desperate for help

[labazsisgoingmad]

struggled weight wise for most my life tablets i am on can cause weight gain. i joined slimming world when i was size 24 and over 5 years i got down to a size 16. i did find it hard going though i dont eat meat and dont really like veg plus a few other issues made the diet really hard for me. i totally lost my weight over the last 6 months and have gone back to size 20/22 i did try to use the calorie counting app but the amount of fruit i ate the sugar was over the limit way before i had eaten much. i dont have a good relationship with food i tend to like one meal and eat that for ages then i will change to something else ie not long ago it was co op macaroni cheese ready meal but could only be co op, before that it was baked beans quorn sausages and boiled egg etc
i cannot understand how with eating my daily food as i do which i will put on in a minute why i am not losing weight i am totally lost and deeply unhappy. i managed to reduce my tablets including my anti-depressants but my size is getting me down. i run a charity shop i dont have access to water cooker etc i am so very down being so big its horrible
breakfast
50g fruit and fibre i used to have a lot more but have got it down to this amount still not enough for me but i put up with it
lunch
fruit such as a punnet strawberries or a peach and banana or apple and banana
evening meal
2 or 3 baked potatoes depending on size
baked beans large tin
grated cheese

i dont want to do diets like low carbs or i would be totally stuck as to what to eat i have studied them but like the calorie counting one though i was in limit for calories the sugar wasnt due to my fruit eating but i thought eating fruit was good for you

[Dazedandconfused28]

Hey, it sounds like you're facing some real obstacles. The first thing that jumps out is that you arent getting a lot of protein at all. Do you eat eggs? Could you start the day with eggs & toast? Could you try making lunches in advance - maybe a lentil salad, maybe a bean casserole for an evening meal? Quorn sausages are probably good with sweet potato mash? You could make a Bolognese with quorn mince. Those options might help keep you fuller. I'm sorry - I know how hard it is x

[MacaroonMama]

Sounds like there are a lot of obstacles in your way so first, be kind to yourself. Could you go back to your GP, discuss your tablets which cause weight gain, see if there is an alternative? And also ask if you can have maybe a free subscription to WW, SW, or the gym, to help kickstart things?

It doesn't look like you are eating enough really, and agree with other poster about getting a bit more protein - eggs for breakfast or lunch may help?

It can be so hard, I know. Do you have time to exercise? What foods do you like/dislike?

[labazsisgoingmad]

thank you i dont really want to go back to sw and the group i used to go to the lady stopped it so its hard to get to a group. i find with sw i used to get almost obsessed with losing the weight. i could have eggs yes i do eat them there are lots of foods i dislike i dont eat meat either so makes life bit harder but i like quorn and eggs. i just want to lost weight so am starving myself to try and get results putting on size 20 dresses when i have lovely 16-18 ones in the wardrobe is soul destroying

[Dazedandconfused28]

Why not try having an omlette for breakfast? That should help fill you up. I often feel ravenous after eating fruit.

Do you like root veg? I like salads made up of roasted veg - try throwing in some quinoa for added protein. I don't think low carbing is the answer, but upping protein is key.

Do you know your BMR? May try working that out, then reduce the calorie intake by 300 a day? You can work out BMR here www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

Are you able to exercise? I have found my Fitbit very motivational for squeezing in some extra steps each day & for tracking my calories etc.

[zzzap]

What veggies do you like?
Is there anything you can stomach?

First of all lots and lots of water, try 1-1.5l to start with. Get yourself one of those bottles that show you how much you should've drank by x time.
I agree with pps that you don't seem to have much in the morning /lunch time.
I'd have omelette or porridge for breakfast.
Lunch I would have some sort of salad with halloumi (or whatever meat substitute you fancy) or egg .
You could also make vegetable soup and have that with a slice of toast - lots of super quick recipes online.
Dinner similar to lunch or whatever proteins you fancy with lots of vegetables (whatever you like or can eat) and very small amount of carbs. (Look up the charts online which show you how much of what should be on your plate).
You can have a piece or two of fruit too.

What is your activity level like ATM ? Can you get a pedometer and aim for AT LEAST 10000 steps a day?

[Crazzzycat]

What might work for you is 16:8, where you only eat during an 8 hour window and fast the rest of the day. You can combine it with calorie counting if you wish, but the theory is that you don’t need to as it’s actually pretty difficult to eat a huge amount of food in only 8 hours.

Focus on food that is as healthy and nutritious as possible within your dietary constraints. If I were you, I’d ignore that advice about fruit. Yes, fruit has sugar, but it also has a lot of other nutrients.

If you’re worried about the amount of sugar, choose fruit like berries that naturally have less. Or have your fruit with some protein, as that will slow down the speed at which the sugar is absorbed. So have your fruit with some yoghurt, or have your apple with some peanut butter (it’s nicer than it sounds!)