food is the enemy!

[Badchrissi]

Hi I am in the last run of week 7 and have been that many weeks trying to get my eating under control. thought that if I just got on with the running then I would WANT to stop over eating but nothing is doing it for me. have been really good before in cutting down but don't seem to be able to 'get started' this time. given up alcohol but still looking for late night snacks and careless eating....been saying today is the day now for 7 weeks...I am only about 6kg overweight so not huge amount to lose but it might as well be 20 kg for all the will power that I have? i would love to get some tips if anyone has any? my fear is that 68kg (current weight) might turn into 70kg and onwards....

[Hidden]

Have you tried the MyFitnessPal app ? Logging everything you eat with it is SCARY and it is a good tool to aid with self discipline !!

[Badchrissi Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Yeh I agree I used that last time a few years ago when I got out of control...thanks for the tip that is a good idea? face the music!

[Slookie Graduate in reply to Badchrissi]

Also use MyFitnessPal and it was a shock for the first day or so just how lax I have been with calorie judgement! No wonder those few kilos have crept up on me. I also throw in a 5:2 fast diet day every now and then. The great thing about MyFitnessPal is the 5 week forecast which is both encouraging and lets me know that it ain't gonna happen tomorrow.

[Beads Graduate in reply to Slookie]

Another vote for MFP. It keeps me in control, even though I'm at (below) goal weight I still log and it's keeping the weight off. If I have calories to play with at the end of the day then I might have a chocolate bar (I prefer things like Clubs, Tunnocks Caramel bars, Twix (coz you can have one finger, give the other away), Bounty (like the twix, give half away) as they tend to come out at around 100 to 150 calories rather than the full size ones which are around 200 to 300) but generally when I log it and see the calorie count my will power can kick in and decide I'd rather have a piece of toast with marmite or peanut butter.

We're going out for dinner tonight, I have almost 1400 cals to play with; PUDDING!!!

[misswobble Graduate]

Go to bed!!!!!!

Clear the decks of bad food

Refill cupboards with healthy food

Keep moving so that you are exhausted and WANT to go to bed

There's no such thing as a free lunch

You have to work at this

You are what you eat

You have no willpower! Of course you have. You just have to dig deep to find it. Maybe you've never had to dig deep. You have now.

How's that for starters!

I'm a weight loss evangelist. Can you tell?

[Badchrissi Graduate in reply to misswobble]

Thank you, I needed that....I am a self sabotager in most things...I have bad talk all the time...hence bad chrissi, but I cannot believe that I am doing this running....I HATED running and everyone who was doing it...can't say I love it yet but I am amazed that I have done each week...and when I finish I thing....hell did I just do that?

[useitorloseit Graduate in reply to misswobble]

Badchrissi - listen to Miss Wobble. She might sound evangelical (!) but she is right. There's no point in trying to eat less or healthily until you are HONEST WITH YOURSELF!!! A good tip I got from WW, which is similar to the techy stuff but easier than faffing around with phones/computers etc imo, is just to write down everything you put in your mouth (well, almost everything - let's keep this clean please). If you know you're going to have to fess up to yourself, it is a good deterrent to eating naughty stuff. I too have the 9pm munchies. It's quite good to have a bowl of fruit n fibre or something similar ... maybe a handful of raisins or cashews, a piece of fruit ... as at least it has some nutritional value. My freezer is full of mini magnums at the moment. That is bad. I will NOT be buying them again as they are MUCH more tempting than fruit n fibre. So back to Miss Wobble's wisdom - if it isn't in the house, you can't eat it!

[Slookie Graduate in reply to misswobble]

Love it. Going to print this and pin it on the fridge!

[MarlyParly Graduate]

I have recently graduated and despite doing all that running haven't shifted much weight at all. This is because I started at the beginning of a summer of excess when I was not at all intent on cutting back on food and drink much at all. All that considered, I still shrunk round my waist a bit. Why don't you decide you are starting today (don't put it off!). Take some measurements so you are monitoring more than just weight - with all this running we all will have converted fat into muscle a bit. As muscle is denser than fat you might not see a change on the scales for a bit, but you will in your body shape, etc. Go out as Miss Wobble says and stock up on healthy foods, for snacking and meals and give/throw the rest away (or put out of sight in an inaccessible place - this seems a bit drastic - but you need something drastic to get going!). I have messed about a bit since the end of the Summer but am really in the zone this week - I think it's as much about mental attitude as anything else. You are in Week 7 of the programme - wow - look what you did!!! Why then wouldn't brilliant old you be able to lose some weight..? WeightWatchers is good I would recommend it, as is the 5:2 diet (but beware binging on non-fast days). I've found when it comes down to it as others have said above, it's about putting your mind to it, making a plan and tracking what you are doing somehow. The thing that motivated me about WW was that I had to go along and get weighed like a prize pig every week - that soon gets you focussed! For my birthday I booked some sessions with a PT so my approach for now is that he does my measurements every 2 weeks - so that is my motivation right now. Why don't we check in with each other over the course of the next month or so and see how we're getting on? Someone else being aware of your progress (or not!) can be a good motivator/support too. You can do it, but you must decide you're going to and go for it! Good luck! x

[Badchrissi Graduate in reply to MarlyParly]

thank you very much MarlyParly you are a real gem...I am amazed at how helpful people are on this site. my sister got me into running...I just got fed up with both my sisters and my brother in law always banging on about their running. the three of us were staying together on the floor of a hospital room while my father was dying and they made me come with them for short breaks at an oval near the hospital so they could do their runs..after i got back home i started again of week one and did every week to get to week 7 where I am now....I guess I am still waiting for the part where I 'enjoy' running but i am inspired by my sister who got on with it and in 9 months gave up alcohol, now regularly runs 7 kg has lost 15kg and all this while holding a CEO position with 2 teenagers......She is an inspiration we are all doing parts of the Melbourne half marathon in a couple of weeks...brother in law half marathon sister doing 10 K and my other sister running with me doing the 5k so i have so much support at home and the sisters have encouraged me to join the community and wow this is amazing...so much wonderful advice and support! Makes me think that it would be a shame to not just get on and do it with so many lovely types offering this support. thank you and I would love to take you up on your offer to check in over the course of the next month....thank you thank you everyone....i have to do it now i have put it out there. might even put my measurements and weight up there for the whole world to see....LOL

[Rignold]

I'm sorry to say but doing 30 minutes of running 3 times a week will not have built any muscle. One of the unfortunate facts of life is that while fat is quick to put on and takes a long time to lose, muscle is quick to lose and takes a long time to put one.

The key to quitting smoking is not buying any cigarettes, the key to giving up alcohol is not to have any on the house or go to the pub and by the same token, the answer to eating healthily is being disciplined in the supermarket (hmm that sounds a bit odd). If you don't buy anything with any refined flour or sugar in it, then,e even if you succumb to late night snack urges, it isn't going to have a disastrous effect. Chuck out everything (or give it to a food bank) that is beige, has ingredients you can't pronounce, or ingredients full stop. Fill your cupboards with pulses and wholegrains and your fridge with leafy greens and fruit. If you have an attack of the midnight munchies you can pretty much eat all the kale you want without any adverse effects.

And drink more water. More sleep and more water are the answer to most things. Every time you feel hunger pangs, have a pint of water then think about what you want to eat.

[Badchrissi Graduate in reply to Rignold]

brilliant advice...now I just have to have my 'enabler' (husband who is not on my mission) hide his stuff and not tell me where it is...or do the unthinkable...get him to join me...thank you rignold...gem advice and much appreciated!

[useitorloseit Graduate in reply to Badchrissi]

It is difficult when your partner isn't on the same page - my husband is a red wine drinker, and always has a bottle open, which sometimes leads me into temptation. When I have a glass of wine, food always follows ...

I agree with Clara 29 too - I am not 'dieting' as such at the moment. I am a previous Weightwatcher, and I lost a lot of weight that way a few years ago, so now I know what works for me. Booze is bad because I make bad choices after it. Running is good because if I'm killing myself 3x per week, what is the point of chucking a load of crap in my face, and drinking the night before a run is a big nono.

It sounds as if you are starting to find out, like I am, that once you make changes in your life and start being aware of your health and fitness, the right choices just kinda start to happen on their own.

It is sooooo much easier though if the other half hasn't come back from the garage with 2 pound bars of choc and a bottle of red though ... I can't change his naughty ways (believe me, I have tried!) so it's up to me to be the strong one.

I'm all up for joining the confessional club with you and MarlyParly ...

[Clara29 Graduate]

Well, with being 'careful' about my eating (my fitness pal) but not actually 'dieting' which I associate with feeling too hungry and miserable (I have still enjoyed red wine and the occasional pud or curry) I have managed to lose nearly 2 stone since April, the end bit of which I definitely think has been aided by doing the C25K programme. I think when I have failed to lose weight before it has been because I have indeed viewed food as the 'enemy' (and I love my grub!) rather than my friend. Good food cheers the soul and fuels the body: enjoy it! Just be aware of how much of it you need. The good news is with the app you can see just how much 'extra' food you can 'earn' on your running days! good luck

[huffnpuffin Graduate]

I find work is the worst, there's always sweets, snacks or choc available - or gets offered around; added to the cheap canteen, snack machines etc. Evenings try eating an apple or orange - something that takes a bit more effort ( other than just popping it in your gob). Drink plenty of water. You can also drink a low cal choc drink such as Options - covers the snack and choc craving - once a night

[Pigivi]

Since the end of July I have been following the 5:2 "diet" - after months of eating slighlty under my calorie need and not loosing anything this way of eating seems to have done something to my metabolism (I am hypothyroid and perimenopausal, apparently the worst time for a woman to try to lose weight) so it may not be the same for you

Basically, you eat normally (not overeating though - and keeping it healthy) 5 days and stay on 500-600 calories for 2 non consecutive days - there is a lot of info online...

I am actually doing more a 6:1 than 5:2 ... and am losing an average of 1 lb a week.

Oh, and I am also becoming as enthusiastic about it as gingernut49!

[catch Graduate]

The past 19 weeks I've been following a 12 week weight loss plan on the nhs choices website and have lost 2stone10 so far (not sure how that translates to kg!). It is designed to make lifestyle changes rather than diet and so is hopefully more sustainable than some plans. I basically say to myself I can eat anything I want so long as I am willing to write it down and work out the calories. With a bit of planning this allows me to have cake or chocolate once in a while and wine with dinner at the weekends. There is also a really supportive weight loss community on here who help you through if you need it.

[Badchrissi Graduate]

I feel like I just HAVE to do this after ready all of these incredible stories...they can't have been easy either? ...2 stone I still remember that in imperial! OK if you guys can do it so can I! started on MFP today and I am also going to give the 2/5 a go as I have heard about so much success with this program...today got on the scales.....69k I am only 5ft3 so I figure that I am about 14K overweight...So here it goes...I need all of you and thank you thank you for the support...you are amazing! will post my ugly measurements later

[Badchrissi Graduate]

I feel like I just HAVE to do this after ready all of these incredible stories...they can't have been easy either? ...2 stone I still remember that in imperial! OK if you guys can do it so can I! started on MFP today and I am also going to give the 2/5 a go as I have heard about so much success with this program...today got on the scales.....69k I am only 5ft3 so I figure that I am about 14K overweight...So here it goes...I need all of you and thank you thank you for the support...you are amazing! will post my ugly measurements later

[Tattoojunkie30 Graduate]

My fitness pal.....it actually has helped me lose 3 and a half stone.....along with running and working out but I was like you I used to run and work out and still eat everything. It wasn't until I used MFP everything and I mean everything I put in my trap went on that app and it is surprisingly easy to overeat....but it did me well, I have lost a lot of weight, eat healthier, and I'm more conscious of what I shove down my face.....it's not gonna be easy, in fact there is more than once I have stood in tesco staring at the chocolate section coz my cravings were so bad but it's about taking back control of you're life and to do that you have to be strong and control what you put in your body and after a while the cravings disappear and when they do surface they don't really bother you anymore xxxx