NSV: I’ve stuck to my diet for over a week and have started to change some of my mindsets around food

I’ve been trying to lose weight for almost a year, after gaining some during COVID when I was depressed. But I kept failing: I would have one bad day after a few days of counting calories and working out, and it would cause me to abandon the effort entirely for a bit. The problem? I still hadn’t changed my mindset around food. I’ve kind of always had a mindset that if I craved something, I needed it right then and there, and I would need to eat as much as possible in case it was taken away. If I tried to ignore these cravings I would eventually give in and overeat. I think these struggles came from moments in my childhood (my parents would not allow me to eat snacks and would lock up cupboards when I was 7 and 8, even though I didn’t have a problem back then witj junk food/my weight and I think this damaged my relationship with food), so it’s been hard to break free, but even connecting the dots between my childhood and my current eating habits have allowed me to make some changes more easily.

I’ve successfully been able to change my mindset more. These past two or so weeks I’ve stuck to my calorie goal or lower every single day! And I still do it by fitting in foods I like. For example, I work at a cafe and bakery, and I will have a cookie sometimes but eat only a few bites one day, a few bites the next, etc. Not only does this spread the calories throughout a few days instead of all at once, but it means I get to enjoy the foods I want more often. I’ve realized that if I am craving something, or a certain food looks good, I can get rid of my craving and enjoy it a bit but still stay healthy by only eating a bit and saving the rest for another day. So far I have lost 3 pounds already, not much (I want to lose 30-40 eventually) but I already feel a bit healthier especially with my new mindset! :)

So, if you are having trouble staying motivated and ignoring food cravings, you may need to dig deeper and change your mindset around food instead of just beating yourself up for failing over and over. Be gentle with yourself and try and find the root of the issue.

submitted by /u/onlystreetlights
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source https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/comments/oseq6i/nsv_ive_stuck_to_my_diet_for_over_a_week_and_have/