Eat Less Food

[Octopus37]

I know a lot of people have seen me on here on various diet threads which I am quite embarrassed about, but I have decided to keep it simple on my latest diet..... eat less food..... I am past thinking about carbs, calories, free food, what is good for you etc - none of this has got me anywhere. I have had a bug this week so have felt a bit off my food, so have eaten less than usual and can feel results, I have also only eaten the food I really want, rather than eating things cause I think I should etc. Thinking along these lines has worked for me before, but I know I got slated when I listed what I had eaten in a day, but to me this is the key to improving my shape and wellbeing with a view to getting back to my old weight after a tough 18 months. Think I have lost about 3 pounds this week, but will double check in Boots later, onwards and downwards

It'll happen you're right to give it time.

Thank you :)

Hows everyone else doing. I am doing so so but finding it hard not to worry about days when I may have eaten too much.Today have had:

3/4 of a Nature Valley cereal bar
1 Belgian Crunch bar from Greggs (not all eaten in one sitting)
Most two pieces of peanut butter on toast
Chicken Tikka ready meal (I didn't eat much of the rice, ate the chicken tikka and bombay potato
1 piece of celery
About 6 pieces of fried mushroom

Writing it down puts it in perspective as maybe it isn't that bad. Think I need to accept days where maybe I do eat a bit more

We had friends for supper on Friday night I made a lovely thick eggy chocolate mousse for dessert, dh bought some more chocs and sponge fingers to go with it. I've been eating the leftovers not consciously! I must start back on Paul Mackenna properly again!

So those 3lbs have gone it was the "TOTM" bloat! I have also lost inches!

Down from 38 29 38 to 37 28.5 38

Yup ! Tali well done on the inches!

Well done Tali that it great. I am still trying to persevere with mindful eating, some days are better than others. I seem to have been hungrier the last few days. I keep telling myself that I am in this for the long haul, weight loss has stalled, but think I have lost about an inch round my waist, also boobs seem smaller which I am less pleased about. Really need the weight to go from my hips and bum. Today have eaten (not healthy btw)

Cereal bar (ate it all, I was starving, wanted left over cake but decided it would be better)
A Cadburys rocky road bar, ate in two gos' whilst travelling was hungry
Left over chocolate cake, prob started off eating too fast but quickly realised I'd had enough so not that bad.
A couple of bits of left over bacon.
Now I just want to eat eat eat cause of my mood but I am managing to stop myself, off out with a friend tonight so obviously will eat and drink but will try and be mindful.

Trying to accept that there will be mistakes along the way but I am getting there.

Thank you :) hoping to get my waist back to 25" like it was before DS

With the P.M. you learn to recognise those 'eat eat eat' feelings and realise why you have them.

1. Bad sleep patterns, or not enough sleep (Apparently our bodies don't manufacture a hormone that makes us recognise the 'full' signals when we're tired). So it's not our fault

1. TOTM

1. Boredom, being near the food.

1. When you've cooked something really delicious and it is irresistible.

1. Something is mentioned on telly or anywhere and you crave it. The tapping really does help that.

Hi, I'm still struggling a bit today. Just had cheese and pickle on toast for my lunch and left a small amount. I am determined not to give up though, as typically I end up doing some sort of diet for a few weeks, start out well then get fed up, fail and go back to step 1 and beyond. I am off to try the tapping machine today, as I am in one of those eat eat eat moods again today.

Utterly fed up, ate a bit too much of au and 3 pounds up, really pissed off that this is how my body rewards me. I am trying to be mindful but I am obviously not perfect. Have just eaten a small chicken kebab with salad for my dinner, didn't eat all the pitta, ate about half a bag of crisps before, 2 slices of cheese and toast with pickle for lunch (left a couple of mouthfuls) and a cereal bar for breakfast. Just about to eat part of a millionaire slice. Need to keep going with this, feel as if I was doing so well but have gone backwards

Sorry for the self-pitying rant, I'm just not sure I deserved to gain 3 pounds. My instinct is to say forget it and stuff myself but know that isn't the answer. However I ate just some of the millionaire slice and stopped. Sitting here with a hot sugar free squash. Really hoping that if I persevere it will be ok in the end.

Haven't been very good today, self sabbotage and low mood I know. I was doing ok, then this afternoon I started eating Doritos and found it hard to stop. Tonight I have done a fish and chip audit, starting picking as soon as I weighed it all, then plated some up for myself. However, got full and managed to leave some which I am quite pleased about. Feel awful today, really stressed, headachey, generally yuk, however because I managed to leave some food, I feel as if I am maybe finishing the day on a better note. Before the Doritos, had eaten:

Cereal bar
Small bit of millionnaire slice
1 piece of toast with peanut butter (left a mouthful)
1 piece of Dairy Milk
Another bit of millionaire slice

Then ate far too many Doritos and some fish and chips. I am determined not to give up on eating mindfully. Just really hope that in the longer term, I can get my weight where I want it to be, although I think my preferred goal may be unrealistic. Would love to be 8st,, but think I may need to settle for anything under 8st7. At the moment 8st7 feels like it will be a massive breakthrough if I ever get there. Sorry also for the mammoth number of posts, its helping me to keep posting.

Look, I'm not sure if I should say this, but I honestly think you need to leave this board and go over to eating disorders. The misery is just seeping out of your posts. You're not overweight (and I think you know that even though you don't believe it) but you seem to define yourself by your weight, and you're prepared to jeopardise your health to get to an arbitrary target. Look at your posts and what you're eating. Then think "would I be happy if my kids ate this diet?" Mindful eating doesn't mean "eat junk in small quantities instead of meals". At this rate you're going to get malnutrition, never mind constipation. I kind of get the logic you started out with, but plans which encourage you not to deny yourself things don't intend you to eat those things exclusively.

Ask yourself "Would I rather be my current weight and healthy, or 8st, and unhealthy and constipated?"

That's your answer.

Thanks for your post. I have been in quite a low place mood wise obviously which hasn't helped. I haven't got an eating disorder, although I do have a history of this. I take your point about health vs weight and some days I do eat more healthily. I suppose the main thing is to try and get some perspective. I am starting to realise that I am being unrealistic about my weight. I just wish life was a bit less stressful tbh.

Yes, you do sound really down but it's hard to get perspective when we live in a massively obesogenic environment, yet in a society which holds up slimness as the holy grail. It's easy to say "dont be defined by it" but society does define women by it. It's only now I'm 40 that I've stopped caring so much (maybe cos I'm about to slip under the invisibility cloak)and in not caring so much, I've found it much easy to have fairly "normal" eating patterns (still v prone to stress eating though - it's like I think the gummy bear army will miraculously sort my work crisis).

One thing I did in recent years is getting into weight lifting and I find that to be very helpful in terms of redefining how I see and appreciate my body. It also breaks the relationship between weight gain and "bad" because you gain weight but look firmer and stronger. I've always been a runner but that's not so helpful because frankly, to optimise your running potential, you need to be light on your frame. Re the weight lifting, you do have to be careful not to fall into the more aesthetic/ fitspiration side of that so pick your gym carefully and get a trainer whose into performance rather than aesthetics.

I think a really key thing is also to stop blaming yourself. I used to get so angry with myself about my "lack of control" but now I'm better at seeing the whole picture and how "just eat less" is about as helpful as telling poor people to "just earn more", when we get so many conflicting messages thrown at us. Even though she was borderline psycopathic, I think Amy in Gone Girl summed it up pretty well in her 'cool girl' speech.

I'm trying to focus on eating less but in a more balanced way, easier said than done but will keep trying. TBH I think part of the problem is that I feel that I have failed at so many other things and I don't want to add being/staying slim to the list as well. For me being 40 has added to this rather than diminished it. Its hard not to feel that being slim is a sign of success. TBH I don't think the weight building thing would be for me, although I appreciate what you are saying, I know the weight gain thing would really get me down even if I was stronger. However, I do recognise the importance of exercise, I dont drive (another failing) so walk a lot which at times (not recently) has definitely helped with my fitness and mental health. If I had more time I would do exercise classes, but find it hard to fit in around the kids, work, DH who works shifts etc. Will have to read that speech.

Update - feel as if I am gradually doing a bit better. Have been trying to eat more veg and salad with my meals, made a toad in the hole with veg in it last night and have been buying bags of salad. My weight has stayed about the same, I think the key is to be mindful but to try and eat more healthy things along the way as well. It is a learning curve but feel more positive about it.

Glad to hear you're feeling more positive.

Glad to hear about the vegetables Octopus. Reading your food diaries it struck me that there wasn't a single piece of fruit or any vegetables in your diet. You were eating mostly sugar and carbs which will make you crash into terrible hungers.

I get what you mean about not wanting to follow a particular diet but you need to eat a decent amount of fresh food, plants and protein.

Thought I would update in this thread. I am in a better place mentally as U have just st started some new work. In short I an management my to eat a bit more healthily, but still a bit mindfully with treats. I am 8st8 at the moment and having quite a good week so hope to reach my 8st7 target at the end of November. I have been trying to eat salad or roasted veg with my dinner most nights and have been eating a small pack of peanuts for lunch this week, au think both of these things are helping. Onwards and downwards