Help keeping weight down.

[Babw]

Finding it really hard to lose weight and stick to it. I need help about dieting carbs etc. I also have IBS so can't eat alot of food.

[Pineapple27]

Hi and welcome Babw

A lot will depend on your age, activity levels, etc, and yes, the IBS is going to make things a little more difficult. If you've been living with the condition for a while, I guess you know what sets off attacks? Do you have support from your GP?

Here are a few things that I have noted about how to make weight loss a permanent / long term thing....

If you want this to work for the longer term, you need to think about it as a lifestyle change rather than a diet. That lifestyle change will need to happen a bit at a time and will involve many things : changing your behaviour around food, portion control, emotional eating triggers, increasing your activity levels, trying new foods, making healthy food swaps, etc.

Commitment to diet/lifestyle change and resistance to temptation doesn't just happen! It has to be worked at.

The only way I have succeeded this time is to change how I approach food and eating it. I have learned to resist temptation! BUT please believe that this has taken a LOT of hard work and practice!

It's about "normalising" or "modifying" behaviour around food... and I think that with enough "practice" it becomes more and more easy until you get to the point where a behaviour is modified to the point of it becoming the only way!

I am sure that even some people who are not over weight do sometimes over indulge - but the fact is they don't do it very often!

Those of us who are over weight have been used to "treating" ourselves, eating portions that are too large, eating the things that we know are calorific because we can!

It's been a combination of changing all of those aspects of how I behave around food that has meant I have been successful this time.

I have developed a respect for the food I eat. Not everyone has the ability to eat as well as we in the western world eat. We should not abuse the privilege!

I rarely eat "on the hoof" any more, I rarely eat between meals. I take time to sit at a table and present my meals nicely. I take a moment or two to really look at my plate of food before I pick up my knife and fork.

Almost daily I say to hubbie "Aren't we lucky to be able to enjoy such lovely food". I really mean that too, I am not saying it for anyones benefit but his and mine. We should never take for granted having easy access to delicious food stuffs and our ability and love of cooking!

If you log your food - keep track of how many calories some of those "treats" contain, after a while they kind of stay in your head (medium egg = 70 cals, slice of white bread 100 cals, meringue nest 57 cals, 30g (matchbox size) of cheddar, 122 cals)

I do have sweet treats, but I buy my own choice, so things like 2 finger Kitkat, single finger Twix, Club biscuit... these are all around 100 calories. I keep them in a tin and I can have one whenever I want to, but I limit it to no more than one a day and usually with my afternoon cup of tea. That's not to say I eat one on a daily basis (usually about 2-3 times a week). They are always logged into my diary.

If you don't keep a log of what you are eating and the calories foods contain, then it's a bit like trying to travel from one place to another without a map! You might get there eventually BUT it's likely to take you much longer than if you planned the route and used a map PLUS you might take a few wrong turnings and end up going back on yourself!

I have also learned not to plan each trip out of the house to include food. Once upon a time, I'd have included lunch with a trip into town, coffee and cake with a visit to the garden centre.

I now plan or even prepare a meal BEFORE I go out (usually a salad) so that I know exactly what I can eat as soon as I walk into the door... and don't turn to "what I fancy" (usually high calorie carbs that don't keep you full for very long...)

Make a list of the reasons WHY you want to lose weight. Keep it somewhere safe (stuck to the inside of a kitchen cupboard door?) and look at it from time to time, especially when you are raiding the kitchen for treats!

I always ask myself before eating something really calorific "Do I really want to eat this thing more than I want to lose weight this week?". It's called "mindful eating" - being aware of why you are considering eating - real hunger? Boredom? Temptation? Feeling fed up?

Have a glass of water, wait 5 minutes and consider whether you still want the food. Once it's been snaffled down, it's too late and you may end up feeling cross and angry with yourself....

....and that feeling (guilt, failure) lasts for a long time, much longer than the temporary enjoyment of whatever treat you ate....

Oh, and I always remind myself how good the feeling is of seeing a loss on the scales at my weekly weigh in! That wonderful feeling lasts for days! Don't forget how that feels - you need to remind yourself of that feeling next time temptation strikes!

[Anna_8888 Maintainer in reply to Pineapple27]

You are such an inspiration Pineapple27

Always enjoy reading your posts!

[Babw in reply to Anna_8888]

Thanks for the great tip and help will keep all in mind.

[moreless Administrator 7 stone]

We can't offer you medical advice, Babs, we can only share our experiences and to reap the benefit of that, you need to take an active part in forum life.

Why not join today's weigh-in and Daily Diary, to give you a starting point, then commit to logging on for a few minutes every day. I'm sure you'll see the difference

Don't forget

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

Good luck!

[Babw in reply to moreless]

Sounds good how do I know how much calories if its not on packaging.

[moreless Administrator 7 stone in reply to Babw]

You can use the nutra check calorie checker on the NHS choices site, Google, or use an app, like MyFitnessPal.

[Babw in reply to moreless]

Thanks I'm determined to lose weight.

[moreless Administrator 7 stone in reply to Babw]

Good for you!

[Pineapple27 in reply to Babw]

Determined is a great state of kind With enough determination - you can achieve anything you want to!

[Babw]

Yeah just need advice about carbs are they bad for us.

[rozwalts in reply to Babw]

Some say yes, some say no, though of course it does depend on what carbs we are talking about. I too have IBS, and have found that four of the foods that I eat the most that don't cause a flare up are high carb. Potatoes, porridge oats, bananas and bread. The bread does have to be one of the quality breads though, preferably Weight Watches Malted. White bread has the opposite effect.

So in my case carbs are good for me. Of course we a re all different, I have found most foods on the low carb diet actually make my IBS worse. I also stick to low fat products, olive oil spread, the half fat version. Weight Watches fromage frais is a particular favourite, especially with half a sliced banana, 'himself' has the other half!