I hit the tipping point today - snacks are now off the menu.

[londonagent]

I’ve been very slowly but surely putting on weight in the last few years - a combination of being more sedentary due to injury and wfh full time, peri menopause and more recently, stopping smoking. In the last month or so I’ve got noticeably bigger and today I was properly conscious of my size and almost shocked myself at the extra rolls I’ve gained. And then I realised I managed to quit smoking cold turkey a couple of months ago so do have willpower after all and just need to treat the over eating & snacking the same - just stop dead. No ‘healthy snacks’, no fruit, no ‘just 1 biscuit’ no fat free this or protein rich that - just no. Once I start I can’t stop so however healthy it starts, it always ends with carb loaded shite and I need to stop.

And so tomorrow I stop. I’ll be posting for accountability and if anyone wants to join the ride, hop on board for the morning train. 3 meals a day & that’s it.

It's refreshing to see someone say that they recognise their own strength!

Yes, if you can quit smoking, you can do whatever you set your mind to!

Congratulations on stopping smoking!

I’d recommend getting Smart scales to monitor your data so you can adjust your diet accordingly. I got Renpho ones from Argos and they were about £25. I was really surprised at my BMR (the basal metabolic rate - the amount of calories I need to function before exertion) mine is less than 1350. so if I ate the ‘recommended daily calorie intake for women’ on a day where I was sedentary I would definitely gain weight...it was a real eye opener. You might also want to use a TDEE calculator to achieve a similar daily intake. To lose a pound of fat in a week you need to create a deficit of 3500 calories over a week which is actually harder than you think…especially if you are not able to exercise. If you are about to hit menopause you definitely should start your focus on maintaining muscle mass so consider that as you move forward.

I use ChatGPT to create a protein rich meal plan/shopping list which is low carb and that works for me - you give it a budget, tell it where you usually shop, give it a calorie limit/protein target (1g of protein per kg of body mass is my target) and how many times a day you want to eat. It suggests recipes I wouldn’t have thought of. Cutting out wine during the week was most definitely was my biggest win. Weekends I am more relaxed.

Good luck in your WL journey! 💪

Good luck OP.

Sometimes we do just need that jolt to put something into action.

I am in the same situation. Also in menopause, single, work from home and lost a bit of zest for life. So snacks and as I recognize, boredom eating.

I am not excessively overweight but the heaviest I have ever been and it was not helping my mood as I couldn't get into some of my fave clothes.

I started intermittent fasting two weeks ago, and I bought a mini trampoline (bone density is also an issue at this age). The first few days were a bit tough, but I can already see a difference.

It may not work for everyone admittedly, but I am going to stick with it.

Another bonus is, my food bill is way less 😂 as there are no crisps and snack items in there.

Well done on giving up smoking OP. My pal is trying and struggling so I see that alone, is quite a challenge.

I would focus on really nourishing your body now, lots of lovely fresh fruit and veg, minimal processed food. It’s almost 15 years ago that I went cold turkey and I initially over ate but soon reigned it back in by making sure that I was eating food that was giving me energy and making me feel good and no snacking! The weight loss soon followed. Well done for quitting - You’ve done one of the best things ever for your health.

Thanks for all the supportive messages and advice. Well day 3 and so far so good - it really is just mindset and willpower. I'm trying to be mindful of what I'm eating at mealtimes as you say @Fishfungus - nourish the body and make sure I have enough energy that I don't need to snack.

@Netaporter thanks for the helpful post - well that whole BMR / TDEE ting is an eyeopener! Turns out my TDEE is similar to your at only 1418 calories a day & recommended protein intake of 106g. I've been tracking my food intake on MFP for a couple of weeks and some days I was eating 1000+ calories in snacks alone and I don't think I ever got anywhere near that amount of protein. I'm going to check out the meal suggestions as I can't figure out how to get that much protein into my diet without taking supplements which I really don't want to do . Breakfast today - 2 eggs scambled, spinach on a slice of rye bread, white coffee & probiotic drink is only 24g of protein and nearly 400 calories. Another 1,000 calories for lunch, dinner and a another milky coffee doesn't sound much especially when I need to get 82g of protein into that somehow. It's a minefield!

@Highlighta I have done IF in the past (16/8 on weekdays) so might revisit but with focus on dropping snacking and having a bit of a reset I feel 3 meals a days is probably better (plus no chance would I be able to get 100+g of protein down me in 2 meals)