Failing at the moment!

[Rich61]

Started the 12 week programme little while ago and during half term gained half a stone ! Was very demoralised !! Resolved today to start again and take it more seriously ! Find it very hard to get less food , reduced alcohol , more exercise , more water all going at once ,I do well on one eg drink less but eat more !! Help !!!!!

[Zenette]

Yes, it is tricky. Maybe think of it as all one overarching goal: calorie reduction while eating healthy.

Of course there are various activities contributing to this goal, and if they all support the big goal, even in small ways, you will get there in the end.

So for example, you don't have to eliminate nearly all drinks, but initially just cut down a little, and after a while, a little more.

Take small steps towards the big goal!

[Rich61 in reply to Zenette]

Many thanks , I think I will find online support helpful

[Penel]

I find it useful to concentrate on cutting out the foods that I know make me put on weight. Not all calories are equal in the effect they have on the body. Too many starchy or sugary foods will pile the weight on. So I don't think of it as less food, but as different food: lots of vegetables and protein, with the natural fats. No low fat foods because they don't give you a feeling of fullness and they often contain sugar.

Perhaps decide which you feel is the most important thing to start with, so that you just concentrate on one thing at a time. Once you've got used to that, go for the next thing.

Don't be put off by having a set back, it happens to everyone.

[Rich61 in reply to Penel]

Many thanks I find the online support v helpful

[returner]

Hi Gordykins,

I know this is an often mentioned thing, but - especially if you have a significant amount of weight to lose before reaching your 'target' weight - you may well find it helpful to find milestones / mini-targets to tick off as you journey towards your intended body weight.

If you are keeping track of your weight in kilos, you might tick off and round stone that you drop below, e.g. 16 st, 15 st, etc., or perhaps, using the American way of talking about weight, when you drop below a round pounds figure like 180 lbs, 170 lbs or whatever.

I found that helped to keep me realising that what I was doing was making an ongoing difference.

[Rich61 in reply to returner]

Many thanks I want to be 16.5 by Xmas , 15.5 by Easter and 14 by august 15 ( my daughters wedding ) currently 17.5 ish !!!

[Snowy333]

It sounds as though you have a lot of determination by the statement you have made. Perhaps enjoying the journey itself to your target weight will help you feel rewarded travelling on that journey. You've taken a big step in identifying where you want to be now enjoy healthy eating and visualise how good you will look in your wedding outfit! Think how relaxed and happy you will feel on that day! You haven't failed in the past you've overcome that by getting to where you are today and that is on the right and enjoyable path!

[Rich61 in reply to Snowy333]

Many thanks , will keep wedding in mind it helps

[mjg517]

Pad your meals out! Things like mushrooms have pretty much no calories (20 per 100 g) and are quite filling. So reduce carbs and meat (sad I know ) and put in all the veg you can. Then it is never less food, just less calories.

[Rich61 in reply to mjg517]

Many thanks will do

[rajabalzarahni]

Start with the alcohol and achieve abstinence, then screen out processed food from the diet and get portion sizes back to normal. Start the exercise programme with a long daily walk. Just keep this up for a couple of weeks, weighing yourself every day and the weight loss you will achieve will give you the confidence to try an even more determined strategy.

[Rich61 in reply to rajabalzarahni]

Yes I am sure daily weight loss will motivate . Many thanks

[returner]

HI Gordykins,

If you do weigh yourself daily, you need to realise that you don't use that figure to compare with adjacent days. Use Monday's weight to compare with last Monday's so that you can see if week on week you are losing weight, and if so whether the rate of loss is sensible or too fast. And similarly with Tuesday, Wednesday, etc.

Your best bet is to weigh yourself first thing in the morning, after your first pee and before food or exercise. You'll achieve the most consistent weight comparison that way. Remember that during the day as you eat and drink, as your body rids itself of waste and as hundreds of bio-chemical things go on inside your body, it's weight goes up and down, perhaps by as much as a couple of kilos.

Weighing yourself first thing in the morning will mean it should have been some hours since you last ate.

Obviously, ensure what clothing you wear, or don't, when you weigh yourself is reasonably consistent.

[AzamAli]

Great on you! just keep at it. My friend had stomach operation 6 months back and now he has lost half of his body weight! How? because he cannot eat a "standard" portion he can only eat half or less. So I have started eating half myself also, its a good trick hey.