AIBU regarding my ‘diet’

[LoopyLou1981]

I need a kick up the arse! I’ve been ‘dieting’ since February. I have lost the sum total of 1lb. I have lost and found the same 4lb more times than I care to remember!
I starting to think I should be locked in a room and fed calorie controlled meals through a hatch like they do in high security prisons!
My willpower is crap. I can have a lovely healthy dinner prepared by my dh. Thoroughly enjoy it then I’m hanging out of the snack cupboard within an hour.
I feel horrible and wobbly and I’m so annoyed at myself and really want to look nice for our holiday in a September but even the thought of being mistaken for a beached whale isn’t enough to keep me on track!
Rant over...any firm (but kind-ish!) advice welcome!!

The first month of a diet is crucial to get your new routine going and settled. Sounds to me that is where you have falllen down.

When is your danger time? For me it was always evenings.

Whatever yours is, you need to develop a strategy.

For example, I went through all our digital photos and did an album. Kept me distracted and away from the snacks.

I also reward myself for good days with 2 biscuits. Fig roll or bourbons.

I find if you can hold fast the first month, the new routine becomes habitual and easier to do.

A sewing kit is an excellent idea! Start at least 40 mins after dinner so you are fully busy when that "it's one hour after dinner, so snack time" feeling kicks in - don't wait until you want to snack.

Have a plan for each evening.

It's rarely actual hunger that ruins diets, but having a poor mindset around food. Habitual /comfort/treat eating (rather than "fuel" eating) is the reason so many people are overweight.

E.g. In the past I would reward myself for a tough day with cake and coffee in a nice coffee shop the following day, this week I rewarded myself with a new nail varnish instead. You still deserve treats, but make them a new lippy or magazine or sewing kit/equipment, not food based.

Good luck!

You could try the 16:8 diet 5 days a week? Eat between 10am-6pm and then only water...? My friend and I have had good results with this.

Diets dont work long term, most people, even if they manage to lose weight, pile it back on and then some...

It depends whether you're adopting a fad diet or changing how you eat.

Mindful eating is the way forward, I could have written this myself, even a few weeks ago. Basically instead of snacking you ask yourself why you are going to the snack cupboard. Am I hungry, yes eat , no how am I feeling?, bored do something else, angry why? Sort it out etc.

I'm using this approach and it's really helping

Clean your teeth after your evening meal. That stops me from having anything else.

Also fasting two days a week means that the odd slip on non fast days aren't the end of the world.

Remembering how rubbish I feel about myself when I've eaten a load of crap and how much better when I've been "good".

Snack wise I've discovered Aldi individual bars of dark chocolate. They come in a larger pack of around 5 bars and are only 13odd calories per bar. If I really need a sweet hit I don't feel bad about eating one of those.

Good luck, you can do it.

130 odd obviously. 13 calories would a miracle!

I’m the same OP. I’m so intensely bored of thinking of food in terms of calories, hating myself for eating the things I want, making constant bargains with myself and so on. So I’ve decided to accept myself as I am. And also do some kind of exercise every day. I’m not going to drop dress sizes this way. But I am healthier and more energetic and hopefully a bit less wobbly!

If you want to eat heavy meals then don’t snack at all, and up your daily exercise. You should find you lose a bit of weight without doing anything.

After that you need to start weighing the ingrediants of every meal you make and ensure your calories are under the maintenance level needed for your age / height / weight.

Same problem here OP but i am just bored, greedy and have zero wilpower as in i think i am missing that part.

Everyone in our house ends up raiding the snack cupboard after a big bowl of pasta. Pasta is just rubbish really; there's not much in it nutritionally.

Eating really nutritious food is what stops us feeling hungry.

I haven't read the full thread so sorry if I'm repeating what others have suggested, but walking was the only thing which helped me to finally lose weight.
I could diet, (and strictly diet at that) lose 3 or 4 lbs at most but then put them straight back on when I tried to eat more normally again.
Then I tried the same diet plus a half/ three quarter hour walk each day and managed to lose about four stone in five/ six months- which I have never put back on (although I do still walk each day).
Also, I don't eat anything sugary, but do snack a bit now on crisps, crackers, cheese and touch wood still OK...
Perhaps walking could help?
Good luck with it though- it is really soul destroying when you're trying really hard and not really getting the results you want.