Want to start a diet but I'm rubbish at them - help!

[eyelinerprincess]

I've been overweight for most of my life, not morbidly obese, but enough to notice a bit of flab around my thighs (god, how I hate my thighs) and my bum, with a little extra to spare around my stomach. The problem is that I can never stick to diets, and hate exercise (probably stemming from the fact I can't run very fast or far - at school I always trailed behind everyone else when running). I keep saying I'm going on a diet, then stick with it for a few days and then go "b*gger this, I want some chocolate!" and that's it down the drain.

A few days ago, I was diagnosed with PCOS, which is what's kinda kick starting my ambition to get to a normal weight.

I think my main problems are:
- snacking (after work we can do our shopping, and the main thing my shop sells is junk. Chocolate, crisps, sweets etc. - and it seems easier to munch these things than wait to get home for dinner)
- not eating breakfast
- eating crap for lunch (it's cheaper and easier to go to Greggs or buy a pot noodle or supernoodles etc.)
- not doing exercise, or not finding exercise I enjoy (when I get back from work, I can't be bothered to do anything other than collapse in front of the TV or computer)
- Dilusional OH, who tells me he likes me having meat on my bones and that I look fine as I am, and not understanding that I do have a problem with my weight and I need to lose a few pounds.

Anyone have any hints/tips/suggestions? All help gratefully received.

[sooz]

do you have a friend who wants to lose weight too? It's a lot easier if you have someone to do it with.

Or have you considered joining slimming world, w/w etc?

Or how about getting your shopping delivered? That would put an end to the snacking, & give you more free time. I've heared good things about tesco ediets, who will also help you with meal planning.

whichever you go with, start with meal planning. It makes everything much easier if when you go to the shops you know what you want to buy, & what you are eating that night. Then you don't have to pop out & buy junk as you are hungry.

As for exercise, depending on your budget, find something you like doing. Are you gym members (those ones the gym loves that never go :p). If so, start going. If not, look to see how much your local one is. Your local council often run them too, on a pay as you go basis. Or have you got a wii...try the wii fit, it's exercise 'lite' but very fun, & you can play it as a couple too.


mmmm chocolate. I love chocolate. Keep some small bars of really good quality chocolate at home. You don't have to give everything up. Moderation is key :)

[eyelinerprincess]

Shopping delivered - I still live with my parents atm, so they do all the shopping (plus mum gets staff discount).

As I'm about to move in with my partner, although I can afford the gym now, I don't know if I'll be able to in a few months time iyswim.

I have a Wii and Wii Fit, but don't often get to use it due to a shared TV.

[alison999]

I HATE dieting and need to loose another 3.5 stone, since i started ive lost 9lbs from doing 1 hour a day on my wii fit.

Ive also tried to eat better but i must admit, unless im having mcdonalds or pizza i dont really think sbout what im eating. if i do eat something bad then ill do extra time on the wii or my exercise bike.

[bdon]

1. Don't eat crisps, chocolate, or any packaged foods
2. Don't drink alcohol
3. Gorge on vegetables and fruits

> it genuinely is that simple <

[Bronnie]

Big changes start with small steps.

Instead of trying to change everything at once and giving up by day 5, try to tackle the problem in small steps.

For example,
Week 1 , organise yourself, so you eat a healthy and sustaining breakfast each day and substitute your morning snacks with fruit.

Perhaps decide with a friend you're going to do a 20minute power-walk 3 times a week. Plan the time, stick to it and enjoy a catch-up natter at the same time

Over the following weeks, choose 1 or two other small improvements each time to add to your plan.

And remember, you're not alone in this.....there's plenty of us here fighting the same battle!:grouphug:

[frivolous_fay]

1. Don't eat crisps, chocolate, or any packaged foods
2. Don't drink alcohol
3. Gorge on vegetables and fruits

> it genuinely is that simple <

My baddies are similar

No alcohol
No pastry / biscuits
Nothing deep fried

I read recently that, dreary as it sounds, counting calories really is key.
You always underestimate the calories you're taking in unless you count them properly. There's no point kidding yourself you're dieting if you're eating enough to maintain your weight, or more! A packaged sandwich can easily contain half your calorific needs for a day.

[Taye]

don't starve yourself, biggest failing of dieters eating to little... hungry people are more likely to wreak thier diet by eating something they shouldn't in a moment of weakness due to hunger.

Plan your mealtimes, plan your meals and stick to it.

[ailuro2]

It's probably your PCOS that's made it hard to shift those extra few pounds.

Stop going on about your weight, men hate it, they really do!!

It's obvious to men what women need to do - just eat a bit less junk and the weight drops off - that's what happens for them anyway, so they assume it's the same for women.

With PCOS you'll need to get some regular exercise to help combat the tendency to gain a bit of weight, but walking to work, Wii-ing:o or doing a sport you enjoy are all great options - does your OH do anything sporty? Does he like badminton?

Find a sport you enjoy and you'll stick to it - I do martial arts which I get a real kick out of (pardon the pun) and I've been going for nearly two years now whereas I only ever managed a year at most at any other exercise activity.

Good Luck, and well done on wanting to do something about it now before it's a bigger amount to be lost.;)

[lab-lover]

I hate the word 'dieting' and fool myself by saying healthy eating instead.

[Bronnie]

I hate the word 'dieting' and fool myself by saying healthy eating instead.

I've done that before too . While healthy eating is a great step to make if your diet has previously been junky, you can still overeat on a 'healthy diet' and not lose or even keep gaining weight! You still need to control the amount you eat, whilst making the healthy choices.

[Ted_Hutchinson]

PCOS is linked to low vitamin D status.

Low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations are associated with insulin resistance and obesity in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17177140)

It follows that while you have insulin resistance all diets are likely to fail.
You need to correct your vitamin D status to improve your insulin resistance. As well of course by reducing the demands for insulin by eating a low carbohydrate way of eating.

Correcting Vitamin D status is easy and cheap. ONE of these every week for 8 weeks (https://secure.bio-tech-pharm.com/detail.aspx?product_id=20&cat_id=2&subcat_id=0) Then one every 10 days.

The very easiest low carbohydrate way of eating is Dr Dahlqvist's way of eating for good health and weight loss (http://blogg.passagen.se/dahlqvistannika/?anchor=my_lowcarb_dietary_programe_in)
While I managed to do this diet without any extra exercise, one of the things exercise does do is improve insulin sensitivity so exercise will help your underlying problem.
Unlike Atkins Dr D's plan has no induction period. It may help a lot of you use Coconut Oil particularly in the early stages as it's burn't as brain fuel as easily as carbs and it saves you getting the Carb withdrawal symptoms that make many Atkins people suffer in the early days.

[Saverjoy]

I have been on diets, been to diet clubs etc for 20 years but if I was the weight where I started I wouldn't be obese now just overweight.... whatever you choose to do about your problem I can recommend a website that has helped me more than I can express in words here.....it's not just one thing but many areas to look at nutrition, fitness, motivation, health, you as a whole person, being honest with yourself and taking resposibility.....little goals towards your ultimate goal...finding others to support isn't easy but it can be done....
"sparkpeople" is where you can find pretty much everything you need, the rest is up to you... how much do you want it?
best of all the website is free and it provides so much more!

hope this helps
Saverjoy

[HappySad]

I have been on diets, been to diet clubs etc for 20 years but if I was the weight where I started I wouldn't be obese now just overweight.... whatever you choose to do about your problem I can recommend a website that has helped me more than I can express in words here.....it's not just one thing but many areas to look at nutrition, fitness, motivation, health, you as a whole person, being honest with yourself and taking resposibility.....little goals towards your ultimate goal...finding others to support isn't easy but it can be done....
"sparkpeople" is where you can find pretty much everything you need, the rest is up to you... how much do you want it?
best of all the website is free and it provides so much more!

hope this helps
Saverjoy

I am going to have a look at this site. I have so far done a little step @ a time & change how I eat for good. You need to eat like a size 12 person & believe me they feel they eat a lot but they don't eat as much as us bigger people. My weight gain was pregnancy & also side effect from my medication.

[elisebutt65]

I'm just reading a book called Neris and India's Idiot-proof Diet: From Pig to Twig. It's like a modified Atkins diet and I'm going to give it a go when I get back from holiday.

It reads wonderfully as it's written and devised by 2 women who've been through it - not nutritionists or dietitians who lecture you and they don't go on at you about exercise all the time - they do say to do it but not in that horrible lecturing way some diet books do!

The recipe book that comes with it as well has some lovely sounding stuff in that I can fed to the kids so I don't have to feed them separately which is the main reason I quit Atkins after losing 4 stones - big mistake and I'm going to stick to this for life as I can't go on like this!

I hate exercise but get around it by not having a car so I HAVE to walk everywhere and as work is just over a mile away, means I get in a minimum of 2 miles a day, 5 days a week:D I'm just trying to step up the pace a bit and have got it under 15 mins now.

I'm getting a pedometer as well so I can measure how far I'm going and am going to try to increase my distance walked per week as well, even if it's just an extra couple of spins around the park. In June when college breaks up , I'm going to join the local gym as they do a pay as you go per month membership and have a personal trainer for about 6 sessions to kick start me so hopefully by next college year in September I'm in the habit of going at least 3 times a week to do circuit training - I find anything else really boring and can't cope with aerobics - bouncy flab - Ugh!!! My real hate is the cardio stuff - 30 mins on a stepper :eek::eek::eek: I get bored after 10! I'm also going to have a go at Pilates just to get my tummy toned so it doesn't flop around too much after I've lost a few stone.

My start date is 6th June so I've got the holiday out of the way and I've got back into work routine with only a couple of work weeks left in the year - hardest part I find is eating at work but we have a nice bistro so I can pig out on salad with proteins or make up some lettuce wraps and ham and cheese roll ups on my long days.

One big piece of advice from the book is NOT to tell anyone that your dieting as you can get sabotaged by friends and family - just cook as normal and leave out the carbs from yours and most OH's never notice much about what your eating anyway:rotfl:

[indigo25]

Honestly I think the key to a diet is lots and lots and lots of water. Sounds simple and a bit ridiculous but it works.
I read in a magazine ages ago, think it was Grazia, that Liz Hurley would drink warm water all the time instead of eating! (she actually admitted this) obviously completely unhealthy and I'm not suggesting that. However a lot of hunger is thirst, and I think many of us never drink the amount of water recommeded per day. So next time you're hungry for a snack, have a glass of water. It's not very exciting so maybe try those flavoured waters .... makes it easier.
Most nit picky diets that tell you what to eat or not eat are ridiculous. I was at my thinnest when I lived in Italy, walked a ton, ate pasta all the time.
Another idea- a couple of my friends have been doing bikram yoga twice/3 times a week. They both are noticeably thinner, I was shocked. Neither do any other kind of exercise!
Hope this helps :-)

[Bitsy Beans]

Personally I try and stick to Paul McKenna's tips. His tapping technique does stop my craving for sweet things and his way I am not calorie counting, weighing things, avoiding food etc. I can eat what I want am just learning to eat less and for proper reasons (like actual hunger) rather than boredom, comfort, habit etc.

Good luck with what ever you choose to do.

[lab-lover]

I've done that before too . While healthy eating is a great step to make if your diet has previously been junky, you can still overeat on a 'healthy diet' and not lose or even keep gaining weight! You still need to control the amount you eat, whilst making the healthy choices.
Obviously portion control is the key.

[marrowgirl]

Hi Eyelinerprincess,

I too have PCOS -I've started doing a low carb diet to try to keep my blood sugar/insulin in control and have started to loose weight too. Yippee! (see the low carb thread for support). The Verity website (for PCOS) has some info about this too.
For me its a case of thinking I need to change the way I eat for my health -the weight loss-although needed, is a secondary benefit. I too am rubbish at diets but sticking to a different way of eating has been easier with the support of MSE. I'm not incredibly strict but when I slip and "comfort" eat I don't hang myself up about it but just get back to normal the next day.

snacking -I snack on babybel, fruit, veggie sticks with low carb dip or almonds at work.
not eating breakfast -always try to have something, even just a banana. You probably have blood sugar problems from the PCOS so this is vital for you, otherwise you'll get really tired and crave sugary snacks later.
eating "carp" for lunch -me too. I make loads of food for dinner and take some for lunch the next day.
no exercise- probably lack of energy from PCOS -get your diet sorted and that should improve. You could always take up fidgeting! Skinny people tend to be on the move more and fidget -even things like knitting use up calories! Or try going for a walk -walk someones dog for them?
Dillusional OH- join the club! Tell him you are doing this to improve your health and your mood -no one wants a grumpy wife/girlfriend so this should shut him up!!

All the best. x

[eyelinerprincess]

Thanks for all the suggestions, guys. I've been so down over the past few days over the PCOS, and generally having a crap week (topped off with a lovely bout of thrush) that I've totally abandoned the diet and went back on the ciggies (before I managed a month of stopping, this time it's been three days max and I'm back on them again - only a couple a day, so I'm not a heavy smoker, but enough to make me feel bad).

Looked into W/W and S/S but the meetings are impossible for me to get to (too close to when I finish work, and half the time I finish late as it is), so that idea's out the window. Been eating salads and trying to consciously choose things that are good for me (fruit and low calorie drinks), but come dinnertime it's "one small chocolate bar won't hurt" when I know it probably will impact me more than I'm letting myself think.

Had my day off today (working 6 days a week for the near future, min 6 hours, max 9 hours/day) and I'm totally exhausted. Had a dance rehearsal for the show that I'm doing in a couple of weeks and couldn't muster up the energy to do much. Hopefully by midweek, when I start at 12, I'll muster up the energy to do little things like walk the mile and a half to work instead of taking the bus and after the show, I'll have my day off again and I'll find a sport or hobby to take up.

[vik6525]

The easiest, and most simple way to start off a diet, is to live by the mantra 'Dont eat beige food'

Trust me!

[Louisemcc24spirit]

Hi eyelinerprincess,

There's some really great advice on this forum; I just wanted to add my support to what you're going through. I was diagnosed 7 years ago and at the same time i was the queen of yoyo dieting!

My sis bought me the Atkins Diet book and since then I've never looked back! Like you I'd start a diet but as soon as I hit 'a bad day' I'd comfort eat cr*p. I don't do too well on portion control / calorie counting etc as there is too much of a chance to cheat; I need to be told exactly what I can eat. Far from being restrictive and you feeling the need to rebel, low carbing is great because there is so much choice and you can eat as much as you like. Within a few days you'll find you're feeling satisfied on less food - trust me that feeling is amazing!

I have no links with Aktins or low carb products but I wanted to share with everyone PCOS can be managed; my periods are regular, moods more stable (well as far as they can be for a girlie!!!) ;) and no more weight gain!:j

I was researching Vit D (thank you so much Ted for your info) and will definately be doing the test and let you all know how I get on.