No food discipline...

[Guest Snake McClain]

...I wouldn't say I have no discipline when it comes to food but I definitely am way under perfect. Like I WANT to be more strict and I WANT to lose this 4%is body fat that haunts me yet I don't do what's necessary. Anyone have Amy's ideas to help me? Like what am I missing here?

[ebm1224]

first off, i love your avatar! i grew up on carebears and this makes me smile

this is something i struggle with as well but i'll toss in my 2 cents on what i've tried and has been most successful for me over the years. i still have a ways to go but maybe i've tried some things you haven't and vice versa....

1) track what you eat and when you eat it. hell, keep a diary where you record the time of day, what you eat, what you are doing before you eat/while you eat, and how you are feeling. i don't always realize how many calories something is until i track it. you'll also start to notice trends. for me, i learned that i could easily consume a full day's worth of calories at dinner alone. and that i tend to get snack-ish in the evening. find your own trigger times.

2) beware of emotional eating. this goes back to above but think about how you are feeling before you eat. put a note on the fridge and pantry if it helps you that says "am i really hungry?"

3) tweak your diet. until the last few weeks i would never recommend a hardcore switch to low carb or any other "extreme" diet but it has caused me to re-examine the effect that different foods have on my body. like i learned that i am much less snack-ish when ii only snack on things like meat, veggies, fruit, and nuts. maybe don't go extreme but challenge yourself to give up one thing for 30 days. back in october i cut out ice cream and candy for 30 days and it really clued me in to how insane my sugar addiction really was.

4) put a note on the fridge and pantry that says something like "little decisions add up to big changes." for me, i always would be excited to eat healthy but then something in the fridge would call to me...and i would think to myself "it's just this once, it doesn't matter in the long run." well, that's tru and not true. yes, i think we need to not be obsessed about what we eat and i'm certainly all for a cheat here and there...but i always found that it was a slippery slope and, when i made one small not-great decision, it usually led to more. the note on the fridge reminded me that every decision (whether to snack on an apple or a cookie) is a part of the bigger picture. it's about the little habits we do over and over again that eventually add up.

5) get rid of your trigger foods. i can't have ice cream in the house. i will eat the whole gallon. it will call to me and whisper sweet nothings in my ear. if i have to have ice cream, i go to the ice cream shop or i buy a pint (and try not to eat it all at once).

6) don't wait till you're starving to eat. especially if you're in a rush, sometimes it's just too easy to go through the drive through. i try not to let myself get to that ravenous state...(1) i tend to overeat when i'm like that and (2) i tend to make bad decisions in that state of mind.

so there are my thoughts. i know alot of them are on this site and others and maybe you were looking for something more specifc...but these are the tips i've come up with. do i practice them all perfectly? certainly not (though i've been pretty damn good this month since i'm doing a 30 day paleo challenge). but i try. and maybe there is something here that will help you out

[Apoc220]

Portion control and taking your time while eating can't be stressed enough. They work hand in hand because if you take your time eating your body will have time to process the food and alert you when you are done. A trick I picked up from "I can make you thin" by Paul McKenna is to put your fork, spoon, or even sandwich down after every bite. Then slowly chew the food and once you are dne with that mouthful have another. You'll get a feeling at the center of the bottom of your ribs right above your abdomen that is a muscle that constricts when you are getting full. Over time you'll become more aware of it and be able to tell when you are done.

['Roos]

Dude - what is it you need to do that you're not doing? Because suggestions vary wildly based on that. Eating too much? Cheating too much? Not eating enough? What's up?

[Deansy]

5) get rid of your trigger foods. i can't have ice cream in the house. i will eat the whole gallon. it will call to me and whisper sweet nothings in my ear.

My ice cream does the same. It's easier to just not buy it than to fight it.

... put your fork, spoon, or even sandwich down after every bite.

I do this now too, makes a massive difference. I am no longer the first one finished at the table any more and I know I eat less because of it.

[Naturally]

Dude - what is it you need to do that you're not doing? Because suggestions vary wildly based on that. Eating too much? Cheating too much? Not eating enough? What's up?

This. WHY are you eating? Bored? Hungry? Stressed? Feeling tired? What is your eating plan, is it paleo?

Also, did I read that right? 4% body fat, as in that's all you have? Seems very low to me!

[Guest Snake McClain]

Okay I will clarify a bit.

I do not OVEReat. At all. Realistically I probably am not eating enough. My problem is if I see soemthing that is not clean food (i.e. burgers, breaded wings, pizza blah blah) or it is available when i should be having my pork chops or chicken and veggies then i tend to go with the non clean food item. I know for a fact I'm not eating enough but what I am eating as a whole has switched form like 90% paleo to about 60% garbage and I can't seem to get my head on about it.

I think EBM made a great comment when she said "little decisions make big changes". I get on a slippery slope as she said where i say, oh this piece of pizza won't hurt. blah blah.

Also i am confused because somehow I am maintaing weight and not eating a lot of food. I have no idea how much of anything I should be bringing in except that protein should be a gram of protein per lb of muscle or something.

Anyway any advice on how to eat the RIGHT food is what I'm looking for. like what do i do to fix my head? Because of my living situation there is always stuff in the house that is available to me that is improper so eliminating those items isnt a possibility until/unless I move.

[Top Boss Ultra]

Are you at 4% body fat or is there 4% that you need to lose?

[Guest Snake McClain]

Are you at 4% body fat or is there 4% that you need to lose?

about 4% i need/want to lose. I'm around the 13.5 to 14.5 range. Just want to trim it down at least 4%.

[ebm1224]

do you share groceries with your roommates? or does everyone buy their own? perhaps you could start buying your own groceries and get a mini fridge for your room to keep your stuff in? in either case, i think it's safe to tell the roommates you don't want to pay for stuff you're not gonna eat (chips, ice cream, other junk). if it's not technically "yours" it might not be as easy to eat it.

['Roos]

So the way I get around eating stuff I shouldn't be eating is to classify it as Not Food. Like, in the same category as styrofoam and washing powder. (I'm in the same boat with stuff just Being Around The House and not really having control over it) You really have to be mindful and think to yourself, "Is this going to get me where I want to be, or keep me from getting there?" with everything you're eating. You're at a healthy bf so getting lower is going to be harder for you than for me, for instance.

As far as eating enough, just focus on protein - seriously. If you want something else to worry about, or if you feel like you've cleaned up your diet and you're not sure WHY you're not losing, you can track carbs and fats, and look at the ratios/absolute quantities. If you're above 150g carbs/day, it's probably responsible for your stalling. If your fat isn't at least 45% of your diet, you may be having problems because of that. If you're hitting your protein goals, it's like 80% chance that you'll be hitting your caloric goals as well...

[Naturally]

Anyway any advice on how to eat the RIGHT food is what I'm looking for. like what do i do to fix my head? Because of my living situation there is always stuff in the house that is available to me that is improper so eliminating those items isnt a possibility until/unless I move.

I mean this with all the love in the world, not as harshly as it may come across. It seems to me that you're looking to us to put your head into the zone. In reality, nobody can do that except for you, and I think (I could be wrong) that you need to take responsibility: its your head, your body, your choices what you put into it. However, we may be able to help get you pointed in the right direction

Think about your goal. Is it SMART? Whats in it for you if you achieve it? Whats the consequence if you don't achieve it? How motivated are you to achieve it? What's standing in your way, and how can you kick the heck out of that thing? What can you do to help yourself ? You might want to think about goals on different levels, so your macro goal might be to lose 4% fat by the end of the year, but the micro one might be to eat 100% paleo for the next 14 days. Start a blog (if you don't already). A workout battle log. Hold yourself accountable. Reward yourself (not with food!) for achieving good behaviour. Set aside one day a week/month when you're allowed the junk, if it'll help you stay on track the rest of the time. Fridays are my cheat day, and I am having chicken korma with rice tonight

[Guest Snake McClain]

do you share groceries with your roommates? or does everyone buy their own? perhaps you could start buying your own groceries and get a mini fridge for your room to keep your stuff in? in either case, i think it's safe to tell the roommates you don't want to pay for stuff you're not gonna eat (chips, ice cream, other junk). if it's not technically "yours" it might not be as easy to eat it.

I actually don't have a roommate proper. I live with and help take care of my grandfather. He always wants cookies and treats like that in the house. he also orders pizza once a week. And he wants a cheeseburger one night a week too. So what happens is i go get this stuff for him because he can't leave the house and who the hell am I to tell him no. but then i get there and my will power breaks and i eat a burger. Or some pizza. or after i come home from a workout and i have my grilled chicken and veggies i then decide it's okay to eat 8 oreos (peanut butter of course). I'm getting mad at myself and i'm hoping this conversation is my wake up call to stop.

So the way I get around eating stuff I shouldn't be eating is to classify it as Not Food. Like' date=' in the same category as styrofoam and washing powder. (I'm in the same boat with stuff just Being Around The House and not really having control over it) You really have to be mindful and think to yourself, "Is this going to get me where I want to be, or keep me from getting there?" with everything you're eating. You're at a healthy bf so getting lower is going to be harder for you than for me, for instance.

As far as eating enough, just focus on protein - seriously. If you want something else to worry about, or if you feel like you've cleaned up your diet and you're not sure WHY you're not losing, you can track carbs and fats, and look at the ratios/absolute quantities. If you're above 150g carbs/day, it's probably responsible for your stalling. If your fat isn't at least 45% of your diet, you may be having problems because of that. If you're hitting your protein goals, it's like 80% chance that you'll be hitting your caloric goals as well...[/quote']

Note taken. see i didn't know any of that 150g+ carbs stuff. That is actually probably EXACTLY the issue since I am not eating the 90% paleo like I was before. Hmm...looks like I need to handle this huh?

[Guest Snake McClain]

I mean this with all the love in the world, not as harshly as it may come across. It seems to me that you're looking to us to put your head into the zone. In reality, nobody can do that except for you, and I think (I could be wrong) that you need to take responsibility: its your head, your body, your choices what you put into it. However, we may be able to help get you pointed in the right direction

Think about your goal. Is it SMART? Whats in it for you if you achieve it? Whats the consequence if you don't achieve it? How motivated are you to achieve it? What's standing in your way, and how can you kick the heck out of that thing? What can you do to help yourself ? You might want to think about goals on different levels, so your macro goal might be to lose 4% fat by the end of the year, but the micro one might be to eat 100% paleo for the next 14 days. Start a blog (if you don't already). A workout battle log. Hold yourself accountable. Reward yourself (not with food!) for achieving good behaviour. Set aside one day a week/month when you're allowed the junk, if it'll help you stay on track the rest of the time. Fridays are my cheat day, and I am having chicken korma with rice tonight

Oh you are absolutely right that I need to take responsibility. That is partially why i am here talking about it. telling others "hey i'm doing bad at this right now" is part of what will motivate me. Just getting it out there. I'm also looking to hear how others handle it. I think the kicker in what you just said was "What will this get me?". I'm in pro wrestling. training right now but in about 10 months time i'll be having a match and i want to be at high performance and appearance level. Eating proper will give me the protein I need to be bigger,faster,stronger and that is what i want/need. As well as appearance. In that business at any level the more impressive you appear the more credibility you get. There are guys that look like crap but are amazing workers/wrestlers that get no credit and then there are guys who look great but can't do a headlock and they get the attention. i want to be the best of both. So that said I think you hit the nail on the head for me. I am realizing i'm not going to get anywhere NEAR what I want or need if I am not eating right. Good call.

[macnip78]

My guess is that your under eating is makig you eat crap. What is going to be more satisfying (filling) in your mind, the pizza or chicken? The answer is pizza. Under-eating is trigerring some massive binges/cravings. Eat enough during the day to keep you from getting to where you are just ravenously hungry. Getting to that point will cause you to eat crap. At least that is what happens to me. My guess is that you are the same