Too many rules?

H

HormoneHacker

Well-known member
Does anyone else get overwhelmed by too many restrictions? I decided to really buckle down and cut back on almost all sweets and high starch carbs. Then a family member started listing off like a million other things to cut. My usual response is to dig in my heels. If I have too many guidelines, I just give up. I know myself.
 
There's a forum on weight loss meds that actually forbids discussing diets. I kind of see their point.
 
Too many rules = brain overload = screw it. It feels like a punishment, and my brain's all, "nope, not doing it." That's how I react when people give unwanted advice or when social media throws constant new diet trends at me. Keto, no sugar, meat only, Med... it's like there's always something else to eliminate.
 
I've read a million things about diets and stuff. Obviously, we're all different, but some basic biology is the same for everyone. But, from my own experiments, I've found what works for my body and my goals. The biggest change for me was deciding that junk food was my enemy. Those companies don't care about my health. They just want money. Once I saw it that way, it was easier to say no. So I get the pushback if someone starts listing out everything you should do because too many rules make me quit. Keeping it simple and personal is how I make it work.
 
For me, the only thing that works long-term is aiming to eat reasonably and eating what sounds good. I've done too many diets over the years. If I have to follow a ton of rules, I know I'll fail. So far, so good, and if anyone tries to tell me what I should eat, I just tell them I'm happy that works for them, but I'm doing my own thing.
 
Anyone who tries to tell me what to do, without me asking and without paying me, will find the conversation over very fast. The tricky part is, I often talk about what I'm doing or learning online. If it's a sensitive topic, or one people love to "teach" about, I add a note that I'm not looking for suggestions. Anyone who ignores that gets radio silence. They notice because I usually reply to everything except rude comments or advice.
 
I deal with this by being a grumpy pain in the ass. I'll tell almost anyone to screw off if they're spouting nonsense. It limits my friends, but I'm a lot happier.
 
I'm a big fan of KISS - Keep It Simple, Stupid!

I have 2 goals: watch my calories and stay under my TDEE, and get at least 100g protein per day (not a crazy amount).

Otherwise, I eat pretty much whatever I want, as long as it fits within my calories. If I want whiskey, I log it. If I want chocolate, I log it.

I've always been able to lose weight, but I've always yo-yo'd. I was diagnosed with binge eating disorder, and GLP-1s seem to have helped me manage that.
 
I mostly follow a starch-based diet, but I bend the rules since I'm not vegan, and I'm flexible when eating out. Plant-based is easy for me since I'm mostly vegetarian (pescatarian). I love taters, and the best ones are at that steakhouse.
 
If you're telling me what to eat, and I'm not paying you, and you're not a dietician, I'm ignoring you. I might not tell you to piss off, but I won't listen. I live simply: shop the outside aisles, act and eat as if I still have issues with sugar, eat X protein and drink Y fluids every day.
 
The thing is... I know my friends and family want to be helpful and give good advice. But... if you haven't been through the same things, your advice is coming from a totally different place. It's like when someone who's never had anxiety asks, "Why do you even worry?" Or says, "Love conquers all fear." Tell that to my brain.
 
I saw those Chinese fruit-shaped ice cream treats on sale at the Asian market and bought a box. They are seriously the best ice cream ever! I'll buy them again at full price. I just ate one each time (still have one left), but limited it to one on purpose because I only wanted one, which is different from when I was younger when I'd eat two. If I crave a treat, I eat it. Mostly because I rarely crave anything. Except grapes... I don't remember grapes tasting this good before.
 
I know they mean well, but I've probably already tried their ideas. Or they've never been overweight, so their advice doesn't work. And I have anxiety, too. I want to punch people who don't get it and give stupid advice like, "Just don't worry!" or "Give it to a higher power!" I'm glad that works for you, but this is a chemical thing in my brain. 🙄
 
It's funny that there's a "how to diet" thread right next to this one. I'm alone for days or weeks a lot. It's great. I don't need exercise because my life is physically hard, every day. Outside all the time. If I didn't have any fat, it wouldn't work. One size doesn't fit all. Not even close.
 
I also find that when people focus too much on restricting carbs, it's hard to stick with. I saw a Reddit post where someone said they lost a bunch of weight on a trip to Italy and ate pasta. It seems like the walking made a difference: 10km every day!
 
Calorie_Great said:
I know they mean well, but I've probably already tried their ideas. Or they've never been overweight, so their advice doesn't work. And I have anxiety, too. I want to punch people who don't get it and give stupid advice like, "Just don't worry!" or "Give it to a higher power!"
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Right? That's like telling someone with a broken leg to just walk it off.
 
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