What stops you reaching your weight loss goals?

[Lexemes007]

Hi everyone!

I'm new here and have joined for to reasons. One is that I'm on a weight loss journey myself (1 stone down, 1 to go!) and the support here looks amazing. The other is that I am currently doing a counselling qualification and am doing some research on what obstacles get in the way of women when we try to lose weight.

I hope it's OK to ask this... I would really love to hear from anyone here about what's stopped you losing weight in the past. What sorts of things make it harder to resist temptation? Are there elements of a busy life that make it harder to make healthy food choices? What stops you exercising?

I'm interested in external things (lack of time, etc.) but also things that come from inside (like self-limiting beliefs).

Hearing from you will help my studies, but it will also, hopefully, be helpful for all of is to hear what other people experience!

Thanks :-)

My husband! When I lived alone I found it easy to control my shopping/eating. When he moved in I put on three stone.

We eat out a lot and I fin it really hard to eat well at home when he doesn't. He also buys fattening food.

Nightmare.

Crisps and chocolate

Special occasions and "because I deserve it" are the worst for me.

In a standard week with no special occasions or significant stressors, I find it relatively easy to stick to healthy eating. Throw in a birthday, a get-together with friends/family or a shitty day and my willpower fails me.

Getting stuck at a plateau also tests my willpower as I can get into a "what's the point" mindset. I like to see a steady loss - even just Ib a week - to keep me on track.

Sadness, stress, tiredness. Have a disabled dd who is frequently in hospital and when I come home don't get chance to eat unless quick and convenient meaning ready to eat which is rarely a healthy option.

When DH and I moved in together, I adjusted my eating pattern to his. That's when my weight started to go up.
I started from the lower end of a healthy BMI and have now (30 years, 2 DC, cancer and thyroid treatment later) reached the upper end.

Cutting out all unnecessary food (crisps, chocolates, cake, ice cream, sweets, gin, etc.) would get me back, but ...

It's so hard to stick to 1400 calories per day. It's enough for my body, but not enough in my mind IFYSWIM.

Depression. I comfort eat when I am depressed, put on weight and feel even more depressed and apathetic, so don't do much exercise, and fall into a vicious circle.

The 4pm slump gets me. And the mind game of 'oh I've blown it now by having that slice of cheesecake, might as well finish the whole thing!'

My love of ice cream. No joke.

I agree with those saying their DPs... mine genuinely doesn't care what weight I am and his reaction to me doesn't change whether I'm 10 or 18 stone.. (lucky in a way) If I ask for some chocolate he'll buy me 5 share bags. Which of course I have to eat