I am fat and can't stop eating

[SouthGoingZax]

I am fat. I put on heaps of weight (7st) while I was pg and lost it all by the time my twins were 1. They are now nearly 2 and I have put on 2 stone in the past year and it is still going on at the rate of about 2 lb a week.

I have recently started a hugely stressful job. We are also moving house and have builders in the new house. Since April (when I started the job) I've put on 1 1/2 st of the 2 st total. I have also recently started a new drug to control my arthritis. Drug is working brilliantly, one of the side effects is increased appetite. I have also been told I am 'insulin resistant' - this is sometimes the precursor to diabetes.

I now weigh 15 1/2 st and am miserable and so disappointed with myself. I had previously got down to 11 st something with Slimming World and had told myself I would never be fat again . I can't go to SW at the moment as with the move, the twins and the job my life doesn't have any space in it at all. I walk with the boys in the buggy/out of the buggy at the weekend but apart from that get n exercise although I am on my feet all day.

I have tried and tried to control my eating. I feel hungry almost all the time. I now it can't be real hunger, but I cannot control the urge to eat. I crave carbs mostly.

Have you wise ladies got any ideas to help me out. I need to stop the weight going on and lose 3 stone.

Many thanks for reading.

Well I started this thread last Saturday or Sunday
I am hugely overweight. I am addicted to eating. Especially carbs - I am vegi and my comfort food is a plate of pasta with butter. Or white bread.
Anyway, someone recommended the food focus website where you register all food and exercise and it tracks it for you - it also tells you how many cals to eat to achieve your weight loss. I seem to be sticking to it so far, which I know is only 5 days, in fact I am competing with myself to see how few calories I can eat, as it shows you each day how much weight you have lost. I need those in the place of instant results.
It's free as well btw, which was a factor for me
When I get time (tonight probably) I'm going to start a food focus thread where we can all convince each other not to stop! Join me/us

my thread

basically I came to the conclusion that in about ten years time I will be forced to lose weight because I will have a serious health scare caused by being overweight

I used to see this and think "yeah right" but honestly if I can do it, even for 5 days, so can you. I have zero willpower. I used to eat constantly, chocolate mostly. If I wasn't eating I was thinking about the next thing I could eat.

I've just been reading up on Exante I am so desperate! I was 11 stone 4 before I was preggie with DD, that is 5 years ago now and as of this morning I'm 14 st 4...aaaargggghhh.

My SIL has just lost 6 stone in a year on Weight Watchers, she hit the scales at 18 st last year and decided enough was enough, something clicked for her because for fourteen years before that she ate constantly throughout the day and ate absolutely everything that was bad for you. She has had tremendous will power.

I'm thinking about trying Exante as a kick start for two to three months to get a boost and hopefully drop a good weight. I know I know it's not a great way to do it but I need quick results and need to gold cold turkey!!

I feel your pain

Thanks all,

Stealth I know you from way back - I think you have a DC of very similar age. I used to be Bosoms by the Sea. I am exactly the same - white toast with butter and marmite is my dream food.

I will try that website. I will also join your thread. I so need help. It's so strange; in all other areas of my life I am pretty good at delayed gratification, self control etc but my weight issues continue to defeat me.

Oliviasmama, I tried Alli (don't know if that is similar to Exante) for a couple of weeks recently - didn't lose any weight at all.

Just feel hopeless. Hate feeling so out of control.

Just registered on Food Focus too StealthPB, I'll see how far I can get too.

Nice to see you again Bosoms :) Like the name btw, DS loves DrS!

Right, will start thread tonight and try to figure out the best way of doing this, we need to be competitive (or at least I seem to need some of that) but supportive and not offputting.

I am getting seriously competitive with myself - am considering walking back from town with the 2 DCs tomorrow (~7 miles!)

I'm not sure if this will help anyone but I've always eaten loads too.
A couple of weeks or so ago, I was feeling really down as I had just eaten crisps, cheese and crackers and 3x2 finger kitkats (thats not unusual for me!) and spoke to a friend about it. It just felt like I had no control.

My friend pointed out that I'm probably one of those people who do the salt/sugar craving cycle. I'd never heard of this but looked into a bit and some people crave sugar if they have food too high in salt and then salt again if the food is too high in sugar to 'balance the body out'. I really recognised that in myself.

I've since cut out all foods that are too high in salt and sugar (inc marmite, crisps and cheese!) and I've had absolutely no cravings! Ialso cut out bread for good measure and reduced my carbs. I've lost a few lbs in the last couple of weeks too.

Thanks Shaxx - those three foods are definitely on the menu at the moment - Marmite is my absolute favourite food.

Maybe I will cut that out for a few weeks and see how I go.

Thanks for the compliments on the name, Stealth. I've registered on Food Focus too. I think it will really help me - Slimming World helped mostly because I was competitive about the weigh-ins!

Ok so far have only 135 calories left for today (in order to meet my 'lose weight' calorie target). Am going to try to hang onto them and not 'spend them - but I feel like I have barely eaten today even though I think I have made good choices. Fruit for breakfast, baked spud, salad and baked beans for lunch, salmon fillets and boiled potato for tea. Fruit for snacks.

I had no idea how much I was overeating. Those calories just creep up on you!

How many cals are you allowed a day?

1378 per day is my target to lose 2 lb a week according to food focus.

What you've had sounds like plenty of food.
It sounds like you've had lots of good calories. Did you have enough calcium?
Try a yoghurt a day if not and try adding more veg/salad in your evening meal to help fill you up.

Once you've done this for a few days, you'll get used to that amount of food.
You'll just have to hang in there for a couple of days.
You sound like you're doing brilliantly. Well done!

I read somewhere that a chromium supplement can help control those urges to eat carbs. Seems to have helped me to my surprise! Im definitely eating a lot less rubbish at the mo. Might be worth a try?

Thanks Shaxx. Yes, I haven't been hungry, though I have caught myself thinking about food quite a bit.

Yes, I am going to hang in there until I get 'in the zone'. I think the website will really help as I can see exactly where and when I get it right!

I'm on 1510 a day but have been trying to eat less than that. Today I have had 479, will probably be ~500 by the time I go to bed

Stealth, what have you eaten?

500 a day is less than even the ultra low-cal diets... not sure that's sustainable over the long term.

(But I very much admire your willpower)

BREAD Brown, Toasted 1 24 65 1 14 2
Marmite MARMITE Yeast Extract 1 9 20 0 2 3
COFFEE Black 2 500 10 0 2 1
Total Breakfast 95 1 18 6
Lunch
Canteen Soup 1 250 87 1 1 1
BREAD Wholemeal 1 25 54 1 10 2
COFFEE Black 3 750 15 0 2 2
Total Lunch 156 2 13 5
Dinner
Cereals ready-to-eat WEETABIX WHOLE WHEAT CEREAL 1 18 67 1 14 2
MILK Skimmed, Average 1 70 24 0 4 2
Waitrose CHAPATIS Brown Wheat Flour 1 42 128 3 21 4
Sainsbury's CHOCOLATE Milk 1 7 37 2 4 1

As you can see I couldn't resist a square of chocolate! I am now eyeing up a carton of instant porridge...

Are those your lottery numbers???

:) The third is the calories I think.
No, it was milk chocolate (i.e. a square) not chocolate milk! I keep looking at it before I realise. I think there is a missing comma

Stealth that is not a very balanced diet and your cals are way too low! You will be losing muscle mass which is bad. Best to not go under 1200 a day. Slow and steady is best. Mark my words you will fall off the wagon in spectacular style if you carry on like this!

anyway, support thread :o

I'd be concerned about the drug that is giving you increased appetite. Is there an alternative? Surely your GP can see the risks in you gaining too much weight.

Have also heard L Carnitine supplement is good for cravings/getting energy from food.

I really want to see some results though - it;s the only thing that will actually keep me on track. Otherwise I'll be justifying everything...just one bar of chocolate...just one brownie...just another huge plate of pasta.

I'm sort of all or nothing!

About to have a banana (yuck!) in yoghurt though

Also (no expert here) protein takes longer to digest and keeps you less hungry. Scrambled eggs with a bit of grated cheese and salsa is great for breakfast. Try it once and see how much more full you feel.