I can never stay on a healthy diet!!!

[adeleg16]

I've been trying to eat healthy for the past two years. I'm very informed about it but I can't ever stick with it. I've never gotten past a week and a half. I always do perfectly the first week and a half then I start craving junk food like crazy and gorge myself. I've tried just having one cheat meal a week and that doesn't work because once I have a taste I just eat more. I've tried everything.. vegan.. vegetarian.. juice cleanses... paleo.. It's not the diet issue it's just sticking with it.

After trying for so long and never getting past a week and a half I think I'm never going to be able to do it. 😞 Getting really discouraged. I'm tired of going back and forth and I'm sick of quitting after a week and a half and filling my body with junk. Any tips or advice? Thank you!

[WendyB]

You can do it if you really want to.

One thing I can suggest is great rid of the Cheat meal mentality. I go out once a week and I have what I want. But I do not consider it cheating. Its life. If I want Pizza I have it but I dont gorge myself. I start with a salad to fill me and then have a slice of pizza.

Maybe you need to start a journal and write in it  your feelings. I did this when I started and it helped a lot. I dont do it anymore unless I feel the need.

You have it within you. But you need to find it and you are the only one that can

[SunsetRunner]

@adeleg16 like @WendyB is right about the cheat meal. The cheat meal suggests that you're doing something wrong. Just eat food. If you crave for something, it won't kill you if you eat it from time to time in moderation. Some people may not agree with me, but if 90% you do something right, then 10% of doing something little worse is not a big deal. When I tried to lose weight being strict was quite important. Now, the rules relaxed and I rather try to implement conscious eating. My diet involves greatly reduced meat and dairy intake ( for one month it's up to 10% of whole calories intake ). Rest is just plant-based but it doesn't mean all is super-healthy 🙂 I know that I should use always wholemeal products like for example flours but how was I supposed to make that ravioli delicious without evil, stripped from all that is good white flour? 🙂 The key is moderation and consciousness. I eat sometimes products which could be considered a junk food. I do some baking ( trying to implement some healthy stuff in it, but still - baked goods aren't the healthiest type of food 🙂 ). I don't really stick with a single diet. I stick with MY diet of conscious eating :). I even tend to call myself a flexitarian. My diet is knowing what food I consume in what quantities and how does it affect me. My efforts go mostly into making sure I'm not overeating ( if you overeat from time to time - well, it won't kill you either, gaining weight from one larger meal isn't so simple ) and since I avoid ( but not excluded for good ) meat - need to make sure I do get all needed macro- and micronutrients. And I don't have cheat meals! I just have meals! 🙂

You may also need something that suits you. Diet doesn't have to have a name and if you grab something unhealthy occasionally, there's no reason to beat yourself up about it and use the term "cheat meal" for an excuse and making yourself feel better, less guilty ( because this is what this term is for ). The problem starts when such food replaces real food ( and for many people unfortunately it does ).

[Daves_Not_Here]

@adeleg16 - Welcome - this is easier said than done, but you have to learn how to be gentle with yourself and mentally determined at the same time.

Since you are human, you will "slip" from time to time.  The trick is not allow the slip to reinforce a self-image that you can "never" do something, and justify staying slipped.

I think it's better to cultivate a self-image of a person who eats healthy foods the majority of the time, and occasionally indulges in other foods.  When that happens, you just return to healthy foods the next meal.  Habits are forged through repetition.

Also, you may wish to understand what triggers you to eat junk and try to prevent those.  In my case, it's boredom, or getting towards bedtime too hungry.

Try reading The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

[mtstaffa]

I know what you are going through.  It IS tough.

I use (and work for) Asken Diet. It syncs with Fitbit (step counts) and there is even an app for the Ionic/Versa. Basically it is an A.I. nutritionist (with data and advice written my our team of hundreds of licensed nutritionists/dietitians) that analyze the food that you eat (log) and provides actionable diet advice.  Hopefully the advice can be the encouragement and accountability you need to crush your diet goals.

Learn more here: https://www.askendiet.com/get

[SherriRD]

HI there! I"m happy to help you with a proven system. I"m a dietitian and would love to give you some information. please forward me your email address , Im happy to give you info. I used to eat a ton of sweets myself and could never control the cravings and now my cravings are gone. looking forward to assisting you with hitting those goals. 

[Esya]

What worked for me was not going full blown all of a sudden. That is a huge change. Rather over time I implemented changes. I started by not having sugar in my drinks anymore. When I got used to that, I added the next change. In that way you give yourself the chance to get used to something before adding on the next thing. You can also see if a change actually works for you. If you still have the energy you need. In this way I created a lifestyle I can maintain. I still indulge at times, but remind myself that what matters is what I do on all the other days, not just that 1 day I indulge myself.

[SherriRD]

that's awesome!!! if you are open to new ideas and better health and
reviewing your goals, let me know. sounds like you are excited about making
those changes and doing great!!

*Sherri Handville, RD*


"Let food be thy medicine and medicine thy food" Hippocrates
empowering people to make healthy lifestyle changes

[baldan]

Your situation is just like me, it takes a lot of courage to discipline yourself. I can stay discipline for a few weeks, with all the diet plan or any small goal that i would like to achieve.

Then I just happen to be hanging out with friend or relatives, they serve me a good food and very delicious ones, sometimes it is very hard to say no. Yes i can eat for the small portion because i do not want to hurt their feeling.

Then, slowly it become a big portion, then for whatever reason i came back for the way that i used to be. I mean eat a lot

[MagsOnTheBeach]

It's hard to be perfect - it sounds like when you are not perfect, you quit.  No one is perfect.  Have you tried to just cut one thing out? Like buying food that is pre-made - frozen meals, restaurants, just for a month?  Instead of thinking of the diet mentality, thinking of it as 'Changing what you eat'?

[Bogdel]

@adeleg16, a lot of the Standard American Diet (SAD) is highly addictive. When I changed my eating habits, I started by replacing all starchy foods with greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, nuts, and seeds. Dr. Joel Fuhrman calls this G-BOMBS. I made salads my main meal, both for lunch and for dinner, and made sure I add 2-3 tbs of beans to it, each time, for protein. Since I was still drinking coffee in the morning at that time, gradually, I replaced dairy milk with soy milk. Occasionally, I had Almond milk with oats mixed with chia seeds, 1/2 banana, and blueberries for breakfast, although that made me sluggish and slowed my weight-loss efforts. 

What helped me immensely was listening to Dr. Joel Fuhrman's books, "Eat to Live", and "Eat for Health". I purchased both in audio format, and I listened to them constantly, during my sleep and as I walked. I literarely use them as textbooks; there is a lot of medical and scientific information that educates us in the role each food category has to our body. I established it in my mind that I control the food, and the food does not control me. Sometimes, in order to get rid of the foods that are bad for us, we need to simply demonize them. When I run into them, I look away and say to myself, "this is horrible to the body!" So, instead of saying to yourself, "I'm craving for...", you can have a full glass of water or some nuts (or both), and say to yourself, "I love my body, and will never put that stuff in it again!". If, at any time you happen to eat the "bad stuff," get right back on the healthy diet and try to detox your body from it as soon as possible. 

Occasionally, I still eat some of the things that I know are bad for me, although very rarely (I just had a piece of delicious cake on my birthday a few days ago - Yuk!). Even though I now detest it, I don't blame myself for it. I just acknowledges that I gave myself permission to do so for a special occasion, knowing that this is an exception, and not a rule. 

I hope that all the suggestions you received here, along with all that you have read, will encourage you to do what is best for your body. If we could do it, so can you. However, it has to start in your mind, and when that craving comes, in the middle of the second week, you can beat it by drinking a glassful of water and/or some nuts, and reaffirming your determination to detox your body from that stuff. 

Oh, BTW, there is a 9 episode docu-series called i-Trive that I wached recently. It was SO good! See if you can find it for free. It is expensive otherwise. 

Best wishes to you!

[Bogdel]

@adeleg16, I just ran into this video, and I thought you may find it helpful. It's pretty much what I have been doing, and I was able to reach my ideal weight and health. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8nCqXNMf2M

[ScottHsv]

Hey adeleg16, boy do I feel your pain! I have been that way around food for nearly my entire life. However, after years of searching I have finally come to an understanding of why I behave that way around food. There have been two resources that have helped me immeasurably, and the most helpful came from an area that I didn't expect: psychology. You see, after years of research, I have become a walking encyclopedia of knowledge on what the healthiest foods were to eat. The the biggest thing missing for me was mastering my behavior around food. The program is called Bright Line Eating run by a phD neuroscientist. Up front disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with the program in any way other than having gone through it, and having been helped by it. Additionally, I will tell you that they have a very expensive program available, but in my opinion you can get all the same information from Dr. Thompson's book also called "Bright Line Eating". And, by the way, the Audible version is great ( I listen to it in my car). 

In short, food companies have successfully mastered the biochemistry of food addiction, mainly through the addition of sugars but also with a helping from fat and salt to make hyperpalatable foods that overload the brain with addictive pleasure neurochemicals. If you are like me and are high on the susceptibility scale, it is nearly impossible to stop eating these foods. In fact, I think the science is really starting to catch up to people's experiences to show that these foods are as actually as addictive as drugs of abuse (yes you read that right). The proverbial cherry on top is that we live in a food environment that is designed to induce decision fatigue, overwhelm your willpower, and make it socially acceptable to enhance every experience with food. The result is an entire population of millions of food addicts that are constantly trying the latest fad diet, falling off the wagon, gaining the weight back as they go back to their addictive foods, then and finally rallying for another try. Over, and over, and over again, it goes, each time judging themselves harshly for not being able to control themselves. If you are like me, you will tell yourself that you have no discipline and no integrity because you cannot behave in a way that is consistent with your highest goals. 

In my experience there has been only one way to get off the crazy train...quit. Simply quit eating the additive processed foods that were making me sick and stay off of them. Granted, it is very, very hard at first, but an amazing thing happens in your brain...it heals. It takes time, maybe even a alot of time, but eventually you will quit craving the addictive foods that are plagueing your every thought. Then something amazing happens, you begin to enjoy the taste of healthy food as much or more than you did your addictive food before. Somethign else will also happen, you will begin to experience happiness from other areas of your life, and your happiness will stop being dependent on, and revolving around food. 

This may be a long winded explanation, but please do yourself a favor and buy the book Bright Line Eating. It is well worth the read. 

[CactusFlower527]

I am back on Weight Watchers again.. their new program has 0 points for chicken breast meat, most fish/seafood, beans, all fresh and frozen, and most canned fruit as long as the juice is drained out.  Not as much tracking as before. I am also doing WW with a co-worker, so it does help to have a support person(s) to help you through it. I have seen at least one reply about cheat days and I agree with that. Slip ups are gonna happen anyhow, so why plan one?

[boncansub]

Echoing what a couple of people have said, going "all or nothing" on a diet plan can be extremely difficult!  Start with just one small change and when you have made that a consistent habit, add one other change.  Often what can be helpful is adding something instead of taking something away.  So instead of trying to cut soda out of your diet for instance, you could add 1 extra glass of water each day, or add 1 green vegetable per day more than you normally eat.  Over time this will push or shift what you eat/drink toward something healthier. 

It's tempting to try to get healthy right now!  But you've been eating this way for a long time, so it will take some time to eat healthier.  Be gentle with yourself.  It's really a mindset shift that's required, but all it takes is baby steps to start making it happen.  You can do it!

[KayenF]

I think it's because a lot of these diets are not sustainable for everyday people. Life always gets in the way. The best way to face this (and some people here have already mentioned it) is to start the changes gradually and never fully cut out a food group. That's a surefire way of failing in this.

Also, it helps to have a food log, easier to see all your small accomplishments this way and the visual alone can keep you motivated.

From someone who went from eating whatever I wanted (hello, late teens to early 20s metabolism), to going on the Atkins diet (so not sustainable but works if you have a short time and some fat to lose), to finding the balance that works for me.

I def. suggest the food log. It's really helpful! And meal prepping makes it even better to be able to stick to this lifestyle change 🙂

[Lovecup]

I used to feel the same way until I started eating Keto. I eat dirty keto and I'm still losing weight and inches. I'm able to eat sugar free treats that taste almost the same as ones packed with sugar, but to be quite honest I'm so full all the time that I usually don't crave anything anymore. It's really mind over matter. Our minds are what keep us held back. You're body wants to eat healthy its just getting our brains to get on the same page. 

I really think once you find a healthy eating pattern you enjoy then just stick to it. Take away cheat meals for 6 to 8 months and really focus on eating better. It gets easier.

[MechEMom]

Is it possible that "absolute" diets just don't work for you?

I've found that if I tell myself I can never have something ever again, then that's all I can think about.  I've had much better luck making small changes and swaps, and always looking to improve the diet I currently enjoy than trying to do an all-or-nothing approach like what you've listed (vegan, vegetarian, juice, paleo, etc.).

Some people do really well with eating habits that just ban entire foods or food groups - they like the absolutes.  For other people, myself included, that just doesn't work. We do better practicing "everything in moderation".

[Tiffstar]

As someone who has also done multiple "diets" and would ALWAYS Fail I've finally found to the thing that sticks. 

I am not on any diet. I am simply trying to live and eat healthier. I still enjoy my days of eating Creamy pasta, pizza or burgers but I limit those days and watch my portions. Rather then eat a whole half a pizza I'll only have a slice or two. I grab a small bowel for my pasta and don't go back for seconds. 

If I feel like I've had a REALLY Bad couple of days of eating I calorie count for a week and keep my calorie intake 500 calories under what I burn. I find doing this helps me become mindful of WHAT I'm eating and how much I CAN eat. Rather then gorging on chocolates and being hungry later but not being able to eat because I reached my calorie intake, I reach for more healthier snacks like Berries or Nuts. 

Am I completely off the sweets. NO WAY. If I feel like a piece of chocolate I have "fun size" chocolates in a draw and only allow myself 1 a day which is about 70 calories. Or I grab a sugar free fruit drop and I can have 3 of them for 36 calories. 

Is it easy to resist the temptation to grab more chocolate or junk food... Not at first... But with will power and a desire to shift the weight I've gained, saying no has become a LOT more easier. Like I said, If I feel like I'm falling off the wagon I go back to counting calories because thats a serious slap in the face. 

Is my diet perfect... No, but its MUCH healthier than it was before and I don't feel like I'm setting myself up to fail because I do still enjoy the things I want to, just in moderation. The weight is coming off at the pace I wanted it to and I'm feeling so much more healthier. 

Small changes are much more sustainable then a slap in the face sudden big change. 

[aldensmith]

Eating healthy and organic diet can help you lose weight. It can also improve your mental health and reduce your risk of disease as well.