6 weeks of getting fatter

[Aranpoo]

I'm a teacher currently enjoying 6 weeks off, however, I'm piling on weight like nobody's business. I'm already over-weight, lost 2 stone on slimming world after DD was born and stopped going a year ago when I returned to work. Until 3 weeks ago, I'd only gained half a stone in a year which I didn't feel was too bad after not being able to keep my head in slimming world gear and teach and be a mum at the same time.

In 3 weeks of being off work now I reckon I've gained another half stone... My clothes are tight, we're eating out all of the time and it seems to be everyone's birthday, there's cake everywhere. I don't think I can maintain slimming world as I find the having to cook from scratch all of the time whilst teaching and being a mum hugely stressful. I want to do something that I can maintain to keep the weight off when I return to work, without having to keep track of every morsel.

I need to exercise more for definite, but does anyone have an easy, loose eating pattern/way of doing things so that I can lose a couple more stone and actually KEEP it off when I'm back in work? Without having to be hugely food orientated (I became obsessed with food on slimming world) without having to think all of the time and without having to cook for hours at the end of each day for dinner and lunches for the week?

[readingrainbow]

Have you heard of intermittent fasting? There's a big long thread/s about it here. Essentially you eat less than 500 cals for 2 days a week, and normally the rest of the week.

I used a different version, only eating during an 8 hour "window" each day, and fasting the rest of the 16 hours. It meant I skipped breakfast, and then crammed my 2,000 calories into two meals and a snack. It worked amazingly well.

Also, consider cutting out added sugars. Maybe not in cake (!!) but in sauces, packet foods, etc. All those add up to a LOT of sugar in a daily diet.

[whatiswrongwithyou]

If you found SW to hard, why don't you try using MFP? That way no food is off limits as long as it's within your calorie allowance, but there is no easy answer and I can't help but feel reading your op that you want to lose weight, but with minimal effort possible..?

Unfortunately it's just not that easy. You do have to be mindful over what you're eating and cooking from scratch is definitely preferable then eating processed, packaged food. We'd all love to eat Birthday cake everyday and get away with it, but alas for most of us it's just not possible. Losing weight, becoming healthier, exercising all takes effort, but it is manageable even with kids and full time jobs to go to.

[LittleBee23]

I've piled it on over the summer hols too 😩 Gutted as I was hoping to lose some being away from staff room cake and chocolates.
I haven't been eating excessively but I suppose I've been less active as I do a lot of walking around at work compared to being at home.

I now have a week to try and fix the damage before going back to work ☹️