I really have to lose weight in 2015!

[LapsedTwentysomething]

I have steadily gained weight since having my two DCs, and am as heavy as I've ever been, and will no doubt be a bit heavier still after Christmas.

I successfully lost 2.5st before conceiving DD (I have PCOS so it was essential and that spurred me on). I lost the weight after I had her, but then put some back on, had DS and am always just so busy and tired that my diet is horrendous. I work FT and that doesn't help matters.

My DM is really ill with advanced cancer, so I've been putting it all to the back of my mind and eating and boozing too much. This has to stop.

I have tipped over into obesity. My waist is non-existent and I know that's a big health no-no. It has to be addressed as soon as Christmas is out of the way.

Can anybody inspire me? I don't really want to do anything that isn't 'easy' in the sense that cereal is easy in the morning (so low-carbing is probably out) and I can't fast as I teach some really difficult classes and need to feel strong and energised.

I'm thinking of either WW or MFP. I really don't fancy SW as it seems so dull.

imscarlet
When you use, MFP, do you set it at a "weight loss" mode?

Just that day after day of calorie restriction would do my head in as well (and my TDEE is only 1500!)

Try another tack : set it to maintain at your current weight and just log what you eat
even that tub of haagen daas eaten with a soup spoon
and then see whether you can eat inside your TDEE 6 days a week
while still maintaining a healthy mix of nutrients ( one of the weekly reports shows your protein / fat / carb / booze mix )

the longer you can last being honest with yourself about what you eat, the quicker you'll build the mindful eating habits that will bring your intake into line with what your body needs

and then magically you'll start to look lean and mean

My pattern seems to be that I can start pretty much any diet or way of eating and be really good at sticking to it for a while. But then something happens to my body just before my period starts (sorry tmi ) and I am just starving 24/7. Salads and healthy eating don't work as all I want to do is eat pies all day. Any useful tips on what I can do to control the hunger?

Last time I used it, I set to Atkins limits as I was doing Atkins at the time. I find the constant logging overwhelming. I think it would be nearly easier if I ate loads of pre-packaged foods so I could just bing them in. It's not for me. I do agree that it is important to have a good relationship with food and in general I would be pretty good in that I cook a proper dinner every night and wouldn't have a weekly takeaway or anything like that. I just overload on carbs. That's the root of all my evil I reckon. But I like carbs and I enjoy eating them and while I like a lot of nutty artisan type breads, sometime a slice of white toast is all I really want.

imscarlet
I find the constant logging overwhelming.
Time to onion peel
what about it is overwhelming?

• admitting what you are eating?
• trying to get the mix of foods right?
• constantly having to log on?
• add your own option

and I'll toss in points to ponder on each

• if you only eat 2 or three times a day because you have stopped snacking then you only need to go on the site once or twice a day

• if having to type in exactly what you are eating is overwhelming, maybe that is because you need to get the mindfulness bit of admitting to yourself your portion sizes

your thoughts ?

Say for example I make a salad for lunch. I have to go in, search iceberg lettuce, search tomato, search chicken, search avacado, search red peppers, search carrot, search whatever salad dressing I use. While in these products I have to decide on the most appropriate serving size. I then remember that I had a cup of tea as well. So I search them too. Maybe I had some homemade brown bread too. I made it myself so I have to add in all the ingredients individually. That's lunch. Dinner is the same thing. I have to add each individual ingredient in indicidually. Maybe I make soup for lunch the next day. I have to add in each ingredient. It is a pain in the ass. Now if I eat the same thing every day I can repeat the previous day on the app, but as often as not I don't. I could sit down at a PC and add in meals but I don't really use a PC anymore so that would be cumbersome. If I had a cupasoup, it would be so much easier to add in as it would be just one entry, but would be worse nutritionally for me.

Slow down a second and estimate.

Salad for lunch : look up M&S green salad : log in twice as much as you put together for yourself.
One click and an over estimate and gives you leeway

Bread : sainsburys granary malted - thick slice - the highest calorie bread there is so an over estimate so you have breathing space

cupasoup is foul : but cartons of fresh soup are fine
OR
look at other people's recipes

you are setting yourself up to fail by not being willing to round up / estimate upwards

and therefore giving yourself an excuse not to record what you eat

one bowl of salad = 40 calories
two bowls = 80 calories

one sausage roll = 300 calories
two sausage rolls = 600 calories

IYSWIM

Yeah but then I'm not getting an accurate picture of what I'm consuming and what's the point in doing it if I don't do it properly?
I do think I'll probably do SW in the new year. I'll see how that works for me as I have never done WW or anything organised. I've used MFP on about 3 occasions and it just doesn't work for me, but that's just me and I can see how it might work well for other people.

imscarlet
in that case go back to the beginning.

No snacking - ever at all, ever, ever

Breakfast : no carbs, no sugar , small : fruit, yoghurt, eggs washed down with tea or coffee

Mid morning : drink only, no food at all ever you have 10,000 calories in reserve on your hips remember

Lunch : no sugar, minimise carbs, small : big bowl of crudites, or a veg salad or soup or an omelette

Mid afternoon : no food, drinks only

Supper : LOTS of vegetables - baked, boiled, steamed, pan fried with high protein - fish, chicken, eggs
washed down with lots of water

and close the kitchen after supper

Ok, that sounds like a bit of a plan. I could give that a go!

I'm desperate to lose weight too. I've a stone to lose before I goback to work in July. I have a Four month old. I'm still Breastfeeding but it hasn't made me lose weight- I'm always hungry (understandably) but I can't Afford new clothes so have to lose the weight. I think I may also look into the low carb thread- my downfall is bread !

I've just ordered a fitbit flex and am hoping it inspires me to walk more. It also synchs with MFP which I've used with success in the past.

Could I join please?

I was actually a bit shocked when I stepped on the scales this morning even though it's not really a surprise...

I am invited to a wedding in may so that's my first small goal.

And it's my own wedding in 2016. I'd like to try dresses on next summer - right now I wouldn't dare to even step into a shop out of fear of being judged.

I need to eat three proper meals a day which can be tricky when I'm late at work - snacks in the afternoon are my downfall.

I also need to start some.gentle exercise. I'd love to lose around 30kg so almost 5 stone

Talkinpeace

Your suggested daily food is the way forward. It makes perfect sense. No carbs or sugar. Lots of protein and veg. Coupled with exercise it will definitely work. I'm gonna make a soups today as that is the most filling for lunch for me

Yeah, I agree, soups are great, easy to make and freeze and warming in the cold weather. Someone mentioned using light Philadelphia instead of butter (might not be on this thread, I've been reading LOTS!). I'm not sure what my view on 'light' foods are. What is the best thing to have with soup - homemade wholemeal bread, something like ryvita or rice cakes, oatcakes?

Olivia
Glad that it clicks in your head : the point is to find a Way of Eating that will last you 40 years.

busybumble
no more snacks, ever at all, ever, ever , ever
one really small, one pretty small and one good sized meal a day will let you retrain your body in healthy ways
low carb, SW, WW, 5:2 whatever, the principle is the same

imscarlet
best thing to have with soup = more soup. No need for extra carbs

ALSO
Think of your diet in terms of weeks and months, not days.

If you have a blow out weekend, so be it, just eat less for the rest of the week.
If you have a planned blowout coming, eat a bit extra less for the three weeks before so that you end up where you still want to be afterwards.

I compare my weight year on year now .... it allows me to enjoy life.

Talkinpeace you speak total sense, but part of my brain is fighting against you because I don't want to hear that I need to put effort in

Just signed up this evening to MFP, have 12kg to lose. Currently a size 12, but my belly is a mess and I struggle to control my muffin tops.

Basically I have been lying to myself. Weighed myself today and I'm 80kg (12 stone).

Bad, bad, bad!

Can I join too?
I need to lose weight as I weigh 90kg, my motivation is I have got two weddings to attend one in May and one in August. My problem is I have really good intentions but after a week I slip back in to my old ways.
My biggest down fall is snacking.

Oh Ruby you're about the same weight as me, I weighed myself to be 87.7kg.
I am the same with the good intentions.

Thanks Talking, I know you are right. I need to make time to make bigger lunches as my break between lunch and dinner can be huge. Also need a new slow cooker so that I can make sure there's food waiting for me at home. That way I'll. Hopefully be.less tempted to by rubbish on the way

Lapsed twenty something

I've started to reply to your original post. I'm so sorry about your dm. It must be tough. Well done you for losing weight in the past. Means you can do it again. This will be your year. Whatever diet you do will work, if you reduce the calories and increase exercise. I know it seems simple enough but doing is is another matter . Talk in peace 'a diet is simple but tough - it takes discipline but the weight will drop off. If you have to doncarbs (they are my downfall) have Weetabix for brekkie but let that be your only carb. Portion control is my problem but if it is no sugar or carbs and just veg and protein I am going to allow myself as much as I can eat

I think for me- omitting the bread will be just the thing to make me lose weight. I just need to be disciplined enough. Having DH eating carbs doesn't help either. I should just not buy bread at all but not sure if DH will go for it!

Good luck !

Busy bumblebee

Good idea about the slow cooker. If I was working it would be a great help when I came home to have dinner ready

Even though I'm off on mat leave it is still a good ideas the recipes can be high protein and veg - chicken sweet potato tomatos

Just NO carbs ! I'm gonna get the slow cooker off the top of he kitchen cabinet.

DON'T DIET!! Dieting just makes you think about food all the time. You can't defy the laws of Physics - if you can make small, sustainable, permanent changes to your diet and lifestyle then the weight will come off but more importantly stay off. You illustrate perfectly what most people do - lose a load of weight but then pile it all on again. I did this myself many times.

You need to eat breakfast - I have home-made muesli which is not too sweet. Have a mid morning snack - an apple, a couple of raw carrots or a few nuts. Drink loads of fluids. resolve to have no alcohol on weekdays.
If you can introduce some exercise so much the better, but failing that do the obvious - take the stairs not the lift, walk the kids to school/playgroup etc.
Ten years ago I was 5'9", frumpy, unfit and hit 15 stone. I'm still 12 stone but it's mostly muscle - I took up a new sport 5 years ago and made the GB senior squad. Good luck Op

I'm in her somewhere

53dragon
that looks FUN

TalkinPeace yes it's brilliant - we're all easy going, happy ladies off the water, but put us in a boat and RARRRR! There are loads of dragon boat racing clubs all around the country. You don't need to have paddled before to have a go - you soon learn the technique and after that it's all about building strength and fitness. I raft race too - that's less formal and loads of fun.
I think weight just creeps up and you end up feeling like a victim of it - as though there's nothing you can do. But you can - it's just a case of finding what fits in with your lifestyle. Of course it would be difficult to train for GB if you have young kids but there are people who've done it

TalkinPeace what's your link? It doesn't work for me