I think I have an issue with food, HELP?!

[Jane11113]

Hello all,

I've always battled with my weight and been a yo-yo dieter, I think my issues with food go back to my childhood, but I always managed to find a balance and be okay with who I was and how i looked (I used to be about a size 12 - 5ft 4; 12 stone). But since having my daughter I've become so lazy and I just can't ever see myself reaching my end goal (I have about 3.5 stone to lose I'm now a size 18 and weigh 15.7 stone).

Every diet I begin I end up quitting because I just can't stick to them. I've pretty much tried them all, it's not them that's the problem it's me! There's a couple of exercises that I do enjoy (les mills), but with how much weight I've gained I just can't find any motivation to get up and go.

Is there anything I can do? Any tips? Advice?

This may sound extreme but I'm sort of losing it mentally now as I just don't feel myself at all. I'm so sad and unhappy with myself because I can't see myself ever reaching the end goal, so I just give up with all diets and exercise and end up to square one.

I'm looking for help, can anyone offer any advice? I would really appreciate it and any nice encouraging words xxx

OP, I feel you! My advice is to work out a sustainable eating and exercise plan that you know that you can follow for a long time. Exercise can be walking and the more you do the more you can eat. Don’t go super-low on calories as it’s not sustainable and you will fall off the wagon. At your weight you can probably go up to 1750 to begin with if you also exercise. Don’t cut food groups as the chances are you won’t stick to it long term.

Then, once you have done this, put thoughts of weight loss out of your mind. Your focus should just be on consistency and sticking to your eating and exercise plan. No cheat days or even cheat meals but since you’re not eating ‘diet food’, you shouldn’t need to do this. I suggest not weighing yourself either for the first few weeks to avoid disappointment. If you start off by thinking it will take forever you will give up whereas by eating to your plan is just part of your new healthy lifestyle.

After 4 weeks or so, weigh yourself. I left it 5 weeks and had lost 4.6 kg or 10 lbs. that cheered me up. I then vowed to do it for another 5 weeks, then repeat.

In terms of my own journey, I felt like you 3 months ago. I was 14 st 7 and felt horrible and so despondent about needing to lose so much. Thank Christ I still gave it a go! I am 12 st 12 now, so 23 lb down. It’s over halfway to my goal and I feel so much better. My PMT has all but gone when I used to spend the week before my period depressed and anxious every month. My stomach doesn’t get in the way when I tie my shoes. I am so much fitter and stronger. If I hadn’t started when I did, the time would still have passed but I’d still be fat. Think about it -in 6 months you will still feel depressed if you do nothing but if you start now, you could be 13 stone by then which even if not at ultimate goal is still loads better than now.

It gets so much easier once you start too! I promise. I was a serial binge eater but haven’t binged for 12 weeks (which has NEVER happened EVER in my life). Once you’ve done 5 weeks, you know you can do another 5 and so on.

I have found that if I am not 100% committed to doing it. I just stop and start and stop and start and it just makes my situation and my mental health first. When I am 100% focused I can do this without cheating.

I also find that the when I start to loose weight and see the numbers actually loosing it is easier to keep going.

I have yet to figure out how to keep the weight off when I get my goal weight. ( done this too many times )

I keep a photo of myself when I was really skinny on the cupboard wall next to the chart I made to tick off the weight as it goes down.