AIBU?
To despair at how hard it is to lose weight?
Angel1983 · 02/07/2015 20:29
I know I need to toughen myself up and it's my own fault for letting my weight get so out of control in the first place but my word how hard is it to lose weight?
I have just been to the gym and worked my backside off on the cross trainer (amongst other things). After ten minutes of really going for it (sweating and panting) I had burned only 50 calories. This is not even enough for an apple!
AIBU to feel disheartened? How do you keep your motivation? Help!
MrsBertMacklin · 02/07/2015 20:42
Have you worked out how many calories you can eat each day to (a) maintain and (b) lose weight?
As Laurie says, loss is diet related for the most part. Exercise will help you get smaller because it will help increase your calorie deficit (and muscle takes up less room in your trousers than fat), but it shouldn't be relied on.
I lost by eating my daily TDEE calories (TDEE calculator here), assuming that my activity level was sedentary.
Good post on the My Fitness Pal community board about TDEE
I've only used exercise to get a healthier heart and more muscle.
I highly recommend MyFitnessPal!
FuckingLiability · 02/07/2015 20:46
Definitely try MFP. You would be astonished at what a difference portion sizes make. Also, check out the SW recipes - they are easy, tasty and low calorie. I find even substituting low fat options on normal recipes can make them 'good'.
I feel your pain though, trying to shift this last 2st is HARD.
Husbanddoestheironing · 02/07/2015 20:53
Eating less and moving more is easy in theory. Less so in practice (otherwise we'd all be slim). Look out for the eating 'triggers' and find a healthy sensible food plan and keep a food diary- 'my fitness pal' is good for me. Other people I know use weight watchers or similar successfully. Just aim for one day at a time. 'Confessions of a reformed dieter' by AJ Rochester is also worth a read. Funny and very inspiring. Best of luck
HellBoundNothingFound · 02/07/2015 20:55
Actually losing weight can be hard for some people. It's not a simple as 'eat less move more'.
I am super active, I walk the equivalent of a marathon a week, jog 3 times a week, yoga every day, low carb and drink plenty of water and I'd be lucky to lose...I usually put on!
I'm very healthy though, so I should be grateful for that.
There is plenty of good studies showing it's diet that makes the difference, also the recent study that once you've been overweight (by a fair bit) you will always have to diet...always!
It's a bugger for some, easy for others such is life!
Cantz · 02/07/2015 21:17
Honestly in my opinion slimming world is grim, start cooking everything from scratch if you can much more nutritious and your cravings should diminish when you eat nutrient dense food, even butter and cheese are great cause they make you feel satisfied longer. Do that and take som exercise every day, weigth training 3 x a week, lots of water and a good nights sleep and you will start losing. If you need to keep a tally use my fitness pal to track calories.
Offler · 02/07/2015 21:24
I've been using my fitness pal for 7 months and have lost 2.5 stone. Logging everything I eat has really helped me to focus. I also walk about 35 miles a week, swim for 30-40 min once a week, cycle when I can (shops and swimming pool).
I really recommend MFP even if you do SW or something else, it just helps you see where you can make changes, even small ones can make a difference over time.
AndAnotherThing1 · 02/07/2015 21:25
Too many charlatans out there trying to flog expensive meal replacements or promote faddy and unproven meal plans in my view. It's an industry that profits from the failure of its own advice - because we all become repeat customers. I downloaded an app called Loserz which is basically a forum of people supporting each other in pretty sensible ways. It's a new one I think and, even if I don't lose weight, at least no-one is trying to sell me anything.
sometimessunshine · 02/07/2015 21:27
I have lost 21lbs (in 3 months) by adjusting my eating habits, I just eat less, no low fat rubbish, no slimming world or weight watchers crap. It takes a bit of getting used to in the first week but I am rarely hungry now and eat a wide selection of foods, just not mountains of it like I used to. I have done slimming world in the past but i feel it just encouraged me to over eat and although it was 'free food' it just added to my problem of eating for the sake of it and eating when I wasn't hungry. Oh and I don't do any exercise at all. Hope it gets easier for you.
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