17st cheat, help!

[Lolly1984]

Help! I started on New Year's Day, at 17stone exactly, having lost 10lbs myself in 6 months. I'm now at 16'8.5 after 19 days so I am seeing an improvement.
However I'm a cheat! I weighed this morning and so pleased it's coming off I've well and truly binged, eaten all my weekly points too!
I guess I thought it'd be easy, but there's a reason I'm so massive.
What I'm interested in is how you stay motivated, how long does the consistent 1/2 lb weight loss carry on, I'm expecting to plateau at some point.
I'm only doing online coz I can't bare meetings and actually resent paying the money, it's not a motivator.
Any advice so I can stay on track please!

[Quietlygoingmad67]

First of all congratulations on your initial weight loss.

I think you need to be honest with yourself and address the relationship you have with food! Have you always binged eaten? Maybe you need help for BED?
Are you wanting to lose the weight for yourself or feel pushed into it by someone else?
As to a way forward I would suggest setting yourself small achievable targets and also write yourself a list of non/food treats for when you reach your targets. Good luck

[PenelopePitstops]

You can do it! I started about 13.5 stone and am now down to 11st 6. It's taken since August last year. My whole lifestyle has changed. Even over Xmas I only put on 3lb.

Plan a week of meals. My weekdays go:

Porridge 5sp
Chopped veg snack 0sp
Soup and thin 4sp
Mini popcorn 3sp
Occasionally a small choc or cake

Evening something like salmon and broccoli with sweet potato.

Every Sunday I write a plan for the week and leave one meal as a treat so I can go out or see friends etc. No one knows I'm doing WW in real life.

Weekends are a whole other issue! I also stopped drinking so much alcohol.

[Lolly1984]

Oh I'm fully aware Ive got a problem! Written off today as a blip, going to start again tomorrow.
Biggest problem is portion size, a 5sp portion of porridge just doesn't fill me up. Had jacket potato last night and the potato weighed 300g!

I want to do this for myself, a bit of self loathing going on, but the more I hate it the more I eat, vicious circle!
But I want to buy new clothes! Wish I could wave a magic wand :)

[Quietlygoingmad67]

Sorry I didn't mean to come across as rude! My DD1 had BED followed by bulimia after joining a slimming club due to cheating and then being scared about a weight gain! She has since seen a counsellor to address her issues around food and to break the circle. She is in a better place and learning to stop the self loathing and is gradually getting herself sorted out. I wish you every luck in the world and first of all be kind to yourself

[Lolly1984]

I didn't think you were rude! I had some counselling about 3,4 years ago, but what I took from it was to eat what I wanted when I wanted.... Not what she meant I'm sure but it was aimed at stopping me secret eating. Which is better now but still a cheat!
Gotta work it out coz I'm only lying to myself!

[Lolly1984]

Better day today but still eaten more than daily points, it was the small people's leftovers today that did it! :(

[Quietlygoingmad67]

Oh dear! I remember those days!

[PenelopePitstops]

Use your weekly points!

Even if you go over, track everything. Then you can't hide and think, it's ok I didn't really eat it.

[Lolly1984]

Does it get easier?! I've overrated again today, listed everything but eaten about 50 points :o

[Lolly1984]

Over eaten*

[pigsDOfly]

You've made a start Lolly so you must have some motivation.

I'm at goal and I still find I have days when I binge - usually in the evening - last night it was toast and marmalade followed by bread with thickly spread butter and cheese, and then several weight watchers chocolate bars. It's ridiculous really as I don't even enjoy eating it. It's not the end of the world, just get back on it the next day.

I think a great many people who end up at weight watchers and similar places do have emotional issues with food, I know most of the people in my group do; we've talked about it.

Trying to do it alone is more difficult I think, mainly because if you do over eat only you and your computer know. Going to meetings stops the secret eating to a great extent, and although you say you can't bear going to the meetings, and yes, some aspects of the meetings can be a bit cringe making, if you found a good supportive one - my group is amazingly supportive - it's possible you might find it helps you stick to it.

I found it does get easier as time goes on. Your body adjusts to less food and you begin to feel healthier and better about yourself and that in itself is a huge motivation.

[Lolly1984]

Thankyou, i have terrible anxiety, also being addressed, but one thing at a time. I feel it prevents me exercising too. Good day today, ate my 37 sp and didn't cheat! Tho half a packet of wine gums was a bad use of points!

[pigsDOfly]

Exercising doesn't have to involve other people as in going to the gym or swimming, if you find that makes you uncomfortable. I feel very uncomfortable exercising in front of others, so gym is completely out for me.

I walk. Not as much as I'd like as I walk with the dog - she's a small breed and an hour's walk is as much as she'll do - although I do sometimes pick her up so I get a longer walk - and I find walking very relaxing. Although, having said that, if being out on your own is a trigger for your anxiety then that wouldn't be good for you either, unless you can find someone to walk with, maybe a 'walking for health' group.

The wine gums probably did use quite a few points, but I found that being too rigid and not allowing myself something a bit indulgent from time to time made it awfully hard to stick to it. That's where I found the WW chocolate bars helped me. They're small but they give you just a little bit of sweetness. Also found fruit good for the same reason and no points.

[LetMeDriveTheBus]

I'm at goal and still have occasions where I binge. The things that I've found helpful are:
I log everything I've eaten. Sometimes the damage is less than I was expecting, sometimes it's more. It seems to help me be honest about it, seeing it all down in black and white. I don't beat myself up about it anymore. I log it and move on.
I also try to get back normal, healthy eating at the next meal. This helps me break the spiral where I'd use an earlier over-eating situation to binge for the rest of the day at least.

Be kind to yourself. You are doing really well to keep at this and not give up .

[Lolly1984]

1.5lb loss this week, despite the binging! So now at 16'7 the lightest I've been in 5 years :) trying hard to celebrate with sweets! Next thing is to kick the smoking and try to keep it going! Figure that'll wait a bit longer, one mountain at a time!
Exercise anxiety is partly groups, partly people's opinions, I feel ppl looking at me, rationally I know thier not, but by the times evening comes I'm too nackered to even get up the stairs! I walk, bout 15 minutes every day but I'm used to that so need to up it. Getting an ankle op in a couple of moths then wanna do the couch to 5k but I'm sure there'll be another excuse why I can't :(
Basically I'm lazy! But the anxiety is real, I'm just having a good day so see ur as an excuse
Thanks for ur support everyone

[pigsDOfly]

That's great Lolly. The weight is coming off even if you do go off the rails occasionally :) I suspect most people do from time to time.

[PenelopePitstops]

Well done!

Weigh in for me is the end of the week.

[Lolly1984]

Its only day 2 of this week but no cheating yet! One day at a time :)

[PenelopePitstops]

How are you getting on?

I lost 2.5lb

[Lolly1984]

A month of weight watchers already! Its gone fast in a 'measuring everything' kinda way!
Had a couple of really good days tho week, Sunday morning is weigh day *then I eat what I like the rest of the day and start afresh Monday!
Todays weight:16.2 so nearly a stone in a month! It was the wine gums. 5lb loss this week, 12lb loss since starting ww, 22lb in total!

[Quietlygoingmad67]

Wow well done

[Lolly1984]

Thankyou. Hoping I can keep it up, id be happy with a lb a week so I'm ecstatic with this!