The General Diet & Emotional Support Thread

downshifted

Can I recommend you look at The Diet Delusion by Gary Taubes - you can get it from your Library. There are far better ways of eating than the Special K diet :-)

millsymuttleylaugh

Hello, I'm basically here looking for some advice.

I'm overweight, and as much as it makes me feel totally awful about it I can't seem to get the motivation to do it. In a way I'm stuck in a rut of binge eating, if I have a bad day or feel rubbish then I eat junk food because it makes me feel better, but if I do something really well, or feel I deserve a reward then I end up doing the same thing.

I've always been big built but over the past year I've put more weight on. So much so then if I walk anywhere for a distance my back starts to hurt, if I'm exherting myself alot I get really out of breath.

I find my body disgusting, I don't own any flattering clothes, I spend my life wearing trackies, tshirts and hoodies because they fit me and are the only thing I can afford (not sure if any other big people find that the plus size places are expensive, example pair of jeans £20 in evans, the style of trackies I wear I could have 3 pairs for that one pair of jeans)

Basically I'd love to go to the gym (I used to go) and swimming. But because I'm so ashamed of my body I actually am reluctant to go. I hate the thought of people looking at me in general, let alone running or in a costume swimming.

I'm currently on medication for depression, and I'm also unemployed, and combining this with my already low confidence I don't really leave the house unless I need to. I get very shy and anxious if I have to leave the house and try to get home as soon as I can. Unless I feel comfortable in a situation I always feel that everyone is looking at me and thinking oh my god how fat is she. Even more so when I'm stood in the shop with junk food.

I dunno where to start, I'm a very fussy eater, I'm too self concious to go out jogging or go on my bike (the last time I went out on it a few months ago some teenagers stood at the side of the road were shouting at me saying I'm too fat to be on a bike, that I'm popping the tyres etc)

I've been bullied about my weight through my entire life, but since I've been fully grown height wise then the lowest my weight has been was just over 15 stone. I really want to do something about it. I know people will just say well stop eating, but I think its an addiction, I can't seem to stop.

Its really make me feel useless about myself and I'm not sure how much longer I can take it. I'm only 20 but I've never felt good about myself, I have no social life and I just feel my life is being wasted.

I know the motivation is inside me somewhere, I just need to find it and a point at where to start.

Thanks for reading, sorry for moaning on just needed to get it off my chest

belfastgirl23

Ok there's a lot going on there

I think you're probably feeling overwhelmed by it all and not knowing where to start. So why not just pick one thing and do it? Like decide to go for a walk, even just a short one to get you started. Promise yourself a walk every night this week, whatever amount you feel comfortable with. Use your walking time to talk to yourself about WHY you want to lose weight. Use the motivational tools, picture yourself thinner, think how much weight you could have lost by christmas etc.

I know it might feel hopeless but making one small step is the beginning.

Also re the swimming thing, have you thought about doing aqua aerobics? If you have trouble with your back etc in the gym this can really be a good way to get some exercise. And having been an attender myself, there were very few skinny women there I can comment as definitely not a skinny woman myself.

But that's down the line. For now, just do one thing. You will feel better for it!

Good luck!

And you can use this thread as a reporting mechanism if you like

(As a PS you could consider Slimming World, I'm a member. My group isn't so hot to be honest but I can see how if you found a good group it would be very motivational)

downshifted

Hiya millsy

Well done on taking this step towards getting your eating back in control. I notice you mention junk food a few times - carby junk foods are considered by many to be addictive - it could be a good idea to wean yourself off them. I eat healthily because I have been told I am at risk of diabetes if I don't - it was a good motivator. But actually diabetes is increasing in the UK - and overweight people who do not exercise are at greater risk than others

Seems to me you need to think about how you could eat healthily (take a look at the low carb thread for one kind of idea) and also about how you can maintain your motivation - maybe a diet buddy to spur you on? Good luck :-)

There_Goes_Trouble

Have a look on freecycle for indoor gym equipment, that way you could begin to exercise at home and move to outdoors once you've improved your self confidence. I know what you mean, I started running ages ago and as a beginner was only doing a short distance. A postman made some comment about me as I went past and it put me off to the extent that I now feel very self concious about running outside, and I'm not over weight at all!! I stopped running then and there and it was years before I started again. I have now got a treadmill however and have been able to improve my running with no fear of what people might say. Still, I have run outside once or twice this summer but only in an isolated place or early in the morning.

I know this stuff takes up room, but it would be worth it even if it was in the way if it helped you make a start. You can always put it back on freecycle once you're confident enough to go to the gym. My sister used to do 'Tai Bo' DVD's and did really well with that, she'd had a baby and the cost of the creche along with the cost of classes made it too expensive. You do need some motivation to get on and do them though.

Aqua aerobics is a good idea as it's often held on its own in the pool so no teenaged boys hanging around. And as previously mentioned it is mainly people wanting to lose weight so you shouldn't feel out of place.

I have also found that the bigest motivator for me to lose weight is actually losing some and not wanting to put it back on! Another thing that I have found is that although I have a pretty healthy diet, I was eating too much so I now watch my portion size. Junk food is an occasional treat. Do you live with family? I live alone so I just don't buy things like crisps, biscuits etc and I don't bake cakes. If they're not there then I can't eat them. Especially late at night...

And another thing that has helped me is understanding how many calories are in food and how much exercise it takes to burn them off. For example, my treadmill tells me that my routine of a half mile walking warm up followed by 2 miles running @ 6mph followed by a half mile walking cool down, burns 300 calories. (well, 299 actually but I do the extra 0.1 of a mile to burn the last one LOL!!). Then I looked on the McDonalds website and learned that the Big Mac meal that I so love, is over 950 calories. So to burn off that one meal I would need to do my routine 3 times in a day!! Of course you need calories and will burn some just moving around, but they don't burn easy!! Start reading packets and getting an idea of how many you consume in a day. You need a healthy balanced diet, but you also need to be aware that to lose weight you need to burn more calories than you eat, and that's not easy. Now though, I can look at a snickers bar and think 'that's about 3 miles running' and I put it back. That has helped my self control immensely.

And while I'm on a roll with what's worked for me, I'll mention my little mantra I use. When I wander out to the kitchen looking for food I ask myself "need or want?" and I make myself recognise if I'm hungry or bored. If I'm bored I'll go and do something else. If I'm actually hungry I'll offer myself a raw carrot or apple. If I don't want either, then I can't really be as hungry as I thought I was.....

Good luck.

hot.chick

just start by going for a walk...go every day, maybe to your local shop? buy a paper or a pink of milk or something...then go futher, maybe the next firthest shop... go every day, you will feel better really quickly, not only will you be getting up and doing something but the fresh air and seeing the world will brighten you day...

it will be hard to get up off the sofa and do it - but only youcan make the effort, you don't need any special equipment, or send any money, just start by going for a walk.

Regarding rewarding yourself find NON food things you would like, a new nail varnish (Barry M 2 x £5) or a facepack sachet (99p) aussie hair mirical (you get the idea) cheaper than junk food and all very rewarding - and things that will hopefully improve the way you feel about yourself - better skin, nice nails, silky hair - etc....

but it all has to come from you - you need to get up and make the changes...

Good luck - may I also send you this link

http://www.howtobehappy.org/

this book is free - enjoy it xxx

gettingready

It is nearly 4 weeks that I have been following Dukan and lost about 5-6kg in the first 3 weeks but NOTHING in the last week.
Feel pretty low about that, anyone else on Dukan and had this isue?

madget_2

gettingready wrote: »

It is nearly 4 weeks that I have been following Dukan and lost about 5-6kg in the first 3 weeks but NOTHING in the last week.
Feel pretty low about that, anyone else on Dukan and had this isue?

I've not experienced that yet, but I do expect to. Apparently, it's pretty common, but normally only temporary.

Most times it can be just due to fluctuations in fluid retention - maybe your balance of veg to protein has been a bit too much or maybe (if you're female!) it's your TOTM? Sometimes it just happens and there's no obvious explanation. Some people even gain a pound or two for a week. You'll usually find that within the next week or so, you'll see change again.

However, it also says in the book that there are periods of stagnation - although you may not have been on the diet long enough for that to be the explanation, so I suspect it's probably only a very temporary blip in your case. In the event of stagnation, check what you're eating and what kinds of proportions (too little protein, too much of the foods you're meant to go easy on) and up your exercise (the book recommends 60 minutes of walking a day just for one week, I think).

I wouldn't worry too much if I were you as it really does sound like a small hiccough. Keep on with your diet, making sure you're sticking to it correctly, and I'm sure you'll soon find that you're back on track and losing weight again.

Good luck!

Eric_Pisch

gettingready wrote: »

It is nearly 4 weeks that I have been following Dukan and lost about 5-6kg in the first 3 weeks but NOTHING in the last week.
Feel pretty low about that, anyone else on Dukan and had this isue?

this happens to all dieters, whether your on a "magic" system or not

the body is not a machine like a car that say gets 30mpg at 70mph, all sorts of things affect it, inflammation of muscle from training, viral infection, salt causes a huge amount of retention in water, high levels of stress hormones drastically affect weight loss, under eating forces your body to slow down your metabolism, TOTM etc all affect you

it happens to everyone, even contestants on the BL who are eating 1500 cals a day and burn 8-10k cals a day have weeks where they loose next to nothing

Anita1075

Lots of good ideas on here, it is difficult to know where to start really. I have heard of many good diets that do seem to work but I think my style of cooking is not really healthy in terms of losing weight and that is why is has been creeping up on me. I use a lot of ghee in my cooking and I love Indian sweets but I don't do enough excercise to tackle the weight and I'm getting a bit older now so notice it. I have taken the comments here to heart and I have bought and made some very healthy snacks but I have also ordered a selection of meal replacements to try out and see if they work to combine with these snacks. I just want to lose a lot of weight and then go back to eating ordinary meals when i am in control of my weight once more.