How to stick to healthiness!!

[TiredAndFlabby]

I am struggling to stick to anything!! How do people do it?! I get bursts of motivation for the day and then come evening or the next day it's gone.
I think tiredness doesn't help. I have a 2 year old and work lates three times a week. I run off about 6 hours sleep usually which isn't enough for me.
I'm not slim, but I'm not fat. I'm just flabby at 5'10 and 13 stone. I am going on holiday in June and want to feel comfortable with myself so I don't recoil everytime I see a camera. It just feels so tough to stick to anything I'd say my problem is the eating more than anything. Is anyone in the same boat?! Great ideas but when it comes to actioning them I fail at the first hurdle. Every week I say 'it's a new week, I'll be healthy from now'

I think you have to stop thinking of things as healthy or not healthy, or that you are on the healthy wagon or off it and try to get a healthy balance overall.

Rather than try and say "I'll be healthy" actually track what you are eating on something like Nutracheck and make sure that it is actually a healthy nutritional balance and that you are eating enough green veg and fibre etc. Allow yourself the foods you really love and build the rest of your diet around that. Don't do anything extreme, think slow, long term and sustainable. It doesn't matter if you have a bad day or a bad week. Soon you start to realise that the new healthy norm feels better, and even when it does, we sometimes need time off from it to get that perspective back.

Prioritise sleep as much as you can and have your own bedtime routine. You won't be able to achieve or sustain weight loss without sorting this out.

Also with a two year old and working it's so emotionally draining, honestly don't try to do too much or just think you can pick up where you left off before having children. Just focus on your diet and trying to fit physical activity into your day. Then maybe try and do one class a week, something for you which you really enjoy rather than something masochistic. I would recommend something like restorative yoga, don't worry about the calorie burn. In fact, if you are tired and stressed, any full-on exercise will elevate your cortisol and just make you more stressed, tired and unwell.

Try remembering that all the effort you make day by day to be healthy makes you less likely to suffer ill health in the future. Think long term, rather than short term goals. Also agree with PP, no food is good/bad, aim for balance.

Try to eat some vegetables and protein at every meal.

Don't buy UPF and sweet things. If they aren't available you can't eat them.

Work out for 10 minutes a day - alternate...

• Leg lowering, planks, squats and wall sits
• Push-ups and press-ups with dumbbells
• Yoga with Kassandra

(Can be done while watching TV...)

And prioritise fibre more than protein, which is mostly nonsense and just the latest health buzz word, as "low fat" used to be.

Mostly the only people who need to watch their protein intake are those doing a lot of weight training or vegans. A lot of people could do with eating less protein, particularly in the form of ham, bacon, sausages, mince, salami, cheese, etc, and crappy ultra processed protein supplements.

It's unlikely that the OP grew to 5'10" and 13 stone from a lack of protein.

It's unlikely that the OP grew to 5'10" and 13 stone from a lack of protein.

Well, no, but protein is very filling, and if she eats some with lots of vegetables at every meal she'll feel less hungry, thus less likely to eat crap/UPF/sugary stuff.

Eggs, chicken, salmon, tuna, tofu, full-fat Greek yoghurt, lentils, beans of various kinds - easy and tasty.

Thank you everybody, there's some really helpful advice there and it seems a perspective change is in order. I've filled out nutracheck today as suggested and I can see that I have 967 calories left for dinner. I'm not sure what's a lot and what isn't and I don't really know what's a good amount of calories for each meal etc. I think I am lacking in knowledge which doesn't help and I couldn't really even name many proteins or healthy fats etc.
Great idea to think long term health benefits too.
I think I eat a lot of carbs and sugar when I'm tired which is the main issue. What's a good food for energy which will fill me up and last? I need some power fuelling foods
I'm sorry for my naivety. I was always blessed with a high metabolism and have always been slim until I had my daughter!

Eggs, chicken, salmon, tuna, tofu, full-fat Greek yoghurt, lentils, beans of various kinds are great sources of protein. Many people find they need fewer calories as they get older, so it's best to make sure the calories one eats are nutritious. I don't have breakfast, so I typically eat variations of the following:

Brunch: 2 egg omelet plus salad, or salad with beans/chickpeas/lentils or leftover salmon/chicken or a can of tuna

Snack: fruit, a handful of nuts, a boiled egg or some yoghurt with berries (frozen is fine)

Dinner: fill 2/3 of your plate with vegetables and/or salad, the rest protein: chicken, fish, tofu etc.

I panfry/braise/roast chicken, fish or tofu in batches and eat them over 2-3 days. I always have boiled eggs in the fridge - they are known as protein bombs.

Maybe do a bit of reading, e.g. The Sugar Solution or Ultraprocessed People. Dr Becky Gillaspy on YouTube has lots of bite sized talks that are interesting and informative.

Lucy Wyndham Read is good if you are unfit or not used to exercise. If you are more energetic, try Growingannanas. If you are serious and willing to work out with dumbbells (highly recommended!!), aim for Caroline Girvan. All free on YouTube.

Joining to get tips as I am exactly the same.

Make one choice at a time, slightly healthier option if you can. E.g. a glass of water when you get up. Or a breakfast with a bit more fibre. It's not all or nothing. Lots of small steps will get you there eventually, and you can't just leap to the summit of Everest

Improving knowledge is a great start, learning about foods that provide different benefits is a good idea. Food is not ‘bad’ but some foods in excess can produce unwanted side effects. I am not afraid of carbs I do eat them and lost weight doing so but I often swap them out for wholemeal versions for the fibre and nutrient benefits.

Sticking at being healthy I think is a mindset that isn’t really about willpower, when people say it’s a lifestyle change it’s true. I don’t want to go back to how I used to live and I now live a new way and that’s what I tell myself.

Listen to podcasts like this at regular intervals: https://zoe.com/learn/podcast-how-to-eat-well-in-2024

I aim for a 90% great diet, with a bit of leeway so that nothing is banned.