Half a stone, bloody hell

[Zaphodsotherhead]

That's how much I've put on since this started.

I lost four stone last year and am training for a half marathon. But for some reason I can't stop eating. Crap crap and more crap, sugar and fat and cake and chocolate. To lose the weight I'd nailed my diet down and was eating really well, but now I've fallen off the wagon big time.

I am still working, so my routine is undisrupted, so can anyone give me some ideas on how to stop craving massive amounts of carbs and sugar?

I’ve been on the 5:2 diet since we started. I’m an “all or nothing” person (I can demolish a bag of mini eggs or a whole block of choc in one sitting) and doing this on Monday and Wednesday seems to be keeping things in check and also ensures I tend not to go overboard on working days because I don’t want to fuck up all my hard work 😝

I’ve also started wearing my FitBit again. Even on days I go for a jog, I’m still not burning as many calories as when I was commuting to the office every day & moving around, I’d say down 200 calories on average, so the lack of movement does play a part.

Yep weight up 1/2 stone. Front line and all that so just snacking on anything around in breaks - all v tasty high fat high sugar without a veg in sight.
First proper day off in a while and I'm just thinking of making a cake FFS
FitBit is totally depressing not wearing it at work and several days steps appear almost in single figures

I think a lot of it is anxiety. Carbs and sugar make me feel 'full' and help with the constant worry. The shop is VERY busy, we have no screens and every customer I serve I am scrutinising for symptoms and worrying that this might be the one...

I put on weight more easily when I'm stressed too! Yes, it's not to scary levels yet, but I worked really hard to lose that four stone and I don't want it all undone by cake!

I'm with you op.... id lost 16lb since January, been really good with my diet and felt good, last week I've completely fallen off the wagon, eaten two of the kids Easter eggs, cakes, crisps, even had 2 creme eggs and 2 bags of crisps last night ffs!

I’ve lost about 4 stone over recent months and was determined not to put it back on and so far I’ve been successful. What’s helped:

• Making sure I still do at least 10k steps a day, even if this means just doing laps around the garden whilst the kids play

• Not drinking alcohol (I had a few days of having a few glasses of wine every night when this first started and quickly realised it was doing me no favours. Once I broke the habit it was fine)

• Intermittent fasting (basically late breakfast, early dinner)

• Not drinking endless cups of tea/coffee but trying to drink plenty of water

• Preparing a lunch box each morning. I’m WFH and am making sure I take a proper lunch break and only eat what’s in the lunch box. This stops me aimlessly grazing every time I venture into the kitchen

It's hard, isn't it? I'm torn between thinking I'll be kind to myself and not too hard and a few pounds isn't too bad and I'm still a good weight and all that - but then I find myself knee deep in cheese wrappings and with cake crumbs in my cleavage, wondering what just happened.

I don't seem to be able to strike a balance between having something tasty and emptying the fridge...

I really like ladybees dont focus on not eating ,focus on not buying!! I need to incorporate this. Also 🤣 at cake crumbs in cleavage.
How did you lose your 4 stone? Amazing achievement. I'm 1 stone down & 1 more to go, 1500 cals and running is working for me but I do find the temptation of sugar & crappy carbs very hard especially at the moment.

Thanks Featurewall. I am post menopause and was finding myself just getting fatter and fatter and using every excuse under the sun to justify it. When I was looking at size 14 getting a bit tight I decided enough was enough. Cut the calories, took up distance running (with the dog, who was delighted) and burned it all off quite quickly.

But, dear Lord, supermarket work, plus writing books (my 'proper' job) are stressful enough without adding potential virus into the mix. Then add in the ability to buy cheap food - discount, plus short dates...

WHY MUST CAKE BE SO TASTY!

Threads like this do blow my mind a bit. I’m 5’ 6” too, but I probably weigh about half a stone heavier than you OP. And I’m not remotely fat. I still fit into jeans I wore in my twenties. If I dropped to 8st 10 I would look gaunt. You must be tiny. It’s mad how people’s bodies can be so different.

Same RU. I'm 5ft6 too and when I dropped to 8 stone 4 through stress and anxiety I looked gaunt and very ill. I'm 9 stone 3 now and look fine. This is my ideal weight. Hourglass shape so maybe it makes a difference where it's carried?

If you've had weight gain issues before maybe that's making you worry unnecessarily now Zaphod. A bit of comfort eating is understandable. Doesn't mean you'll put loads of weight on.

I suppose it's finding the right balance and not letting good rule you either way. Weight wise you're on the light side atm so I'd focus on trying to find other things that bring you comfort and not being to hard on yourself if you do comfort eat sometimes.

*food rule

I was exactly this ..... missing the gym enormously. Was brave yesterday amd hopped on the scales and I'm exactly what I was 6 weeks ago just less toned.

I have so little motivation at home though. I like the brain space the gym gives me ans i just dont get that at home

Oh phew Enid. This thread has been playing on my mind since I read it. I’ve been thinking: am I just a bit porky and I don’t realise? Do I have some kind of reverse body dysmorphia where I see myself as perfectly slim when really I’m a fatty? I don’t understand how you can be 5’6” and 8st 3lb and not look like a bag of bones. I know I would.

I did used to be an hourglass but three years of breastfeeding (x2 DCs) has left me with not very much up top now, so I’m more of a pear these days.

I had lost about a stone and just put on 6lbs. Feel like Im back to square one

I think mine is anxiety. I used to be fine in the patch between lunch and dinner being a bit hungry but now its like I use being hungry to distract myself and then i must eat. Plus boredom, nothing else going on but eating really.

Normally i am naturally active but not actual excercise, so like out and about all weekend which a) burns calories and b) dont think about eating. Plus im finding it harder to meal plan etc.

In your case OP 8st10 at 5'6 is absolutrly ideal weight, so i wouldnt worry about gaining the weight. Im 11st at 5'7 so i didnt have a half stone to gain!

Im 5'7 and i know i look slim at 9st, i cant really get away with weighing less than 9st tbh without looking a bit too gaunt.

9st 3 is where i think I looked best.

Before anyone worries themselves too much...I am VERY thin at 8stone 3. At 8 stone 10 I am still thin, size 10 jeans etc etc.

I do have food issues, with having lost so much weight (it piled on VERY quickly, following menopause. I probably gained two stone in a year) I am very conscious of not putting it back on because I can't run well if I get too heavy and I know my body is trying to get back to twelve stone as fast as it can!

It is not just what we are eating, it is the lack of incidental exercise. In normal life, just getting in and out of car, going to work, walking around at work, "popping" places, wandering round the shops all burn calories so our calorie need will drop just from that. Then many of us might exercise for more than we are currently allowed eg if you have a dog you might well take them out once or twice. Walking to and from school with children, all sorts really. You can be doing your daily exercise under lockdown but your still much less active generally.

But that's my point Pilates - my life hasn't changed at all! I am still working, still running (and that's pretty much my entire life, right there - I need to get out more when this is over). It's just the eating that's stepped up, and the comfort eating particularly.

16:8 is keeping me stable but I’m not losing any because of too much alcohol. I know what the answer it, just enjoy it too much

yes I understand, I think many of us are struggling not to eat more, I am eating the same but still getting out of shape. I used to be a big comfort eater, lost 3 stone and I do find it hard not to want to overeat now, I've lost my job and no idea when or if it will resume (SE) but I keep telling myself that I don't want an additional problem to have to deal with at the end of this ie a big weight gain.

It is very very hard not to either overeat or drink more - thing is though when you are eating you may feel better for those 10 minutes or however long, but if you are anything like me, you will then regret it for the next 23 hours.

I've put on weight too.

My hips bottom thighs etc all
marginally larger and my trousers are snug ..

Oh well. Time to pour another wine...
😂😂

Seems like you're using the carbs to change your feelings - the warmth of the carb 'coma'.

Could you redirect that to tryptophan-containing foods? Finish the day with a big bowl of porridge, sliced banana, a couple of chopped dates, some nutmeg/cinnamon/allspice/sunflower seeds and some Greek yoghurt? You could leave the oats soaking all day and then just bung the rest on after nuking it briefly.

That way, you'd get some sweetness, protein, slow release carbs and fibre in a warming bowl, rather than just the fluff and lack of substance of a supermarket cake.

Thanks, MitziK that sounds awesome. I'll give it a shot...

I generally work the late shift, so by the time I get home much cooking or food prep is out of the window, so I crave quick and easy filling stuff. But I love porridge...

Agree with Mitzik. I do lots of strength training and running so I burn loads of calories but I'm always starving as a result. If I started on chocolate and cakes I wouldn't stop. I love the kinds of food that Mitzik suggests. Porridge is amazing and so versatile so you can do loads with it - overnight oats with seeds, nuts and fruit 😋😋😋 as much as i love chocolate, I don't find sweet treats at all satiating so I go for three big well balanced meals and my snacks are things like yoghurt with granola/seeds, fruit, honey (sometimes with dark choc chips if I need chocolate); homemade oatmeal bars or protein crispy cakes and if I must have chocolate I eat dark chocolate. Coop 70% is lovely and smooth but I can't eat loads of it - two squares are enough so I know I won't go OTT and because it's not sweet I don't crave more when I'm done.