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Weight loss chat

A space to talk openly about weight loss journeys and challenges. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

Do you ever really stop dieting?

10 replies

joelallie · 28/06/2006 14:05

Hi everyone,

I lost loads of weight following Atkins and followed it easily for 18 months which brought me down to 10?9. But somewhere along the line I lost the plot and have been fluctuating between strict low-carb and low-GI/healthy eating - every time I felt my eating going ut of control I fled back to low-carb and proceeded to cheat and mess up. So recently I finally made the decision to ditch the diet and just try to eat normally ? small portions, loads of water, plenty of exercise, not cutting out any specific foods just trying to maintain a basically healthy balanced diet. All very sensible but the problem is that I live in terror of putting weight back on and although I measure myself regularly to make sure that I?m not getting bigger (don?t have scales anymore as they started to dominate my life a bit too much!) I can?t convince myself that I am OK. I weigh about 11 stone but as I?m 5?11 that gives me a BMI of approx 21ish. I?m a more or less a size 12. Sometimes I look at myself and think I look great, the next day a pair of jeans will feel a bit tight and I get panicky. It?s so hard to get an objective view of my own body so that I can say once and for all?yes, that?s it, you can stop now. I can?t just relax and live life normally. I had never really successfully dieted before and losing weight gave me a real buzz and purpose and made me feel in control. Feel a it lost now?

How do you stop dieting? Do you ever? Is it possible to go back to normal and not pile it all back on again. Until 6 months ago I was convinced that low-carb was for life and now I don?t know where to go.

OP posts:
sweetheart · 28/06/2006 14:14

It doesn't sound to me like you need to diet - I'd be chuffed if I had your stats!

I dream of a day when I can say "OK, I feel good about my body now - I'll stop the diet" but I don't think it will ever come and if it does it's a long way off.

I guess it really depends if your happy with yourself. If you are you should be able to (within reason) eat what you want and perhaps have a week every now and again where you loose the couple of extra pounds you've gained.

For me personally, I was slim at 18, fell pregnant, had two kids and now at 25 am trying to get back my 18 year old body - I know, I know - it's never gonna happen!

emmatom · 28/06/2006 14:16

This eating malarky is ALL in the mind. Firstly, well done in getting to a healthy weight for you.

You should never 'diet' - that thought will just make you want to eat lots of 'forbidden' things.
The secret is to now tell yourself you are going to be good to yourself by only putting all the good stuff into your body.

You have done so well, why on earth would you want to do damage to yourself by scoffing fats, sugars and all that sort of crapola into your body. Your thinking now should be just to eat healthy.

You can graze all day on good stuff without feeling hungry or putting on weight.

If choccie, for example is your thing, then never deprive yourself of it. Just have some occasionally inbetween all the fruits, veggies, fish, good stuff etc.

So you wouldn't want to 'go back' to your old habits, as you put it, as that would be unhealthy and make you put on weight. You've now learnt how to eat healthy and, believe me this will just become a part of your life. It won't stop you doing anything. For example, if you eat out, just have dressings on the side, and have things cooked without fat or butter where poss. It's so easy to eat well these days.

Don't think low-carb, Atkins or whatever when you're thinking long term. Just think low fat, healthy stuff (fruit, veggies, fish, white meat, nuts, wholemeal bread, etc etc) with the occasional bit of whatever you fancy.

Hope that was of some help. x

Dior · 28/06/2006 14:26

Message withdrawn

winnie · 28/06/2006 14:36

If you have been very overweight and if you have had a problem with food (i.e compulsive eating) I do believe that you never stop dieting... I have recently met a lovely woman wh has lost 6 stone and she feels like she is constantly having to check herself for fear of letting things slide. If she doesn't her eating returns to prediet days. I am losing weight atm and have a lot to lose and I can relate to this.
Well done on the weight loss

lazycow · 28/06/2006 14:44

Thank god someone else with the same problem. I've recently lost 5 stone on a really strict diet but am really struggling with my return to real food. I'm afraid the times I have put on a lot of weight were when I stopped weighing myself. I put on weight evenly and clothes often don't get tight on me until I've put on at least a stone. Also I have a habit of hiding from the problem when I suspect I've put on weight so avoid weighing myself.

I now weight myself every day and write the weight down (no judgment) then at the end of the week I work out the average weight over the week. I do the same the following week. If the difference is more than 3 lbs I spend a week being careful and see if that shifts it. The reason I do a weekly average is that my weight fluctuates so much on a daily basis that I can get obsessed with daily ups and downs. however if the difference between two weeks is more than 3lbs up then I'll deal with it 'right there and then' So much easier to lose 3lbs than half a stone.

Hoepfully it will work- has done so far but it has only been 2 months since I lost the weight.

Tbh most people who have a weight problem will have one for life - I've decided it is unrealistic for me to believe I can relax around food at least not for a long time.

joelallie · 28/06/2006 14:45

Thanks for your replies.

Dior - I ate tiny amounts of food on Atkins....and I mean tiny. I was simply never hungry. Which is why it works. And I do have a problem with eating low-fat, high carb because I get really hungry. But I'm persisting. Pre-kids I used to eat a conventionally healthy diet - lots of pasta, brown rice, salad etc and that was how I put on weight slowly but surely. What freaks me out is that I am afraid that I will have to be always watching what I eat for ever and ever

OP posts:
lazycow · 28/06/2006 16:03

Joealallie - I alays get more hungry on conventionally low fat high carb diets too. High protein ones work much better for me too but I kind of miss the hunger really after a while.

Not sure what to say except if and when you find the answer will you let me know?

NB - LOTS of slim people are pretty obsessive about what they eat though I admit some of them just seem to maintain their weight naturally without too much effort - for most people though it requires work. I think that is the problem. I have a fantasy that I'll be able to go back to eating what I want and I'll stay slimish. In our culture of food that is always available many of us will always need to be careful about what we eat if we don't want to get fatter.

Dior · 28/06/2006 18:47

Message withdrawn

joelallie · 28/06/2006 20:38

Dior - That is what I managed to do - stop when I became full, and even not eat at all when I wasn't hungry. To a certain extent I still have that ability but it takes more to fill me up. I also have this residual guilt about abandoning the low-carb regime.... I beleive the science behind it all as it worked for me but all of a sudden it became too much...there's only so many breakfasts of grilled bacon one woman can take!!! But I have definitely taken on board that sugar is a no-no for me .....if I eat sugar I get such terrible cravings. What I used to call a sweet tooth.

Shows my ignorance of WW - I assumed that you'd be very anti fat in the diet....

Lazycow - I'm past 40 now so I think that partly explains why I put on weight so much more easily. Years ago I could eat what I wanted and never really get fat. I guess it's careful as you go permanently

OP posts:
Dior · 28/06/2006 22:55

Message withdrawn

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