Weight loss psychology

[footballmum]

I've been on a zillion diets and I always start off great but then fall off the waggon and end up gaining weight and then some. Over the years this has taken a dreadful toll on my body and my attitude towards food. I know I am stuck in a destructive cycle where I see foods as "good" or "bad". If I exercise I reward myself with (too much) food.

I've started to realise that the problem is in my head and not with what I eat. I enjoy food but I don't eat rubbish. I've found that a low carb high fat diet works well for me as my skin is so much better and I don't get bloated or tired. I eat lovely fresh food and pretty much always cook from scratch and don't eat processed food. On paper I shouldn't keep gaining weight but I do. That's because come 7pm I feel like I've "deserved a treat" and its not just one biscuit its 6. I also go out socially quite a lot with my job and if there's a glass of wine on offer I never refuse!

I'm wondering whether anyone else has cracked the psychological element of maintaining a healthy diet? I'm thinking that I might be better off not being "on a diet" but the thought of that is quite scary because I worry I might whack a load of weight on.

Would be really interested to hear other people's experiences.

I am currently losing weight successfully - don't know how well I'll keep it off long term but think I'm developing some good habits.

I've been using mfp to log my calories, have been on 1200 calories a day, have now upped that to 1350 a day to lose the last bit more slowly. I have been also looking at the nutritional value of what I am eating to help make those calories count so I avoid white bread for example as it doesn't provide much more than carbs - but haven't banned myself from eating it completely. I don't eat sugary cereals as I'd rather save my sugar for something more enjoyable. I am generally stricter with myself during weekdays. If I know that I am going to have a day when I won't be able to stick to my calories then i accept it but try not to overeat - and still log my calories. For example, I was at a hen do last weekend - still logged my food and was well over my calories but could see I had eaten plenty of protein so saw that as a positive. I also have stopped eating on the go, if I take the time to stop and enjoy my food so I don't have that need to eat when I'm not hungry. I also will only eat food I enjoy. Exercising has also helped - with self-esteem as much as anything else.

So my advice would be:
Don't diet - just re-evaluate what you are eating and log it.
Don't ban yourself from eating any food - just decide whether it is worth it, portion it out and stop and enjoy it.
Only eat food you actually enjoy.
Accept there are going to be good days and bad days.
Exercise

Hi footballmum I officially gave up 'dieting' a couple of years ago after reading a book called How To Have Your Cake and Your Skinny Jeans Too by Josie Spinardi, and I'm the slimmest and happiest I've ever been.

Essentially it's about intuitive eating, and explores the theory that diets simply do not work in the long term because you're trying to enforce external eating rules on your body, instead of following your body's natural hunger. There are plenty of books out there on the subject, I'd also recommend one called Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole.

Thanks for the responses.

MsColouring - I don't really want to have to start monitoring or logging my food intake because as soon as I do that I am "on a diet" and then food is all I think about!! I have definitely identified what foods make me feel well and the ones that make me feel bloated and tired. So I'm trying to focus on eating for my wellbeing rather than weight loss.

JellyBean3000 - thank you. The How to Have Your Cake book looks really good and I've downloaded it on my kindle. That's the sort of thing I'm looking for really. How to identify and combat negative thought patterns about eating and food which ultimately end up with me sabotaging a healthy eating regime.

My theory is now about 'health' rather than weight. I try really hard to keep at the forefront of my mind, is what I am eating good for my body, nourishing etc
If not then I'll have it only in moderation and not often.
I log my food on MFP, otherwise I overeat. If I followed my natural hunger as per JellyBean I would be 30 stone - I once counted how many times I felt hungry in an hour (after just eating breakfast) and it was 6! FFS!