Struggle to lose weight

[Morgana7]

I’m 3 stone overweight for my height.
I KNOW all the things I need to do to lose weight such as have a daily calorie deficit, fill up on healthy whole foods, exercise for 30-60 mins most days, just have things like chocolate as an occasional thing etc.
I’ve read plenty of diet and exercise books, listened to podcasts on the subjects and follow people like nutritionists on Instagram for some motivation.
I’ll always start off really well for a few days but I NEVER stick to the healthy eating and exercising no matter what I do. After 4 or 5 days I’ll be off to KFC or eating loads of chocolate and doing no exercise even though I know in my mind I shouldn’t be doing it.
Is anyone else like this and if you have overcome it how did you do it?

I am like this. I can't stick to anything so I have decided to calorie count to make me more awar and try to go for walks or a jog more often.
For me, a compromise is to have less of the things I like not none of it. So last night, we had KFC. I liked the chicken pieces but the chips tasted bland. So I didn't eat them where normally I would eat them because they are part of the meal. Last week we had pulled pork sandwuch and chips. I didn't have chips. If we have pasta and I want garlic bread, I have a smaller bowl of pasta.

Sorry for all the typos. Should also say I aim for 1200 calories and usually don't go over 1500. Some days I only burn 1500 calories, some days I burn 2200. I lost 1.5 pounds last week. I wasn't deprived of anything. In the last 8 days, I had KFC, a couple of cans of cider and I think we even had a Mcdonalds at the beginning of last week too.

I'm like this too, but haven't managed to overcome it (though I am trying). I think my problem is that I'm incredibly impatient - if I don't see results after a few days I think "well, I can either be fat and miserable because I'm not eating nice food, or I can be fat and happy because I'm eating what I want" and I go back to eating rubbish again. In reality I know it's a long term thing and it takes a while to see results, but that's the bit I struggle with.

Yes I’m the same! I bought joe wicks 90 day plan and think I’m sticking to it because it cost so much! (It’s about 100 quid normally, I used student code and got it for 60 something)

I’m about halfway through, lost just about a stone so far, and my ass looks amazing.

Highly recommended from me 🙌🏻

Some great tips, thanks.
I’m just so naturally lazy and greedy and really find it hard to stick at. Wish I was someone with loads of motivation.

I feel your pain.
In the past I have exercised, eaten healthily, dieted at times, could always find a way to get myself going with it and stick to it.
For the past three years my weight has gone up and motivation has gone down. I hardly exercise, even knowing how good it used to make me feel.

I need a rocket up me but no idea how to make it happen!

Group support eg SlimmingWorld. Stay to class. For me starting an instagram really helped, I post everything I eat. Lots of protein and veg to keep full. Think of it as healthy eating not diet why would you cheat your health. Good luck.

I've lost 3 stone since February with 2 more to go. On the one hand it's been easy and on the other, very hard

I have binge eating tendencies and love junk food. I've managed to drop 3 stone by eating to my proper, worked out, calorie allowance using the TDEE calculator etc - so I currently eat 1323 calories a day which has come down from about 1534 when I started. So it's important not to just pluck a calorie limit out the air or you'll have nothing to work with once you start losing weight

I don't low carb or keto or anything like that. I just eat plenty of fruit and veg, porridge each day with yogurt, salads, cheese and vegetarian sushi & noodles. My treats are Nakd bars, cheese, jelly and I'm fond of various 'health' type bars - yes I KNOW I might as well eat some chocolate for all the 'natural' sugar they contain but I like them

And I walk. 10,000 steps a day minimum. I've given myself this year to lose 5 stone and I'm a bit ahead of myself I think

So just start day 1 and let the days add up. I can assure you that they do

I’m quite tall so will need to make sure I’m not undereating on a diet too as then I’ll have no motivation or energy to exercise.
I’ll check what my calorie allowance is.
I have a Fitbit and always say at the start of the week that I’m going to do 10-12000 steps per day. I’ll manage it for a couple of day’s and then be really lazy for the remainder. I suffer a bit with anxiety and depression so that’s probably the cause of it but I’m sure if I was more active I’d feel happier in myself.
A class like slimming world could help but I’m not 100% sold on the things they preach. It obviously works though as I have friends who go and they have all lost weight

@Morgana7 are you me?! 😂😂

I could literally have written this, I have the same problem I’m really good for 4 or 5 days (usually during the week) then the weekend hits and I’ll eat 5000 calories a day and then beat myself up and start again the next week

I wish I knew what to do! Well I know what to do which is stop binging but I can’t 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

Partly it’s about compromise. I used to try to eat healthily with a solid 3 meals and no snacks but I’m a night eater and actually, I don’t even really want breakfast so I have green tea until lunch time, lunch, dinner and then a mars bar and a cup of tea at a night and still come in under my calorie count. You need to work out what suits you so that you don’t feel deprived.

Have you looked at the 5-2 diet. I have only just started it so maybe not the best advert for it yet, but the reason I think I will stick to it is that you are only restricted 2 days a week, the rest of the time you eat normal. You can have 500 calories on your fast day. There are loads of recipe books on it. For me I just don't eat anything all day and just have all my calories in one meal. However bad it is I know tomorrow I can eat what I like

I do eat healthily and exercise but it's still a battle with my dodgy thyroid. My DH has a milestone birthday tomorrow and I've made him a cake and will be doing his favourite meal and having a glass or two of wine and that certainly won't help.

I need to get to that point where I've really had enough of being fat. Then:
Download a calorie counting app
Combine this with 16:8 fasting
Make "If..., then..." plans
Stop buying crap so there's no temptation!

I started end of June (3weeks ago), after not having stepped on the scales for about a year I was shocked to find I need to lose 4st rather than 3st like I thought I'm now 10 lbs down. I find that once you get going and notice the pounds dropping, it keeps you motivated. I know general advice is to only weigh yourself once a week but I find if I weigh myself every other day, it reminds me that it is working and I'm doing the right thing!
Good luck!

I feel like maybe you would benefit from making peace with your current body, before you try to lose weight. A lot of studies show that the will-power you can derive from disliking yourself isn't enough to propel you past that first spurt. I know it sounds counter intuitive, but you're more likely get rid of excess body fat and keep it off if try to find as much self love as you possibly can.

Also I totally agree with other people who are talking about eating less of the 'bad' foods without cutting them entirely (though, sidenote, there are no bad foods - only ones low in nutrients & high in calories).

Another option might be to commit to eating lower calories foods & lots of vegetables during the week, and then allow yourself to eat more freely at the weekend. I do that, and while it does mean that you shed weight more slowly, it really kicks that four day resolve problem.

I grew up with a mum who used to binge eat and I think her habits have rubbed off on me. If I restrict food at all then I go completely wild with it as soon as I can get my hands on it again. If I under eat and feel a bit hungry then I’ll end up bingeing.
If I get the taste for something I love like chocolate then I can’t just have a bit in moderation, I’ll have to eat the whole big bar to feel satisfied.
I wish I could get a handle on it all as it’s really getting me down never being able to shift weight properly

@Morgana7 I'm the same way. I don't really know how to approach it because if I deprive myself of things I like, I'll binge eat. If I have a small/sensible amount of things I like, I'll binge eat.

I hit my heaviest at the end of May and have about 4 stone to lose. I’ve been religiously calorie counting using My Fitness Pal since then. Even when I slip up I record it.

Prior to this I gave up on diets as soon as I had an off day. This time I’m determined and I’ve stuck to it so far and lost 12lbs in 7 weeks. I also haven’t eaten crisps or biscuits since I started as they’re usually my downfall.

For me I need the accountability of weighing every week so a group works. Any attempts I’ve made to diy lose weight never got off ground. I find it easier not to have things that set me off - crisps I’m terrible with could eat family sized bags so just cut them out. I got from an 18/20 to 10/12 in 8 months and have maintained for over a year. Protein and veg had been key for me. I eat 3 decent sized meals and limited snacks. Not being hungry has really helped me stick to it.

My Instagram really helped too. I started it a couple of months into diet and post everything I eat. The thought of people seeing keep me on track most of time.

I was about 5 stone overweight and struggled a lot with sticking to new plans.
My plan is to start any goal with baby steps. My average was only 5000 steps, so I made myself do 5250 every day, then after a week 5750 didn't seem that big of a jump. If I'd gone straight to 10k I'd have failed. I will just keep going up in small increments.
Foodwise- I was listening to a nutrition talk and the guy said to ask yourself "what can I do to make this meal better?" So if you really love peanut butter and jam toast, swap your bread for wholegrain, or add sliced strawberries instead of jam etc. Lots of little changes are more sustainable.
I was going to do a small salad to eat as a starter, but I liked it so much I've ended up eating a large salad for lunch and one for dinner. It's all prechopped etc in fridge so I've no excuse not to eat it! Im not bored yet but I do want to get some new prep ahead recipe ideas before I do otherwise the cereal cupboard will beckon me!
I'm 3/4 stone down in 2 weeks.

There is an American app where you can bet against yourself to lose weight. I’m not naming it here as it’s controversial. The main bet must be a minimum Of 10% of your body weight and over 6 months.

I have just lost 9kg. 7 of it since lockdown. I bet $300 and yesterday I got My $485 payout, having done my weigh in video on Saturday. I have been eating rubbish ever since though (me and DP’s birthdays).

I would absolutely advocate this app as I would have been ballooning during lockdown - put on 4kg at the start.

But it all depends on if this would motivate you. The fear of losing $300 really kept me on track!

If you do binge eating after your mother, it sounds as if it is like an entrenched habit with a mental / emotional component. I don't see how an eating regime would solve that, though it might help to establish a new better eating habit. Rather than following a diet, mental approaches and techniques such as mind conditioning therapy or hypnotherapy and even meditation and calming exercises might be more effective at altering an eating pattern that has become part of you. You could also learn to work on your own mind conditioning.

I am the same as you OP. A neighbour achieved amazing results via Weightwatchers. Now 5 of us are doing it! I started 3.5 weeks ago and I'm 8lb down and finding it excellent as it's helping me learn how to make better choices, and it feels sustainable as you can factor in unavoidable foods that are less diet friendly e.g. celebratory glass of bubbly on friend's birthday or whatever.

I am big on calorie counting. I force myself to log my calories even if I binge — knowing I have to log it helps me stop binging. It feels pretty awful logging like 5000 calories! You also don’t need to just eat whole foods. I eat all sorts and lose weight, just less of it!

I do OMAD (one meal a day) most days. I have been able to get used to no breakfast/lunch because then I can have a big dinner and a few snacks in the evening. For me that helps me feel less deprived.

Also, exercise is helpful of course and very healthy, but weight loss is probably 90% to do with what you eat. Fitbits are awesome and motivating and every step helps of course but I would just concentrate on what you’re eating.