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 have four stone to lose and am into my second week calorie counting with MFP. I lost the first week, but this week nothing so far. I need to see the scales going down to keep at it.

It's really important to enjoy the food you are eating or it's just not sustainable. You don't need to deprive yourself and eat plates piled high with salad to lose weight - that soon gets boring. There are loads of low calorie recipes online (including "fakeaways" and desserts) that are amazing and you won't even feel like you're dieting. I'm by no means close to being a great cook but I make everything from scratch and look forward to dinner. If I fill up on tasty nutritious food then I don't crave the sweet treats or rubbish after. It's amazing how well you can eat on 1500 calories a day. I used to struggle to eat that much once I got in to the swing of making low calories choices that filled me up.

If you're following recipes then you need to plan ahead and buy ingredients so your shopping trips become more focused and helps avoid mindless buying of things that you don't need or that you haven't considered the nutritional value. If you've planned your dinner for each night then it's easier to stick to it.

Don't deny yourself anything. If sweet chocolate treats are your thing, have them but think about lower calorie alternatives - eg mini bars instead of full size. I also eat fibre one bars - their website has loads of ways you can make low calories desserts using them. I love topping the chocolate sponge bar with marshmallows and chocolate chips, popping it in the microwave then topping with cream. It's really low calories and feels like a proper dessert. I also switch milk chocolate to dark as I find it's far more difficult to binge on dark chocolate and one or two squares is enough. I also keep the treats in a box in a high cupboard so if I crave something it's not particularly easily accessed which means I really need to think if I'm hungry and that I definitely want it. Sometimes the extra hurdle to get it makes me realise I don't and it's just bad habit.

Accountability is also important. I see a PT and when I was in the weight loss stages, she'd ask what I had for dinner and I'd need to log my weight. I'd feel bad doing that if I'd gone off plan so it kept me focused. Find a way to be accountable whether it be checking in with a friend regularly to tell them how you're doing, logging in an app or joining a group.

The first few weeks are the toughest but it soon becomes a way of life and you'll be motivated when you see the scales change. I no longer calorie count but maintain weight just by eating well (loads of big portions too) and exercise. It's just about finding what works for you.

Thanks everyone. Some more great tips that I’m going to look into.
What is your take on regularly weighing yourself? I suffer with a lot of bloating around certain points in my menstrual cycle so the number on the scale can sometimes be deceptive. I can be quite obsessive with weighing myself though and lose all motivation when the number hasn’t decreased. Maybe I need to hide the scales for the first few weeks to help me stay on track a bit longer

I weigh daily but have got to know myself. Eat crap and I go up 2 or 3lb due to sodium stops me eating crap. Yes you may maintain or gain or tome of month but it will be off next week. If it doesn’t help you just weigh weekly.

@BumDiggyDiggyDiggyBumDiggyBum

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 🙌🏻

Could you give a bit more info on the 90 Day Plan? I’ve been considering signing up so would love to hear a bit more about it? I’m another that struggles to stick to stuff but enjoyed doing PE with Joe and think shelling out might motivate me 🙈

I weigh daily and record in the fitbit app even if it went up slightly. The fitbit app will then give you an average for the week. I’ve consistently lost every week. It has varied from 0.4kgs to 1.2kg in a week but always going in the right direction.

I have increased my walking but like someone else have made the targets smaller.