Help keep me motivated please! Need to lose 1.5 stone

[Imliketotallyummm]

I've been struggling with depression and anxiety for past few years. Dh has been out of work for a year (he worked for 2 months on low wage earlier this year) and financially we are really struggling.

I have been comfort eating a lot, lots of chocolate and popcorn.

I know I can lose weight by low carbing, but as soon as I'm having a bad day I reach for the chocolate, I have no willpower. Also dh is quick to suggest treats at the weekend and I can't say no.

Also going to mil's for 4 days, she thinks I'm picky and weird because of low carbing in the past. Then visiting dd in Germany for 5 days, she lives off pasta and bread.

Any ideas how to keep myself on track? I know I'm asking for the impossible, but I'm so frustrated. I want to be able to eat healthily, but don't know what eating normally is anymore.

With low carb I struggle as it's too expensive and I'm fed up of eating eggs etc.

It feels like an impossible task, but I need to do something. The weight is piling on.

I don't exercise, only walking the dog and I can't when it's really hot, as I get really dizzy in the heat

Sorry for the rant.

Does anyone want to join me in losing weight and/or give suggestions of what to eat.?

I haven't eaten well today and have gone over my allowance, but not by huge amounts.

I had 2 ryvita with butter and brie followed by muesli with a dash of lactofree milk for brunch, then an icecream sundae out mid afternoon, then MIL cooked chicken and bacon pie with oven chips for dinner followed by a mint cornetto.This evening I also had a pack of Kettle chips (small pack).

I am on holiday, so not too worried at the moment as long as I'm not going mad.

Mid week weigh in - 10.13 1/4, woo hoo back in the 10 somethings.

It was our anniversary yesterday so I did have chinese for tea and shared a bottle of prosecco as well as cake. Not the best day but special occasions are exempt.

It dawned on me yesterday that I've adjusted to not snacking and whilst I'm ready for my meals I'm not needing to eat constantly. Feeling fairly positive.

I did try on my wedding dress yesterday too and I couldn't zip it all the way up. I could last year so a bit more motivation. I was 10st 2ish when I got married so not that far off I suppose.

Well done, Theres

I have just read all of the thread and can sympathize with everything you have all written. It is so hard to focus of dieting and getting yourself the size you want when you are responsible for feeding the rest of the family.
I have been trying to lose weight ( only 1 and a half stone, but I am very very short) for ever. Well ever since child number three who is now 23years not months.
I think I decided that this time, as I am now "late 50's" was the last attempt.
I started on March 1st and have just achieved my target. So just going to share a few things with you to see if it helps anyone.
I bought a notebook and wrote down every single thing which passed my lips. A big chore to start with but as meals etc are often repeated it did get easier. I restricted myself to 1000 calories for weeks 1 to 10, then increased to 1100 etc. at first I was horrified by how many wasted calories I was having, eg 2 bananas was about 20% of my daily intake, so changed to berries.
I didn't have crisps, cake, chocolate or bread in the house as they are my downfall. But as a treat had a small amount when we went out as I knew it would be portion controlled.
Basically I ate sort of the following as an example of a daily menu.
Breakfast - low fat vanilla yogurt with blueberries or raspberries
Mid morning couple of rice cakes or satsuma or small apple
Lunch - soup or more low fat yogurt and piece of fruit
Dinner - same as DP but on a small plate with no pasta or potatoes, but massive portion of veg or salad
Before bed rice cakes.
I drink massive amounts of weak tea with no sugar anyway so that also helped.

I also bought myself a fancy pink water bottle and drank 2 refills every day.
In my notebook I wrote myself notes after every weigh in day to motivate myself.
I have only been able to stick to this though because I have no children at home anymore. When we were having our grandson for the day it was definitely harder.
I have altered all my clothes as I have gradually lost weight so that there is no going back!
I know that certainly with chocolate and crisps I could easily regain so am sticking with cold turkey.
Remember, chocolate is just a lump of greasy fat!
Good luck everyone.

Congrats Theres

Imlike as long as you enjoyed the treats, and if you only went over your calorie limit by a small amount that's really good, I would have just used it as an excuse to pig out the whole day!

Esmum I was reading an article about what was better for weight loss, exercise and health. Overall a low card diet was seen as better. I was a bit shocked reading because it talked a lot about using full fat products instead of fat free or low fat, butter instead of light spreads etc. My brain has been so programmed to think that "full fat" = devil so I was shocked to read that it's actually not if you eat good fats. I may have to try this approach and see how it goes, your typical food day sounds really yummy!

Storynanny that's amazing, thanks for sharing you tips
I have a journal too that I write in after work outs and weigh ins that so I'm motivated. I also write out loads of cheesy quotes to try and give me a bit of positivity!
My DD is only 1 and I find it hard not to eat her leftovers, and any treats she may get somehow seem to be shared

Well done theres! That's brilliant!
I haven't weighed myself. I was 10st9 last Sunday so I'll weigh myself this Sunday. I don't feel like I'm losing weight despite sticking to my plan of a healthy paleo 1500kcals/day with plenty of exercise. But then again I usually crash diet (under the guise of 'fasting') and lose half a stone a week. But that isn't sustainable so if I lose 1lb a week but actually manage to stick to it, that's much better! I need to change the way of thinking that has plagued me my entire life- maybe that's starting to finally happen now! I know that rationality, but I always want to take the quickest route I guess so I feel like I'm not getting a lot in return for my efforts.

Food for the day!

Breakfast was fruit salad with fat free natural yogurt.
Lunch was jacket potato with tuna mayonnaise and salad.
Tea was homemade vegetable soup.
Snacks were 3 cups of tea, 1 boiled egg, picking at some grapes throughout the day, 20g of metcalfe's sweet and salty popcorn (which is absolutely yummy!) and I may have some fruit and natural yogurt for supper

Food today

Bacon, eggs and sausage
Ham and lettuce sandwich
Cereal bar
Piece of millionaires shortbread

Yesterday's food:
breakfast- yogurt and some berries
lunch- ham, poached eggs, avocado and tomato
dinner- steak with broccoli and carrots
snack- handful of macadamia nuts
small glass of red wine

Still coming out at about 1300-1500kcal which should help me lose about 1lb a week I guess. If I can stick to it.
Didn't really do any exercise yesterday apart from walking as have guests here but week go for a bike ride this morning.
Hey look at us, still motivated after nearly a week!

Sorry I've been quiet, just got back from MILs late last night. Doing lots of washing today, Sunday I set off to visit dd in Germany.

Sounds like everyone is doing well

I will weigh myself tomorrow morning.

Today I had 4 (!) ryvita with brie for breakfast, a cereal bar for lunch and for dinner we're having 97% meat sausages with coleslaw and green beans. Oh and had HM popcorn this afternoon

I'm excited for tomorrow's weigh in, looking forward to seeing how everyone has done

Today's food has been:

Breakfast: porridge with fruit salad
Lunch: vegetable and tomato soup
Dinner: onion, pepper and mushroom omelette with loads of salad
Snacks: hard boiled egg, white coffee from morrisons cafe.

Did the final run of week 1 C25K and was so chuffed because I could feel I was running a bit faster than the last time and I didn't feel a stitch coming on then took DD swimming so not much good for exercise because she's only 1 but I still had fun (and I didn't even care about being in a swimming costume!)

Going to have more metcalfe's popcorn tonight because I rationed it out, so I think I'll have a bath and then settle down watching a film!

Imlike I'm so jealous you're going to Germany, I used to live in Berlin when I was a baby but I've never been back, I'd love to though. I would eat bratwurst every day, followed by a big box of those biscuits that taste like moist gingerbread (I don't know what they're called, only that they're German and delicious!

I low carbed for three years and really enjoyed it but I think my body just stopped responding to it. I have been following michelle heaton's drop a dress size diet that I saw in closer magazine for two weeks and have lost three pounds. I only had that to lose really, but I think if you had more to lose you would see even better results. It's low fat, no sugar, and no carbs after mid morning so the only meal that has changed for me is breakfast as I can now eat porridge and whole meal bread, and low fat rice cakes, but it's very easy, you don't get hungry and it has really worked for me, am very pleased. Recommend.

Can you read this? I don't bother with the protein bars...

Oh and the other difference is I can now eat fruit, although I avoid oranges as they are sooooo sugary.

Jumble, I'm going to Berlin! My daughter lives there and I haven't seen her for a year. You should go over some time, it's a great city. Ydd is coming too, she's never flown before, so very excited.

iamblossom yes I can read your messages. That sounds like an interesting variation on low carb. I am eating low carb a lot of the time, but allowing myself carbs for breakfast, as I can't eat eggs for breakfast all the time and I try not to eat too much dairy, as I think I have a slight intolerance.

I would love to one day, I bet it looks amazing at Christmas time

Are we weighing in tomorrow? I'm scared. I was just under 10st9 last week. Don't feel like I've lost anything and I usually know because I usually crash diet and lose loads very quickly. I'm frightened I will be the same and then I'll just lose all my motivation and give up.

Don't worry, I don't think I'll have lost either, not sure if I'll weigh or measure.

You can weigh in when you like Earlier in the thread some of us said we would weigh on a Monday , I think. I prefer Saturday to Monday as I feel I can then have a day off on Saturday and make up for it during the week, but I'm happy to fit in with everyone.

10st7.4 this morning. That's 1.5lb off. It's seems so little for so much effort! But I know rationally that it's a healthy and sustainable amount. Still trying to make that mental change from extreme crash dieting to something proper and sensible. This is a good start I think. I want to get down to around 9st5 which would be a bmi of 22. I am muscular and athletic so any thinner is too thin for me. My usual plan would involve losing a stone in about 4 weeks but this time my target date is probably sometime in November.

That's great Guy! Slow and steady wins the race I don't think I'd have the willpower to stick to a crash diet type thing, or even slim fast or something similar. I'd get too hungry!

15st 4lbs here, 5lbs off which I'm soooo happy with! I think because I went from an extreme junk food diet to eating quite healthily it's kicked things off. Same happened in my first week of slimming world. I'm very excited to 14st ANYTHING because I haven't seen 14 on a scale since halfway through my pregnancy!

5lb off is AMAZING! Well done you!