Need Help

Hi all, over the past year I have been battling the weight loss. Last year alone I lost 3 stone. mainly down to the effort at the gym. what is really letting me down is the ability to maintain any kind of diet. it doesn't help that so many people tell me to try different things. some to eat more than 2,200 cals per day. some to eat less than 1,500. In the last month or some I have lost all motivation and haven't returned to the gym. anyone got some advice for me? I need to loose another 6 stone to reach my goal and it is feeling like an impossible task.

[Biblia]

Well done on the three stone, that's more than most people ever achieve.

Probably best to avoid diets...they follow fads and trends and are not usually sustainable in the long term. The NHS advice is brilliant because it's balanced and moderate. Lots of evidence shows that banning a food or food group often makes you binge on it later because it's a guilty pleasure. And it makes socialising awkward too.

I'm losing weight with little angst partly because I eat everything - chocolate, cake, etc - in very modest amounts.

The other thing that you can try is simply putting less food on your plate, first ten percent less, then another ten percent again once you've got used to it. The first day I did this felt a struggle but I got used to smaller portions pretty fast. If you're counting calories too this makes it more achievable. I also eat more slowly, feeling if that last mouthful is well and truly gone before the next one goes in, and really get a lot more enjoyment from my food.

I wish you every success.

[K1972 in reply to Biblia]

I absolutely agree with every sentiment shared in the first reply to your post. Having had a pop at many 'diets' I am bumping along the tried and tested route of 'eat less, do more'. It makes for a steady, if sweaty rate of progress. Some weeks the scales don't move in my favour and I really struggle with the emotional demons; other weeks I may lose 2lbs which feels fabulous.

This morning I felt an insurmountable urge for 'naughty' and thoroughly enjoyed some is my daughter's pain au chocolat. It was delicious and it sated my desire that has in the past turned into an almighty binge. I am not working today so I will take myself out for a bike ride later and know that it is all part of the balance.

Calorie counting helps as well as understanding your food groups. Explore which foods suit you and sustain you. things that work for me are porridge oats, lentils, oily fish, lean chicken and green smoothies with lots of garlic and chilli.

Don't be afraid of food or fall into self loathing if the mars bar wins.

Keep the faith!

[Sd33]

Well done on the initial weight loss and well done on wanting to make a change for the better!

Diets can be too restricting, it's best to make small changes that you know you can do for the foreseeable future. On average women only require 2000 calories to maintain weight, but if you want to loose it you'll have to be consuming around 1300 calories a day. If you exercise alot you could allow yourself a few more calories but I always feel if I treat myself that's another 1lb I could have lost if I hadn't.

You can still eat the foods you like but make sure you count the calories your consuming - if you have a piece of cake put that in and then you can see what you can eat in the evening without ruining the weight loss. I use my fitness pal app on my phone. It could be important to weigh the food you consume and work on reducing your portions. It can be quite shocking when you really get down to it and see how many calories certain foods contain but this information can really make you change how you view food in the future.

It's hard work but if you stay motivated you can do it! Good luck!

[Airbornepara]

Martin,

You don't give your weight but you indicate that 6 stone is your targeted weight loss which is achievable. I have got to lose 12 stone and have managed a stone over the last 9 days. So your 3st loss is a brilliant achievement.

I stick between 1200-1500 calories daily and have cut out chocolates, crisps and beers and other junk.

Dieting really means reducing your calorific intake to acceptable levels and I eat lean meats ( grilled), fish, chicken and turkey have cut out high fat dairy products and reduced my carbs level also. I have replaced one of my meals with a meal replacement shake ( no semi skimmed milk I make it with cold water)

I do football training 2 x weekly and that's helped tremendously.

Get a gym partner or just walk everywhere were possible. I average now 7-8000 steps daily were ever I can. If you don't have a dog borrow the neighbours one and go for a 30 minute walk.

You can do it...!

[Hidden in reply to Airbornepara]

Thanks for the feedback. I will be certain to try some of what you said

[Airbornepara in reply to Hidden]

Go for it. Lost a stone in 1st 9 days. Hard graft but worth it.

Might see a slow down this week but will crack on regardless!

Good luck!

[sueper]

Hi, you should be able to find how many calories you need to eat a day on various website. Put in your details and they will give you a range. I found sites do give differing amounts but you should be able to find an average. The view seems to be than if you eat 500 cals less than you need everyday you will lose about a pound a week.

Hopefully once you can work out how many calories you need to lose weight the easier it should become.

You have made great progress so clearly you can do this, please don't give up.

Good luck

[Hidden]

Hi all, firstly. I'd like to thank you all for replying to my post. I've never posted anything like this before and didn't know if I'd get any sort of response. So thank you.

I have been trying different types of eating. From 3 square meals a day and nothing in between to eating 6 small meals a day. Weighing my carb and protein intake. Eating plenty of green veg.

I was going to a personal trainer for a while last year and he would suggest the 6 smaller/weighed meals per day. To be honest, I found it really hard to eat so often and his target Calorie intake for me was 2,300 per day. Which I never once achieved. All though I'm over weight. I'm not a big eater, if that makes sense? I'm a rubbish sleeper, rarely eat breakfast and eat at night.. I need to re motivate myself and find a diet that suits me ..

What's your thoughts on having a bad day per week or per month?

When I was training 5 and 6 days a week I always left a Friday as eat what I want day.

Thanks again all

[lizmaxwell]

Making yourself use smaller plates helps.....as long as you don't pile them up lol. Since i have been doing that have lost nearly 4 stone. I had a photo of me taken at Christmas and i was amazed how different i looked. So that has helped to stay on track. You are lucky you can exercise as i cannot as i am disabled . If you do want a plan to stick Slmming World is very good , lots and lots of recipes that are really niceblu pi. Don't need to join just get a couple of their recipe bookscb vb bb b

[rmnsuk]

You know how to lose weight. You've lost 3 stone already, which incidentally is awesome. You can give up now and put the weight back on, or start again, doing what you did before.

The science is easy. Get your BMR, subtract 500 and eat that (somewhere around 1800 for men, less for women) or a little less each day and you'll lose a pound a week. The practicality is far more challenging. Find a way of eating (diet) that you can live with and follow it obsessively. Doesn't matter really what it is so long as it isn't too extreme (don't cut too many calories or omit whole food groups). Exercise is good too, not to lose weight, but for your health and to get fitter.

[Hidden]

Focus more on a healthy life style and take the focus off dieting. Eat sensibly- you know to avoid sweet sugary products, processed and high calorie foods. Do the sort of exercise you enjoy .

It should not be a chore, but a life choice.

Also, SMART goal setting. Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound. Have a vision in your head of your final goal, make it as real as you can , using the SMART goal concept. Step into it and live it ..... then work back to each "baby" step that will lead you there. Then you can concentrate on one step at a time , so it leads you to your final goal.

[Hannah79]

All I can say is that we all have these terrible down periods where it just doesn't seem worth it, but you need to look how good you have done and how hard it would be to gain back weight and to start again. If you cant face going back to the gym at the moment then just do some gentle exercise, walking etc.