journey to good health

[candybaby]

well I'm here after trying so many weight loss plans , yes some of them have worked to an extent but in the end the weight has come back . I think this is because they are unrealistic ,so I'm going back to calorie counting and I hope by becoming more aware of the calorie content of items I can better manage my weight .

[Pineapple27]

Calorie counting most definitely worked for me - and I am a great believer in that no foods should be banned - we have to learn to enjoy whatever we want and learn how to make "sensible" choices around food.

What I have come to realise "this time around" (eg, having succeeded at losing 4.5 stone after many failed attempts throughout my adult life) is that a psychological change has had to take place for me to succeed - that commitment to diet/lifestyle change and resistance to temptation doesn't just happen! It has to be worked at.

I have had 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!

[lucigret in reply to Pineapple27]

what a great reply and a reminder to the rest of us Pineapple27

[candybaby]

thank you for your sound advice what you say is so true its getting off the yoyo dieting and looking at healthy eating and life style changes .

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone]

Hi, candybaby , I've certainly found it's working for me, though I still have a lot to learn and habits to change.

One of the admin team will be along soon to explain how to find your way around this site, and this very friendly, supportive and informative forum. Wishing you all the best in making the changes you want

[candybaby in reply to BridgeGirl]

its all about learning I'm only at the start of this in the past I have tried many diets but I think that's one of the problems the diet mentality when it should be about healthy eating and life style ,

from what I have seen the forum is a good form of support , as yet I have not started logging my daily activity and calories as I feel I need to get my head around things , but

I have started to write down all the things I have eaten in a day and looked up the calorie count .

on Monday I will start the plan .

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone in reply to candybaby]

Sounds good! I wish you all the best

[moreless Administrator 7 stone]

Hi and welcome, cazboakes

I'd like to invite you to join our Newbie Club, which we hope will be a good place for you to connect with members, who are also just starting out. If you just post a few words to introduce yourself and respond to others there, you'll soon break the ice. Here's the link

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

You'll find all the information you need to navigate the forum in the header, so please take the time to read it carefully.

Wishing you all the best

[lucigret]

I've just come along to say welcome cazboakes, I think with all the information that Moreless has provided you with and Pineapple's great response there is not a lot for me to add