.

Or, you could just maintain the population of certain farm animals by not allowing them to breed uncontrollably? :)