How do you stay sensible?

[Dirtybadger]

Hi, first time posting on this part of MN.
Just wondering how people stay 'sensible' about their weight loss? Any rules on how much you must eat every day, not exceeding certain weight loss in certain periods, limits of exercise, etc?
I feel like I've tried everything but of course I can't have.

For some background; I'm 22 (23 few days) and my BMI is pretty much bang on 25.
I have always thought I was overweight (from aged about 7) although only actually became overweight aged about 15/16 when I stopped exercising (having been competitive in multiple sports before namely middle distance athletics). I put a lot of weight on quickly and ended up about 10 pounds overweight. Started self harming a little bit over food- blah blah blah. I didn't stay that weight long and kicked myself into gear. Over about 6 months I lost 2 and a half stone. I put a few pounds on over the next year ish and maintained that. I did prefer myself at my lowest weight although got some negative comments about looking too thing etc (my BMI was 21/22 so I wasn't underweight).
When I met my partner I stopped a lot of things I was doing (just no time for a relationship and a life committed to exercise) and weight crept up by another stone ish. To be expected as I had to go from exercising about 3 hours a day to maybe 8 hours a week (give or take). I was still comfortable ish at that weight although not 100% body confident,

My life is very different now so I'm trying to maintain a practical approach to a weight target and losing weight but find it very difficult. I find it easy to lose weight by being very restrictive with myself but it causes a lot of tension amongst my family, etc. I've tried saying I must eat at least 1500 kcals most days, for example, but that way I find I just don't lose weight. And I am more liable to binge as the 'flood gates are open' if I allow myself decent meals or treats, etc. I also find not weighing myself too frequently a bit of a problem. If I only weigh once a week I tend to fall off the wagon (esp. if one week I don't lose much!). But I feel like I end up weighing myself too often and that just 'spurs' me on to be strict when I see I've lost a few ounces, etc.

How do you keep sensible, especially when the addictiveness of losing weight kicks in?

I should add I'm vegan. I don't have a very healthy diet and am absolutely crap at cooking. I enjoy baking but cakes don't make good diet food! :P

that is why I chose 5:2 (or maybe it chose me)
total control for two days a week, moderate control two days a week, light control two days a week, no control at all one day a week
added into
strictly follow that 24 weeks a year
roughly follow that 24 weeks a year
ignore it completely 4 weeks a year

and I've been at around a weight I like for the best part of a year.

Thanks I thought it was just strict 2 days loosey goosey 5! Will look into that :)

Dirtybadger
THe thing to bear in mind from Michael Mosely is that he was never overweight - therefore he'd never been eating excessively - therefore his "normal" was fine to lose weight with the two fast days.

Many, many of the people who are now adopting 5:2 have dysfunctional relationships with food and have no idea what a normal portion is
therefore on the big 5:2 threads (do come and join them) we've had to develop the ideas more to allow people to redevelop healthy eating habits.

BTW on the big threads, BreadandWine is a vegan grandad so may have some great ideas for meals

I calorie count but not to extremes. I lost 5 st in 2.9 years. I kept to an average of 1500 - 2000 day limit but could eat what I want when I want knowing what it 'could' do to my overall average weight.

When I first started I tracked religiously keeping to 1500 cal's 1800 with exercise and lost 2st in 6 months. Since then I have been more relaxed, I learned a lot about nutrition in that time and know that 1 night/day/week does not matter in the long run, it's your over all habits that make the difference.

Some times I eat less, sometimes I eat more, but overall it balances. Learning what you need and what you can have for that (calorie wise) helps you make informed decisions over what you eat.

But knowing how it all works allows you to have what you want - when you really want it. You just need to adjust other days/ weeks to make it fit.

Weight management is not a short term fix, it's a way of life you have to make work for YOUR LIFE

I'm a normal 9 stone 10 and I maintain this by applying an 80/20 rule. Ish. So I am strict with myself during the week - 3 meals a day, no snacks, moderate carbs, no alcohol, spin classes / running.

I take Saturdays off and on this day I eat what I fancy although I try not to binge. So yesterday for example I ate my three normal meals but had a coconut sponge pudding with cream for dessert, half a large bar of chocolate and a handful of sweets over the course of the day.

I enjoyed it and now am back to my usual eating - until next Saturday