I don't think I can do it

[JorlyWood]

I really want to lose weight before trying to have another baby but I don't have a clue how to. I've tried strict dieting where I'm not allowed any treats at all and that doesn't work because I am so damn impulsive and when I want something I need to have it right there and then or I go into meltdown. Then once I start I go on a week long rampage of cakes.

I try exercise more but because I'm so fat my knees and ankles suffer if I run, I don't have a bike and the only other option is swimming. That's ok for a few weeks but then I get my period and I can't use tampons (that's a whole other issue) so I miss a week or so and then I struggle to get back into the routine.

I am about 25kgs overweight and I don't know where to start. I always go head first into things at 100 mph and then crash after a week or two. I can't control myself.

Of course you can do it.

You've already identified a couple of things that are your down-fall.
So try something different.

This approach helped me lose 3+ st about 2 and a half years ago and they've stayed off

Good luck.
Small changes. Baby steps.
Throw your scales away.

Weight loss is mainly to do with what/how much we eat, not so much exercise (which is great for strength and fitness).

I am exactly the same. I started low carb high fat ten days ago.

No sugar, bread, potatoes, pasta, sweets, crisps. Sounds hideous! But...

Lots of tasty foods cooked in oil or butter. Cheese, avocados, some
Fruits with proper cream. Red wine!!!!! Nuts bacon and egg etc

I have spent my entire life counting calories on low fat low calorie diets , feeling hungry, craving crap. Many low fat foods are full of sugar!

For the last ten days I have eaten well, really enjoyed every mouthful of what I have eaten, not felt hungry, not felt I have been deprived and have lost 5 lb!

My heart burn has gone, sleeping better, irregular heart beat has gone.

Seriously give it a go. It's so easy. I basically have the same as DH just minus potatoes. Had Spag Bog
Tonight with butternut squashetti fried
In butter. Was delicious- much
Smaller portion than I usually scoff but very satisfying.

Oh wow, thanks for the quick replies and support. I have always disregarded the low carb diets because I thought carbs were what made you feel full? Have I got that wrong? Perhaps this has been my downfall.

Carbs are great for when you spend your days digging ditches by hand or doing an etape of the Tour de France

For most normal people leading fairly sedentary lives (me!), ALL carbs get converted in to sugar in the blood stream which induced insulin production. This 'pulls' the sugar in to muscle cells and if not used up by vigorous physical activity, gets laid down as storage = fat.
We are designed to survive famine and all the readily available cheap calories we live with is literally killing us.

High fat, high protein, low carb is a great way to lose weight reasonably swiftly and it is delicious. I am always full.

Op I know how you feel - really struggling at the moment and stuffing my face.

Purple what's a typical day like on that way of eating?

If I am hungry at breakfast I might have a couple of eggs ( fried or poached) with a couple of rashers of bacon and some mushrooms. If not I might have something like that for lunch. I sometimes combine the low carb with 16:8 if I am not hungry.

Lunch might be a salad with tuna, egg, ham- what ever. I put seeds or nuts in the salad with some
Oil dressing and mayo. Perhaps a price of fruit if I fancy something sweet ( which I often don't- strange as I have always been a sugar junkie)
Other lunches could be a big omelet with onions and mushroom with cheese( has that the other day and was still full at tea time.)
I quite often make extra for dinner and then have the leftovers for lunch the next day. I also like avocados with tuna or prawns with a salad.

Evening meals are usually meat or fish with low carb veg sometimes boiled but more tasty stir fried or oven baked in a bit of oil or butter with plenty of seasoning. Instead of potatoes/ pasta I have cauliflower rice or cauliflower cheese ( mmmmm) butternut spiralized or roasted. I have bolognaise and chilli con carne just with cauliflower rice or
Something spiralized.
If I fancy a pudding I will have raspberries with heavy cream or full fat Yog and a bit of stevia.

I love a roast just don't have the potatoes or stuffing.

I enjoy a gin and slimline or a glass of red wine which are both low carb

Snacks are babybelle cheese ( or any other type of cheese) boiled egg, handful of nuts ( pecan walnuts macadamia and Brazil nuts are the lowest carbs)but I really don't feel the need to snack.

I haven't been counting anything but I do look on packets to see the carb content
The one thing I would like is a low carb cracker to have with a bit of cheese- have found a recipe made with almond flour which I am going to try.

If I am hungry I eat. If I'm not, I don't and I stop when I am full.
I don't really understand the science behind this- everything I have ever known about diets seems to be contradicted in this way of eating ( butter, cream, full fat stuff, being hungry) but it seems to work!

Wow, that is very interesting Perfectlydone. Thanks a lot, I can try something completely new!

Wow purple that's very informative thanks so much.
I have heard good things about low carb high fat. I really need to take the plunge

Ivephod trally like to do this but I don’t eat a lot of meat and don’t eat bacon or ham because of nitrates. Help me!

You don't have to eat bacon or ham. And if you don't eat a lot of meat there is always fish?

Salmon, smoked mackerel, trout, prawns - all of course with a lovely cream-based sauce like Hollandaise or a cheese sauce.
Avocado - goes with almost everything.
Eat good quality meat. With the fat. Chicken with the skin on. Yum

I am going through at least 1kg of greek yoghurt/day - with berries or seeds or both, as dressing on various raw salads and just on its own.

I do 16:8 fasting too - not having breakfast seems to not 'switch on' my appetite and I honestly have to remind myself to have lunch before 2pm, rather than looking for a chocolate biscuit for 'elevenses' when I used to have a 'healthy' but v carb based breakfast in the past.

I'm struggling too with weight. Was nearly going to try SW yet again but have decided not to. I thought three meals per day, no snacks, treat once a week and more fruit and veg. Nothing to eat after evening meal. Which will be hard for me but it's my worse time of the day.

New research (which has actually been around ages) is confirming that sugar is quite a culprit for increasing appetite. So have decided to cut right down on sugary things. I'd love to cut them out totally but can't just yet. But certainly won't be eating biscuits every day from now on.

You can do it and now is a really good time ri start in one way as it means you'll keep a grip on things nad won't end up with more to lose in the New Year.

My personal view is the best method is the one that strikes a chord with you and you can imagine doing for the rest of your life as ultimately you need to make changes you can stick to to avoid regaining.

Don't worry about exercise at the moment but also don't underestimate how much walking can help, it's helped a fair few of us on the lose 100lb thread lose a good few stones each. Fitbits are great for motivation and can help improve your sleep which helps too.

The most important thing is to Keep On Keeping On (KOKO). Life will always get in the way but if you don't let one day which didn't go to plan turn into a week nad then a month, the quarter pound you lose here adds to the pound that you lose there nad they all gradually add up.

My personal view is the best method is the one that strikes a chord with you and you can imagine doing for the rest of your life

Yes, I totally agree with that.

It's finding what works for YOU.

I really don't get people who have been paying through the nose going to the same slimming club for 20+ years and are still significantly overweight.
If it works for you, keep going.
If it does not work for you, try something different.

Purple which Greek yog do you have? Guessing it needs to be the normal one not low fat?

I like sugary snacks too much and have very little self discipline.

While we are at it does anyone have a good way of increasing self discipline?

Thanks again for the advice, my whole lifestyle seems unconducive for losing weight. My house always seems to be in a mess and instead of tidying it I just order a takeaway at the end of the day. I'm exhausted and at a particularly low point today.

The yogurt I have is the Waitrose own brand. The Total one is also nice but more expensive. Yes normal one- the lower fat ones are also nice, less calories but more sugar so higher carb.

I was a total sugar junkie. I have had the odd craving over the past two weeks but once I got into low carbing I just simply don't want it. I always have berry fruit in the fridge and cream so that satisfies any cravings. I am not sure why but I just seem to have been able to resist. I went to an event on Saturday where there was an afternoon tea with cakes and mince pies galore ( some of which I provided!) but I just simply didn't fancy any and just had a cup of tea. I have the feeling that if I do start eating biscuits and cakes again I won't be able to stop. I have never been a two biscuits with a cup of tea type of girl- I can happily scoff a whole packet. Crisps are also my down fall.

I think being prepared and having healthy stuff in to snack on if you need to is the key. I always have a few hard boiled eggs ready and these take the edge off my hunger if meal times are a few hours away.