Anyone else on a diet and struggling?

nickyhutch

mummyroysof3 wrote: »

I'm not a fan of fruit so could do with some ideas how to fit in without making into a crumble lol

You don't HAVE to eat fruit. If you're not a fan, don't eat it.

pink_princess

Tink2 wrote: »

Been on a diet since 6th jan, first four weeks I lost 6lbs, next four weeks I lost 9lbs and the last four weeks I lost 0.8lb so it's a total of 15.8lbs which I'm so pleased about but for the last few weeks I'm struggled, using any excuse to not count calories

I wouldn't care but I'm not cutting anything out I'm just trying to be sensible, I don't get why I'm struggling so much, I really want this because I'm miserable being fat

I'm hoping this will help or someone will give me a kick up the !!!! or something

Tink, are you feeling alright? :eek:

You posted that when the clock still said AM!

Breast_Cancer_Survivor

I've lost 2 stone on Slimming World but struggling now & thinking of joining Weight Watchers to lose the last 1/2 a stone.

~Chameleon~

Tink2 wrote: »

And it's not about the taste for some things, it's the fact that they make me ill or it hurts to eat them, should I put up with the pain just to eat nuts, should I put up with a bad stomach and excess gas/constipation to have more eggs

I am willing to eat new foods but I'm not willing to make myself ill or cause myself more pain to eat those things when I can lose weight without them

The bit I highlighted above rings bells for me. I have several overweight clients that have complained of suffering similar symptoms of feeling bloated, trapped wind, constipation etc. Their GP suggests IBS but on evaluating their diet I find it's not often related to specific food. The problem I find is that they just eat far too quickly. As soon as one mouthful is swallowed, the next is on it's way into their mouth. They can clear a full plate of food piled high in less than 5 minutes.

Once I advised them to put down their knife and fork between mouthfuls and to chew their food 15-20 times before swallowing, they found their symptoms almost immediately dissipated. They also found their portion sizes gradually decreased as they realised they'd eaten enough long before clearing the pile of food on their plate.

You've all seen my average portion sizes from the photos I've posted on the "what's for dinner" thread. Those meals take me on average 10-15 minutes to eat and I enjoy every mouthful.

If I was to eat mindlessly whilst watching TV I could easily overeat, or not even notice exactly what I'm eating therefore find myself finishing a plate full yet wanting more purely to recapture the pleasure of what I was eating! This is where many people go wrong.

paulineb_2

I also think, speaking as someone who currently doesnt weigh out their food or count anything into portion sizes, surely people can also perhaps eat more than another person thinks they should eat at one meal and eat less at another.

Im not sure all people weigh and measure every single piece of food that goes past their lips. Some people will, some people wont.

But speaking as someone who has lost over two and a half stones in the last year, even if I had on occasion those 4 or 5 Linda McCartney sausages for a main meal, I must be doing something right because Ive lost weight and my body fat percentage has dropped.

In times gone by people didnt sit down and count their 5 a day or weigh everything into portions. Obviously historically at times the problem was that people didnt have enough food to eat and not enough of it and we have access to more junk food now than 50 years ago.

But even if I do eat quite a lot at one meal, I wont carry on eating that way throughout the day.

There are slimming clubs where people lose weight and do well and a lot of the food thats eaten isnt weighed or measured, its counted as free and for people to judge how much they want to consume.

~Chameleon~

paulineb wrote: »

Surely people can regulate their own food intake?

What I meant was, I couldn't physically eat 5 or 6 sausages. it would be impossible without making me feel grossly ill and rolling around the floor in agony!

As I said, as part of a main meal or breakfast I can't eat more than two normal sized or three chipolatas and I have a healthy appetite. Those that are physically able to consume more are obviously accustomed to eating portions of food far larger than they actually need.

And portion size is often one of the greatest barriers to losing weight and a major cause of obesity.

As for the "chip shop offer" you mentioned, I won't even go there

paulineb_2

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

What I meant was, I couldn't physically eat 5 or 6 sausages. it would be impossible without making me feel grossly ill and rolling around the floor in agony!

As I said, as part of a main meal or breakfast I can't eat more than two normal sized or three chipolatas and I have a healthy appetite. Those that are physically able to consume more are obviously accustomed to eating portions of food far larger than they actually need.

And portion size is often one of the greatest barriers to losing weight and a major cause of obesity.

As for the "chip shop offer" you mentioned, I won't even go there

Ive always liked my food. But I was never overweight in my teens. Nowhere near it. I actually put on weight and more weight when I started dieting, hence not calling a healthy eating lifestyle a diet, I cant do diets anymore.

What I will say is after a couple of really rough years recently a bereavement and then some other very tough family times, healthy eating wasnt my priority, getting through the day in one piece was. It was only when that was over and I also had physio I was able to say enoughs enough, things have to change.

I do know the difference between hunger and being full. But for a period in my life, I was just eating so much that I probably wasnt hungry a lot. Not even so much, so often.

And I could still cope with eating those 5 sausages, easily. But the difference is now, Im active, my diet is healthy (I dont have sausages often by the way), Ive cut down on alcohol and snacks, Im not in denial about my size, I dont do self sabotage and I dont reach for food to deal with things in my life that I should be talking about instead.

System

I think I'm beginning to understand is not necessarily how much I eat, but what I eat that matters. I was eating takeaway and fast food, and even though that was below the recommended calorie intake I was eating the wrong things if that makes sense? Trying to be more aware of what I eat now

Perhaps Tink that might apply to you? You could be eating less calorie wise but not eating the right things? It's not just calories that matter (and I say that as someone who used to fixate on them)

Tink2

pink_princess wrote: »

Tink, are you feeling alright? :eek:

You posted that when the clock still said AM!

Lol, I hadn't been to bed when I posted this

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

The bit I highlighted above rings bells for me. I have several overweight clients that have complained of suffering similar symptoms of feeling bloated, trapped wind, constipation etc. Their GP suggests IBS but on evaluating their diet I find it's not often related to specific food. The problem I find is that they just eat far too quickly. As soon as one mouthful is swallowed, the next is on it's way into their mouth. They can clear a full plate of food piled high in less than 5 minutes.

Once I advised them to put down their knife and fork between mouthfuls and to chew their food 15-20 times before swallowing, they found their symptoms almost immediately dissipated. They also found their portion sizes gradually decreased as they realised they'd eaten enough long before clearing the pile of food on their plate.

You've all seen my average portion sizes from the photos I've posted on the "what's for dinner" thread. Those meals take me on average 10-15 minutes to eat and I enjoy every mouthful.

If I was to eat mindlessly whilst watching TV I could easily overeat, or not even notice exactly what I'm eating therefore find myself finishing a plate full yet wanting more purely to recapture the pleasure of what I was eating! This is where many people go wrong.

I do chew a lot (i do count ) and I never eat without thinking, I'm a slow eater, my OH finishes way before me 99% of the time

xXMessedUpXx wrote: »

I think I'm beginning to understand is not necessarily how much I eat, but what I eat that matters. I was eating takeaway and fast food, and even though that was below the recommended calorie intake I was eating the wrong things if that makes sense? Trying to be more aware of what I eat now

Perhaps Tink that might apply to you? You could be eating less calorie wise but not eating the right things? It's not just calories that matter (and I say that as someone who used to fixate on them)

Yeah I see what you mean MU

You're doing so well with your weight loss

onlyroz

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

What I meant was, I couldn't physically eat 5 or 6 sausages. it would be impossible without making me feel grossly ill and rolling around the floor in agony!

Agreed. Two sausages is all I can manage, along with some skin-on mash, peas, gravy and mustard. But to fill my stomach with six sausages and nothing else sounds like a recipe for indigestion.