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AIBU?

to be pissed off that losing weight is easy

55 replies

mercifulTehlu · 18/12/2015 12:15

when you have no choice? Not a stealth boast. I have, like many people, spent years and years of my life tinkering with my diet, trying to lose weight. Slogged away at different kinds of fitness regime. Lost weight sometimes but always put some back on. Fed up with my willpower being so crap.
Then 3 weeks ago I had a massive and excruciatingly painful attack of what turned out to be gallstones. 3 weeks on a strict low fat diet and the weight is falling off me. My clothes feel like tents. 3 weeks! That's all it has taken for me to be the slimmest I've been in years. And with virtually no exercise.
I don't know why it's making me so cross really. I know IABU really. It just seems ridiculous that we are all in thrall to the whims of the massively lucrative diet industry and spend our time beating ourselves up about it, when it's actually so simple. Why is it so hard to actually lose weight when you really want to? As soon as they whip my gallbladder out, I expect the weight will start going back on again .
I'm probably just stroppy because I'm thinking about all the Christmas food I'll have to watch everyone else eating.

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squoosh · 18/12/2015 12:18

Losing weight is simple.

Getting your brain into the right mindset where you are motivated and enthusiastic enough to commit to a weight loss plan over a long period of time is the difficult part. Changing emotional eating habits is hard.


Sorry for the gallstones pain, I hear it's pretty excruciating! Flowers

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DivaDroid · 18/12/2015 12:20

I'm in exactly the same boat - I really feel for you. It's shit really. I love cheeses & stuff like that so it will be tough over Christmas I think - we're being treated to our Xmas dinner at a 5* hotel Shock
I'm hoping to keep at least some of the weight off after I eventually get it out.
I'm fairly chubby though, & quite a few people have asked about my dieting program, not realising it's not on purpose.

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Salmiak · 18/12/2015 12:23

It's not easy unless you have a massive incentive for sticking to your diet - in your case it's not eating any fats because you know it will result in agony, therefore the temptation outweighs the risk. You admit that once you've had it removed you'll probably go back to eating more fats as the risk of pain has been removed...

[Flowers] for the gallstones.

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mercifulTehlu · 18/12/2015 12:31

Thanks for the Flowers and for believing it's not a stealth boast! I think what is so annoying is how quickly it's happened. It kind of makes you think "Well if it's that quick, surely I could have managed to keep my willpower going for 3 weeks any time!" And yes, the pain was unbelievable, close to childbirth levels. Dh said I looked like I'd aged 15 years by the time it stopped. Thanks dh.

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StealthPolarBear · 18/12/2015 12:34

Yws I agree. Something that has worked in the past is trying to really imagine myself in that "it's too late" scenario, eg being told I have type 2 diabetes. If I were in that position I'd find all the willpower I needed and kick myself for not doing it sooner

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squoosh · 18/12/2015 12:36

My mother is the toughest person I know and she said gallstones pain was worse that childbirth. Hope you get it sorted soon!

Grin at your DH. Honest and comforting don't always go together!

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abbsismyhero · 18/12/2015 12:37

i spent years trying to quit smoking FUCKING YEARS! then i got pregnant and quit Angry it was bloody easy too when i had the right reason to quit

congratulations on your weight loss Flowers for the pain

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OvO · 18/12/2015 12:40

I lost 2 stone last year. Out of nowhere I suddenly had enthusiasm and willpower. Was very odd. The weight came off so easily with no exercise or effort. No hours at the gym or walking everywhere.

I've lost the willpower again and every day I'm cross with myself as I remember how bloody easy it was.

I just really like crisps! Damn you crisps, damn you to hell!

Hope the gallstones bugger off, OP.

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cleanmachine · 18/12/2015 12:44

So what are the biggest changes you've made? Have you just cut out fat completely?

I was ill with the norovirus and lost lots of weight but at the time I just wanted to keep even a glass of water down. Diet was the last thing on my mind. We often take our health for granted and obsess over weight and dress size.

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onlywhenyouleave · 18/12/2015 12:49

I have been where you are - was 5 stone overweight after DS2 was born. Had a few gallbladder attacks which I hadn't realised what they were but once I twigged and was in the process of scans etc I realised what was triggering the attacks (fatty food) so I simply stopped eating it as the pain wasn't worth it.

I lost 3.5 stone between diagnosis and my operation (about 6 months) without even trying. I still ate sweets and chocolate, sugar etc but cut out bacon, cheese and large meals (no way could I eat 3 courses without suffering).

I returned to work slim and happy, had the operation and all was well. That was 6 years ago and I am now back to being about 4 stone overweight Sad

It is frustrating as I just need to get into that mindset again but my willpower is so poor and it was the thought of the pain that stopped me eating it.

Same thing with my sister - the weight dropped off her.

I hope you get sorted with your gallbladder - the operation is straight-forward and I have had no issues since (although I know that is not the same for everyone).

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MackerelOfFact · 18/12/2015 12:58

I know, I know. I lost nearly 4 stone a few years back. It was easy, I ate healthy but delicious food, I didn't go hungry or go without. I amazed myself at how painless, pleasant, and incredibly rewarding the whole process was.

So why, why, WHY can I not do it again? Why do I keep giving in to cakes and chocolate and cheese? Why have I suddenly decided I want fish and chips rather than a smoked salmon salad? Why do I go to the gym and reward myself with dessert?

It's SO annoying. I know it's easy. So why can't I do it?

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mercifulTehlu · 18/12/2015 13:03

I am eating almost fat-free. It is difficult to do and bloody boring. It's also the opposite to what I had been doing. I'd kind of bought into the whole current 'fat is good, sugar is the enemy' thing a while back, did full-on low carb for a while, but then carried on eating high fat when I went back on the carbs Hmm. I actually wonder whether it was starting to eat higher fat when I was low carbing which caused the gallstones.

Anyway... I am avoiding all cheese, any fat on meat at all, oily fish, chocolate, full-fat dairy, biscuits, cake, butter or spread of any kind, mayo, peanut butter Sad. And if I make something like a curry etc I use barely a teaspoon of oil to fry the onions, then mop off the excess with kitchen roll. At Christmas it will be turkey, Brussels sprouts (which I love, fortunately), cranberry sauce and... ummm... an orange? Thank god I can still drink booze.

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freespiritsbadattitude · 18/12/2015 13:13

You can still have booze? That's a great silver lining! And think how good you'll feel after the Christmas period when everyone else is moaning about how fat they feel.

A similar thing happened to me. I had gestational diabetes. I gave up sugar and carbs. It was so easy because it was DC's health at stake. After I gave birth I was 1.5 stone lighter than I'd been a year before. Am fat again now though. Sad

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mercifulTehlu · 18/12/2015 13:14

Blimey, Onlywhenyouleave - 3.5 stone? I don't think I actually want to lose that much - I was probably between 11 and 11.5 stone when I had the attack. I reckon I've probably lost a stone in 3 weeks. Let's hope I don't have to wait too long for the surgery.

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mercifulTehlu · 18/12/2015 13:16

I'd better not have too much booze though - otherwise I'll just go "Naaah - of course I won't have a gallbladder attack if I eat those mince pies. It'll be fiiiine !" Grin

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goodnightdarthvader1 · 18/12/2015 13:17

See, this is why I get the rage at all these whiny "I can't stop EATING, I've got no WILLPOWER, what do I DO" posts. Yes, that's why you're not losing weight. It's (in the majority of cases) usually very simple, if you're not eating 3x the required amount of calories to keep you alive. Losing weight is obviously not a big enough motivation for some people.

But that's an unpopular opinion around here.

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Brioche201 · 18/12/2015 13:21

Yeah, but come back to us six months after you've had your gall bladder out and see if you have still kept the weight off!

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mercifulTehlu · 18/12/2015 13:27

Simple, but not easy. If it were easy, there would be no overweight people. I do tend to believe the idea that our survival instincts still tell us to eat lots of calorific food when we get the chance, because it was thin on the ground when human brains were first around. That's why our brains tell us fat and sugar taste so good. Unfortunately they are not at all thin on the ground now... Going against your instincts isn't easy. Yes we can do it, but it takes an awful lot of willpower. I guess that's why it only becomes easy to do when your survival instinct is threatened in another way (by the risk of extreme pain or imminent and major ill-health due to your diet).

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mercifulTehlu · 18/12/2015 13:32

Well exactly, Brioche, that's what I said upthread!

"As soon as they whip my gallbladder out, I expect the weight will start going back on again ."

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pilpiloni · 18/12/2015 13:42

Yep I had gestational diabetes. I have never been so controlled in my eating. Once baby was born, carb feat resumed....never managed to get back into that groove

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TwoTonTessie · 18/12/2015 14:01

Yes, it can be easy but I think maintaining it is the difficult part. I wonder if 3 weeks is the standard amount of time to first see a difference because 3 weeks after starting at Slimming World my muffin top had disappeared.I was amazed by that so carried on with the healthy eating and I've now lost 3.5 stone in around 5 months Smile

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mercifulTehlu · 18/12/2015 14:52

Impressive, TwoTonTessie! Well done you.

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HopefulHamster · 18/12/2015 21:19

I know what you mean, OP.

I'm dairy/egg free at the moment due to daughter having allergies and still breastfeeding. I felt I had no choice but to stick to it.

And while merely cutting out one food group shouldn't do too much, as a massive cheese and chocoholic I think I've lost about two stone (didn't weigh myself before). That's great!

EXCEPT I am hungry all the time. I knew I was overweight because I snacked, and I couldn't be bothered not to, tbh. Now I look around the kitchen and there's generally fuck-all to snack on so the weight's coming off (there are some treats I have but not nearly the same amount).

That's great!

EXCEPT, what happens when I stop breastfeeding? Will I stick to my much more sensible level of eating? Or pile it all back on? I'm just SO hungry!

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VenusRising · 18/12/2015 21:36

Fwiw I couldn't eat fatty foods for about a year after my gallbladder was whipped out.

I was 6.5 stone at 5'3" and very very thin. I just couldn't eat anything without an attack for about a year before I was diagnosed. It was awful.

I stayed at 8 stone for years and years afterwards. It's not difficult to stay healthy and fit.

Don't think about food, just drink more water, move a lot and you'll stay healthy and fit.

There is no reason to pile on weight after getting your gallbladder out, so don't listen to anyone who says "come back to us in six months" or any of that mean spirited crap. They're just making excuses for themselves.


Stay fit, stay healthy! Drink lots of water, have small regular meals of lowish fat and avoid apples. Don't gorge, just graze.

Take a picture of your bellybutton now as it won't be the same after the laproscopic surgery.

Good luck, stay positive.

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mercifulTehlu · 18/12/2015 21:46

Eek, VenusRising! A year afterwards?! God I'm finding it hard after 3 weeks! I've only had the one attack, thank goodness, but I am being really careful with my fat intake so as to avoid another. I don't seem to have a problem with apples though - I probably eat one most days and they don't affect me at all. The thing I am missing most is peanut butter! I keep reading that drinking loads of water is good. I mean, I know it's good for you anyway, but apparently it really helps with the gallbladder. Must do better at drinking more of it .

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