Why is lock down weight literally impossible for me to loose?

[pingpongpolly]

I've always been about a size 10/12 put on a few pounds, caught myself on and lost it fairly easily without too much stress. Roll on 2022 and I've put on 3 stone gone up to a size 14 (tight) and I can't stop binge eating/ grazing and I just don't know what the hell is wrong with me. I keep saying every day that "this is it, today's the day" but then I fall off the wagon after a few days. I'm 39 in a few mths and I don't want to put on any more weight ( that's more my worry rather than being a size 14)

Am I alone here? I get so annoyed with myself when I see woman looking gorgeous in summer clothes and I have turned into an enormous big frump!

You just need to get in the mindset, and take action. I’m doing it at 52. Had got ginormously fat through lockdown and gynae issues.

One day I just started proper calorie counting, and it’s working! You can do it

What sort of changes are you trying to make? Are you going too strict and it’s unachievable or setting a five times a week gym goal? You’re best making long term healthy changes that will mean slower but more sustainable loss.

In all fairness, it's not literally impossible - you said yourself you keep grazing and snacking, so there's a clue there

I was the same as you - 10-12, put on the weight and then decided I'd had enough of buying new clothes to accommodate my ever increasing weight. Have you tried any weight loss plans (I used Slimming World and followed it properly which worked for me, although I know some people don't like it)? Changed the way you buy and cook food? Stopped buying food that you can snack and graze on so the temptation isn't there? The first month is bloody hard, but then you do get used to it as your body starts to adjust. You've really got to want to do it though, and you will have some days when you slip a bit, but as long as you think of it as a long term thing you'll get there.

I can't stop binge eating/ grazing

Stop telling yourself you can't have something, it makes you want it more.
Eat only at mealtimes and learn to recognize hunger.
Don't buy the stuff you binge on.

@WouldBeGood thanks for replying to me. I'm going to get my head in place and just go for it. Gonna start jotting down what I eat and steering away from sugary treats.

I was trying fasting ( did it a while back and lost but can't seem to stick at it more than a week)

I'm gonna stop the snacking !!!! Healthy meals and more water!

I know once I would loose a few pounds it would spare me on so I just need to get to that point!!!!

Thanks for all your advice girls xx

Fasting doesn’t fit with how I like to eat either. I focus on having three healthy meals with two healthy/small snacks and staying active. That works well for me. It might be worth having a week or two of measuring all your portions to make sure they haven’t accidentally expanded. I always weigh carbs because I can’t judge a pasta (etc) portion by eye!

Really good luck to you.

Of course it's impossible when you're over eating. Have you tried logging calories via MFP? or at the very least upping your lean protein and cutting down on processed food?

This was me, lockdown weight that wouldn't drop.

I decided to do one thing. Just one and stick to it.

Personally I dropped refined sugar. Completely. This has worked well and I have snacks handy for when I need something, but they're sugar free.

And then I added 16:8, so most days I don't eat 8pm-noon. It's only skipping breakfast, and most days it's fine. On the days when it's not, I don't stress about it, it doesn't ruin my day.

If something is too extreme I won't stick to it. So I've gone for a moderate approach and focused on being healthier rather than 'dieting'.

I've been losing weight slowly and steadily. Once it starts to come off the motivation really increases.

@ProseccoStorm me too I have reduced processed carbs (only occasional noodles/rice at home and very occasional bread if I'm eating out) as they are what turn me into a bottomless pit and want more and more.
Also massively cut down on sugar - 20g dark chocolate max a day instead of chocolate bar at lunch and then a choc mousse pot for dinner. my bloody sugar is a lot more stable and i feel loads better.

*blood sugar not bloody sugar!

I eat everything, no fads, nothing off limits, just a good amount of protein and count the calories.

It’s easy now and I always feel full. Slow and steady is the way to go. Good luck!

I think the answer is to take all that you know about you and dieting and work out what works for you.
For me (and I am on the journey), I know that I carb binge. That is my total downfall. I am doing 16/8, cos that makes sense, giving your body 16 hours per 24 to digest/speed up. 4 days a week I am doing 800 cals, cos I know that works for me. On those days I have lunch at 12.30 and dinner at six. Other days I have 3 meals, no more than 1400 cals.
I have 3 stone left to lose but am really on it.
Have a think about what really works for you/your body.

I'm doing Slimming World at the moment - it's good because there's always something you can eat, there's no point in the day where it tells you you can't have anything else until tomorrow.

I am an online member so don't go to group. I get plenty of resources, but I'm almost certain you'd be able to find the diet sheets online if you didn't want to actually join.

OP, I hear you! Gained about stone over the sedentary/bored period of the pandemic. I know I'm in the general habit of eating more but I was never a dieter or overly healthy before, so it's been hard to identify where the key changes need to be made! I think it's bigger portions, and eating for the sake of it. Really want to sort before it becomes my new "norm". Good luck!

I had to do this.

Stopping the snacking and keeping portion size under control was key for me. And seeing healthy eating as a positive investment in myself, rather than a punitive regime.

It took a week to break the sugary / carby snack habit. I just didn’t buy stuff. And made sure I had healthy things available for my ‘agreed’ afternoon snack (cherry toms, carrot salad, an oat biscuit with a calorie counted under 30g piece of cheese, for example).

Cut down on alcohol a lot.

Ate normal dinners but upped the veg a lot and observed portion control on carbs. You lose perspective when sitting down to eat with teen boys!

You do have to enter the mindset though.

I found 1lb a week loss was achievable without hardship, effective, and sustainable.

I'm using the Nutracheck calorie counting app, it's fab! It's made me really aware of just how many calories I was consuming when I was snacking and grazing.

There are some really amazing healthy cookbooks out there too, my favourites and two chubby cubs, slimming eats and the slimming foodie. Pinch of nom are ok too. For us it's great, we cook and eat tasty food with normal ingredients, nothing is off limits. We use coconut milk, honey, full fat yoghurt in recipes so it's reframed my thinking of certain foods as bad and off limits. At my best I'd lost nearly 5.5 stone. I've put a bit back on but am now back on it. Our snacking and drinking has dramatically reduced and we have better portion sizes but the food is just really tasty and satisfying

All absolutely fabulous tips ladies thanks for taking the time to help.

I'm gonna stop all the sugar snacks and allow myself a small treat at weekends so for example a small dairy milk on sat compared to the 1 (or more 🙈) I was eating plus crisps and biscuits in between ! Now that I am writing this I realise how bad my eating had got.

I'm not really bothered about eating breakfast but I do take milk in my coffee so I'm not fasting as such my I'm not consuming as many calories. I also think 'breakfast food' can be so unhealthy unless it fruit, eggs etc.

I will dig out my size 10 Jeans and they will fit me by end of July 😜