Hi everyone,

This is my first post on the forum after joining last week.

I recently decided that I want to lose 4kg and return to my 'normal' weight which I used to be for several years and was happy with. I am not overweight but don't like the way that my body is changing and need to stop it now before it spirals out of control.

I am almost 28 years old and have noticed that my metabolism is increasingly slowing down, so that I put on weight a lot easier. Also, I moved countries and since coming back to the UK am finding it harder to eat healthily. The real shock came the other day when I couldn't fit into a pair of my trousers anymore!

However I am finding it hard due to several reasons (or excuses?) and would welcome any comments you may have on them:

* I am motivated but lack willpower. Any tips?

* As I'm not overweight, it's hard to 'cut out all the junk food and eat less' as I don't really do that anyway. I do snack on sweet things (but see below).

* I am both lactose and wheat intolerant, making eating difficult anyway! This means no cow milk products like cheese, milk, yoghurts, chocolate and no wheat products like anything with flour in it (bread, cakes, biscuits). I feel like there's not much left for me to eat, so being on a diet makes me feel even more restricted. Of course there are alternatives such as soya, spelt flour etc but you often have to plan and organise shopping to get these products and I 'don't have time'.

* My body prefers smaller meals throughout the day rather than 1 or 2 big meals. I know that this is healthier and it helps the digestive system, but I also feel as though I'm always hungry.

* Snacking is a huge problem for me, especially in the office where there are constantly biscuits and cookies on offer (despite my wheat intolerance I can have the odd one or two without feeling sick). Fruit just does not appeal to me except I eat 1 banana for breakfast every morning.

* I have a terrible sweet tooth/cravings.

* I like to rebel.. my mindset is annoying! If someone says that I can't do something, I want to do it. Knowing that I can't eat what I want is driving me crazy.

* I think that one solution may be to exercise more, however I really detest exercising. I do capoeira once or twice a week for 2 hours. This doesn't seem to be enough for my body anymore in order to maintain my ideal weight! I always feel like I don't have enough time for anything.. not enough time to spend with my boyfriend, not enough time spent playing with my cat, not enough time spent on myself relaxing, etc etc. So I certainly don't have a spare 30 mins everyday to excerise! Or do I?

* I love the guilty pleasure feeling of not doing what I'm supposed to be doing.. i.e. skipping exercise and staying at home to watch a film feels great. Splurging out on a chocolate bar when I shouldn't makes it taste 100% better.

So for me, the biggest change which needs to happen is mentally.

Help!!

(Sorry for such a long post!)

Am more than happy to answer any questions you may have if you need more information.

Oops, I just realised that 'Website Support' is not a forum for website supporters helping you, but for technical website problems! Please could a mod move my thread to Diet & Nutrition Tips or somewhere?

... probably easier if you copy and paste it yourself!


Have you tried having porridge (with soya milk) for breakfast? There's a whole topic aboutn porridge somewhere. Will fill you up for ages.


Some of us are now addicted to frozen grapes - again their's a whole topic devoted to them. They taste much better - like having mini-sorbets!


Can you find time to go for short walks? I try and make time to walk to the shops instead of jumping in the car etc. - does make a difference.


That's the biggest hurdle. If it's any consolation, you can set a short-term goal and go for it whereas, many of us on here are in it for the long-term - some have 5, 6 or 7 stones to lose. The only way forward is to take a day or a week at a time and break it down to small challenges that you can achieve before moving onto the next one. Good luck!

Hello
Well done on recognising you need to change. I do think as you get older you need to eat less and exercise more certainly in your late 20's thru 30's and 40's you will notice the difference.
Small steps are a good idea. How about walking more get a pedometer
Drink more water this should help with weight loss
Try eating more veg if you can.

Ok its good to rebel but ask yourself why you have joined the health club if you are happy this way.

Anyway good luck

Thanks for your comments.

I forgot to say that I breakfast at work when I get into the office, so porridge wouldn't really work for me.. I'm just not hungry first thing when I get up to go to work, and prefer to sleep the extra 30 mins rather than breakfast at home!

Frozen grapes won't work in the office as we have no freezer!

Short walks - I think I could do this, yes. Are they really that effective though? Or would you have to walk for ages in order to burn anything off/work the muscles. I don't have a car so I take the tube/bus.

Hi C - maybe you have to make some of these things work for you. I think it's easy to go through life telling yourself that you'll start tomorrow, or that you can't do this or that because it doesn't fit in with your current regime.

Part of the journey that many of us have been on since we joined up here in January is about making these small changes to our lives, and making them permanently part of the new us.

I spend weeks at a time living in hotels which was a problem, and my excuse for not being able to do anything about my weight. In January I decided to turn it into a challenge rather than a problem.

You've hit the nail on the head when you say the biggest change for you needs to be mentally - maybe you should ask yourself how much you really want to lose weight, and how much you're prepared to be positive about what you can change, rather than dwell on what you're not prepared to change?

Good luck if you decide to stick with us - you will get a lot of support and motivation on here if you do.

Hi C,

Wise words from Fiona, and I think it is the pyschological challenge which is the biggest hurdle. It is for me, I know this for certain, and from what the other AbFabers share, it is for them too.

You have a choice. You can do something about it, or you can continue to sabbotage your own desires and successes. No one else is going to make that difference, only you can.

What you can get from here, is support and re-assurance. I cannot stress enough how wonderful this community is.

I set myself daily goals, which helps me focus. The days where I say "**** it" and let things slip are fewer, and when they hit (and they do) I will not allow myself to crumble and give in. Someone on here (before I joined) coined it GAG, or Get A Grip. It's so clever, and there are many posts from us trying exactly to do that.

Stick with what you know works - small and regular foods. I'm also wheat intollerant, so cakes and the like are not my temptation. My best advice, similar to Fiona's and Pippa's, is to make small changes and goals. If you get sweet cravings, then find something that satisfies them. I find dried mango works for me. I also drink a huge glass of water before I reach for a snack these days, and often, it's thirst and not hunger.. That's one small step for me which has made a massive difference on my eating habits.

Good luck. Eating healthily and exercise is a hell of a committment. I've made a decision that I am worthy of this investment. Another small step, but massively empowering. I hope we hear more from you, and you want to hang in for the long haul...

Hello C
Yes walking does make a difference to your muscle tone for legs and bottoms particularly if you go up hills. Try 30 mins or if you bus get off earlier and walk the stop.They say that if you do 30 mins am then more at lunch time or evening that you will feel the difference. If walk more than 15,000 steps per day you will loose weight. You may not be hungry in the morning but some fruit or something first thing is a must and a glass of water first thing. Anyway good luck with starting...!

I've continued with my 'sensible-eating' diet and even managed to avoid all biscuits and Kit Kats which were constantly in front of my face today all through a course I took at work. Then I went window shopping after work, walking around lots of shops.. that's good for me, right?!

But somehow I've put another kg on, so now I have 5kg to shift.

I bought some porridge and promised myself to get up 30 mins earlier this morning, but it just didn't happen, I just can't get up in the mornings - I prefer to go to bed later. Maybe I can eat it at work from my desk..

Fingers crossed things get better!

You could take your porridge to work in one of those soup flasks!! I swear by porridge - keeps me full all morning and managing to resist biscuits in the staff room.

Good tip, thanks. I remember reading it in the porridge thread but forgot about it..

BTW you said that you felt like your metabolism is slowing down with age. Tell me about it!! I've just hit 40 but with this healthy eating/lifestyle I think I've got so much more energy to go and do things now. If I eat junk foods I feel very sluggish all day and sit around.

Jaki T
wait till you get over 45 then it is really hard! Anyway we keep positive and try to eat the right things. I still think it is how you feel that counts, and we all have good and bad days! You can always start tomorrow.

C Emery
You need probably to fast walk if you can rather than pottering. Try the porridge this week and then add walking or drinking more water, or eating more veg next week. Don't be so down on your self.

Anyway most go and do something else!

Nooooo! I had everything mapped out... porridge or banana for breakfast, salad for lunch, strawberries in the afternoon, and something healthy for dinner. Why oh why did I have to eat that caramel shortbread? It was just before lunch and I was alone in the office. As I walked past, it just oozed at me, and I [irrationally] thought, "No one will know!" It doesn't matter whether anyone knows or not. My body will know! I have such a teenage mindset, it's ridiculous. So now I feel guilty at having eaten it but also proud of the fact!!! Aargh!

C
Oh! Well start tomorrow and resist the cakes tell yourself you will be truthful. I understand exactly where you are coming from having eaten secretly for years and thinking that it didn't matter but for that short term pleasure you will just put off starting properly. I have had to re-educate myelf not to eat stuff that is not good for me but that I really want. It is hard but worth it. Why did you feel proud of eating in secret? Decide on a small goal ie eating porridge which will fill you up so that you are not tempted by cake! Next time walk past the cake and say No.

Anyway tomorrow is another day...!

I have 13lbs to lose and I want to do it in one month - I am sure that is achievable because in January I stopped alcohol for 3 weeks and lost 11lbs!!!! I did exercise 3 times a week as well. Well I have put just a couple of pounds back on and started drinking again. But for 2 weeks now I have not touched any alcohol and have eaten so well and healthily I thought the weight would drop off again - I am unwell at the moment so can't exercise. Am drinkin 2L of water a day plus herbal teas. Baked Beans on seeded bread for breakfast, large tuna salad for lunch - no mayo or fatty dressing and then for teatime a large fruit salad of frozen berry fruits with total 0% yoghurt which is not full of sugars to make it taste better. My "treat" is a small handful of raisins and a squirt of honey on my berry fruit dish and a large glass of Really Light Ribena with diet lemonade for a fizzy drink and then an options low cal chocolate drink before bed - how can I not lose weight when I have ate like that every day for 2 weeks and all that I have lost is 2 pathetic pounds. I need some encouragement - can I do 13lbs in 4 weeks before my holiday????

My weight's been going up and down, but with a gradual down trend! Have lost 2kg since I started 8 days ago. This is mostly due to increasing exercise (like you suggested - going for walks at lunchtime in the glorious sun), eating a bit less (concentrating the main meal at lunch, with a light dinner and not eating snacks in the evening), and changing the snacks at work from biscuits (as 3 or 4 can easily add up to an extra 400 calories a day) to fruit (strawberries are on special offer at the moment!). Plus porrdige for breakfast keeps me full for 3 hours, so I don't feel hungry until 12pm when I eat more fruit to keep me going till lunch. Thanks for all your advice.
Oh, and my dieting boyfriend has so far lost 4kg, so he's very pleased with himself. He has another 7kg to go.

Sally - congratulations on being so motivated and sticking at it!
I thought that baked beans were full of sugar? Please check the brand that you're buying!
Unfortunately, eating less, or eating healthier, doesn't work for everyone. I know that I had to increase exercise in order to lose weight. It's annoying as it didn't use to be like that, but your body gets used to the diet changes so needs more now.

I useweightwatchers - but I think you are right about the sugar as they are still pretty high in sugar if low in calories - I am not keen on porridge as I don't like milk but may swap over to that for a week and see if it helps. I add grapes and blueberries to try and hide the taste of it.

To be honest, I don't like milk either, and cereal is the only time I ever eat it! I find that I can't taste it in cereal though. Honey is also good on porridge to sweeten it naturally and take the milky taste away.
There are also porridges where you only add water instead of milk.

Or you could try a different kind of milk - soya or rice milk. They're meant to be healthier anyway ;)

I'm not familiar with the Weightwatchers methodology, but I think it's better to view foods on a broader range than just calories. Not sure if they factor in the sugar content, but sugar itself is of course quite fattening, even if beans are initially low-cal... just my opinion though!

quote from C Emery

" Have lost 2kg since I started 8 days ago "

Is that correct, if so its 4.4 lbs which in eight days is not only alot but very dangerous.

As for losing weight, the trick to it is to eat more but often.

The need to stuff ones self with crap/rubbish/snacks is because you feel hungry, if you eat every few hours but eat heathly things, you will avoid the need to indulge in these products.

Hi James,

It's not a lot for me.. and the need to snack is more psychological rather than to do with hunger, plus the taste-factor.

You'll see above in my first post that I do actually eat smaller meals throughout the day (every few hours) rather than a few big main meals.

Ah the dangerous got to have a snack, i go through that every week.

But the thing with cravings is that they will pass, but the odd biscuit wont hurt.

I now tend to carry fruit with me everywhere, if i get the urge i'll eat that, and try not to eat the biscuits.

Do u have a cheat day !