Struggling with Weight Loss and Emotional Eating

A sweet treat once in a while is not bad. The key focus needs to be on the "in a while" part. A YouTube content creator I watch says he lost weight by following a strict diet 6 days a week, with what he called his "cheat day" once a week on Saturdays. Something he said helped him quite a bit was learning an attitude "one cheat day is ok, it's several cheat *days* that become bad." He admits, and I am saying this as well, that it may not help you like it did for him, but allowing yourself that one 'cheat' each week can help with not having a lot of cravings, because your mind knows that the treats are still being allowed, just in moderation.

I like to buy a few unhealthy snacks and a lot of healthy ones. When all else fails I eat peanut butter. It’s high it protein and healthy fats. It’s sweet and salty. But make small changes. White bread for whole wheat. Milkshakes for smoothies with veggies and fruits. I even eat kids fruit pouches when I’m too hungry but don’t want to eat. But I’m a binge eater too at night. I haven’t lost much. But I haven’t gained.

Yes. I dont eat the healthiest but do try. You definitely can still have sweets but moderation is definitely key. What i read is if you give it up completely it could make the cravings worse. But I'm not good at that moderation thing. 🤦‍♀️

Hi! Long time picky eater here. I hear you. I gained so much weight and wanted to lose it to better myself and feel confident. I think a good first step is understanding the different between eating to distract and eating because you’re hungry. Also eating until you’re no longer hungry vs eating until you’re absolutely stuffed. What helped me was putting my food on smaller plates and only eating a little at a time. This made me have to get up for more at the same time kept me focused on if I was really hungry enough to get more. I also tried to spend less time watching TV or being on my phone and instead conversing at the table so I didn’t distract myself and accidentally overate. I think what helped me a lot was also knowing you can have both healthy and unhealthy foods as you transition into a healthier lifestyle. A lot of people have cheat days. I have typically 1-2 cheat days a week. I’ve found overall exercising also motivates me to eat better as I want my exercise to seem worth it to me. You’re totally fine to put some healthy food on your plate but also have stuff you enjoy. Or combining them! Like instead of just a casual pasta, add some veggies to it and see if you like them. It helped me a lot to dice things up in small portions so they seem less threatening. Helped me a LOT. It’s also worth grabbing a couple protein bars and trying them. Watch for sugar cause some will try to trick you. If you don’t like them, that’s okay. If you find something that you like the taste of but don’t like the texture, that’s fine. It’s possible to find all kinds of different forms of food. Honestly heart to heart, changing your entire lifestyle isn’t easy. Do things gradually. So many people focus on trying to drop everything all of a sudden and they’re more likely to fail. How I did it was I pulled back on my sweets first. I’d have a meal and instead of immediately having sweets after, I made myself wait about 10 minutes. I typically didn’t crave sweets by that point. I also switched to sweets that can be found in healthier ways. Went from regular ice cream to sugar free. You’d be surprised how good sugar free stuff can be. Changing your life takes time, it takes dedication and drive. Asking for help is an amazing first step and something to be proud of. There’s no shame in trying to see a dietician or personal trainer either, I’ve tried both and benefited greatly. I’m currently in the process of going on walks after dinner with my girlfriend. We both can get exercise while still enjoying each other’s presence. I’m wishing you the best of luck! Feel free to message for any advice or recipe recommendations if you enjoy cooking, I’ve got a few good recipes or mixes that I like and are healthier options. Best wishes :)