I cried this morning, could I have some help, please?

[Lheuredubebe]

I've spent the morning crying, so would really like a little bit of help, please!

Over the past few months, I've gained a little bit of weight, not loads (I don't weigh myself so can't give numbers) but enough that my jeans don't fit and I don't feel good in my body. I'd like to change this.

I'm 27, have pretty severe bloating (am getting blood tests in the new year), and am mostly sedentary. I've suffered from disordered eating in the past so don't want to do anything extreme, but would love to feel a bit better within the next month.

For slightly more context, for a while, I've been worried about focusing on weight loss due to the previous disordered eating, but I think it's time that I just become a bit healthier rather than ignoring the elephant in the room.

So far the only things I've got on my list (so that it's not overwhelming) is:

• Drink more water
• Drink more ginger and lemon tea (helps with bloating)
• Eat an Activia yoghurt in the morning and evening
• Eat a bit more fruit and veg
• Walk on the treadmill for 40 mins (the length of a Grey's Anatomy episode :)) whenever I can fit it in during the week, without stressing about it

Is there anything else that I can add? What are some daily things you do to just be a bit healthier and see a little bit of weight loss?

Oh, I should add that my partner and I are starting TTC in January so would like to gain some good habits I can keep up long term.

I think your list is great and very achievable. I feel the same to be honest but I won't/don't lose weight (in fact it is still creeping up) because on top of my normal food I overeat snacks (junk) and I also overeat portions. I'll have normal size portion but then I'll pick at leftovers so I have probably eaten double. It helps to not buy junk in the first place, obvious but true, and making small changes like having one biscuit instead of two, or opening the fridge to pick and then literally forcing myself to shut it and walk away.

I hardly snack in the day but the evenings I can snack non-stop. I should just go to bed earlier because as soon as I'm upstairs and getting ready for bed I don't feel like snacking at all, whereas I associate evenings downstairs with something nice (ie unhealthy snacks) to eat, right up til bedtime. It might help to identify a clear achievable goal, then the times and types of food that contribute to not achieving that goal and try to work out a plan to come up with healthy alternatives.

Having healthy snacks in also helps, tastebuds adapt and get used to fruit or whatever as a snack instead of processed foods. Helped by not having alternative junk snacks in the house. Looking forward to hearing what other people do!

@Pinkittens It's difficult, isn't it? I've just about beaten the habit of finishing everything on my plate, thankfully, but that was a difficult one. The snacking issue is also being solved now, but that's only because the bloating is so uncomfortable that I can't bring myself to suffer even more.

One thing I've found that does help, is to cut up veggies and leave them in the fridge (in some water, they last longer) as I do enjoy them, I can just never be bothered to "prepare" them when an easier snack is right next to them.

I've also stopped restricting any type of food, it's what started off my disordered eating. If I want a cookie, I'm having a cookie and just being a bit more sensible with my vegetables at the next meal.

I think it's really sensible to avoid cutting out food groups. Restriction leadings to binging.

I lost 5 stone about 8 years ago and have kept it off. One thing I do is have my evening meal fairly early (as it fits in with family life) and then not eat after that. It's cut out any craving for snacks in the evening.

You sound sensible and I’m sorry you are feeling down. The only additional idea I would offer is being as brisk as you can when you walk on the treadmill. I’ve noticed down the years that when I have felt brisk/vigorous in exercise during the day, it acts as a natural corrective on my appetite - in terms of what I want to eat and how much I want to eat. It seems to trigger a virtuous circle - and makes me feel good too. All the very best with TTC!

I find that I'm ravenous in the evening if I eat too early, as I only go to bed around midnight. I live in France so we eat dinner at 8pmish and that seems to work quite well for cravings after dinner, overall.

Yes, I agree! I always start off slow and then get to a speed where I'm out of breath and could only just hold a conversation, I've read that's the best speed to not overdo it. It's also the perfect speed to still hear Grey's Anatomy, hahah.

YOu could also try putting a gradient on the treadmill as that will make you work harder...

There's a friendly thread on here for people wanting to get healthier - offers a bit of accountability but weight itself is very rarely mentioned so it might be good for you?
www.mumsnet.com/talk/exercise/4660592-if-youve-lost-your-exerciserunning-mojo-come-on-in-for-a-christmas-countdown?page=3&reply=122137288

Use a smaller dinner plate. I wear reading glasses and when they are on, they make everything look around 20% bigger so I sometimes wear them while I am eating and don't notice that I am eating a smaller portion.

If you are cooking pasta or rice, replace 25% of the pasta with a bulky vegetable like broccoli, cabbage etc. Over the last couple of years we've both cut down the number of potatoes we would usually eat with a meal by 50%.

If you use sugar in tea or coffee, gradually cut it down until you can drink it without sugar. If you drink 6 cups a day, that's a lot of sugar.

If you work at a computer or laptop or watch films and TV on a laptop try raising your screen and standing up to watch.

Choose oranges over apples. Today's apples have a higher sugar content than they used to have.

I eat at least one stick of celery every day. High in potassium and quite bulky.

I keep protein snacks available at all times- hard boiled eggs, and cold cooked meat as well as veg, fruit.

Also, while I'm preparing a meal I snack on the veg. So when I sit down to eat I'll already have had a carrot, a chunk of broccoli etc.

Most veg can be eaten raw- sweet potato, beetroot... not potato !

I've got somewhat of a gradient on the treadmill, but it's about 15 years old now so it's not great anyway - can't afford a new one at the mo. Thanks for the other thread londonmummy1966 , it looks good.

Great tips Fremdschämen, I do most of them (somewhat) but should really use a smaller dinner plate. I get so hungry that I pile it full of food, then can't finish it but will unconsciously do so unless I stop myself. I'd love a standing desk but they're so expensive!

picklemewalnuts I used to eat about 5 boiled eggs a day at some point and now I've gone completely off them. I should really get some chicken strips or something, I'm rubbish with keeping up my protein intake. I'm getting better at nibbling on veg, though, so that's a bonus.

I'm using one of these for my laptop, when standing:

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09LQSMRH8/ref=redir_mobile_desktop

but I am very short and you might need something taller (or improvise with a stack of books).

I’ve been focusing on eating better for the last month or so, calorie counting to help me keep an eye on potion size, but not weighing myself or else I get obsessed with the numbers.

I tend to get into routines (ruts!) with meals such as workday breakfasts and lunches, and have switched these to something more nutritious.
For example, breakfast previously would be something toasted, now it’s weetabix.

Lunches were usually sandwich/crisps/banana, which were gone quickly and I didn’t feel satisfied from, so often bought chocolate too. Instead, I bought a food flask and take either leftovers or soup, with some fruit. It takes longer to eat, and feels more satisfying as it’s hot. At home, I might have egg on toast, or roasted sweet potato with something to dip it in.

The other thing is identifying and acknowledging my weak spots! My real downfall food is crisps of any kind; I can cope with having multipacks in the house as I have to make a conscious decision to go to the kitchen for a second packet, but I can’t buy sharing bags as I just demolish them in one go.

The other thing is evening snacking, which was so automatic and usually chocolate. I’m trying to make conscious decision about whether I ACTUALLY want something, or if I’m just feeling ‘snacky’. If it’s the latter, I try and have something better than a chocolate bar, such as apple slices with peanut butter.

I’m also keeping a note on my phone of positive changes I’m noticing, not so much about body shape changes, more about feeling more satisfied, better digestion, knees not creaking quite so much!

I'd add homemade soup to your list as it's quite easy to just throw some veg in a pot and boil. It gives you water which can be easy to forget.