I just can't diet

[miamiamia869]

Just a general chat/ motivation really. I have been desperate to loose some fat for years now. I had a baby in November but I was 2lb heaver the day after having him then I was pre pregnancy so can not blame that.

I am about a stone or just over heavier then what's healthy for me. I am 5'3

I eat huge amounts and so many sweet treats. I have a massive sweet tooth. I am not over weight on the BMI calculator but have alot of excess fat and high percetage body fat. I m natrually petite framed but carrying alot of fat.

I just can't diet I try and try. I get so hungry and can't stick to it. I have never tried a fad diet just Try to cut out the junk. I have zero consistency. I try to run too and the same so inconsistent.

How do ppl stick to w3ight loss diets and regimes. It really gets me down.

Just willpower really.

Yes, willpower, but also, up your protein and fibre, cut out snacks and as much sugar as possible.

It can be done, but it's not a diet, it's changing your habits around food that will keep it off.

Sugar is a huge disrupter - it throws off your metabolism, your hunger signals and deadens your tastebuds.

It took me years and several false starts to kick sugar out of my diet but it makes a massive difference when you do. It’s so much easier to eat healthily because things like brown bread and greens taste nice, and veg like carrots and peppers seem really sweet. As a chocoholic you couldn’t have convinced me that a strawberry was sweet, never mind a pepper.

I started out by giving up chocolate. And I used a Tony Robbins trick of keeping a bar of chocolate around so I could have it if I wanted. Deprivation makes our brains desperate - so picking up the bar and having a good sniff, and then making a calm decision whether to eat it or not, was actually more successful than just trying to avoid it. I ate more when I was giving up chocolate, because being hungry made the cravings worse. It took 4 weeks for the cravings to go and after that I started eliminating processed sugar which wasn’t as hard, and it took 3-4 weeks to stop craving sugar.

But once I got there it all got so much simpler. And a whole load of weird and wonderful niggles disappeared. My breath is better, I don’t get little spots in my hairline, I barely ever get headaches now, I don’t get skin crawl sensations, mouth ulcers, fewer cold scores, my energy is more even.

And it’s really hard to keep weight on without sugary food. The thing is that I don’t want it now, so it’s not about deprivation or willpower. It’s just lifestyle. The cravings were rough, and that’s reason enough for me to decline dessert because I don’t want to have to push through that again.

For one thing you have a great starting point as despite having a baby you have maintained a healthy BMI. Your starting point is where a lot of people dream to get to so you can afford to take your time and tweak your diet and lifestyle and build change over time.

You have said you don't diet but just cut out treats. Whether that is a good thing depends on what your diet is like.

You obviously want to lose fat but you will ideally build muscle so that you are toned and burn calories efficiently- otherwise (if you burn fat and muscle) you will put weight on more and more easily if your calories increase and reduced muscle will affect your strength as you age.

Instead of just cutting treats think about having protein with each meal and varied and delicious sources of nutrients e.g. eggs on toast for breakfast rather than only toast. Getting your 5 a day or more.

Your running is great for cardiovascular health but strength training is what will help to maintain and build muscle. That could be at home with weights and videos on YouTube for example or a cheap gym membership.

Strength training that will help you to achieve some body recomposition so for example it might be that your weight remains broadly the same but your jeans get looser as your body fat reduces and muscle mass increases. (Muscle is more dense than fat 1lb of muscle is smaller than 1lb of fat)

Try to enjoy your lifestyle change enjoying what nourishes and strengths your body rather than view it as trying to deprive your body.

Good luck

I find focusing on what I can eat, rather than what I'm wanting to cut out, works best.
I don't tell myself I can't have a chocolate bar. I tell myself I can have it after I've eaten my meal, and I fill my plate with meat and veg. The protein and fibre fill me up so much Im far less bothered about the chocolate.

I aim to eat 5+ portions of fruit and veg a day, and a decent portion of protein in every meal (3 meals a day) When I do that, I naturally eat less junk - there's no room for it.

Potentially I’m lucky in that I enjoy some healthy foods as well as junk so what works for me is ‘crowding out’ the bad stuff by filling up on good stuff. What do you like? Maybe try going to the supermarket and fill your trolley with good stuff. For me that’s fancy yogurts, healthy cereal, fruit (so no toast for breakfast), cooked chicken for salads, cheese to make salads more tasty, salmon, lots of interesting grains, tuna and broccoli to stir fry, ham to go on crackers, nuts, eggs and avocados to have on half a protein bagel etc….If I eat well like that I’m too full to indulge in crap.

Thanks for all the replies. I like alot of healthy foods too and do eat that regularly. It just seems I can't shake the need for big binges of chocolate and sugary foods. I do have very big meals. In fact some are served on serving plates rather than standard dinner plates. I have the same size portions as my 6.4 husband who has an extremely manual job 6 days a week and still want it after. Not just a bar either I'll go through a family bar biscuits ice cream. Tbh I think I'm lucky I'm not bigger than I am. It's creeping up year by year though and know now is the time before ita too late. Aside from weight it will only lead to major health issues down the line.

Thanks for the tips xx

I could have written your post a couple of years ago. I love food, I’m also petite, I like big portions and I love winegums and similar crap (chocolate - not so much). I have never been overweight according to BMI (my highest was 25 at 9 months pregnant) but I am really small with small frame so every extra kilogram immediately shows. My weight slowly started to go up so I decided something had to be done. I went on diet that is basically a change of habits - smaller portions, at least 50% of the plate filled with vegetables, measuring oils and fats with a spoon. I still eat candy but in moderation, I find that if I eat well 80% of the time it’s enough to feel good and healthy and the occasional crap doesn’t make a difference.

I have always been sporty but as we age exercise becomes even more important. I am not a complete convert to strength training, I believe variety is key: ideally you want to be strong, flexible and maintain good cardiovascular health so a combination of everything or a functional sport like karate works best. The secret to exercising regularly is addiction - exercise is addictive - you get a huge endorphin rush after a strenuous workout and this feeling is very addictive and keeps your mood up. If you spend enough time exercising your proprioception also vastly improves and the awareness of your body in space is another thing that keeps you going because it feels great.

Chiming in about the sugar - some people can go down to 2 squares of chocolate a day to get their fix, some of us need to go cold turkey - first few weeks can be rough but once you are through you will see a difference. Oh and lots and lots of water helped me stay off the sugar too!

Forget about the diet. You're not overweight.

Re-think your eating.

Cut out things like cereal for breakfast, biscuit mid morning etc. Cut back on obvious carbs like sugar, cake, biscuits, bread, pasta and rice.

Have three meals a day, and don't eat in between. The size of the plate will not be a problem if it is mostly green veg.
Save the chocolate until after your tea, and enjoy it.

You're not overweight which is a good position to be in. You just need to make some changes.

Start my using a dinner plate, not serving plate. Gradually reduce meal sizes, and then set "no treat" days. So say no chocolate on a Tuesday one week, and then a Tuesday and Thursday another week.

I have a huge sweet tooth, so I buy the pots of jelly. They sate the sweet need but are only 7 calories for the pot. Or I have halo ice cream, or a sorbet. Both much lower in calories and work for that sweet fix.

I'm fighting the urge every weekend to eat an entire sharing bag of crisps though, I love wotsits crunchy and frankly the only thing that stops me is pure willpower.

Also, I set myself short term goals. So usually that i will be really diet conscious for 4 weeks and then I book in a cheat day where will will allow myself alcohol and no calorie counting. Sometimes that date comes around and I find I dont want the "cheat" food, but I know for me, I need to have an end in sight or I fall off the wagon

First or all stop thinking of it as a diet would be my recommendation, and instead try to make better choices, a lifestyle change. If you have a sweet tooth, it's hard to just cut sweet things out, but you can start by picking more calorie friendly choices.

If you like ice cream for example, you can get high protein low calorie ice cream where the calories are a fraction, but just as tasty. Aldi do thier own version, halo top.is another brand. Rather than eating a bag or crisps, you could substitute with some rice crackers . There are things like skinny whip bars, alpro soya desserts, jelly, all fairly low calorie but you are still getting you sweet fix.

If you aren't already exercising, try to get more active, better food choices and regialr exercise should lead to a calorie deficit. You don't need a gym, you can try home workouts, Caroline Girvan is brill on YouTube, I am sure there are orhers.

This really is very simple

Do NOT buy it. If it isn’t in the house you can’t eat it. When I want a sugar hit I have a handful of raspberries, some sorbet, a large glass of water and an apple, yoghurt with a drizzle of honey, a highlights hot chocolate with a couple of small marshmallows.

For me another key thing is buying my favourite (small) chocolate bar. I buy a 3 pack and I have to carefully decide when in the week I want to eat them. It makes me really think about whether or not I want it now or to save it for another day.

Dieting is really really hard but if the junk food isn’t physically in the house you can’t eat it.

I feel your pain I am BF and not a single bit is shifting but I know it will when I stop because I have got back into good habits now.

You can do this 💕

My tip would be to identify your danger times and make a plan. When do you want to binge on chocolate? Eg if it's on the sofa in the evening then tackle it by:

• not having chocolate in the house
• having another treat instead (small glass of wine/bath/back rub)
• occupying your hands eg crochet, sudoku.

I’d say you’ve had some good advice here about what to do about the food situation. But can I suggest that you also do some work on your thinking behind food and your relationship with food psychologically? The mind has a huge impact on eating habits. There will be reasons you feel the need to binge or have a sweet treat. It won’t be genuine hunger every time. Is it a reward? Also eating mindfully and learning to pay attention to when you are full and figuring out your bodies signals can be really helpful.

Also, don’t try and change everything in one go. Choose one thing (eg swap 1 sugary drink for water each day) and do that until it becomes a habit and then change another thing.

If running doesn’t work for you, find something that does. Strength training is really good for weight loss as when you build more muscle mass, you naturally burn more calories. Strength training is a really good metabolism boost. Upping protein alongside this is important.

And talk to yourself positively. Congratulate yourself one what you achieve and if you slip up don’t beat yourself up and it doesn’t mean you’ve failed. You just say to yourself that you can try again. Tell yourself you’re in control and that you’ll get there. If you keep telling yourself you can’t and that you’re inconsistent, you will be.

Cutting out sugar and processed sugary foods worked for me. Replacing them with high protein, low fat alternatives or fruit and no snacking.

I also joined a gym and do strength training which helps me think about food in terms of fuel.

I do intermittent fasting which means I miss breakfast and eat within an 8 hour window from 12-8, basically lunch and tea.

I lived on snack foods so this is a big change for me but I’ve lost more than 2 and a half stone and don’t generally feel hungry.