To ask what MAKES you choose to eat healthily?

[fatgirlgonerogue]

I’m struggling with motivation to lose weight.

I’ve never been slim and in my adult years have never had a BMI less than 29.
Right now it’s at 37

My motivation for eating healthily used to be socialising, I wanted to look and feel good.
Since that hasn’t been happening for the last year I no longer have that motivation. I don’t get dressed up. I just live in lounge wear.

I start the day well and just eat rubbish come early evening.

I pretty much live on takeaways at the minute.

I ordered it and I know I’m fat and will get fatter, but I just think so what

I’m always really fascinated when I see people out running, eating healthy food.
Why is that? What makes people want to give up a nice big juicy burger (which would bring so much satisfaction) in favour of a salad

I don’t even think about the health implications of my weight. It’s like I just don’t care.

I did go for a walk to my local park a few days ago and saw a friend. I purposely walked in the opposite direction so she didn’t see me and my vert obvious large weight gain.
So it must to an extent bother me. But not enough to do anything about it... 🤷🏻‍♀️

Yes, a pp is right, you need to find what works for you to flip the switch

For me, I just feel better when I’m eating healthily and I’m not overweight.

I was very slim all my life until I had 2 babies one after the other in my late 40’s. I never managed to get my weight down after that and gradually put on weight over the next 10 years, getting more and more miserable. Finally, after nearly a decade of being overweight and feeling quite frankly bloody awful, I decided to do something about it last year (my children were worried about me dying from Covid). I’m now a healthy bmi and exercise regularly. The difference in how I feel is huge, both mentally and physically. I no longer drink alcohol unless it’s a special occasion (I was a regular drinker before).

I treat food like I did before I had children, when I was careful about what I ate, keeping a balance sheet in my head. I do have to be more careful than I was in my 20’s of course, and I log everything in mfp now. I also weigh myself regularly so as soon as I see a shift up, I can do something about it before it becomes a problem.

The problem with weight loss is that the motivation is different for everyone and that tipping point happens at different times and for different reasons.

I think it's about a life of balance. I probably eat too much sugar, but I also don't struggle to get a good variety of fruit and veg in every day (or at least averaged across a week say). I enjoy cooking most of the time, and subconsciously like to have a colourful variety of food. My son is very fussy (ASD), and eats such bland, beige food, I feel quite sorry for him when I look at his plate compared with ours, but he's happier, and I hope that one day he'll try some more fruit and vegetables.

Exercise is all about feeling better for me. I never used to like exercise, would much rather watch TV or read a book, but I started adding it into my life (as the 'right' thing to do), and now I get quite antsy if I've not done something, a walk would be fine. My mood feels so much worse. Getting out in the fresh air just feeds my soul. Walking with friends during lockdown has been brilliant - I get to socialise, exercise, and see newer parts of where I live (am lucky as live rurally, so lots of variation of walks possible).

Ultimately though, I have a wardrobe of clothes that fits me. I don't have the time, money or inclination to have to buy new clothes because I don't fit in them anymore, when the jeans start getting a bit snug, I just ease off a bit, or increase my activity.

A good burger is delicious yes, so is a salad, and it doesn't have to be either / or. Just try to keep it balanced.

That should say I had 2 babies in my late 30’s not late 40’s!

Just remember that it's 80% in your plate, 20% exercise

When you find the right exercise for you, it becomes a treat, people do get addicted! but the right healthy way of eating still matters a lot.

Even pro-athletes have VERY strict diets before competitions, and you will never exercise as much as they do.

It doesn't work to just up your exercise a bit, or worst to reward yourself with food.

I am not a fan of takeaways (esp Chinese) and it's partly because I have a prudent mean mindset and think 'for the price of that meal I could've done a pork roast dinner' etc
Also I don't like fatty meat and if I have gristle in the meat, I have difficulty eating any more. I usually have vegetarian if I eat out to avoid this
Ready meals are just manky and always disappoint. I have had one in last 2 years and regretted it
I cook and freeze so always portions of home made something in the freezer and easy meats for if I'm away like steaks
DD vegetarian and living alone so I do lots of cooking for her and I love staying with her as food always feels so 'clean'

So meanness, personal taste

When I was younger it was an (unhealthy at times) fear of being fat and a desire to look good.

Now it’s more about my health and and desire to have avoid illness that a bad diet may contribute to.

I have a half stone weight range that I try to stay in. I don’t allow myself to get above the highest weight as it’s much easier to lose a couple of pounds than a couple of stone and better for your health not to yo yo.

I try to get 10k a day steps, but I don’t really diet and eat mainly what I want, I just don’t go mad on portion size.

I used to over eat. It's not as easy as just switching to a healthy diet and exercising loads - if it was that easy, we would all be slim.

Our mind and body has evolved to crave high calorie foods - so we can survive. However, foods are now artificially high in calories and its our downfall. We are also meant to reserve energy and only use when needed. You aren't weak by being unable to adopt a healthy active lifestyle - evolution, physiology and psychology is against you.

I read "the obesity code" by Micheal Fung and it was revolutionary for me. Its not a diet/exercise book - but a real scientific delve into the cause of obesity. I'm a clinician/academic and it was brilliantly written and explained.

It advocates intermittent fasting. I started off skipping breakfast (eating 8 hours per day, fasting 16 hours). You can eat anything you want during that time - which is a weird shift of mindset. As you have the freedom to eat 16 takeaways, 20 bars of chocolate - you actually start to crave healthier food. If you eat a takeaway, theres no guilt, or falling off the wagon feeling. My diet has just naturally improved (although I did have an Indian and lager last night!). I've started making Buddha bowls and not bothering eating biscuits.

The fasting has got easier and easier, after missing breakfast - I'd have a later and later lunch and now just eat an early dinner at 4pm and will eat in a 4 hour window each day (and can eat what I want).

It's really sustainable and I feel happier eating this way. I've been doing this since beg January and have lost 1 1/2 stone.

Before this, I could diet for about 2 days before falling miserably into chocolate. I've tried slimming world, calorie counting etc.

Apologies for the long post but the book is cheap. Another book is called "delay don't deny" by Gin Stephens, which is along the same vein but less scientific- lots of people rave about it

Because it feels better and I like to be happy with what I see in the mirror. Plus, if you eat healthy food it becomes the food you like. I also love takeaways and junk food but if I eat it too often I feel really uncomfortable, greasy, bloated and sick. Everything in moderation.

With exercise, once you start noticing the actual improvements in fitness and strength it becomes very enjoyable. At the beginning when you're just struggling through because you feel obliged to it is shit.

All these things come with time, you can't just flip a switch and enjoy vegetables when your body is used to high carb high fat food, which is designed to be addictive.

@LizzieSiddal

How do you feel when you eat healthier?

I always feel so much better when I do compared to eating a lot of unhealthy food. I have more energy and just generally feel more “up” in my mood. So that’s my motivation.

@LizzieSiddal

I do feel better if I eat healthier, but it rarely happens. 😖

@goodbyelenin

Just remember that it's 80% in your plate, 20% exercise

When you find the right exercise for you, it becomes a treat, people do get addicted! but the right healthy way of eating still matters a lot.

Even pro-athletes have VERY strict diets before competitions, and you will never exercise as much as they do.

It doesn't work to just up your exercise a bit, or worst to reward yourself with food.

Absolutely! Exercise is great and definitely helps with weight loss but you can out exercise a bad diet. I have lots of friends who exercise an awful lot more than I do, but carry on eating too much and then wonder why they aren’t losing weight.

The other great thing about losing weight is that exercise becomes an awful lot easier and more enjoyable. The more you lose the more motivated you become to exercise.

@Youngatheart00

Realised I’m motivated by what other people think rather than my own self worth. Hence feeling a bit like you with the ‘fck it - it doesn’t matter if I order another takeaway, no ones here to see me’*

Took the words right outta my mouth... 🙁

I keep an eye on what I eat because I dont want to be fat. I make a direct link between what I’’m about to put into my mouth and the consequences for my figure.

I’ve never been slim slim but my BMI has always been in the healthy range and that means I generally look OK in my clothes. I know that when I am squeezing into my clothes it’s because I’ve been slack and self indulgent. I also know what I can and cant eat to maintain my weight - and as the years go by I have had to become more disciplined. It really is much harder to get weight off after 60.

Exercise has never made any difference to my size, although I have started exercising again recently and it’s brought its own set of benefits.

We should push that campaign removing the number of calories on all food

and replacing it by the equivalent number of burpees

You don't realise how much better you will feel until you start to lose the weight (but the flip of that is that you don't need to achieve your goal before you see some of the benefits).
When I was my heaviest, losing a stone made my joint pain vanish. I have joint pain again :(

I'm with you at the moment. I am so demotivated and can't be bothered to exercise or eat properly. Everything in my life that was fun and exciting has gone. I think it's depression, but never having had it before, I'm not sure

@georgarina

last night I really wanted a takeaway but I had avocados in the fridge so I made avocado toast, which really didn't sound very exciting...but actually tasted amazing and was way more satisfying than the takeaway would have been.

See, to me, avocado on toast is bad.
I think that’s because I’ve loosely followed slimming world for years and avocado are a high syn food.
If I had that I’d feel as guilty as I would if I ordered the takeaway...

It’s not just that eating healthy feels good, it’s more that eating rubbish makes me feel rubbish. I don’t like feeling rubbish so I avoid eating too much of the wrong foods. So it’s a balancing act. I’ll feel rubbish if we have a creamy pasta for dinner after I’ve had a couple of biscuits that afternoon and haven’t managed to get much exercise in. So we do the creamy pasta tomorrow and have a stir fry that evening.

I don’t deny myself the occasional brownie but it’s once a week not every day, and that’s not on top of weekly rations of cake and almond croissants.

Effectively I balance my food intake to avoid feeling rubbish and a bit slimy and bloated in my own skin.

I think it's changed over time

When I was younger it was definitely vanity. Wanting to look good in and out of clothes.
I am not pretty so I always felt it was more important for me to have a 'good body' as I don't have much else going for me in the attractiveness stakes. This is even more so as I age.

I have never been into fashion, never wear make up and these days I am secure in the knowledge that DH finds me attractive so vanity motivation is less important.

I never ever thought about health when I was younger but these days I do. I have a few things wrong with me these days. I get really bad reflux and I'm awaiting a minor op. I am aware that if I sit all day I get aches and pains. I want to be able to go on long walks up hills, lift furniture, do the gardening, take the stairs, run for a bus and just generally not have any physical limitations and I have realised that I need to work out and keep my weight down if I want to carry on being able to do those things. I can't just take them for granted.

I wouldn't say my diet is wonderful. I drink more alcohol and eat more chocolate than I should but I do try to limit portions and frequency on those and I do actually like salads and vegetables. I try to major on protein and veggies and reduce carbs

I started working out at a gym a few years ago and got into lifting weights and I really enjoy it. The feeling of progression, of learning a new skill, the power of putting a big weight overhead. It made a noticeable difference to my body quite quickly without any huge change to my diet

@SummerInSun

How well do you cool? The problem may be you aren't able to make tasty healthy food that you really want to eat.

My cooking skills are “ok”...
I wouldn’t say I cook anything fancy.
Chilli, spag Bol, lasagne, stirfry.

I think I do lack the skill to make things tasty, I’m envious of people who can throw a good meal together without following a recipe.
I have a cupboard full of herbs & spices but wouldn’t have a clue what to do with half of them, unless I’m following a recipe.

It's difficult if you're eating a lot of sugar and fat and not exercising- it's almost as though you have to retrain your mind and body. If you're used to eating high fat and sugar then healthy food tastes bland, I find. So you have to make yourself persist and after a while it's like your taste buds come into use again. Same with exercise, once you get into it it's like your body craves it. Plus exercise is hard when you're unfit but the sense of achievement and endorphins are so worth it.

So it's that first short term bit which is the hardest I find, but I think that's why properly eating a range of healthy food not cutting out food groups or eating faddy works better for me as it's more sustainable and gets you so you're actually enjoying what you're eating

Once you get into the habit of eating healthy foods you start to crave them and try really enjoy them

This. And I would stick exercise alongside that. If I’m getting my exercise in I automatically want to eat healthier too. If the exercise slides so does the diet.

A few things that seem to work for me:
Not starving myself all day. Decent breakfast and lunch, small afternoon snack and dinner. If I don’t eat enough through the day I eat a massive dinner and snack all evening.
Making healthy food that tastes good. A small amount of cheese or a decent dressing makes a massive difference to a salad. I also can’t stand salad leaves, so I make a chopped salad with beans or chickpeas and lots of cucumber, tomatoes, radish, peppers, etc.
Wearing a Fitbit. I’m competitive against myself. Always trying to keep my steps and calorie burn up.

I’ve also stopped buying much treat food. No chocolate or biscuits in the house. That doesn’t mean I never have them, but I’ll buy a pastry occasionally when I’m out getting a coffee instead. If there are biscuits or chocolate in the house I’ll graze on them all day.

The takeaways is harder, but there are things you can do to make them slightly healthier. I always get a tomato based curry for example. And I’ll just cook up brown rice at home rather than have naan bread or greasier pilau rice. With Chinese I never get the egg fried rice. If I get a burger I don’t usually get fries (I actually don’t like chips, yes, I know I’m weird).

I’m motivated for health reasons. Family members have had heart problems and diabetes. So it scares me to get fat! In all honesty.
I’m 30s now so just starting to get to the point where blood pressure/bmi starts to become more important.

Have a look at some of the low calorie meal ideas on the good food app. Some really tasty stuff on there.

I don’t want to end up like the rest of my family. Many of the people in my family are overweight and will argue up and down that’s just their body type and it’s genetics. It’s not. There is a history of conditions mainly due to being overweight. I’m considered the lucky one since I’ve been slim all my life but all of it was due to a healthy lifestyle.

My grandmother died at 75 alone in a hospital after being confined to a wheelchair for years due to Type 2 diabetes which led to congenital heart failure and a host of other issues. The amount of meds my grandmother took was about 10 pills a day and insulin. My parents and sister spent years providing care for her and it was tough. My mother said it was like having another child except it was a 200+, 5’4 adult with limited mobility. My mother loved my grandmother but admitted as sad as she was losing her, she was relieved not to be her carer anymore.

I don’t want to ever be in a situation where my husband and children have to be my carer or feel relieved about my death when I have the capacity, the self-awareness and responsibility not to be.

I love healthy foods and I find a lot of junk foods don’t taste right to me or I can barely get through a small portion because they are too sweet or salty. I’ve never been big on crisps, not a big fan of chocolate, don’t like the taste of alcohol, mainly drink sparkling water and can take or leave meat most days. Ready-meals are bland to me and not worth the calories as well as jarred sauces when I know I can make a tastier one with half or even 3/4 less calories.

I do love a good burger but it’s a treat for me, my favourite burger place being 30 minutes away, but I also have to have a craving for it. If I’m going to eat unhealthy, it has to be worth it. I don’t like wasting calories on foods I’m not going to enjoy.