how you get your head in gear to diet?

[cjt110]

I am 14lbs heavier now then before my son (20 months old) was born, half of that put on after I had him and half during my pregnancy. I have a BMI of 27. something. I want to lose a stone anfd get back to my pre pregnancy weight. But all I do is fuck around. I have great intentions and I want to get back to how I was before I had my son, I really do, but I lack drive and willpower at the same time.

[positivity123]

I did 5:2 and it was brilliant. I lost about 10lb that I knew I would have the will power to shift through a normal diet. There is a brilliant thread about it on mumsnet so Google that. Basically it makes you realise a lot of the time you eat your aren't hungry and you also go right off calorie dense food. I haven't eaten a naan bread for over a year and I'm not dieting anymore as I can not just FYI over 500 Cals on a dipping bread.
Give it a go and commit to 4 weeks and I bet you'll love it

[positivity123]

*justify

[TimeToMuskUp]

I'm a bit anti-diets and tend to think getting out more and making better exercise choices are the way forward long-term because it becomes habit.

I also think it should be a focus on nutrition not a diet. A diet implies cutting out certain foodstuffs completely (I have a friend who's 3 weeks into the Cambridge diet and has lost loads of weight but also her will to live, it's bullshit and as soon as she stops the diet she reverts back to crappy foods and gains weight again). If you know enough about nutrition, make that the focus. If not, make it your aim to learn more and put the right things into your body. Also, drink loads of water.

[Akire]

I was same only stone over weight (well could do 2 to be honest) it was my body fat % that got me. Was 11.3 but body fat , according to fancy scales was 41! Should be around 33 for my age. Started slimming world at start of year but not really lost with. But try follow healthy eating message and 5:2 and slimming world guild lines. Have lost stone now prob keep going half stone. Body fat down to 37 so still while to go.

I'm not dead strict because I know I NEED treats but only buy a few so can't go to over board. For me realised that needed to be eating more fruit veg and low fat in general life long change. So while weight is coming off slowly and only due to 5:2 my body and arteries are better off.

[Nydj]

Like positivity123, I looked up 5:2 after I heard someone say how one of its main proponents had supported it, not for weight loss, but for other health benefits such as reduced risk of stroke, heart disease etc. As I had previously failed to lose weight for almost a decade and had been convinced that any sort of 'fasting' was bad for people's long term health, I was really surprised by what I discovered and started 5:2 that very day. Happy to report steady weight loss over a period of 3 months and am due a full health assessment at work later this month - first time in years that I will go in with some confidence that I am not going to be told to lose a lot more weight.

[Humphriescushion]

I have a summer dress that I love but can't quite fit into. I hang it up where I can see it so it reminds me of my goal. Its a good motivator for me and it reminds of all the clothes in my wardrobe that are lovely but only when i've lost the weight.

[HalfATankini]

What worked for me was;

"Losing weight is hard, being fat is hard. Choose your hard"

Cheesy I know, but reminding myself that I'd need to make some sacrifices was really useful to keep me focused. I hated, hated, hated being overweight. I lost 3.5 stone a few years ago using this as my mantra. I used MFP to keep me on track but I still had to dig deep at times to resist the junk food.

Good luck!

[cjt110]

Thanks for all your replies. I think I need to work on eating when hungry, not just because. My husband last night said to me at 8.30 when I went to get a bag of 80cal crisps "Do you really need those, you've just had tea" which was half a plate of salad with 1.5 jacket spuds and tuna. A full plate and healthy meal. I thought about it and no,. I was doing it because I fancied it, not because I was hungry. My problem is those moments I think

I love that phrase HalfATankini I might just stick that on my fridge door!!

I did weightwatchers a few years back and got to goal losing a stone within 16 weeks. Very pleased with myself and pretty much maintained that until I had my son. I was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid (now medically stable) when my son was 4 months old and have just struggled since. I tried WW class, no joy. Swapped to slimming world. No portion control and no joy. Now back on WW online plan and struggling miserably.

I have 8 weeks before my holiday and I know I will feel horrid if I am my current size (have been away twice at this size and felt awful) so I finally need to get my head and fat arse into gear!

[andadietcoke]

I have to do a week of something drastic to reset my habits and lose a few pounds to motivate me to keep going.

[Lucked]

It took me until this month this year to get my head in gear.

I think you have to properly commit, tell people, meal plan and regularly weigh yourself. The weighing doesn't have to be every week but at an interval where you can adjust what you are doing without losing too much time.

Read something or possibly listen to something to help with frame of mind.

The important thing is it gets easier so you have to power through the first couple of weeks.

[Lucked]

The only eat when hungry thing could be helped by Paul McKenna. Also with 5:2 because you have days of fasting on your non fast days skipping a treat when you are having 3 good meals becomes easier.

[cjt110]

Lucked is that that gastric band app?

[PastaPrincess]

Myfitnesspal is helping me, I track what I'm eating (vaguely, I don't weigh everything but you can scan barcodes and the database of foods is huge). I try to eat healthily during the day so that if I want something a bit bad after tea I don't feel guilty, as I've "saved" calories earlier.

[Whyissheontheship]

I tried my fitness pal, weight watchers, various different diets and I know they work well for lots of people so not bashing them but none of them worked for me.

What did it for me was basically cutting out 'processed' food and eating whatever I wanted as long as it stuck to that criteria. For example home baked cake fine, shop bought cake not. Tin of sauce with pasta no, pasta with homemade sauce fine, frozen supermarket chips no, homemade baked chips yes. Margarine no, butter yes. Etc etc.

I also did a 15/20 min walk a day with my dog and within a year I had lost a stone and 1/2 and am now in the ideal weight category. Now I will occasionally get a frozen pizza or chocolate biscuits but am in better habits so the weight has stayed off.

[badfurday]

You need the will power to do it. Get rid of all the crap food in your house so you cant eat anything bad, and don't buy any more crap. I'm terrible, if there is chocolate in the house, I'm not satisfied until I've eaten it!

Also, for me, I need quick results to stay motivated. I'm doing the fasting every day diet and eat a good meal at night. Works for me. You need to find something you can stick to so it doesn't feel like a diet.

Also, my fitness pal ap is excellent as others say, and get some scales to weigh your food, you'll be shocked at what a true portion of something is.

Swapping things out helps too, I use egg whites only for scrambled eggs and use whole meal pita instead of regular bread, skimmed milk instead of semi skimmed etc.

[BillBrysonsBeard]

It's sad, but it took me feeling really self conscious on a walk with DS and ending up being moody to get my head in gear. It was like a cold realisation that I don't want to be an unhappy, snappy mum. Before that moment I just kept making excuses and being in denial! I've been cutting junk and big carbs for two weeks and look different already, my face isn't bloated anymore and my eyes aren't piggy!

Try not to think of how long it will take to get to target, you will start looking better within a small amount of time due to not eating crap. Also make your meals as tasty as possible so you aren't tempted to cheat.. For tea I'm having tandoori marinated chicken and salad with garlic oil and balsamic, I can't wait! You can do it

[roarfeckingroar]

I just, well, do it. Whenever I feel fat I take a few minutes to really look at myself in the mirror and feel disgust and horror then I remember that whenever I want to eat. Maybe easier said than done. I'm restarting today and am about to go to a high intensity interval gym cladd