I Need Help

[sunriser]

I cannot get down to my diet, I start in the morning, off by the evening. I have hit a brick wall, been a yo yo dieter all my life, starting at 15 years and now 63 years. I lose weight and then put it all back on and have tried just about every diet under the sun. I suffer with my health, but I do walk for approx. 1 hour in the morning. I do keep myself busy throughout the day and not a couch potato. I am feeling low about it all and feel as though I will never get back to the weight I want to be. I have three stone to lose.

[OlsBean]

This is a classic tale that most of us have suffered from so you are not alone.

Firstly, the whole approach of going on a diet to lose weight with an end point/target simply does not work. I don't want this to sound rude but at 63 years old I can imagine that you may well be "Stuck in your ways" especially when it come to eating, I know I was when I made changes in my early Forties. So you need to approach this problem from a different angle and be willing to embrace change in your life if you want to succeed.

You won't fix this overnight, nore in a week or a month, it's going to take a considerable amount of time and dedication, you should though start to see improvements in your health quite quickly, all be it small ones at first.

Personally I think the key is "Healthy Eating" if your body is getting the right balance of nutrition then you'll body will start heal, your metabolic system will become more balanced and weight loss will follow.

Have you downloaded or looked at the 12 week Plan? nhs.uk/livewell/weight-loss...

There are also some great posts in the community by members, especially on the effects of processed foods and sugar and links to things like low carb resources that you might find helpful.

I could write more but sadly I am pressed for time this morning, sorry I hope though it helps a little.

If you post regularly in the community giving more details about your issues, members will reply offering good solid advice I am sure.

[sunriser in reply to OlsBean]

Thanks for the reply, I feel brain-washed after years of dieting and having different diets stuck in my brain. I do feel as though I need another approach. I will have a look at the 12 week Plan and try and get my head into the right grove.

Thank your for listening.

[Hidden]

Hi sunriser,

I totally agree with OlsBean.

Stop going on diets. NEVER, EVER go on another "diet". By that I mean on a reduce-to-a-particular-weight-diet.

Just take control of your eating habits and start eating the right foods, in the right amounts and in the right frequencies, and your body will almost always adapt to that regime. (Very rarely - with some underlying medical issues - it's more complex than that),

Don't go on a "diet" - just change the eating and activity/exercise ball game. Change your lifestyle. Change your relationship with food.

I think what may be happening for you is that you'd diet to lose three stone, get to three stone lighter, but then start eating like a three stone heavier person - so you body goes back to being three stone heavier again.

A three stone lighter body needs less food because there is a 'missing' three stones of body mass that doesn't need feeding / maintaining.

For sure, old habits (can) die hard. But, you have so much to gain from not carrying around that extra and unnecessary three stones.

I never believed I either needed to lose weight, or that I could do it.

But I did ..... and you (almost certainly) can do it too.

Good luck with your weight loss efforts.

[sunriser in reply to Hidden]

Well done you, how did you do it and how long have you kept it off for? I am quite a fit person normally but suffering with ill health at the moment and my weight is not helping me. I know it makes sense to lose weight but finding it extremely difficult. I am due for injections in my hips, then a course of physio, so would love to lose some weight which I know will help me. I also feel so much better when I can lose weight, but at the moment I feel brain-washed with past dieting.

[Penel]

Hi Sunriser

I'm a little older than you and have had to change what I eat drastically over the last ten years, due to medical problems. As a side effect of the change I lost weight, about two stone.

I gave up processed foods, like beak fast cereal, and low fat foods, and made sure that I minimised the amount of sugar I ate. I try to make all my own meals, with good quality protein and fresh veg and only a small amount of carbohydrate. The carbs I do eat are ones with fibre in, like sweet potato. I have a protein breakfast, eggs/bacon or full fat yoghurt, with berries or nuts added. I do not count calories, but watch my portion sizes. This has helped me lose weight and regain my health. I also use butter and olive oil, not marg in plastic tubs.

Basically I find that eating too many carbohydrates makes me put on weight, so I keep them to a minimum. There are several sites with advice on eating like this (low carb). I don't see it as a diet, rather a healthy way of eating. Perhaps it might be of some help to you?

Good luck and don't give up!

authoritynutrition.com/7-wa...

[sunriser in reply to Penel]

Thanks very much for the repl

[sunriser in reply to sunriser]

Thanks very much for the reply, I do appreciate it. I will have a look at the web for low carb.

[Penel in reply to sunriser]

This is a good summary.

authoritynutrition.com/low-...

[sunriser in reply to Penel]

Have had a look, very interesting reading. It will take a while to take it all in. Thanks

[Penel in reply to sunriser]

One thing I would add, not everybody wants/needs to give up bread, it can be a bit difficult to cut it out completely, just make sure it is something like whole wheat or high fibre.

[sunriser in reply to Penel]

Thanks for that, I do not eat much bread and always multi-seeded.

[Windswept1]

I agree with the others. This is not a diet it is a change in eating habits. the 12 weekplan kick started me and I now eat a lot lessthan I used to. Just spent 2 nights at a hotel with excellent food. Still enjoyed it but could only eat a lot less than I used to. meal planning, portion control and not getting too hungry were the keys for me plus upping exercise.

[bethbrit]

I asked my doctor to refer me to a nutritionist for help to lower my raised cholesterol. It has been very helpful since I have made healthy changes to my diet and lost a few pounds. I realised that my portion sizes are too big and that I could quite easily take recipes that I enjoy cooking and make them over to reduce the fat etc e.g. making a cottage pie with ground turkey and a sweet potato topping - quite delicious if not traditional. I think it is a work in progress for me but one that I would like to make for my future health. I too have been a yo yo dieter and tried every diet under the sun. I have also reduced my carb intake. It is hard not to slip back into the 'if I could just lose a few pounds quickly ...' mindset and we are surrounded by stories about the new fad diet. I know it will be a struggle but I actually feel motivated by the responses to your post here. Good luck - you are definitely not alone.

[sunriser in reply to bethbrit]

Thanks for the advice, I also suffer raised cholesterol and high blood pressure. I know a slow approach is better.