don't know what to do...

[GreenGoth89]

I saw a photo of myself today taken last week and I burst into tears - although I'm not at my heaviest I'm nearly 4 stone overweight and I feel awful about how I look. I'm also disabled. I have several conditions which make doing exercise (even in water) quite difficult - I pull muscles, dislocate joints and have muscles go into very painful spasms. I also can't do very much cooking at home - I get very tired and I also end up choking fingers or accidentally burning myself. My partner hated me doing paleo so I quit and but nearly a stone back in 4 months. He also hates most of the slimming world food as he sees it as bland. I can't do things like slimfast, it just made me feel sick. But I don't know what else to do? I can't live off weightwatchers ready meals as we really don't have the money, but I'm running out of ideas! I can't bare to carry on seeing someone I don't recognise in the mirror everyday!

Slimming world food is only bland if you make it bland...you don't need to follow the recipes.

So what do you have as a typical day's food? We might be able to suggest some easy things to change.

What are you currently eating on a typical day OP?
I'm currently doing SW and can't see how the food is bland as the majority of herbs and spices are allowed in unlimited quantities! It's only as bland as you make it.

Don't skip meals, that won't help at all. I'm confused as to whether you have been referred to WW or SW.

I think that information is power, so keeping a (very honest) food diary is helpful. If you're only eating two meals a day I can't see how you could get to 4st over weight.

Apparently they now don't offer SW or WW instead its weekly meetings with a health trainer - for 6 months. I think I'm very quickly going to go crazy doing that especially when I told him I'm disabled and his response was - oh it's going to be very hard for you then isn't it...

Normally I'll manage a smoothie and a piece of fruit but then forget lunch and have a large portion for dinner and something for pudding - it has been paleo mug cake recently. I have 2 coffees and usually have xylitol instead of sugar. If I'm out and I'm getting really hungry then I often have to reach for chocolate as DP will go to the choppy for a cone of chips and I'm not a fan! I have 3/4 glasses of no added sugar squash a day since I cut out fruit juice. The problems have been when DP can't be arsed to cook and orders takeaway - which has been 2/3 times a week and then not for a month but his cooking is very meat heavy and very potato based.

So I googled paleo mug cake and learned that the first two ingredients are chocolate chips and olive oil and 300 calories a portion. I'll bet money that your portion has crept up. That would be a quarter of my daily calories when I'm cutting (losing weight) and I'm an active person.

If I'm out and I'm getting really hungry then I often have to reach for chocolate

No you don't.

Look, your husband is completely un-supportive here. Have you asked him why he won't help you?

I doubt he's going to suddenly see the light though. Why don't you use an online shop to get some healthier food choices in? Even if you're buying in ready-made salads, it's got to be cheaper than takeaways.

It might be worth looking at the blood sugar diet, (fruit?) smoothie, artifically sweetened coffee, artificially sweetened squash during the day then a choc desert after dinner, its all better options but might be causing insulin resistance? I have had a lot of success with Blood sugar diet but others have found it restrictive and gained weight back so I hesitate to recommend it but have a look at some of the reccomendations here: thebloodsugardiet.com/what-is-the-blood-sugar-diet-bsd/

Part of it is my fault - I HATE us having separate meals and I know that it costs a lot more, so I just concede to what he wants. I have also asked him to be more helpful and he's starting to get it but I think his idea of what's healthy and what's not is very different - today was coffee, cereal, homemade mixed bean enchiladas and homemade chicken ramen - so I think that was fairly good! Could have done overnight oats but we're all feeling a bit crap atm so doing our best!

These are basically your options

1. Eat a half portion but eat the same food, and/or
2. Reduce carbs - replace cereal with natural yog (choose own brand and a tub should last a few days) with some frozen berries and no sweetner, for lunch have the enchilada filling (skip the tortilla) with some pre prepared baby leaves, for dinner just have 1 tablespoon of the rice with your chicken and poss some more salad left from lunchtime, and/or
3. Consider the 5:2 method, so only 2 days a week eat 500 cals this could be things like pre packaged supermarket soup so calorie counting is easy. The other 5 days eat your family meals but where you can make healthier choices, avoid snacking, don't overeat, skip rice or chips if having a takeaway etc

Generally 3 takeaways a week is going to cost a lot more than some pre packaged veg or own brand yoghurt etc, so don't feel guilty about adding these things to the family shop.