If you constantly fail at losing weight

[lennie6]

Do you want to give it one last go? I constantly start a diet, I am really good for three or four days, then it all goes wrong and I stuff my face and then I give up.

I'm going to give it another go, starting from now really. Anyone want to join me. I'm so fed up with this taking up so much of my mind space.

Thanks @hamstersarse. To be honest I am pretty good at cooking from scratch and I don't really use packets and jars It is the sweet food that I have a massive problem with and I buy bars and bars of chocolate and biscuits. I'm going to replace with fruit and Greek yogurt.

Yes - always fail miserably but since lockdown have managed to lost a stone and a half - obvs am really pleased with that but quite frankly l was way too heavy to start with so now at 5"1 and 11 stone 11lbs l am still too heavy but can't seem to shift any more. Am concentrating on just not putting any more on for now. Honestly think it will be something l have to deal with for the rest of my life. Unlike my sister who is horrified if the scales go up to (up to!!!) 8 stone. Ffs.

@Fishfingersandwichplease my sister is exactly the same, she is too thin. When ever I see her I look like a hippo compared to her. She hardly eats anything. Looks fabulous mind!

OP, I struggled with the on/off diet mentality too, and I realised that (ironically) I was gaining weight because of it. I read a book called 'Beyond Chocolate' (misleading title tbh) about intuitive eating and loved it. I find that when I'm listening to my body, eating what I want and eating when I'm hungry (rather than trying to ignore it, which only results in bingeing behaviour) that works better and is a painless habit I can actually sustain (not least because overeating results in me feeling dissatisfied and sometimes a bit sick!). Agree with @picklemewalnuts too - different diets suit different people. Some people get on with fasting (I didn't, sadly). It's a bit like exercise - in order to do it consistently, you need to find exercise you actually enjoy doing and that you're intrinsically motivated to do. Same with weight loss. I'm a fan of creating sustainable habits in order to lose weight, rather than losing the weight via stricter means and then struggling to maintain (which was my experience when I did The Harcombe Diet). When I actually tune in to what my body wants, I find it generally wants more water (I had been eating when thirsty for a long time!) and salmon, fruit and vegetables, whole grains etc. I do believe that our bodies know what they want, when they haven't been 'distracted' by the ultra highly processed junk food that messes with our hunger hormones.

At the moment I track my calories and intuitively eat and so far I've noticed that I'm eating fewer calories on average per day compared to when I was doing 5:2 (!!), but it's feeling much easier! I agree with @hamstersarse - definitely eat proper meals and much less processed food; I can mainline Doritos and dip and consume 800 calories that way, and still feel hungry afterwards! These foods are designed to leave you wanting (it's evil, really, when you think about it).

@FrogInAHat23 I'm going to order that book.

I'm not a fan of crisps surprisingly, but like you I can mainline two family bars of chocolate and still feel hungry and want more.

Thank you for posting.

I'm trying to see weight loss as a marathon rather than a sprint at the moment. I started in January and I've lost a stone so far. Was really good until March, then lockdown saw me put half a stone back on. Started again a month ago and lost that half a stone, but motivation and a week off has seen me put some back on again. I really want to be 11 stone by the end of the year (which means a further stone off), I'm 5' 3" so overweight at 12 stone

Intermittent fasting (16:8) is a game changer!

Oh, and also to say: willpower is HIGHLY overrated in my opinion. We have such limited reserves of it. Intrinsic motivation is way more useful for long term change. As a result of actively looking for what I enjoy doing (rather than forcing it), I now do 'proper' exercise 1-2 times per week (in addition to long walks etc) and I'm eating healthier food and fewer calories as a result of discovering intuitive eating. Intuitive eating works for me because I like waiting until I'm a bit hungry before eating (food tastes better!) and I like not overeating (which leads to bloating, sometimes nausea and feeling dissatisfied/hungry). Also knowing I can genuinely eat whatever I want means I don't get hung up on food. I find myself craving more wholesome, satisfying foods on the whole, but I will absolutely have the cake / ice cream / hot chocolate if I want it. It's incredibly liberating (for me), might be worth looking at if you're struggling with traditional calorie restriction (which is the basis of all diets, ultimately).

@lennie6 - Michael Moseley has a tv special next Wednesday on C4 about his Mediterranean diet, you might find it helpful.

@lennie6 - excellent! I really hope it helps x

Thank you @WeKnowFrogsGoShaLaLaLaLa I shall set record for that programme. Thank you.

Diets don’t work. Of course you will fail if you eat tiny portions and cut everything out. You’re doing pretty well to last 3 or 4 days, most would ditch it after a day.

The only thing that will work long term is if you change your lifestyle. It won’t be quick and it won’t be easy all the time but hopefully it will be worth it. You need to eat enough calories to get a moderate deficit so that you lose weight gradually. Go online, find a TDEE calculator and work out how much you expend every day. Don’t be tempted to drop the calories too low and it should never be below your BMR or basic metabolic rate. If you are 30 years old (it will vary a little if you’re older or younger), your BMR is 1467 a day. That means you need to eat more than this and if you consistently eat lower, you’re unlikely to stick to it and you could damage your metabolism and make weight loss harder in the future.

You should also accompany this with activity. No, exercise alone won’t make you lose weight but if you’re an active person you can eat a bit more as your daily calorie burn is higher.

As for the types of food, eating enough protein can help you stave off hunger. I don’t eat low carb but have reduced them a little bit so that I eat between 100 and 150 g carbs a day. That’s not a low carb diet but it does mean that I don’t overload my body with sugars. I also try to eat at least 100 G protein and that really helps with the hunger as I don’t feel hungry (and if I do, I will eat a little bit more). Good things with protein are Greek yoghurt (the fage 2% one has 10 G protein per 100 g), eggs in any form, lean meats, red lentil pasta as a substitute for normal pasta, fish, prawns and tofu. I also have a smoothie with unsweetened whey protein powder just to boost my intake a bit. I also try to avoid too many processed foods but I don’t beat myself up about having a few treats like ice cream or chocolate.

Also, remember it takes time to see results. You won’t lose a stone by September but by Christmas you could be 2 stone down if you stay consistent.

I'm in! Hoping to get out of horrible habits.

Morning @winterisstillcoming we can do this together. One bad habit at a time!

Me!! Please!!
I dieted successfully after Christmas and I was my ideal weight for a few short, sweet weeks. Being slim was amazing, not constantly trying to cover my belly or worrying what to wear.

However, since lockdown I’ve nearly put it all back on. I’ve been ‘starting tomorrow’ (ie stuffing my face in readiness for The Great Hunger) for weeks now. Resulting in even more weight gain.

I’ve started again (again) this morning. I’m starving. But I’m going to do it. I don’t want to be fat again!!!!

So far I’ve had:

2 weetabix and a cup of tea
Apple
Soup and a whole meal roll.

Tuna and veg pasta for tea and a fab for pudding.

I do calorie counting and only fruit and veg for snacks. I can’t do complicated diets.

Please stick with it with me 🤞😂

Hi @FancyARoot I'm so glad that you are joining me. I really have got to do this. Being fat is really starting to effect me and I'm so sad about it. Silly really as I can do something about it. Anyway, I'm feeling more positive now, this morning I felt so fed up.

Today is day one!

Honestly I know people say to just be happy whatever size etc, but personally feeling fat makes me sad, feeling slim makes me happy because it gives me more confidence.
I’m not sure what that says about me, but that’s how I feel!

@FancyARoot I'm with you. I wish I could just be happy fat but I'm not. I just can't accept it. I wish that I could.

Plus, when I’m slim I genuinely do feel better, more energised and just healthier. I think because on 1400 calories a day you can’t really afford junk, so the bulk of it just ends up being fruit, veg and proteins.

I really am doing it this time!

I think my mistake last time was that once I’d lost the weight, I kept on the mega strict calorie plan and it was just unsustainable. But this time, once I’ve lost the weight I’m going to up to 1600 with fruit and veg not counted.

Did I mention I’m going to do this!!??

@FancyARoot I'm going to do it this time too!

I'm in too! I've gradually gained a lot of weight, it's sneaked up on me and I now have a hefty 3.5 stone to lose. I estimated yesterday that I had around 2 stone to lose so I got such a shock when I actually realised what I weighed. I'm trying to do some significant exercise 4-5 times a week and keep the calories around 1400. I'm actually fairly fit but I thought that I could burn 300 calories in the gym, eat 1000 cals in junk and get away with it...

Help @Cherryblossomandcornflakes thank you for joining me. I had quite a shock this morning when I weighed in at 11st 12. In my head I thought I would be around 10.5 stone. I need to lose at least 2.5 stone. I'm not very tall which really doesn't help. I look so fat.

I've been for two long walks today with the dog. I'm also trying to achieve 10,000 steps per day which I have managed today. I just need to stop scoffing copious amounts of chocolate and biscuits every day. I am so addicted.

@Cherryblossomandcornflakes that should have said hello not help! Although help is also appropriate

I’ve just had a small piece of birthday cake. It was offered me and I couldn’t politely refuse so I just had the smallest bit possible.
Usually, that would be me going ‘fuck it I’ll start tomorrow’ as I’ll be over 1400 now, but I will NOT do that!! Cup of tea later and nothing else!

@FancyARoot well done, I too have the fuck it mentality, but that was the old me 😇