I need help please

[MissStrawberry]

Just the thought of starting this thread has made me have an anxiety attack.

I have lost 1 of the 3 stone I need to lose. I am now over weight instead of obese. I am losing nothing at the moment and have become food obsessed while not feeling hungry but eating because I know I have too. On the other hand if I decide I want something to eat and don't think I am going to get it I panic.

I tried fat metaboliser tablets from H&B as I felt my weight loss had stopped and I needed something to kick start it again. I had a tough week and lost 2lbs but have put 4lbs back on since then.

Did 54 minutes of exercise with the Wii yesterday but nothing today as I have been busy all day plus the back of my legs are killing.

I must lose this weight as it will only get worse as I get older and my female family were all obese so it wouldn't take much for me to get out of control.

I have never felt like I can't tell if I am hungry or not before so that is freaking me out a bit.

I am shattered, low and fat and I really don't want to be.

I don't know what to do. I lost a stone in about 3 months and then just the same few pounds have gone off and on for about 6 months.

I don't want to be fat any more.

I am currently trying the 2 day eat only 500 calories and 5 days of normal food - even had wine and chocolate yesterday! I have no will power and couldn't manage to stick to a diet but this works for me as I don't feel deprived 5 days a week and on 2 days a week I feel really virtuous! I have lost a couple of pounds each week and I think it is something I could stick to. If you need something to kick start you again try the atkins diet - harder but very effective for the first few weeks as you lose loads. Then you could change to the 2 day fast and 5 day normal diet after that. I am also doing a 30 minute walk every day which makes me feel good, especially if the sun is out and my friend and I can just chat the whole walking route! Hope it helps and good luck!

Thank you. I just feel over whelmed at the moment. I was following a plan where the food was delivered to you but that wasn't sustainable long term as the food wasn't nice enough tbh once you had had it a few times. I hate myself for even caring but I just want to be less fat .

Jan you sound panicked in your post. It's worth thinking about how long it took you to put on this weight - you will not lose it overnight.
Working out for an hour is great for your body but it will not result in instant weight loss as frustrating as that is, keep exercising regularly it's great for your body and long term health and as a side effect it's a good calorie burner.
Can't advise you much on the food, we are all different and therefore the diet that you choose has to be something that fits in with your needs, but there are certainly loads of options. Whichever diet you try I'd suggest dumping the sugar and the processed foods, they will never do much for your long term health.

Sorry jan my post was meant to be addressed to Missstrawberry

Come and join us on the 5:2 threads. It is a great diet (although we prefer to say Way of Eating) as it is only 2 days a week. It really teaches you what being hungry is, and the fact that it doesn't kill you, nor does it build and get worse, it just comes in waves and if you ignore it it goes away again.

Miss strawberry, I'm on my first diet (WW) in ten years - I had eating disorders in my youth and have always been terrified that dieting would lead me back there , into obsession and panic.

So far so good, I find WW helpful as it tells me how much to eat and my friends who are also doing it are keeping an eye on my mental health and making sure I'm not getting obsessive. Can you ask friends to help you get things into a healthier perspective?

Good advice upthread about it taking time to lose the weight - everything in moderation and you will get there.

I find what helps me is not to focus on what I'm NOT eating and instead to focus on eating lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. That way it's about healthy eating and looking aft myself rather than just losing weight, which helps me maintain a calmer perspective - but you still lose the weight, and in a sustainable way. If you lose it too quickly you'll mess up your metabolism and gain it back quickly (says the voice of bitter experience).

Also - deep breathing, yoga, meditation may help. You need to address the anxiety you feel about all this as much as the weight issue.

Well done for reaching out for help. (((Hug)))

Jan5 I haven't personally done Weight Watchers but it sounds like a support group could be just what you need. You won't feel alone and you can get a perspective on eating and health. I also agree with previous posters regarding knowing it will take sme time. Very well done for losing a stone. Be proud of yourself for not putting that back on, educate yourself about where calories are in the foods you are currently eating. I have three kids and after each one I had at least 2 stone if not three stone to lose. I am currently 44 and have been gradually chipping weight off for the last couple of years. I was 164 pounds early 2011 and now am 142 (June 2012). I only bothered to look at calories when I tried MyFitnessPal recently because counting calories always sounded sooooooo boring and tedious to me and I just can't obsess about food that much. MFP does all the counting for you though - and what a wake up call!!

I was stunned to discover that one pieces of toast was 98 calories, add butter and you're up to at least 150 calories. I would often have 3 rounds of two pieces of toast plus 2 or 3 milky cups of tea as (I imagined) a relatively harmless "snack". Will that's about 600 calories!! This doesn't include my other daily snacks of yogurts and cereal on top of three meals. It's all good in itself but way too much to lose weight. Try MFP and be brutally honest about what you are eating I wouldn't be surprised if you are obliviously eating lots of extra calories that seem innocent!

Oh btw I am still chipping away as I need to lose at least another 7-10 pounds, you can grab two big handfuls of my tum! : )

I am not sure how long it took to put the 2 stone on but it started one year after my baby was born and I had to go on to medication. I had three children under five so didn't notice the weight going on. I have food issues but can't keep blaming them. I think it isn't the volume of food I am eating as I used to eat more but must be eating the wrong kind of foods plus I emotional eat.

I made a lovely soup yesterday and had that for lunch but it was a shock that the calorie count was over 600.

That's right, you still eat in a way that is satisfying and healthy but you need to watch carefully the extra calories that can easily make great foods very high in calories if you're not careful.

It seems boring to track what you eat but MFP make it easy and it really works! You will realize how many EXTRA calories you are eating. Well it was a surprise to me!

How many calories should a woman dieting be eating a day, can you tell me? I'm about 5 ft 4 and just under 10 stone. I'd like to lose a stone.

Go on MyFitnessPal.com it's free and you enter your height and weight and how much activity you have.in your day. Then they give you a recommended amount of calories to eat daily if you want to lose weight. They recommend you lose 1-2 pounds per week. You then can enter any foods you eat daily to find how many calories are in what you eat. Simples.

It is hard when you are eating home made food and just a handful of crisps like I have had today. I plan on doing some Wii later.

Perhaps you could also look at the type of exercise you are doing? Doing time on the wii is better than nothing, but it does depend on what you are doing on it. Ideally you need to be doing a mixture of pretty taxing cardio stuff, ideally intervals (ie sprint for 30 seconds, walk for a minute etc- and I mean sprint, not jog. Max effort) mixed with building lean muscle that will burn more calories all the time, to help you maintain a lower weight consistently. That means things like squats, lunges, press ups and planks. I have a wii but have seen much better results through circuit training - Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred is less than e 25 mins a day but if you did it consistently (it does hurt to start...) then I suspect you will get good results. Nothing I did on even the tougher wii programmes come close to a kicking from Ms Michaels.

I used to do a lot of yoga but mainly I have been doing running and stepping. I have a couple of exercise dvds but I like the wii as it keeps score for me. DH and I have been going for long walks (4-6 miles) but only once a week and not for a month or so. I try and run every time I go upstairs, all counts yes? . I have heard about the shred but no idea what it is.

It's just a DVD - £5 or thereabouts on Amazon. Just over 20 mins of circuit training a day. You will need light weights, although if you haven't done this sort of thing before people sometimes start with cans of beans and work up to 1/2kg weights. I can't stress how important strength training is to tone up and lower body fat, which allows you longer term weight loss. Cardio won't do it on its own, and requires a lot of time for results, whereas strength training is more time efficient.

And does the shred fit the bill for what you say I need?

I have been having pain in the back of my legs when walking downstairs and first thing in the morning, and DH said it was because I exercised without warming up properly. OOPs.

I would say so! It is quite tough, but short- so every time it feels like you are about to due, so swaps in to another exercise. Just over 20 minutes and - done!! Just don't use it as an excuse to have an extra snack...

Quite a few DHs do it too because it isn't 'girly'. Although 3 women in the DVD. My DH has improved his body hugely since he met Jillian .

I will have a look in to it, thank you very much.

I haven't been out yet to buy the dvd as I have a wii and several dvds so want to make sure I am committed before I waste spend any more money. My question is, if I am exercising and only burning 200-338 (my record) calories is that going to lose me any weight? No weight lost yet but joy of joys AF has arrived early and I have only been Wii-ing for a few days.

It is only going to help you lose weight if it lowers your calorie intake below the level your body needs so it starts using its fat reserves. If you google 'how many calories do I need?' then you will find plenty of sites where you can put in your height, weight and general day to day activity level. This then shows you how many calories you need to maintain that weight- so if you want to lose weight, you aim to eat 3-500 calories less than the 'maintenance' total a day. And the weight will come off.

I tried MFP and it says 1200 cals a day. I have tried that level before and it was tough plus I didn't lose anything.

I think you probably need to find what works for you and your metabolism. Whether that is low carb, or fasting or weight watchers. Exercise will help, but it has to done as well as a healthy eating programme or it will have limited effect.

TBH since having my youngest and then taking meds that put weight on (and me not realising ) I haven't been able to lose anything until I started on the meal delivery plan. I lost weight every week for about 3-4 months. I haven't lost anything properly for the last 6 really. I am worried I have messed up my metabolism to the point that I am stuck overweight. I took a week off from the food I had delivered - getting bored of packet food - and I lost that week but since I have been on real food I haven't lost anything (except 2lbs in one week when we had a loss in the family and have put 4lbs on since.)

Speaking only from my own experience, I find having a really good hearty but healthy breakfast and decent lunch and then just a big salad in the evening will get you shifting calories. Knock out all the extra cals from your diet: butter, milk, oil etc. It will be tough but if you want to shift the pounds you have to do some things that don't feel comfortable immediately. I often find I lose 5 pounds and then want to plateau and eat normally for a while (without gaining!) that becomes my new normal and after a few weeks I start with serious calorie reduction again. Everyone seems to have ways that work for them.

Personally I also find weight training on weight machines in the gym also helps me build muscle and lose inches. Again, I don't start right away but after losing the first 10 pounds to a stone (I guess I have more energy by then!)