Obsession with overeating....help needed

999 rep

MemberWake Village, TX

Hey ya all.... I have a problem I really need help with. It appears that I am on a rollicoaster with my weight, working out and diet. I don't know if I am working out the right muscle groups or what I am doing wrong. I cant afford a personal trainer and the people at the gym I am attending arent the friendlest in the world when it comes to giving out free advise if any at all. So, I am asking for your help here. Here are some of the issues I have:
1. I have found that I overeat not to mention not eating the right things. I am hoping that by following the Diet Tracker here on this site will help me alot to understand what I am eating. Any advise out there about overeating? I was raised to "eat everything on your plate young man" as my parents instructed me. I can go into a resturaunt and no matter what they bring me and what size the servings are I always feel that I have to eat it. I know its in my head but does anyone have any ideas at all on how I can go about handling this obsession????
2. I really dont know what I am doing when it comes to what exersize program I need to be on. I started with what I thought was a "beginners workout" and ended up tearing some tendons in my right elbow about 3 months ago that is still bothering me. And now with that injury I am even limited more as to what I can and can not do. Just when it starts feeling better it will start hurting again after the mildest workout.

I am really getting discouraged here. Please, any advise would be appreciated. Thanks in advance, Bill............

4.5k rep

AlumniFreeport, IL

I am sure somebody more qualified than me will be able to give you answers about exercise.

But I do have a couple things that may help with the overeating.

I was also raised to "clean my plate" and not "waste" food. Sometimes, I would even eat to the point of discomfort, for fear of "wasting" anything. But I've come to realize that eating food I don't need is just as wasteful as not finishing everything on my plate. And overeating isn't just wasteful--it's harmful! I would much rather store the leftover food in the fridge than store the extra calories in my body!

Try visualizing your weight loss goals, and drinking a glass of cold water, before you eat. While eating, SLOW DOWN and savor the meal. If you eat quickly, your brain doesn't get the memo that you're stomach is full until you're way past that point. So take your time, and pay attention to what your body is telling you. Then comes the tricky part--putting down your fork and pushing away your plate. I'm always amazed when I think about the sheer amount of food I used to eat, compared to the amount that satisfies me now--and I bet you will be, too!

Good luck!

7.9k rep

AlumniHudson, FL

I was also raised to clean my plate and control is still an issue. But I have learned how to control snacking after dinner. My Doc said I wasn't getting enough protein and that if I ate more I would feel fuller. She was right. I still fight the habit, but it's easier when I feel fuller.

4.5k rep

AlumniFreeport, IL

Melissa is right--eating the right kinds of foods will also help you feel full. Protein and fiber are your friends!

50k rep

MemberSmyrna, TN

I have adopted the Asian method-- eat until you feel 80% full.

In restaurants, order appetizers for your main course and a side salad. The portions are smaller, and they come on smaller plates, so, you are still 'cleaning your plate". Also, change the size of plate you eat dinner from-- again, less food will fit.

As far as the workouts go; stick with machines as first. It will help you learn the correct FORM. Form will help prevent you from getting hurt. Do large muscles first-- alternate chest and back exercises, then legs (alternate extensions and curls, then add in squats-- either machine squats or smith machine squats until you learn stability.) Then do calves, deltoids, traps, biceps, triceps and forarms. Big muscles to small. THEN do your core work.

Start with weight you can do 10 reps comfortably, but do three sets of 10. Then, increase the number of REPS. When you get to three sets of 15, THEN increase the weights.

After a couple of months, start replacing machine exercises with freeweights-- freeweights can increase muscle involvement exponentially over the machines.

3k rep

MemberOrange, VA

^^^ THIS

In terms of the overeating I noticed a big difference when we threw out our cheap, big dinner plates and bought smaller ones, the old ones were twice the size of these now. We don't have the problem anymore, because once we started cooking less portions and putting it on smaller plates it had the look and feel of a bigger meal. Like folks have suggested, the fiber and protein in our meals also made us feel fuller.

Think of the excercise not as the main gate to weight loss or toning, but as the compliment to a diet which is 2/3 of the process to losing weight and eating healthier. Even starting out on a cardio routine with ellipticals and treadmills, body weight excercises accompanied with a healthy diet will make you feel much better and you'll start to see a new you with time. It isn't an overnight process, so be patient, log your progress here on the site if you like and we'll all offer sound advice when you need.

Good Luck, Bill!

19k rep

Club StaffLoveland, CO

Hi Bill, You have gotten some great advice here. One thing that could help with not overeating when you go out is ask for a to go box right at the beginning. Also a smaller plate. I know it sounds like a lot of work, but it really helps with portion control. The smaller plate is to put what you want to eat on. Then you can put the rest in the to go box and take it home. I am sort of a visual person. A big plate with a little food makes me feel like I don't have enough. Boy, the head games we have to play sometimes. Susan

999 rep

MemberWake Village, TX

WOW....Jessi, VBowland, ampedup19, Melissa and Susan... that is some OUTSTANDING advice. I will sit down today and work out a plan to utilize ALL of it. The smaller plate idea is so SIMPLE yet I never would of thought of it. I always end up with a ToGo Box anyways but it is usally after I am so stuffed and just can't eat another bite. I will asked for it and a smaller plate in advance the next time and try to incorporate Susans thoughts here. I wish we had more resteraunts around here that offered appetizers, that would help a lot. I am 55 years old and life long habits are always hard to deal with but I am going to give this 110% effort and get this all under control.

As far as workouts go. My normal routine (when I had one) was to do about 45 to 60 plus minutes of cardio on an ellipical and then do some combinded machine and free weight exersizes. Someone told me to do a progressive set of sorts. For example: I would do three sets of an exersize with a starting weight of say 30 at 10 reps, then 40 at 10 reps and then 35 at ten reps. After a month of that I would go with 5 pounds more on each set. Is this good or NOT? VBowland, I think I like what your saying an I am going to start with machines and incorporate more exersizes and work from large to small muscles. Before, I just jumped around.

I am getting excited ya all. I want to thank everyone here again for all of your input. Keep it coming, please. I am the kind of person that needs to be pushed and after a while common sence takes over on my part and I will just run with it. Keep an eye out on me you guys (and gals) and watch my exercises for me AND PLEASE feel free to tell me if you think I need to do more or less.

Thanks again, Bill in Texarkana.........

1.1k rep

O₂i | OwnerTupelo, MS

The workout routine you stated will work fine. How are you dividing up your muscle groups? A good rule of thumb is not to work the same muscles out two days in a row, but skip a day - give them a day to rest. So you could do back and biceps one day, chest and triceps another day, and legs on another day - M/W/F. Do cardio on the days in between. If you don't have time for lots of cardio, do interval training where you run really fast for a while (2 minutes), then slow down (for 30 seconds to a minute), then speed up again and repeat a couple of times.

Don't forget about the importance of water, and eat 3 small meals a day with healthy low fat snacks in between. This will keep your metabolism up. I really like the book The New Rules of Lifting for Men (and there's also one for women). Another good book is Body for Life.

The diet tracker will really help you learn the calorie value of food to help you make better choices.

Hope this helps!

999 rep

MemberWake Village, TX

Thanks Kristie.... I am getting ready to revamp the whole way I look at things in my life when it comes to fitness and my overall life style. I appreciate all your input.

3.1k rep

MemberAppleton, WI

Hi Bill - you have been given great advice. We are still working on revamping our eating habits too. Recently started serving more vegetables and cut out potatoes. This has really helped since everyone still likes to have a bun with dinner. Also wanted to mention that as a beginner to the exercise routine, Tony in MN gave me a great sample workout plan listed under the Q & A. The question is how to improve my cardio.

Hope this is helpful. Don't give up hope!! We are all here for you anytime.

0 rep

AlumniLapeer, MI

Hi there,

Yes, keep going! Keep your portions down. Find some advice on the size of portions you should be having, such as "protein portion should be no larger than the size of your fist..." They are out there, look them up and abide by them. Throw out the platter sized plates, as was said above, and the huge soup bowls. Great advice there.

Try to listen to your body. If you feel true hunger, eat. Try to distinguish between the signals you get from telly or time of day routines and habits. If you don't feel truly hungry, do something else instead.

Slow down, and here is my best piece of advice, BREATHE while you eat. Breath controls so many vital aspects of digestion, absorption, the mind/brain connection, everything. Be conscious of your breath. I know this is advice for lifting weight, now make it advice for eating.

Pulling for you all the way,
A.

206 rep

MemberFargo, ND

My dietician recommended a nine inch plate. On one quarter of it you put meat, usually the size of a deck of cards. The other corner is carbs, and the half that is left is all vegetables.

1.1k rep

MemberCudahy, WI

I just read about a study that showed people who ate an apple or pear just before their meals ate less and lost more weight...something to do with the fiber in those two fuits helping to fill you up.

1.1k rep

MemberMarion, AR

I JUST received my "Body for Life" book today... I am going to try this (I also have a HUGE problem with proportions...) I recommend at least doing some research on your own about this new way of eating... I am 100% intruiged... someone that works at my gym lost quite a bit of weight doing it... and she has SO much energy (plus, on this "Body for LIfe" plan, you get a "cheat day" EVERY WEEK... so you are not depriving yourself from foods you crave... you can have 10 Donuts if you want to... ON YOUR CHEAT DAY... you just have to make sure you only have 1 cheat day a week) I am going to see how this works... but they say it's a 12 week FULL BODY makeover!!

220 rep

MemberLas Vegas, NV

what i find helpful is i leave my bodybuilding mags around where i can see them plus i have pics of various pros on the refridgerator and in the bathroom.so at my moment of weakness all i do is look at them to remind myself of my health and what i go to the gym for. plus i always ask WHAT WOULD ARNOLD DO