Struggling 😕

amioc wrote: »

I have been trying to loose weight now for 3 years. My goal is to go from a uk size 10 to a uk size 8 without having to squeeze into them 😕 so probably need to loose around 12lbs ish maybe a bit less.
My problem is I don’t stick to anything. I’ll loose like 6lbs and then gain it all back sometimes more. I can’t stick to healthy eating for long. Food is definitely my biggest problem. I joined the gym a year and a half ago and loved it but since COVID hit I haven’t been much at all because of lockdowns. I couldn’t get in to the whole exercise at home. I’m really struggling mentally because I hate to way I look and the past few summers I’ve felt so uncomfortable and I promise myself that next summer I will be at my goal but it never happened 😕. Is there time to get near my goal by June?
So I’m hoping to get advice and tips as to how anybody started out on there journey? How much did you cut out in the beginning? How do you still manage to maintaining/loosing weight?
I’d be so grateful to anyone that could help me ☺️. Sorry for such a long post!

I'd say, start knowing that you will have bad days - more bad than good early on. Set-up a realistic plan, not an ambitious one. Stick to the plan as much as you can. When you don't, don't punish or beat yourself, just restart as soon as possible.

One 'easy'-ish way to approach this is intermittent fasting, or setting up one or two 'fasting' days per week -- where you restrict calories. For example, if you consume on average 2200 calories per day, keep it to 2200 for all days except for two, when you try hard as you can to not exceed 1200 calories. If the fast days are spaced apart, you will always have time to recover and won't get exhausted.

You will also need to supplement this with exercise. The easiest way to lose weight and keep the losses is to run regularly. By run, I really mean just 'jog' - relatively fast paced but not trying to knock yourself out. Start with only 5 minutes the first time you run. At first, run every other day - and try increasing your next run by 1 minute. By the end of Week 1, you will have run a continuous 8 minute run; 11 minutes by the second week; 15 minutes by the end of the third week. Within a month you will be running about 20 minutes per run - every other day. No matter how fast or slow, it will be a great change to your lifestyle. Even if you run 8 or even 9 minutes per kilometer, that will be already between 2 and 2.5 km per run every couple of days.

Ideally, you then keep this up and keep increasing the time (or distance) you run. I went from not being able to run for more than 5 minutes without going out of breath, to comfortably running over 70 minutes consecutively uphill within less than 2 months by following this approach. I also went from probably over-eating, maybe exceeding 3500 calories per day, to sticking to just under 2000 calories per day, and just under 1000 calories per day on fasting days.

It may seem like a simple change, but if you work out the maths, it will be impressive: By the end of the first month, you will be running over 20 minutes per time. That would be up to 80 minutes jogging per week. This translates to 100-150 calories per run; 400-600 calories per week. Combined with the approx. 2000 calories saved per week from fasting - that's about 2500 calories per week. You will probably lose the 5-6 kilos (12 lbs) you seek before the end of month 2. If you find the plan tough, halve everything (1 fast day; increase running time by 1 minute every 2 runs; or 2 fast days of 1600 calories instead of 1200, etc.). It will take longer, maybe, but what does it matter?

And remember, any change you make must become a permanent lifestyle change to keep the weight off.

The only recommendation I can make is a lifestyle change. And lots and lots and lots of patience.

I had the yo-yo effect so many times over. This is what makes calorie counting a great tool. You can calculate your estimated energy requirements and then plan your meals around those. This way I managed to still incorporate foods I enjoy so I don't feel deprived, and I can stick with it. I choose to prelog my meals for the day as then I just "eat according to plan".

Another trap I initially fell in was wanting to get rid of the extra weight AS IN YESTERDAY! And it's natural to want fast results, but... it can really backfire. If your calorie target is based on a loss of 2lbs/week, then MFP would likely set you at a very low calorie intake (especially because you have so little to lose). This might leave you feeling hungry and unable to stick to your planned meals even if you did all the above. This is where patience comes into play. It would be more sustainable to eat at a smaller deficit thus losing weight slower, than at a larger deficit and being unable to consistently stick to your target.

As for exercise, I highly recommend doing something you enjoy, be it swimming, a walk, ping pong, golf, dancing, any activity you enjoy is good, because you'd be more likely to keep doing it. For me, I find weight lifting enjoyable, and I love the challenge of running (but once a week only because I don't find cardio THAT enjoyable :laugh:), and in-between I'll play ping pong if I have the time.

TLDR?

1. Do not be overly restrictive and find ways to incorporate your favourite foods into a REASONABLE calorie target (i.e. mild/small deficit);
2. Find activities that you enjoy (the kind where you move, not the Netflix kind);
3. Be consistent and be patient.

Good luck!

ooops when I say above, IM I mean IF - intermittent fasting

To my point of plant-based and satiety, I want to point out "for long" and I should add also "personally". In other words, for me personally, a plant-based diet is what it took to start a great health journey away from the SAD way of eating I was raised with and then I pivoted into what I enjoy now. NSNG.

Hey, congrats on your effort so far. Agree it is a struggle - eating too much is an addiction I struggled with. Hated diets restricting the foods I love.

However, there is a way to achieve results without too much sacrifice (or at least feeling that way). Some reply posts actually talk about that.

The reason I say this is because I felt just like you did. Lose a few pounds after exercise and strict diet - only to regain it within a day or 2. That is demotivating and hard to do.

So, I have lost about 14lbs since April 2021 without feeling much difficulty. Here is what I am doing:

1) Intermittent fasting (18 hours no food, 6 hours eating window) - My first meal is at 10 AM and last meal before 4PM. It is ok to eat 2-3 meals (anything you like in moderation). Sticking to this will make you watch the portion size without you realizing it. Also resist your urge to eat at around 8-830 AM (you will most likely feel it). But wait till 10 AM - it is well worth it.
2) AVOID watching TV/Phone or other distractions when you eat. Mindful eating is important
3) Drink lots of water -say min 2000ml up to max of half your body weight in fl oz
4) Check in MFA with your weight every morning immediately after waking up & restroom visit
5) Check in on this app, make food entries every day: keeps you motivated
6) Do light to moderate exercise - walking or biking if you can (15-30 mins is fine)
7) Lastly - try to get at least 6-7 hours of sleep. Stop screen time at least 30 mins before bedtime.

18hr fasting is easy - start with 12 and slowly increase the fast time. Your stomach will thank you and your body will get a break to do all the needed repair. Whatever you do, please refrain from eating after 6 PM, that is a great start. See how you feel in the morning.

The above steps will give daily result which in itself will motivate us to stick to the plan. If you falter a day or 2, don't worry, get back on the plan. That should eventually take you to your goal. Hope you regain your best self soon!

Amioc, how have you approached dieting most recently? How many calories a day, for example, what kind of foods did you try cutting out, etc? Losing and keeping weight off means a permanent change in how you plan to eat forever--So it makes sense to find a pattern that you don't find overwhelmingly difficult--Don't aim to get calories too low, don't cut out foods you absolutely love and plan to go back to eating. Find a way to refashion your diet so you can live with it, and don't obsess over quick results.

I had trouble with binges and fasting/super low calorie consumption in my late teens, and when I try to go too low-calorie here now, at the age of 60, I again fall into the pattern of binging. I've found much more stability and success eating a fairly high number of calories (1700 for me) with my usual exercise burning around 350 calories a day and just sticking to both of those. If I exercise more or less, I still eat my 1700ish calories. This has removed the drama around the whole process. Your numbers may be different, depending on your own body, but find that happy place and stick to it, even if the weight loss seems painfully slow. It's important to find a way of eating you can live with.

For me and many others, a smaller group of very supportive friends on here really helps with motivation--When I feel like going off track, I check in with them. When I'm bored and thinking of eating, I check in with them. So I'd suggest finding some *interactive* friends, setting your goals based on what MFP tells you will result in a small amount of weight loss per week, and pre-log your meals based on what is really important to you (taste, nutrition, etc), then stick to what you've pre-logged at the appointed times. For me, this also means keeping trigger foods out of the house or off the table, but I see many people manage to live with, say one dessert a day or a drink or whatever and still lose. You really have to learn your own psychology as you go along here, and also how your own body metabolizes food and what works for you.

The first thing that struck me from your post, is your target could be too ambitious. A UK size 8 is really skinny. You don't give your height, but unless you're really short, a UK size 10 is a healthier size to aim for. Maybe you need to tone up more rather than lose weight.

this will work. figure out your bmr for your target weight. pick a movement level below what your activity is. do the intermittent fasting calculating the intake targeting that calorie count. what i find helpful is entering in the food way before you eat. i'll enter the whole day when i'm having coffee. that way you can adjust as you go. if you do a particular shake/smoothie build a recipe in mfp. it is way easier to log that recipe than all the ingredients.

also eat slowly. no phone, tv, electronics. be intentional. if you go over so what? the more intentional you are the better the quality of the food will become. you'll discover how many calories convenient food has. i love leftovers so i can eat for 3 days on a single cook. sometimes i will cook a roast or large steak and eat it differently each day.

sous vide is your friend too. not just meat but all kinds of veggies. and also the anova precision oven. amazing.

Many people claim to have 'the' solution when it comes to dieting and I see some above. Amazingly, many so-called experts contradict each other. For example, some say carbs are great for weight loss while others claim they are the enemy. The same can be said about fat, sugar, salt, etc. And yet each can point to victories using their strategy. No wonder people are so confused about dieting! I know I was.

My solution was to stop listening to YouTube personalities and the like. Many of them have hidden agendas anyways. Anyone can follow any advice for a few days or weeks or maybe months, but unless you are following a lifestyle that you can maintain indefinitely, you are going to face setbacks sooner or later. I came up with the following lifestyle plan that works for me 6 years ago. I lost 60 pounds and have kept to my target weight since then.

1) Eat what you want, but log everything. You soon realize that the ice cream after dinner was not worth it. I currently eat a wide variety of foods, but avoid sweets and deep fried food. I seldom eat deserts and I no longer miss them. But bottom line, I don't hard ban anything except sugar based drinks. I worked with a nutritionist for a short time in the beginning to jumpstart things and get the basics like portion control down, but after a short time I was fine on my own - while using myfitnesspal, of course!
2) Avoid drinks and foods that can potentially trigger a loss of control. Ex. Alcohol (a couple of beers and suddenly a full order of nachos seems like a good idea!). Someone above said avoid sauces that add calories on their own and have the added problem of making food tastier, potentially leading you to eat even 'healthy' food in excess. This is good advice. My weakness is sour cream. I log all drinks, sauces and the like with extreme prejudice.
3) Exercise 5-6 times a week, even if its a short walk. Log all workouts.
4) Sign up for a physically challenging event like a 5k, etc. Always be working towards a goal. I went from being unable to run 1km without stopping to finishing a full Ironman triathlon within 4 years. I am still setting long term goals for my self. An Everest Base Camp trek is next. Having these events scheduled up to 1 year (or longer) is great, but make sure to have smaller challenges on the calendar in the meantime to keep your focus.

Anyways, that's what I did. It may or may not work for you. Don't do what I did unless it's a lifestyle you can maintain indefinitely. The only rule that is non-negotiable is that you log everything daily.

lilyann087 wrote: »

try intermittent fasting 16/8 and long walks , I have been doing that for the last 4 weeks and have lost 12lbs so far , I cut out all sugar and bread and ate healthy lots of veg , some fruit and fish as I don't eat meat , intermittent fasting has changed my life , its hard the first couple of days but once you get the hang of it .. its a breeze

I love your post. Thank you. Is chicken included as meat or did you mean you cut out beef, etc?