Weight loss struggle after DC2 (emotional eating)

[Stardogchampion]

Hi all,

I'm embarrassed about how much I'm struggling to lose weight.

I am in a total weight loss rut. I gained a lot of weight during pregnancy with DC2, and almost two years on, I'm still carrying two extra stone which is really affecting my confidence. I don't feel like me, at all.

To summarise the problems I'm having:

• I've always had a tendency towards emotional eating and in recent years due to life stresses this has escalated into full blown binges (when stressed)
• Sugar addiction - I've tried completely cutting it out, tried "letting myself" have sweets in moderation, but I still can't seem to get this under control
• Hormones - I am still BF, and also find my hormonal mood swings in the run up to my period are worse since having DC2. This often triggers overeating and binges.

The two main methods I've tried for weight loss are calorie counting and moderate low carb (I'm vegetarian). My body seems to respond well to reducing carbs but I struggle to maintain the diet. With calorie counting I struggle to stay within calorie count as just want to eat everything in sight in the run up to my period (low carb helps a bit with this).

I exercise for stress management and am working on this though it is tough as a working mum of two young DC. I am really keen to resolve my issues with food as it just seems to be getting worse and worse, and I'm so tired of spending all day every day thinking about my weight.

Has anyone been in a similar situation and had similar barriers to weight loss then overcome then? Any words of wisdom? I just feel so overwhelmed and honestly sad, like my issues with food and stress are holding me back from being the person I should be :(

Buy yourself some luxury makeup instead. Or perfume, or whatever you enjoy. I gained some weight with my kid, ended up spending a lot of money on luxuries which I absolutely deserved. Makeup is my thing, so I was buying another Chanel lippie or whatever 2-3 times a week 😂

For me the only thing that has worked is intermittent fasting.

I also get ravenous before/during my period, so I allow myself a few days off. Important is to get back on it!

However, you‘d have to check with a doctor if you are breastfeeding.

Do you low carb as well as fasting or just eat more or less normally within your eating window?

Oh I did all this while I was pregnant 🙈 I had a miserable pregnancy so spent loads to cheer myself up! Could use a new lipstick tho... 😄

No low carb. I basically eat lunch and dinner as I did before, and try to make good choices. So pasta with fish and lots of veg, instead of a bowl of pasta covered in cheese.

Cutting out breakfast and the evening snacks puts me in enough of a calorie deficit. And I find it easier to say no to crisps in the evening- no, I‘m fasting instead of no, I‘m trying to be good, oh go on then…

Can you look at this from another angle - can you afford therapy or life coaching to try to address the 'hole in the soul' you are attempting to fill with food??

In my experience, once food has tipped into the emotional bracket it's very hard to diet as all attempts at restricting eventually lead to bigger and worse binges and the weight just keeps piling on.

Hey!

I am on a weight loss mission also, I am 3.5 weeks postpartum with DS2 and I feel absolutely disgusting - I am mortified with how I look although I know I need to give myself some grace.

I am also breastfeeding so trying to just eat sensibly at the moment but refrain from binging while I build up a supply. I feel like I don't recognise myself and am almost itching to get to the 6 week mark so I can start properly calorie counting!

I also have a sugar addiction and eat emotionally but I am so fed up with letting food rule me, and now seeing where it has got me now that my baby belly has gone and it's just all my sins staring back at me has got me feeling pretty rubbish!

We can do this, I'm really hoping to maintain a sensible but consistent loss.