Going crazy, mind over matter

[Bubbaloz]

I have always had this problem when it comes to food and I'm wondering is it down to a mental issue or just I need to sort myself out and how. When I say I'm on a diet I still eat all the bad things but in my mind I'm not noticing cause I'm on a diet. I bing eat and eat all throughout the day and my mind just thinks that's ok cause you will still lose weight (not true) if I am good for one day my mind looks for signs of weight loss either by image or scales and when I see nothing I get really down and then comfort eat. Is there a diet out there that will help me get these thoughts out of my mind. I have tried nearly every diet out there but nothing but weight gain.

[sallynic]

Hi I believe it's all in the mind I'm exactly the same I'm a professional working parent a senior management however I can't control what I eat!! I binge then feel guilty etc. Yack hate it! I'm only on week one of nhs and got some good tips off here about concentrating on the things you can have not just what you can't etc. Good luck x

[PippiRuns 3kg]

It is a mental process as much as a physical one to lose weight. But you can control what you eat unless of course you have some eating disorder in which case you probably need professional help.

The NHS 12 week plan has a food and activity chart that you could perhaps fill in every time you eat and exercise? Or you could use the app My Fitness Pal to log every bite you take.

I use the app and it is very educational to see how many calories different foods have. And you will immediately know if you are no longer really dieting 🙂

[WinWeight]

I also read on the NHS Choices site that you need to nurture your soul. I am doing the happiness challenge and it forces me to rapport on what I did for myself and what I did for reflection.

I also stopped eating and drinking sugar. It was very bad the first week or so. Sugar tend to create sugar cravings. If you ate a pastry or a piece of cake you will find that you want to eat another just a few minutes later.

I agree with IbenCopenhagen we must start with mindful eating. Binges is all about hand going to mouth without counting.

Try the NHS program and do a challenge or two. It keep you focused. Good luck. This time it is going to work.

[IndigoBlue61]

You most certainly are not alone Bubbaloz 😕

Most of us understand how we should eat and exercise to lose weight and become slimmer and healthier. The actual DOING it is the problem 😕

Getting your head in the right place is the key, so its worth taking time to create the right mindset. Your mind is your greatest ally ☺

I have a couple of suggestions, things that I find useful, sorry if it's quite a long post !!! ☺

Choice. We all have choices. OK, some may have it easier than others, some of us have health issues, middle age, hormonal problems, but we can CHOOSE to seize control, to not let these issues define us. Repeatedly tell yourself you are CHOOSING this lifestyle, not because you HAVE to but because you WANT to, you want to be healthy and your body deserves it ☺

Enjoy the process. No one watches a football game and only looks at the score board, they watch the actual game ☺ so enjoy the actual process of becoming slimmer and fitter. Focus on the food you CAN eat, learn new recipes that you CAN enjoy. If you can't run be happy you can walk, that your legs work ☺ Take pleasure in moving, dancing, walking, and feel those mood enhancing hormones surge through you. Next time you think "I can't be bothered" focus on how good the activity makes you feel.

Create good habits. 'Constant dripping hollows out stone' (Roman philosopher) Good habits dont happen overnight, but we can soon create them. Get into the habit of prepping healthy meals, learn a few quick nutritous recipes. We are creatures of habit. If you eat every day sat in front of the TV, every time you do this your brain expects food. Try to always eat at the kitchen table for example. This really works.

Make exercise a habit. Keep your gym bag packed, go at a time that fits in with your lifestyle, do an exercise you enjoy and focus on how good it feels. Make these actions become habits. The more you do something, the more firmly the actions become entrenched in our thinking. For example, if you stop eating after 7pm, it's tough at first, but if you just keep telling yourself "I don't eat after 7", after a few weeks it's second nature. (For more tips on how to prevent "mindless eating" see Brian Wansinck's book)

I've done lots of reading and listening to podcasts etc because I just cannot go back to where I was 😑 So keeping your mind in the right place is vital, try to be positive, have some self belief that you CAN and WILL do it ☺ We are all behind you cheering you on! ! ☺☺☺

Best wishes

Anna

[survivor235689 in reply to IndigoBlue61]

I definitely agree that getting your head "right" is a huge part of the process. I have tried to lose weight for many years, then last year I had a real health scare. I decided over night - "This has to stop, and it is only me that can make it stop". I have not looked back.

I have faltered and carried on because I know what I want, and this is the only way to do it. I want to be healthy and live a long time! That is what keeps me exercising and watching my food intake.

I no longer consider myself "on a diet". This is now just how I eat - I eat healthy and exercise, because that is who I am now.

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to survivor235689]

Absolutely survivor235689 ☺ I feel exactly the same

[Cockneyblue 2lbs Restart Jan 2024 in reply to IndigoBlue61]

Thank you Anna, that was brilliant to read. I have taken that in. I can be a positive person but not when it comes to my weight. Thank you for taking the time to post this. 👍

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to Cockneyblue]

Your welcome Cockneyblue ☺ I hope you find some of it helpful

[Ganny in reply to IndigoBlue61]

Just in from a long walk with a friend and saw your post , so helpful. Lost 2 1/2 stone with 12 wk plan and incredible support from site. One day at a time !

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to Ganny]

Exactly, one day at a time ☺

[Cockneyblue 2lbs Restart Jan 2024 in reply to Ganny]

Well done Ganny that's brilliant 👍👍👍

[Hidden]

Hmm, this is an interesting question!

I think we can all delude ourselves - the "just one won;t hurt" idea which means we eat a biscuit with our coffee when we had not intended to do so, or the "go on, spoil yourself" idea when we go out for a social occasion, and eat/drink more than we planned to do.

Perhaps you;ve just got a bad case of this?

I think you need to give yourself a reality check - if you are too fat, then you need to look at yourself in the mirror and acknowledge it, and promise yourself that you will take enough care of yourself to start getting the weight off.

If you are eating your way through the day and eating lots of processed/junk food, then I think you need to give yourself a strict rule that you eat 3 meals a day only, and your meals are fresh/home cooked food. You need to get yourself away from the manufactured food which is so hard to control. And confine your meals to one plate! Once the plate is empty, that's it until next meal time!

Maybe you would benefit from going to Slimming World or Weightwatchers for some group support as well? I know that Slimming World includes a session every week on getting your mind in the right place, and there is no doubt that the right mental outlook on the problem is crucial to losing weight and keeping it off.

Best of luck.

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to Hidden]

That's right Hidden mental attitude is everything ☺

[Hidden]

I think you really do need your head in the game to succeed. I have tried and failed at "dieting" a number of times and I think what seems to be different this time is that I am looking at this as eating for the rest of my life, so it can't be a diet, as I can't live like that.

I made a few small changes - soup for lunch, daily walk at lunch and a Zumba class once a week and those were okay and then I made a few more - running twice a week (running might be a bit ambitious to describe it...) and meat free Mondays. It's been such a small shift that my partner wasn't actually aware I was "dieting" until last week. He also hasn't noticed that I've lost 21 lbs, but that's a whole different matter.

I set myself to 1/2lb per week on MyFitnessPal, so I'm not under pressure to eat low calorie and anything above my 250 calorie a day deficit is a bonus in terms of weight loss. It really helps me stay motivated and within calories. I also focus on one day at a time and one lb at a time and I eat what I like, so nothing is forbidden or bad. It's not always easy, but it is important!

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to Hidden]

Perfect strategy in my book Hidden ☺ I most definitely prefer smaller steps for permanent change ☺ And nothing forbidden, this way of eating for life after all.

Funny you say your partner hasn't noticed, there was a lovely post on here from a lady who grumbled that her husband never told her how much better she looks, when she asked him he said that in his opinion, she had always looked beautiful ☺☺☺

[Hidden in reply to IndigoBlue61]

That really is lovely. I'm not sure my partner would agree though! I was very slim (and young!) when we met.

[Bubbaloz]

Thanks everyone it has really focused me. Xx

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to Bubbaloz]

Glad to hear it ☺

[WinWeight]

Bubbaloz this was a good question for all of us.