Need Advice on Will Power!

**scientistmac** · 08-26-2011 07:17 AM

So I know only I can decide what to put into my mouth. However I am the type of person who is easily influenced, follows others, and I just straight up have no will power when it comes to food (or alcohol). I recently lost 20 pounds on the hcg diet. Now I am doing P90X to hopefully lose more and tone in the process. Here's the problem...I wake up every morning and do the workouts. I eat healthy all day long. Then nighttime rolls in. My boyfriend is very fit and eats like a champ. I see him eating the most horrible things, and I am usually pretty good at looking the other way. BUT...he likes to have a couple night caps. And I cannot watch him drink and not join in. Granted, I only have 2 drinks max. But it's enough to give me a buzz and get the food cravings going. I eat HORRIBLY when I have a buzz. Even though I have lots of healthy alternatives in the house, I always choose his food when I drink. Now I don't want to sound like an alcoholic. I literally have 2 drinks, and not every night. But it's pointless to work out all week and then 1-2 times a week and on the weekends have a couple drinks and eat like . But I can't break out of the habit, no matter how hard I try. He's not going to stop because he can eat/drink whatever he wants and stay fit as a fiddle ( men). He can eat an entire pizza and not gain any weight. It's sickening!!!!

Back to me, lol. Any advice on how to conquer this? If I could just keep the bad stuff out for a couple of months it would help soooooooo much and make these workouts actually transform me! I know this, but the food cravings overpower the mental know-how. Please help!

**KMonte85** · 08-26-2011 08:05 AM

That's a tough one! I mean, there really is no other advice than what you're already written here... you MUST find the inner strength to resist. Unfortunately, that's hard. And the only way I know how to stop myself from the cravings is to think of an even better reason NOT to indulge. For me, I think about how hard I've worked out that day, or that week, and how the indulgence is going to counteract everything I worked hard for. I think about how much longer I will have to run in order to work off that piece of fudge cake I want to eat if I'm going to meet my goals. I can't say it works every time, but it works for me most of time to get me to put the fork down.

So what is it that you want even MORE than you want those 2 drinks (and bad foods that follow)? When you see your boyfriend pouring himself a drink, think about the instant gratification.. and compare it to your goals, or whatever it is you want to accomplish. Which will feel better in the end?

The strength has to come from you. Your boyfriend doesn't have to stop, it is your burden to bear. He can be supportive in reminding you that drinking and eating junk isn't going to help you, but ultimately, YOU have to know it and remember it when the temptation is there.

**Beautiful Disaster** · 08-26-2011 08:30 AM

Yeah, the issue is not just the food cravings but the fact that alcohol is typically very high calorie and turns to sugar as it processes through your body.

By saying "I straight up have no will power when it comes to food and alcohol", you're excusing yourself of the behavior.

You're the only one that can change this. It shouldn't matter what he drinks, eats or does. You're your own person.

**Karen63** · 08-31-2011 12:41 PM

I am in this situation too. What worked for me was to find something else I could have when my husband had a drink in the evening, so I didn't feel deprived and twitchy. I like gin and tonic, so I settled on a large glass of slimline tonic with ice and lemon, with the barest dribble of gin in in (what my family started calling a "homeopathic" g&t). I drank several of these in an evening and because it felt and tasted like the real thing I felt quite satisfied and didn't crave his glass of wine! Over a few weeks I found myself adding less and less gin to the mix, and eventually I was adding none at all and not missing it. I have managed to lose 61 pounds so far since February after years of trying, and I'm sure what has helped me this time is always to find a tasty, allowable substitute for things I want but shouldn't have. If g&t isn't your thing, maybe make a spritzer in a tall glass, with lots of ice, no-cal soda water and a teeny dribble of wine? Or a beer shandy, with lots of lo-cal lemonade and a dash of beer? Tell yourself it's a treat, dress it up with ice and lemon if appropriate, savour it slowly and feel no guilt. Good luck, and don't give up!