Millionth time I have started a diet this year... HELP!!

Options
I have tried so many times this year alone to get back on a diet and losing weight, I've had two babies very close together and gained 5 stone!! Any advice or tips about sticking to this for longer then a week would be much appreciated :)
«1

Replies

  • LieneBrante
    LieneBrante Posts: 21 Member
    Options
    Yes change the thought from a diet to different lifestyle. Start with morning (any morning will do) and don't forget a simple thing: if you will starve your self with lettuce and water you will get nowhere! In couple days you will be tired and done with it. So make time for 4 meals a day . Morning have cereal with skimmed milk. By have cereal doesn't means full bowl but actually follow the 1 portion size wich is 30 grams . Add some fruit if you like . Handful should be enough. Coffee or tea. Personally I drink my coffee black with no sugar ( always have ) so it's an advantage but stay away from sugars ( use sweetener) if needed and preferably low fat milk( skimmed) also make time for lunch around 12 - 1 pm 100 gr of meat ( turkey breast , chicken breast, tuna,beef) 100 grams of vegetables like broccoli, green beans,peppers,courgettes,carrots,ect.and 50 gr of brown rice , wholewheat pasta , or jacket potatoe. Around 17-18 pm you should have your next meal wich is pretty much same as above just obviously change your meats vege and side dish. Evening have some chikenbreast with salad and couple nuts. If you hungry trough day have green tea and snack on fruit:like apple or pair .strawberrys or tangerines. Remember one should do the trick coz its high on sugar. You can exchange cereal for brown toast slice with chikenbreast slice and boiled egg if you like that better. And treat your self sometimes with low fat yogurt like once in 4-7 days with some nice fruits . The activia cherry is my fav. I hope this motivates and helps you stay strong:) feel free to add me - I have another 13 kg to go my self !
  • Patttience
    Patttience Posts: 975 Member
    Options
    Yes, you must be going about this the wrong way. OR you may have some sort of mood issue. If you've got a mood issue, you probably need to resolve that. It could be the stress of your life that's impacting too. Try to manage your life so that it's less stressful and that you are happy and resolve any "problems".

    If its not that, look at what've done on previous attempts. If you tell us what you did, we might be able to help identify some of your troublespots and i would recommend you take a different approach.

    Here are some things i know don't work:
    cutting calories severely.
    relying on a lot of exercise and then missing a day because… and giving up as a result of that.
    a busy life.
    not eating interesting food
    not eating enough
    getting hungry too much
    being bored
    and so on.
    some of these or none of these might be issues in yoru case but if you think about your process you will find what hasn't been working.

    Also ask why are you quitting after a week? What is triggering the stopping.

    Is it a social event?
    is it a fight with the hubby
    lack of sleep
    you know it oculd be so manay things. whatever it is you are going to have to have strategies so that such events don't cause failure again in the future.
  • Katleskin
    Katleskin Posts: 111 Member
    Options
    'Chunk the challenge'! See it as lots of small, sustainable changes rather than one huge restrictive plan (with a potential end date) - smaller portions, up your fruit & veg intake, increase protein, move more, take the stairs, swap your snacks, weigh and log everything and, above all, be consistent. Practise makes perfect. Don't be too hard on yourself, if you slip up, get straight back on the horse. There's no need to go hungry, if you make the right choices (see fruit/veg/protein) you shouldn't feel the need to binge - make those calories count. Be mindful when you eat - are you really hungry, or are you bored? You can still socialise/eat out, you just need to tweak what you consume or 'bank' calories throughout the week so you can have a 'treat'.
  • aaronkam
    aaronkam Posts: 2 Member
    Options
    Hay, eating a healthy diet is easy but you need to push past that with 45mins of cardio a day.!

  • Glinda1971
    Glinda1971 Posts: 2,328 Member
    Options
    I've started and stopped a few times on the past and here's what's kept me going for 123 days and 27 lbs so far (I had at least 70 to lose):

    I set my calorie goal to only 0.5 lbs per week. That gave me 1600 calories to start with which made it seem less restrictive. I only changed my eating habits at first. Some days I found it easy to stay under the 1600, some days I wanted them all.

    Then I started walking. Just a little bit at first - 20 minutes or so, which was actually a little challenging as I'd been a couch potato for so long.

    Now I have a Fitbit. I try to get my 10,000 steps a day and my Fitbit will give me extra calories if I'm active enough. I eat anywhere from 1200 on lazy days to 2000 on more active days and I'm averaging 1.5 lbs per week.

    My diary is open to friends if you want to send me a request so you can see what I do. I've found this lifestyle change works for me.

    Best of luck. You can do it.
  • cmulvihill1989
    cmulvihill1989 Posts: 3 Member
    Options
    Thank you all so much for the tips, a lot of my problem is lack of willpower, confidence and sleep lol! I know what I should be eating and what I should be avoiding and that I should be more active, easier said then done, so all of your advice and personal experiences is encouraging to hear :)
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,523 Member
    Options
    I have tried so many times this year alone to get back on a diet and losing weight, I've had two babies very close together and gained 5 stone!! Any advice or tips about sticking to this for longer then a week would be much appreciated :)
    I'm sure you're committed to you kids and giving them the best care and protection possible. Once you get that same kind of commitment to lose weight, you'll stop starting over.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png
  • LieneBrante
    LieneBrante Posts: 21 Member
    Options
    Also a tip. Since I started I always have a fruit in bag like apple for example or orange. When you go shopping in town or your at work and the temptation is so big and that cheese turnover is suddenly winking at you you grab your fruit and pay full attention to that till you pass the danger place and moment . And you will be surprised how much it is actually to do with visual and smell then the actual fact you being hungry!
  • jessicarobinson00
    jessicarobinson00 Posts: 414 Member
    Options
    I don't diet....I treat myself to amazing healthy and tasty meals. Never sacrifice on flavor, just make small switches in your regular life that will save calories throughout the day...English muffin verse a bagel, tilapia fillets verse red meat, steamed/grilled seasoned veggies instead of white rice... you can do it super mom!
  • MarziPanda95
    MarziPanda95 Posts: 1,326 Member
    Options
    Yes change the thought from a diet to different lifestyle. Start with morning (any morning will do) and don't forget a simple thing: if you will starve your self with lettuce and water you will get nowhere! In couple days you will be tired and done with it. So make time for 4 meals a day . Morning have cereal with skimmed milk. By have cereal doesn't means full bowl but actually follow the 1 portion size wich is 30 grams . Add some fruit if you like . Handful should be enough. Coffee or tea. Personally I drink my coffee black with no sugar ( always have ) so it's an advantage but stay away from sugars ( use sweetener) if needed and preferably low fat milk( skimmed) also make time for lunch around 12 - 1 pm 100 gr of meat ( turkey breast , chicken breast, tuna,beef) 100 grams of vegetables like broccoli, green beans,peppers,courgettes,carrots,ect.and 50 gr of brown rice , wholewheat pasta , or jacket potatoe. Around 17-18 pm you should have your next meal wich is pretty much same as above just obviously change your meats vege and side dish. Evening have some chikenbreast with salad and couple nuts. If you hungry trough day have green tea and snack on fruit:like apple or pair .strawberrys or tangerines. Remember one should do the trick coz its high on sugar. You can exchange cereal for brown toast slice with chikenbreast slice and boiled egg if you like that better. And treat your self sometimes with low fat yogurt like once in 4-7 days with some nice fruits . The activia cherry is my fav. I hope this motivates and helps you stay strong:) feel free to add me - I have another 13 kg to go my self !

    Or she can just eat whatever she wants, in a deficit? Also, there's nothing wrong with sugar. Meal timing, as well as how many meals, is entirely personal preference and has no effect on weight loss. If all that works for you, then great! More power to you. But you shouldn't talk like your way is the only way, or the right way :)
    aaronkam wrote: »
    Hay, eating a healthy diet is easy but you need to push past that with 45mins of cardio a day.!

    No, she doesn't 'need' to. She can if she wants. Exercise is not necessary for weight loss - it's great for fitness, happiness and health, though. :)

    OP, just focus first on eating in a deficit, then you can look at the kinds of foods you're eating - for nutrition. I never cut any kind of food out, and I've lost 60lbs. Just take it one day at a time, and log EVERYTHING, good or bad, over calories or not. Good luck :)
  • mwebster01
    mwebster01 Posts: 111 Member
    Options
    drink a lot of water.
    get a stronger motivation.
    don't give up if you slip up.
    think of it as a change in your diet for the rest of your life,not as a diet.
  • ManiacalLaugh
    ManiacalLaugh Posts: 1,048 Member
    Options
    aaronkam wrote: »
    Hay, eating a healthy diet is easy but you need to push past that with 45mins of cardio a day.!
    Seven days a week? That is a completely unnecessary amount of exercise, even for someone who was ready to jump in with both feet and didn't have any other responsibility to worry about.

    For a new mom of two? Forget it. The only way you'd get that much free time is by buying a Delorean and taking it up to 88 mph - or shelling out the money for a nanny.

    Weight loss starts in the kitchen; health starts in the gym. There are hundreds of reasons to exercise, but weight loss isn't necessarily one of them. If you find yourself short on time, just work on your diet for now. Figure out what deficit works for you. Track your calories by weighing your food and logging everything. Squeeze in what movement you can.
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    Options
    the biggest thing is don't think of it as a diet. diets can seem "bad" and impending and this can make it hard to stick with it.
    think a new life with new opportunities
    and keep it simple. weigh your food and eat at a deficit. this will help you lose weight
    exercise will help you be fit and keep up with the little ones
  • TheChangeIsNow
    TheChangeIsNow Posts: 48 Member
    edited July 2015
    Options
    Over the last several years, I've started and stopped so many diets I lost count. I was extremely guilty of crash dieting for an event/occasion. I finally realized the up and down diets aren't doing anything but hurting me. The thing that I came to terms with was, this isn't another diet for me this time around... it's a lifestyle change.This is day three for me on MFP. I'm excited to be motivated like never before and to be part of this community of people dealing with the same issues I am. Day 1 - 10 for me are the hardest. But, I remind myself, without those first 10 days, I can't get to where I want to be. You can do this! Take it one step at a time. If you slip, that's OK. That doesn't mean you should throw in the towel all together. You just pick yourself up and keep going. You've got this! Start small with little changes and keep moving. Best of luck on your journey!
  • Michaelxyz2
    Michaelxyz2 Posts: 3 Member
    Options
    Everyone is different, of course, and another person's advice is worth what you pay for it. A few things have worked for me, though, and might be of some use to someone else here. First, I actually get mad at my food. Instead of looking at a slice of pizza or a handful of chips as a delicious treat, I tell myself that these are the enemy. I bring up a picture in my mind of those chips melting their way through my system and right into my stomach fat. And the very idea of putting one in my mouth becomes unpleasant. This is really the same, although on a different scale of course, as cocaine or other drugs if you one wants to break those habits. Yes, of course they taste and feel fantastic. But they are poisoning me. (Sorry, doughnut, but you really are a poison.) My wife thinks I'm weird, but, hey, it works for me. Second, I make sure to enjoy the foods I do eat. When on a diet, that first taste of fruit or beef or most anything else has far more flavor than it does when I am shoveling it all in nonstop hand over fist. Third, and this is a hard one for me because I normally drink like a fish--very little or no booze. I drink sparkling water with a splash of angostura bitters or a lemon slice. And a lot of canned diet drinks. Yeah, yeah. Diet drinks are killing me. After I lose 50 more pounds maybe I will start worrying about aspartame and nuclear holocaust. In the meantime, it's working great so far--three weeks and counting. Started at 303 pounds and have lost 17 of them. Good luck to all!
  • cmulvihill1989
    cmulvihill1989 Posts: 3 Member
    Options
    Lol thank you, glad you can appreciate that my lifestyle is a little challenging, my little ones are 6months and 18months, so you can appreciate that I need to do things with them in mind, am thinking maybe long walks out with the buggy is a good start with regards to exercise and food I think I just need to forward plan, so I'm not tempted to carry on doing what I've been doing which is going for ready made, easy to grab food!! Love some of the ideas that people have used that work for them, much appreciated!
  • Glinda1971
    Glinda1971 Posts: 2,328 Member
    Options
    Lol thank you, glad you can appreciate that my lifestyle is a little challenging, my little ones are 6months and 18months, so you can appreciate that I need to do things with them in mind, am thinking maybe long walks out with the buggy is a good start with regards to exercise and food I think I just need to forward plan, so I'm not tempted to carry on doing what I've been doing which is going for ready made, easy to grab food!! Love some of the ideas that people have used that work for them, much appreciated!

    With a handful like that preplanning wi be your friend! The long walks with the buggy sound great as well.

    If you can't get out and they are sleeping Leslie Samsone has walk at home videos on you tube.
  • ceeceeculver
    ceeceeculver Posts: 21 Member
    Options
    I do a few things - most are already mentioned. I too had a baby and gained about the same amount. I have lost 3.5 "stone" so far...

    1. Choose to live a healthier lifestyle over dieting (buy only healthy foods and look at the nutrition facts of EVERYTHING you buy first)
    2. Walk more often - take the stairs, carry your children around, park your car farther away in parking lots, etc
    3. Do not eat past 6pm
    4. Eat smaller portions more often - and set a caloric goal/day
    5. Hang pictures of "inspiration" in your wardrobe, or make an "inspirational collage" with words and pictures that motivate you
    6. reward yourself for each victory - no matter how small...for bigger victories buy yourself a little something or go out to a movie or something else that you consider a "prize" OTHER than food!
  • rhoule76
    rhoule76 Posts: 217 Member
    Options
    I'm 9 months post partum with my 2nd baby (3 years apart). I definitely don't diet anymore, I'm changing my lifestyle. Feel free to add me. :)
  • strangeling06
    strangeling06 Posts: 25 Member
    edited July 2015
    Options
    I agree with many things people have said. I, personally, don't deny myself anything because it has always been my downfall in the past. This time, I'm trying to either 1. replace my craving with healthier versions when possible or 2. give in, but in small amounts. I have found it to be important to be conscious of what I'm eating and also why I'm eating. Also, try making small changes and work on short-term goals. This has helped me keep going and stay motivated.