one day in and bored/hungry

[DownWithThisTypeOfThing]

I'm doing calorie counting with a loose SW theme (so thinking about combinations of food & trying to make healthy choices, not just low-cal).

I know once I've got the first week under my belt I'll adjust to it but dear me it's tedious.

I love food. I love snacks. I love wine. I love cake.

I'm trying to convince myself I will love bring slimmer more.

Motivate me?

Tell me tales of how you lost stacks of weight. Short time frame and no saggy skin stories are also welcome.

Thanks in advance.

[theconstantvacuumer]

Don't laugh but I found keeping my mind and hands busy with stuff like knitting/sewing stopped me thinking about food. Or if I did I was in the middle of something and didn't want to stop to grab a snack. And eventually you get out of the habit of snacking and wanting to eat so much. Good luck!

[Vivacia]

Go for a walk (i.e. walk away from the food).

Google success stories on YouTube or weightloss websites.

Take it half an hour at a time.

What helped me was the phrase, "Dieting is hard, being fat is hard. Choose your hard".

[WhiffleSqueak]

I agree with theconstant.

I went from a 12/14 to now falling out of size 8 jeans. you have to recognise when you are actually hungry, and basically just get used to that sensation! keep busy.

[WhiffleSqueak]

you will be hungry.

no one ever lost weight without some hunger and some boredom.

[DownWithThisTypeOfThing]

Oh thank you.

I'm liking the "choose your hard" one. And the "no one ever lost weight without some hunger and some boredom".

When I've lost loads of weight I'm going to do a "Reality of Dieting" book and make millions.

It'll include those and such nuggets as:

• people are lying when they say they enjoy ryvita
  
• there will be times when you want to gnaw your own hand off
  
• sometimes a cup a soup and a mars bar will help you through more than a chicken fillet, salad and three prunes.
  
• DO NOT GO SWIMMING IF YOU WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT as you will want to eat a portion of chips and a mars bar afterwards.

[helenahandbag]

I just have to remind myself that no-one died from feeling hungry for an hour. I used to be really bad (even when dieting) for stuffing myself full of fruit, yoghurts and cereal bars to stave off any sign of hunger between meals but now I just get on with it. I eat my meals when I'm truly hungry, I make sure I drink enough and I only snack when I need to, e.g. a banana before the gym.

I'm getting better at dealing with the hunger, it's the boredom that sends me veering off into a pile of Dairy Milk!

[WhiffleSqueak]

I think swimming is RUBBISH for weight loss! I am happy to be told I am wrong but I think maybe it encourages your body to keep hold of it's fat. think seals/whales/other aquatic mammals. blubber!

and ryveta is just cardboard with seeds.

[FelixFelix]

It is boring, but you get used to it. Think of something else to do instead of snacking. I started calorie counting at the end of January and now I don't snack at all because I don't feel the need to. Sorry, that's not very helpful but you just have to get on with it

How much are you wanting to lose?

[helenahandbag]

WhiffleSqueak

I used to swim a lot when I first started losing weight and I very quickly found that my arms and legs were more toned, my shoulders looked great and I had collar bones for the first time in living memory!

[DownWithThisTypeOfThing]

Helena YES! I'm going cold turkey with no snacking as I just can't be trusted.

Felix I've probably got about 4 targets...a couple of stone before my holiday in August is my immediate one. I was reading the thread about "do you weigh more than you look" and it resonated so much - my "look better in clothes" target would be very different to "lower end of healthy bmi target". I'll keep both on the back burner for now and concentrate on my August holiday one.

That thread made me laugh though as the lightest I've ever been as an adult was 10st and I was a size 10 but looked gaunt. For loads of people, 10st would be massively overweight whereas I'd be delighted to get down to other people's starting weight.

[FelixFelix]

Down its all relative isn't it. I see people starting diets who have a start weight of 12st and feel massive, when 12 and a half stone is my first goal I only have 10lb to go to hit that though. I started at 14st 11.

I'll look up that thread as it sounds interesting.

With regards to snacking, I've just stopped buying anything snack-worthy and it's worked so far. Every night when I fancy a biscuit it's just tough shit because I've not got any in the house tough love and all that.

[helenahandbag]

FelixFelix

I do the same with snacks, I just can't have them in the house! Luckily I'm so lazy that I won't go to the shop specifically for a snack so I just sit around feeling angry until bedtime

[DownWithThisTypeOfThing]

My dream would be one of those people who say no to biscuits but not because they're watching their weight but because they genuinely don' t want one.

[WhiffleSqueak]

helenahandbag I stand corrected!

maybe it's because I can only doggy paddle

[helenahandbag]

DownWithThisTypeOfThing I was in the queue at the newsagents last week and I overheard a woman ask a girl of around 9yo if she wanted a sweetie, and the girl said no

I was already stealing food and hiding the wrappers in my pillowcases by the time I was 3yo

[Mydearchild]

My personal experience is that once you start losing the weight food loses its appeal as much. That feeling of being lighter and clothes looser is lovely. You have to want it more than you want that piece of cake, glass of wine etc.

After many years of procrastination I've lost 2st since last September going down to my lightest of 8st 10lbs - although I still love food, I love liking myself way more. I still eat nice food just in moderation. It's bloody boring & hard at times but I can tell you it's so so worth it. My fave saying is 'I won't tell you it will be easy but I can tell you it will be worth it'. A year from now you will be so glad you did it

[DownWithThisTypeOfThing]

Huh? How can a 9yo have more self control than me?

Add also people who say "oh is that time? I must have something to eat - I just forget to eat" HOW?

[Mydearchild]

I also ask myself how will I feel after I've eaten that? For the 5 minutes of tasty pleasure I find I feel crap after (usually some high fattening cake or biscuits etc) I never ever wake up the next day and think wow I'm glad I eat that I only resolve to start my diet again for the gazillionth time! Another moto - if your tired of starting over stop quitting

[Mydearchild]

Ps I lost 2 stone in 3 months which is nothing. Christmas was fab in my slinky dresses x

[DownWithThisTypeOfThing]

Here's hoping eh mydearchild

[Mydearchild]

I'd say the first few weeks were by far the hardest as you feel like it's so hard and nobody notices - when they do though & those clothes start dropping off its a fab feeling.

I've been a regular runner for many years and not lost a pound - it was all in the diet. Go for it, stick with it you'll never regret it

[Blueskybrightstar]

Protein bars seem to be randomly unpopular with some people on here, but there are some great ones that taste like a candy bar and don't wreck your diet in any shape or form - in face they help! - as long as you work it into your days food intake. I lost 50 pounds using them alongside a balanced diet and have been a size 6 ever since (3 yrs later).

[DownWithThisTypeOfThing]

Hmmm have no experience of protein bars. Do they replace anything or are they in addition to? What brands are best?

Realised earlier that last time I calorie counted it was pre-kids and I relied on ready meals for dinner and shop bought salads/sandwiches with the contents listed for lunch so there's a lot I need to learn about "doing it properly".

I loved SW and think it's great but i found it difficult if I personally wasn't preparing my food - if I went out for lunch, went to a party or ate at someone else's house. Not only would I struggle to make the healthy choice but my portion size was completely whacked.

So any tips on just normal, healthy eating for weight loss are very much welcomed - no matter how obvious they may seem!

Thanks again all.

[FelixFelix]

I find I go totally off track if I don't meal plan. Every weekend I'll sit down and plan my meals for the following week and stick it up on the notice board, and just do my shopping list around that. It's so much easier when I know what I'm eating each night. When I haven't done this I end up making bad decisions and eat far too many takeaways or convenience meals. Also my evening meal is usually the highest in calories so I always input that on to MFP at the start of the day then I know how much I have got left for breakfast/lunch.

[DownWithThisTypeOfThing]

Just activated MFP.

Put in today and yesterday's food.

Now I'm not stupid. I know I'm overweight because I eat too much. But I genuinely thought if I got a handle on snacking and my actual diet wouldn't need too much tweaking.

Er, yeah right!

I've had 1560 calories and that's been with really cutting back. And being hungry ALL DAY.

At least I know eh? And I can stop wittering on about only having to look at food and I put on weight.

Just as an example - today was:

Breakfast
Plain low fat yogurt with chopped apple, tsp of honey, sprinkle of oats.
Cup of tea

Lunch (I don't technically have a lunch break and have limited access to microwave/kettle)
3 x rice cakes with peanut butter

Dinner
Pasta, tomatoey sauce, quorn pieces, cube of cheese

Snacks
Cereal bar
Walkers sun bites
Two oranges
Two plums
Low calorie instant hot chocolate.

Shows how out of step I was as I'd have guessed 1200 calories for the lot. On the plays died it was fairly well balanced nutritionally although slightly heavy on carbs.