why do you calorie count/diet?

[mrsfuzzy]

i'm really curious on this one, do women want to change their looks for health, look more attractive to men/women or is it about wanting to make other people notice you in a possibly more positive light ie you must be a nicer person if your slim [or like wise thinking - sad really when you think about it]. everyone has so much to offer but so many are never content with their looks, what's your reason and who are you doing it for ?

having read mn pages for some time, perhaps someone could tell me why mn'rs are so down on the 'daily mail' newspaper, i don't read papers so i haven't got a clue, please educate me, aibu to say there are certain papers you wouldn't line the cat tray with ?

sorry the newspaper bit was meant to be another question !

Going with the first question, I was counting calories because I gave up smoking and put some weight on, and realised that even if I were only slightly over eating I would just continue to put on weight indefinitely until I did anything about it.

Nothing to do with what anyone else thought, I just felt that once I'd cracked my nicoteine addiction (6 months after stopping smoking) I was ready to make more positive healthy changes, and so I started by dealing with the imbalance in my diet that had been caused by stopping smoking, because it was a good time to nip the weight gain in the bud before it became a bigger problem.

Lucky I did, because less than 6 months later I got pregnant, so was able to start my pregnancy at a good weight and with some healthier eating habits. But genuinely not due to anyone else's opinion of how I looked or even how I thought I looked. Not all women really care how other people think they look.

I don't diet but I did watch what I ate and worked out (before being pregnant). I do it for myself, I like feeling strong. I'm now 37 weeks pregnant and I hate being so heavy, my knees hurt and I'm short of breath and I'm so slow.

At uni i counted calories to make sure i was getting enough. Weight dropped off me and was accused of being anorexic pn more than one occasion.

I watch what i eat (although dont calorie count) because i hate being overweight and dont want to exercise as I'm lazy.

And? What does it have to do with you?

I calorie count as have an enormous appetite and no aled control! I have reached 17st 4lbs before and at 5' 2" that is not a great look and most definitely not healthy. Got down to 10st 4lbs before meeting my husband but got all relaxed and happy, got married, got pregnant, had a baby and managed to put 6st back on, oops! Now know that I will probably have to calorie count forever to keep myself on track, but at 9st 2.5lbs now I will be able to up what I allow myself as I start to maintain.

Why do I do it? I want to be healthy so I can be around for my daughter and husband for as long as I can, I want to be fit and I want to look good. I notice when I put on a few lbs now and I don't like it so am very conscious of what I eat.

I was diagnosed with binge eating disorder earlier this year and am overly self critical with very low self esteem so losing weight makes me feel like I've achieved something, now need that achievement to be keeping it off!

I don't count calories but I diet through portion control and cutting down on 'treats' (chocolate, cakes, crisps, etc,) though I haven't done a very good job of it lately. I also exercise regularly.
Why? I'm in my 50's and want to avoid diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other obesity related health problems. Any improvement in my appearance is just a bonus.

Regarding mumsnet posters being 'down' on the daily mail, it isn't just mumsnet. You'll find that on quite a few forums.
I don't think they will worry about that though. They're doing well enough.

1- because when I eat what I want to naturally I put weight on and as I don't want either the looks or the health issues of being very overweight I try to keep it to a manageable level, ie a bit overweight.
2- because it's a right wing rag that promotes an agenda I despise

I just prefer being fit and a healthy weight than not. I'm not obsessive; I'm permanently half a stone over what I should be but I'm not losing sleep over that!

I think many Mumsnetters LOVE the DM. Guardian annoys me as well to be honest.

I watch my weight because my running suffers if I'm carrying extra pounds.

Re the Daily Mail, I hate the way it's so inflammatory on anything re immigration and benefits and it hates women. I also hate the way MIL some people believe every damn word it prints.

Because I have food issues stemming from the toxic shite my mother used to spout at me.

I calorie counted as I was vastly overweight and it was the 'easiest' way to control my food intake

I'm 45 and weigh about 11.5 stone, very top of my bmi

Pre children I weighed 9.5 stone

I'm just fed up, I won't ever get back to my pre children weight but I will settle for 10.5 stone

I lost about 1.5 stone this year (gain back a few pounds over the summer )

Calorie counting (1000 per day) and 5:2 (500 per day) are the only thing that works

Don't do it to show off or to attract men or for my husband (although I know he would prefer me slimmer) just me...it's been nearly 12 years of being at the top end or just over of my bmi and I don't look good of feel happy about myself

Sorry,

And it's such a waste, since ds2 I have been heavy or very heavy and been unhappy

If I had just taken a better hold on this earlier!!!!

It's just that I gain weight so easily and was pissed off that my metabolism changed so much post children and post underactive thyroid and couldn't lose weight by cutting back or weightwatchers or slimming world that I just gave up

(Only unhappy with my weight, very happy bunny otherwise)

I'd like to be thin and wear nice thing...pure vanity here

Is this a survey for your college course?

well im 3stone overweight, have a tendancy to eat rubbish as im lazy and if i dont calorie count then i will get bigger
also i have this deep down feeling that my life will somehow be a million times better when i lose weight but as i have been overweight for a chunk of my adult life i obv dont really feel that otherwise i would have done something drastic before now

You can ask that question to one person OP. But it's obvious that for a group of people there will be many different reasons.

Regarding this: perhaps someone could tell me why mn'rs are so down on the 'daily mail' newspaper, i don't read papers so i haven't got a clue - the simple answer would be to read it yourself and form your own opinion.

Very lazy questioning imo.

Because I would be fat if I didn't?

Because i don't like how I look when I am overweight, because none of my clothes fit, because I am naturally inclined to eat unhealthy fatty foods and I put on weight really easily so if I don't watch what I am eating I just get bigger and bigger, I feel uncomfortable, I don't like how I look, and I have to keep buying new clothes.

I do slimming world and get so fed up with all the people who are like "oh I ate pizza four times this week and ate fourteen packets of crisps a day, whoops, oh look ive lost 4lb", and I follow the plan to the letter for 6 days then have one meal out and I gain 2lb :-( makes me humph, it's so unfair!!! I can only control my weight if I seriously watch and count everything, as soon as I relax even a bit i balloon :(

I am six feet tall and weigh eleven and a half stone. Am 54.
I am happy with this weight...got down to 11 stone but face felt too thin. Have also been twelve stone which I hated.

I don't like carbs..feel heavy after eating them so avoid all bread and pasta. That makes a huge difference. Also don't like cakes or pastry ...but love crisps and cheese.

If I overeat one day, I just compensate the next.

I have to watch what I eat as I love food and find it far too easy to overeat.

I don't calorie count as such but I limit all crap and I weigh my evening carb portions. I could easily eat double or even treble the amount of pasta it actually takes to fill me up.

I try to live by 20/80% rule so I dont forgo anything completely.

This is all null and void as im 36 weeks pregnant but as soon as I'm up to it I'll be back to portion control.