Food and exercise help needed

[Helpmplease]

Why can't I do what I need to do?
I'm desperate to lose weight and be healthy.
If I eat too much sugar I feel shakey and starving hungry which is horrible yet I still do it.
My husband goes to the gym all the time, he looks great for it and he feels great too.
I just feel really silly and self conscious if I try to exercise and cos I'm on anti depressants I have no get up and go or motivation to do anything.

I'm in such a rut, tired all the time.

I know what I should be eating and it works if I follow it but how do I find willpower and how do I stop boredom eating?

Totally and utterly fed up. :(

@Watchkeys an addiction to what exactly? I’ve read some amount of garbage on here but good grief this has to be the most irresponsible advice I’ve seen to date!

I've done LCHF bootcamp on here. It works, I just can't stick to it.

Another thing I really struggle with is feeling totally uninspired with food and really fed up meal planning. Husband is veggie which makes it harder.

Have you tried different antidepressants? As some help with anxiety and should increase your motivation. It took me trying a couple of different ones that worked for me.

Thank you, yep said already I'm having a phone call next week with Dr about looking at a different one

@PatientlyWaiting21

The body doesn't need to eat carbs to survive. It needs carbs to function, but can produce what it needs via gluconeogenesis.

Are you qualified to be calling dietary advice 'garbage', or are you armchair trained?

[quote Watchkeys]@PatientlyWaiting21

The body doesn't need to eat carbs to survive. It needs carbs to function, but can produce what it needs via gluconeogenesis.

Are you qualified to be calling dietary advice 'garbage', or are you armchair trained?[/quote]
@Watchkeys I’m qualified. What type of foods are you meaning when you think of carbs? I can assure you the body needs carbs.

Sorry, haven't read the full thread, have you been tested for Diabetes? My first symptom was feeling starving hungry within an hour of eating breakfast. The tiredness and shaking sound like it too.

If you're qualified, you'll understand what 'carbohydrate' means; I'm not talking about particular subsets @PatientlyWaiting21. You're arguing with the Panel on Macronutrients on this, not me. It's quoted here at 3:30

Take it up with them, if you feel qualified enough.

There’s a lot going on @Helpmplease.

You may need a different antidepressant. Cymbalta is good for depression associated with anxiety and may cause less weight gain. However, what are you doing to address the underlying causes? Do you have counseling? Have you tried CBT?

Why are you so bored that you end up binge eating? You need more to give life meaning than work, kids, husband and walking the dog… Again, counseling may be helpful, but also look for activities and interest groups that could expand your horizons. Personally I took up painting and started reading again. A friend of mine joined an amateur dramatics society, another is in a choir. There are so many things one can do - there really aren’t enough hours in the day!

Practical advice:

Walk longer and faster, wearing ankle and wrist weights and good walking boots - ie not just ambling along while the dog sniffs every second tree along the way. ( wrist and ankle weights are very effective, and after a while you don’t even notice them.)

Exercise at home with YouTube trainers. Use dumbbells and expansion bands to increase impact. I particularly like Growingannanas. Anna has hundreds of 20-30 minute HIIT sessions of varying intensity, with and without weights. Incidentally, using weights is very important. One day your menopausal bones will thank you! Also, over time, regular exercise will improve your general motivation and positive outlook

Regarding diet, cut processed food right out and reduce consumption of sugar and complex carbs. A moderate amount of simple/natural carbs is fine, ie those found in vegetables and fruit.

As a PP has mentioned, extend your fasting period by having a late brunch and early dinner, with just a healthy snack in between. Reduce temptation by not having ‘bad stuff’ in the house.

Drink lots of water and minimize alcohol. Whenever you are tempted to binge or eat crap, first drink a large glass of water, or water mixed with a little cordial. Eat a carrot if you’re still tempted. Walk up the stairs and back down again. Hang up clothes/ tidy stuff away for 10 minutes. Make a phone call or check your bank balance. In other words, use diversionary tactics in the hope that the urge to be naughty passes… Good luck

The body doesn't need carbohydrates. It requires protein, fat, vitamins and minerals but NOT carbohydrates! I'm shocked that someone 'qualified' is saying this. Read Dr Robert Lustig books, the Full diet, any recent 'diet' books and you will understand this.

You dint eat very much, no wonder you’re tired.
If you walk every day any way , stick a podcast on ( I like walking the dog with Emily dean) and walk further or faster?
Can you join a yoga class? It’s strength and relaxation which may help your mood.

B12, D3, ferritin and thyroid need testing. Do not take b12 vitamins or injection while waiting for blood test as it will skewer the results. If you need b12 injections you will be entitled to a course of 6 over two weeks, then hopefully regular shots.

@samthebordercollie

The body doesn't need carbohydrates. It requires protein, fat, vitamins and minerals but NOT carbohydrates! I'm shocked that someone 'qualified' is saying this. Read Dr Robert Lustig books, the Full diet, any recent 'diet' books and you will understand this.

I'm not sure that saying 'I'm qualified' means a person is qualified.

@Helpmplease

Another thing I really struggle with is feeling totally uninspired with food and really fed up meal planning. Husband is veggie which makes it harder.

Maybe try a new style of healthy cuisine, such as Middle Eastern or Persian? Get a book that looks inspiring and start experimenting.

Two I’d recommend are A LEBANESE FEAST and PERSIANA, but you may also be able to find some interesting books in charity shops and the library.

What about signing up to Hello Fresh or Gusto or similar? I found their recipes revived my interest in cooking. They do vegetarian and weight watcher meals?

I personally don’t think cutting out food groups is good for you long term. All things in moderation.
I have two friends who do ‘Keto’ but whenever we meet up for food they totally binge on carbs / desserts , far more so than I would in a single sitting

Can you afford therapy? I'm still trying to find a good therapist but I'm fairly convinced after years of disordered eating that it's not the diet that's the issue but my head. If I can get on a more even keel mentally I'm fairly sure the rest will follow.

You say you are hard on yourself and have clear 'good' and 'bad' food - so if you can reprogramme that food is for nourishment you may be able to move away from emotional 'treat' food mentality and be more balanced

@Watchkeys not here to argue, so I’ll leave this here. Carbohydrates is the bodies preferred energy source vital for keeping your organs and central nervous system ticking. Carbs are essential for a well balanced diet. Those on a low or no carb diet will experience extreme fatigue, nausea, low energy all around.

Unsurprisingly when people think carbs (due to all the bad press) they think stodgy, bread, pasta, and so on. Carbs should make up 45-65% of your total daily calories. The best source of carbs should come from unprocessed or minimally processed sources I.e fruits, Veg, beans and whole grains.

When you find credible sources stating how the body can survive without carbohydrates then feel free to share, in the meantime maybe keep this knowledge to yourself.

OP I hope you find the help you’re looking for.

Reading that low carb makes you feel better really solidifies what I was thinking that you (like I did and so many women) have insulin resistance.

My advice is to research it.

Then do intermittent fasting (so just meals - I have 2 so my main fast is longer) and no snacks.

Basically you want your blood sugar/insulin to stay low for as long in a day as it can. As that'll stop the hunger and put your body into fat burning mode.

Are there low carb meals that you love? That's the difference for me.

I don't stress calories or portions etc. Just the carbs. So it's still feels a huge treat to me to have as much cheese and luxury coleslaw as I want. Makes a salad seem so indulgent and I feel in no way that I'm missing out that my lunch isn't bread based etc.

@PatientlyWaiting21

You're failing to mention that if someone is overweight then their body has plenty of its own energy to burn.

But yes. Once a healthy weight then low carb isn't a way to live, I agree.

But refined carbs really haven't any place in a healthy diet.

Yes totally possible, I have to walk the dog anyway.

Walking a dog can vary depending on their speed. A 30 minute brisk walk as fast as you can go is going to have a very different effect on your health than an hour walking at 2mph

Why don’t you start a thread in the food/recipes section asking for inspiration on meals? Including specifying things people in your family won’t eat.
If you’re just generally a bit bored and fed up with life, is there anything you’d really like to do, even if it’s got nothing to do with being healthy, it could help lift your mood if you could do it - a weekend off visiting a friend, a new hobby…
I think the idea of doing exercise with the kids is a great one in terms of not feeling so self-conscious. How old are they - would e.g. bike rides be possible? I used to go round one lap (1km) of Junior Parkrun slowly with my little one while DS1 ran it properly. And I hate running but that was fine.
Your reaction to sugar sounds really extreme. Is it possible that you are actually diabetic and not pre-diabetic as someone suggested?
Being bored and working from home is the worst for snacking. I have developed a massive hot drink habit (tea and herbal tea) because of that fidgety desire to keep putting something in my mouth.

My fail was never having time to go to the gym. the only time I had was 5am before DH does to work or 8pm once the kids are in bed.
So I got an Apple Watch & they have the Fitness+ app that has every kind of workout. Honestly, it's been a life saver.
I give the kids breakfast then go do a 20-30min workout in the next room with the door open.
But as soon as I'm up I put gym gear on, leggings, bra etc so I'm telling myself straight away that's what I'm gonna do
I also give myself weekends off from exercise, or atleast not be so hard on myself.
I've lost 5lbs in 2 months, I know it isn't a massive lose but I'm proud because even if I only get a 10min workout done, I have done something

You've got this op!

You could get a step counter and aim to do 10,000 steps per day. It should be easy enough as you walk a dog (assuming more than once a day) so just divide 10,000 steps by the number of dog walks. I started walking 10,000 steps a day last year and I started losing weight, and it's free, no expensive gym membership needed.

@PatientlyWaiting21

You think you know better than the Panel on Macronutrients then?

Plenty of other credible sources too, watch that video I posted, there's some right there for you. There's quite a force of qualified scientists who would tell you the same as I'm telling you, but obviously you don't want to listen. You're not a credible source yourself though, and are not the thread police, so telling people to keep their knowledge to themselves is above your station.

Sorry for the derail OP. My suggestion to you was to experiment with cutting out carbs for a few days. Whatever PPs may think, it's not dangerous to cut anything except water out of your diet for a few days, even essential nutrients, of which carbohydrate is not one.