Changing eating habits for life - anyone done this?

[Inish]

I am 52 have done all of the diets. I am 5:3 have put on at least 1st per decade. I am now 13.5 stone. BMI 33 officially obese, 4 stone over weight. Over the years I have lost 3st on SW, 3st on Lighter Life, 2 stone on Cambridge ...... of course it has all gone back on again. My diet is shocking - Diet Coke, white bread and butter, wine, chocolate, crisps - never eat fruit and rarely cook meals from scratch. And it has gotten worse over the years. My activity is only walking my dog - will do an at least 5hrs a week.

I have obsessed about every other diet going - have all the books - armchair diet expert... low carb, Atkins, BS, 5:2, 16:8

I think that I am just now going to change habits so healthy eating and not a “diet” - although I will use SW for recipes.

Anyone done this - should I expect slow loses? Anyone want to join me?

My new habits are:

No wine at home (was 1/2 bottle night)
No treats at home
No cake with coffee when out
No meal deals
Don’t eat in the car - or on the move
Have a bag of apples in the car

Have mostly same breakfast and lunch then only have to worry about evening meal:

Eat fruit, Greek yogurt and oats for breakfast.
Have healthy fresh veg soup for lunch

May I join? I am a binge eating ex bulimic. I have 'dieted myself up' 3 stone. I have lost a stone this eyar mainly through occaisonl starving followed by bingeing and back again.

I want to focus on wonderful, healthy food. With a focus on a mediterranean approach.

We are about to go out for dinner. I shall report back, if you will have me. :)

Please join and good luck.

Thank you. :)

I had baked salmon, salad and new potatoes. Now drinking herbal tea instead of a hot chocolate. Wine, carbs and fats are my downfall.

Lately I have been having full fat greek yoghurt with a teaspoon of flaxseeds and 2-3 nuts for breakfast. I plan to then have vegetable soup and a piece of fruit for lunch, then protein and veg for dinner. Try and stick to under 1200 cals a day.

I am 5 ft 2 and weighed 12.7 stone when I weighed last week- but went mad on wine and McDonalds since then.

I started dieting when I was 10 stone 7. I am aiming to be 10 stone 7 again.

Hi Inish

I have just joined Mumsnet so I can join your chat!

I also have a disordered way of eating and I have been wanting to change for a long time now.

I am 31, 5"2 and around 10.10 stone. I guess my eating started to get out of the realms of "normal" when I was a teenager as a way of coping with a chaotic and abusive upbringing. I was very active though and went onto do a dance degree so the weight never piled on, I always stayed slim (dancing for 8 hours a day whilst at uni) but after I left I partied and had fun for a few years then had a baby at 24 and had 3 children by the time I was 28. That's when the change in my body really started to show. And subsequently my mind went with it.

I did SW last year and lost weight. Quit and put the weight back on. It's not a sustainable way of eating. I stick to a good home cooked meal every night, plenty of veg etc as this is what my family deserve. I don't do it for me. Sad really.

Breakfast and lunch don't exist and I just stuff whatever I can in during the day. Evenings I don't really eat unless I am home alone which isn't very often.

Husband is supportive in terms of me being happy. He knows I am not happy. So tries to steer me in the right direction but this has just ended in me eating in secret.

I have started Divinas 15 minute dvd and I choose two sections to work on so 30 mins of exercise every other day. Only started this at the weekend. And I am starting to look at my eating habits.

All this has been highlighted since my husband has been away with work.

I NEED to change. But I am scared of faliure and going with out and the pressure of being sl and staying slim.

I have now started CBT and will be starting counselling sessions soon.

Sorry for the long post. You seem to be doing really well so far. You must be proud of yourself.

JapaneseBirdPainting
You match my height and weight exactly!
Funnily enough, we're off to Japan on Wednesday, but when I get back will try to lose some weight, and get fitter.
I'm your classic gym member who hasn't been for months - but the motivation is my pre-diabetic status, which I really need to improve.

Lost lots of weight and kept it off. No starvation, no restriction, no counting calories, no deprivation. I know that I could never sustain a calorie restricted diet long-term. Just substituted high carb, high sugar foods for healthy, natural, as unprocessed as possible foods. So no low-fat anything. I think substitution rather than deprivation. But if I have a 'binge on junk food' day, I don't beat myself up about it. Just start healthy eating again the next day. It will even itself out.

Had stir-fry veg and prawns with fried egg, splash of soy for lunch. Never put sugar in tea or coffee.

Inish, you have a lot of NOs in your resolution list. I think that if start from a point of deprivation, it will not work. Change it to a YES list. Yes to a small piece of cake when going out with friends. YES to fruits you really like, YES to nuts, YES to delicious vegetables.

high five ajandjjjmum!

An up and down day for me. Yoghurt with 2 cashews, then a good veggie and lentil soup and fruit. Then i was out at a work meeting and came home to sour dough toast and pate plus a glass of red.

So, some good things. Some not so good things. I defintiely got my 5 a day. Work in progress!

I like the idea of reducing one thing and then embedding it Inish.

I think that i can embed one good habit and embed by losing one bad habit.

Greek yoghurt is already my preferred breakfast. So this week i choose to embed a vegetable soup lunch and lose the wine (starting tomorrow....)

Oh- i meant to ask- where in japan are you going? I went to Tokyo 20 odd years ago with afriend and just loved it. I loved the Meiji shrine. I want to go abck with DH who is a big fan of japanese art (hence my user name... I have a pic above my desk in my study).

I'm hoping to do this.

I'm 35 and have yo-yo dieted between 9-11 stone for years. I used to have 2 or even 3 takeaways in a week, I'd sit and eat share bags of chocolates each evening, shop bought tubs of pasta for lunch, the weight just crept on.

Over the last 6 months I've managed to lose 17lbs, so not loads, but I'm over halfway there, it's been slow and steady.

I haven't cut anything out, just cut right back on sugary and fatty snacks, less takeaways, less carbs, but I haven't cut them out altogether.

I limit to no more than one takeaway a week, sweets/chocs are an occasional treat and I don't crave them anymore, I have carb free lunches 75% of the time.

I also did couch to 5k, so the exercise has been good, I don't want to eat as much unhealthy food.

I am getting used to this way of eating, I'm hoping to keep it up as a way of life.

I am trying to plan for tomorrow. Does anyone plan their days? I often try - and fail!

So far:

Bk - greek yoghurt, grated apple, dash of cinnamon and 2 nuts

Ln- smoked salmon, cucumber and tomato salad

Dn- chicken thigh, med tray bake with olives, sliced potatoes, tinned tomaoes and herbs with added rice for the DCs.

Drinks- coffee, herbal teas and fizzy water.

delicious. I can really get behind a menu like that. it feels luxurious, and so so good and tasty.

Flying into Tokyo, then Kyoto and on to Oita via Hiroshima. Hopefully with a bit of England rugby thrown in. Very excited - my first trip to Japan, although DH visited about 40 years ago when he was in the forces. Just hoping the typhoon decides to change it's course!

I think the planning ahead is critical. I tend to miss breakfast but then have soup and yoghurt for lunch, and often a stir-fry for dinner. I fall down when DH (being nice!) buys me something I like, but is naughty!

Hi all - OP here - newish name.

I do get that my initial list is negative - as it lists out the bad habits that I need to cut. I should have put in all of the good habits alongside as these are what I will to do for life......these have evolved as substitutes as the weeks have gone on.

I am also looking at this phase as being in overdraft - I need some focus, rigour and discipline, to get back into the black and alongside longer term strategic habits that will keep me out of the red thereafter.
When I achieve some “fiscal headroom” - I will be better placed to say yes to the cake etc.

But I do think if I take the addiction approach it will be helpful to know that I will always “be in recovery” for the rest of my life. I will have to pay attention to how and what I eat (that’s probably what “normal slim people do anyway).

Addiction is a progressive disease so when I go back to one bar of chocolate once a week, it becomes twice a week, and then becomes twice daily within 6 months. This is just me with sugar and wine. So it really has to be gone for me for life.

I am now aware that my eating has been to fill a void caused by childhood emotional neglect. I am working on that and noticed that bad news, stress, conflict has me reaching for comfort in sugar and numbness in wine. So my strategies of not having any of that in the house limits the risk of this being my go to comfort.

So my good habits which I say yes to include:

Yes to a big bag of apples in my car - have 2 at a time to crunch through if I get peckish.

Yes to 16:8 - the boundary gives me the security and containment (eat 11am to 7pm) that I need.

Yes to 10,000 steps walking my dog after school drop off means that I am distracted and enjoying striding across the fields in fresh air not white knuckle riding the hungry hours before 11am.

Yes to bowl of berries, Greek yogurt and oats at 11am.

Yes to protein on toast (beans/eggs/cheese) at 3.

Yes to large cooked from scratch healthy vegetarian family meal with DH and DCs at 7.

Yes to much more water through out the day and fresh mint tea in the evenings.

Yes to no head fug from wine.
Yes to no sugar cravings.

Oh and Yes to meal planning. Spent £36 at the greengrocers yesterday and have 5 meals planned for the week - I don’t care what day they are eaten on: Mushroom risotto, veg curry, chilli con carne, stir-fry, aubergine moussaka.

Japan the meal planning tip that helps me is to roughly have the same couple of options for breakfast and lunch and then you just have to think creatively about one meal a day.

Really interesting thread, thank you OP and posters sharing their success stories and tips.

Vv similar to several PP, I'm 51, 5'2", 12 st, and have done every diet while inexorably gaining. Following a huuuuuge binge fortnight trigggered by 16:8, I've realised that restrictions are a head-wrecker for me. I want to eat good food mindfully, letting my own body guide portions and choices. I do feel much much better with low carb food around twice a day. This insight hasn't translated into any loss - in fact I've gained but I hope if I keep moving in this direction I'll have fewer restriction-busting pigouts and the balance will gradually shift. Will be following for motivation and inspiration!

This is an interesting thread : it is from other MNers who have lost but more importantly maintained their weight loss for years - so this is in reality the “evidence based” life long habits that you need to adopt to maintain - so that’s why I want to start with good habits: I will read through later and list them out:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/weight_loss_chat/2643543-Who-has-kept-the-weight-off-for-good-How-did-you-do-it

I am in the same boat. I’m early 30s but have been dieting since I was about 12.
At my biggest 4 years ago I was 15stone I’m currently 13.1. I really struggle to get and stay below this weight though. Tried all sorts of diets but they all make me feel like a failure then I eat to make myself feel better.
I started ready the eat cake and wear skinny jeans book about hunger directed eating a while ago and a lot of it made sense so I’m going to dig that out again.
Takeaways and big portions are my downfall. The amount of money we spend on takeaways is ridiculous.
I’m going to start exercising mainly for my mental health but I know it will put me in a better mindset not to binge eat. It feels impossible right now that I will ever got of this yo-yo diet cycle but I’m trying to be positive and take it one day at a time. If I could lose a stone I know I’d feel a lot better but 2 would be ideal.

I am OP still here - new name. Half way through week 4 - lost 7lb in week one, then 2lb in each of week two and three - so 11lb so far. Hoping for the stone on my 4th weigh in on Wednesday coming. I am sticking to all my new "for life" habits, no alcohol, 16:8, SW recipes, no crap food in the house, no eating in the car. Bags of apples in the car. I am trying to cut out sugar. I have caved roughly once a week - so think that now I will just allow myself a treat once a week on a Saturday.

Promised that I would go the thru the thread that I linked to and list out all of the habits that allowed people to keep their weight off - as I want to employ these habits now whilst I am loosing so that they are my “normal”. Most people had lost a significant amount of weight and kept it off for many years - I thought it interesting that these people were still lurking on and contributing to the “weight loss chat” thread years after they had finished “dieting”.

Anyway here are their habits that they declared effective for keeping the weight off.

Totally attentive - watch weight v v closely. Weigh everyday - if 3lbs out - do something instantly. Diet never ended just a way of life - you just can’t go back to over eating and slobbing about.
Accept that it is tough and boring at first - but in time it is your new normal and well worth it.
One bad meal doesn’t mean you have to go over a cliff blow out and binge until next diet / Monday.

Busy and active - stops boredom eating.
Walking at least a mile a day.

Drinking water.

Portion sizes.
Lowish carbs. Cut down sugar, bread and pasta.
No processed foods.
Natural foods - soups, stews, salads, veg. Min processed carbs.
Eliminate certain foods - no sweet drinks or juices.
Over the week - If eating out compensate. Ea

Portion sizes:
Eat much less than before - about half!.
Paul McKenna.
Eating window - fasting, stopped snacking.
Eating same thing at the same time every day of the week.

Make better choices - doesn’t have to be perfect.
Mindful eating.
Paleo.
Treat yourself - glass of wine each night - cake once a week.
Fasting 5:2 or one day a week.
MFP.
Build on opportunities to walk.
Stay in calorie zone for height/age/weight/activity TDEE?

Realise that bad food (sugar / processed carbs) raise insulin and cause cravings.

Eat Veg, protein and fat for satiety.

I'm so glad you're still here and doing so well OP, well done!

I've been thinking about this thread and hoping it would restart. I've gained inexorably including another 2lb since my last post. I'm in freefall, knowing diets fry my brain and make me build up to a binge, but not able to attach to a healthy way of eating that is mindful rather than a plan. I'm hoping this thread carries on for prompts and motivation!

Onemore someone on the maintained for years thread said that when they go off piste - they now don’t let it sabotage for the whole week until the next Monday or the next diet. They just accept that they had a binge for an afternoon and get back on it.

I do think that packing away healthy filling food means you are not allowing yourself to get physically manically hungry which is where the risk is of binging on shit. For me the 16:8 is really helping - I don’t eat any less in that window but it means I am full in the evenings - which is my risk time - and I am used to holding off in the mornings now. Also not drinking has been critical for me - as that’s again adding in risk as my will power evaporates and the sugar rush makes me crave choc and crisps. I could probably do well over 1000 calories with wine, choc and crisps in an evening after my dinner!! It’s 5 weeks since I last had a glass of wine and I noticed this afternoon how amazing my skin was - and I don’t do any routines - don’t even moisturise!

I am trying to do lots of new habits - some are taking a lot longer to embed than others - need to look at exercise again......

Innishh I'm doing 16:8 about 5-6 days a week, which I find fairly easy - 1 or 2 days I might do more like 12:12 if I eat breakfast for some family or work reason. I agree that I don't feel inclined to eat junk if I have good healthy filling food in that time, and like you feel best eating lowish carb.

Trouble is I'm still gaining! I obviously need to reduce calories/portion sizes/food choice - and would really like to tune in enough to eat what I actually need, and no more. I'm very compulsive around food after decades of scarcity thinking and restriction, and miles out of touch with myself about what I actually want in the moment. The experiences upthread made me feel very hopeful about the success of more mindful eating. Interesting that so many of the successful habits you noted from the other thread are more formulaic. Maybe my inner pig will always need more discipline than I hope!

Onemore that’s why I am following SW with adaptations (smaller portions/lower carb/16:8) as it is v painful and demotivating to “wing it” which is still major effort and to stay the same or gain.

I am also absolutely writing everything I eat down - which I have never done before. This is also much easier to do on 16:8 as only have to list out 2-3 meals - rather than having to look back and remember the contents of my mindless grazing over 18hrs!

I know when I have done SW before there was v little “wriggle room” as it didn’t take many tiny incidents of going off piste in the week for it to fail.

I am also adapting as I go along. I didn’t start off on 16:8 and had decided to go cold turkey on sugar (I did for 14 days) - which got rid of the physical cravings - but I caved (cravings didn’t come back) - so I decided to do once a week treat - only on a Saturday - of cake or choc.....that’s what the maintainers do.

Just keep fine tuning the volume and quality of food until it works for you. Personally I haven’t the discipline to do this on my own that’s why I need the SW framework.

Just weighed in ! 4lb down in a week! Hit 1st in the month - beyond ecstatic. It’s all about the carbs! Though I have cut down slowly (and I am fasting 16:8) - wine (totally teetotal) first for a couple of weeks. Then choc/sweets for a couple of weeks. And last week reducing my portions of rice pots bread and pasta - that has actually been easy as before that I had upped my veg and protein - so they are not missed.......I am roughly following SW just so that I can go somewhere to face the music each week - and their recipes suit me. But I might adapt to LCHF - use my syns for oils / avocados and nuts / seeds for healthy extra instead of bread.

Innish - that’s great! You will be able to use your weight loss as an incentive. I lost a stone on SW and I’ve kept it off for 10 months now. Like you I also needed SW for the additional support. I now go once a month to just weigh in, to keep my membership going.

I have a paper diary and in the back I write my weight every day. This is my incentive now, as I know that I could put all the weight on in a couple of weeks and couldn’t face trying to lose it again. I try to listen to my body and not deny myself, otherwise that can lead to binges. I’ve been really peckish this afternoon, and been in the house. So I’ve just eaten some rice cakes, some fruit, yoghurt and a massive bowl of soup. I won’t have any dinner now, and will just have a small snack and cup of tea later this evening.

I’m so used to eating healthier food that it has become normal for me. Went out to eat this week, and I chose fish, potatoes and salad with the dressning on the side so I just added a little. I really enjoyed it and don’t miss unhealthy food at all now, as I really appreciate my food more.