Has anyone over 40 changed their eating habits?!

[MakkaPakkasPacamac]

I have always been guilty of emotional eating and it's really getting me down. I am now about 3 stone overweight and can't seem to do anything about it. It seems that for years I have been either dieting or stuffing my face - it's all or nothing, there's no in between. I have managed to lose weight several times in the past but it always comes back. Obviously the only way to stay slim long-term is to change my eating habits but I always go back to how I was and my worry is that I will never learn to eat properly. I'm 40 now and have been overweight since I was about 20 - so if I've been doing this for 20 years and still haven't learned to be sensible then it worries me that I will never learn

Has anybody been overweight or eaten badly for many, many years yet still managed to turn themselves around? (and if so, how?!)

[glinda]

Watching with interest, I suspect that there are many of us who struggle with this.

[MakkaPakkasPacamac]

I take it by the silence that nobody has managed to do it then - damn, looks like I might as well give up now then and just enjoy the wine and choc!

[BobtheWoodmouse]

When I was approaching 40, I thought it's now or never so I took myself in hand, started exercising and tried to tackle my binge-eating habits. I lost the weight and over the last 5 years I have stayed slimmish - a size 10 feeling a bit snug is as large as I've got since then, but that is in hand now. I was about 14 stone at my heaviest (I'm 5'5") My bible was Lee Janogly's 'Only fat people skip breakfast' - the title doesn't really give a clue to the book. It tackles binge eating - the 'all or nothing' scenario you describe. I was pefect for me and I still refer to it on occasion, I'm re-reading right now for inspiration, caught myself just in time before giving in to giving up. Hope this helps.

[MakkaPakkasPacamac]

Bob that's fantastic - well done to you!!! I will read that book thanks so much for mentioning it.

[BobtheWoodmouse]

Thanks MPP - and you're welcome, good luck