Anyone else on a diet and struggling?

~Chameleon~

paulineb wrote: »

To be fair, packets of crisps aside, I think she has tried to make some changes to her diet for the positive.

I'm sure she has. In fact from knowing her posting in a previous incarnation I know she has. But that doesn't detract from me trying to push her into a healthier mindset. I'd be failing in my job if I said "yes, continue what you're doing etc" and as far as I try to refrain from giving specific dietary advice on the forum, I think this girl might benefit from it

~Chameleon~

Tink2 wrote: »

I bet no one here has a perfect diet and eats 100% healthy 100% of the time

You are 100% correct here! :T

I, along with many other people i regularly train with, go by the mantra of 80/20 so 80% of our diet is clean but we allow ourselves a 20% margin for the odd treat, whether that be a glass or three of wine (my downfall) or a pudding or whatever takes your fancy

Very few people can eat 100% clean 100% of the time. Especially those of us who've had past weight/food issues.

Tink2

I'm not going to change everything straight away, I will continue to make changes as I go

It seems people have focused on the one time I ate four packets of crisps and what they don't realise is that that's an improvement, me and my OH used to regularly eat a 24 multipack between us in two days so yes even though four packets is a lot it's still an improvement and I've improved further by cutting them out

I didn't even eat crisps every day anyway, sure I ate them more than I should and more packets than I should but that's all people seem to focus on, they don't mention the fact that the rest of my food that day was healthier or that my food yesterday was fairly healthy, no, it's just the fact that on one day I had four packets of crisps

paulineb_2

I actually think its incredibly hard to know whether you are doing things right or wrong with your own diet. I cant say I was ever a devotee of slimming clubs. I had a short spell at slimming world in my mid 20s, went along with a friend who needed to lose more weight than I did, she lost about 3 stones, looked fantastic, stopped, weight went back on.

Apart from that, Ive never done any other diet plan, but I do know people who have lost stones on weight watchers and have done very well and maintained it.

Not once at any time when I was suffering from work related stress or anxiety and when I was overweight did my GP ever offer me support. I did the get active plan through my local gym around 10 years ago, because I was suffering from work related stress. I was also overweight but thats not the reason I went, but many people did. It helped. But there were also times in my life when I was too low to exercise and exercise helps me maintain my weight. My GP's are very couldnt care less in just about every respect, anxiety, certain illnesses, they dont want to know and they certainly dont provide a listening ear. Had I ever wanted help with my weight I wouldnt have got it. I did the get active not through my GP, they refused to stamp the form, the leisure centre knew this and accepted people from my GP practice who fitted the criteria.

What I am trying to say is that I have never had any help with my diet and there are days I dont know if I am getting it right. I eat a lot of veg, less fruit but fruit now and then. I eat very little white carbs. I am trying to up my protein intake and also my good fats and I also am trying to make sure I eat also tailored to my training. And Im trying to do that while trying to undo 20 odd years of having my weight yoyo up and down. I also cut down on alcohol massively at new year and I dont really drink now either.

I think personally, even one change for the positive is good. You do what you can do.

I know lots of people with far worse diets than mine and I dare say there are people with better diets than mine too.

Its hard. If the OP is someone who has had a history of overeating and not eating quality food, then those changes might take time to achieve. They might take 6 months, they might take a year or more and food might be a lifelong issue.

Ive never been bulimic. Ive never had anorexia. But Ive always had a pretty unhealthy relationship with food and at times overeaten. Maybe since my 20s, having put a lot of weight on, lost it and then not maintained it and then having suffered from stress and my weight just yo-yoed up and down. Calorie counting doesnt work for me. I cant do that anymore.

But I do know what its like when food is an issue and how tough it is to try and make changes. There will be people out there who have a healthy relationship with food and its not a battle. Im not one of them and whatever issues the OP herself does have with food, if she is trying and open to new suggestions, thats all she can do.

I also think once you have a decent amount of weight off, you might naturally make better food choices. All I know now is that I feel crap when I eat junk food and I really dont care that much for it anymore.

paulineb_2

Tink2 wrote: »

I'm not going to change everything straight away, I will continue to make changes as I go

It seems people have focused on the one time I ate four packets of crisps and what they don't realise is that that's an improvement, me and my OH used to regularly eat a 24 multipack between us in two days so yes even though four packets is a lot it's still an improvement and I've improved further by cutting them out

I didn't even eat crisps every day anyway, sure I ate them more than I should and more packets than I should but that's all people seem to focus on, they don't mention the fact that the rest of my food that day was healthier or that my food yesterday was fairly healthy, no, it's just the fact that on one day I had four packets of crisps

Listen, I got shredded on here about 6 months ago for saying I bought food, including crisps from approved foods. By that time I was doing ok food wise and those crisps werent one after the other after the other, but a few people still had an issue with it, as if I was buying a box of crisps to shove in my gob one after the other (wasnt probably a box of crisps anyway, was probably a multipack).

Even not eating a packet of crisps a day is a massive thing for me, in times gone by that would be a daily thing.

I suppose I have to apologise to golden wonder if their profits have fallen, a few vineyards may also go bust soon as well now that I no longer drink wine.

paulineb_2

I also suffered from a very poor self image for a long time, because as a size 10-12 and at the weight of 9 stones 4 in my teens I was referred to as fat by just about anyone who wanted to pass remark. I was considered bigger than everyone else I was friendly with (I probably was), but looking back, I wasnt fat in the slightest. I found a photo of me at a wedding around 22 years ago, Im not fat in the slightest. But lots of people said I was. You end up with this really warped view of how you look, because the first thing that some people do when they want to have a pop is call you names and even though you arent big, you think you are.

And it was also the first name I was called when any (unsupportive) partner wanted to hurt me.

Ive spent a lot of my life fixated with my size, when I wasnt actually fat after all (Im talking about back then, when I was maybe 14-21, not when I was heavier later on).

And somehow food becomes an issue. I havent actually calorie counted for a long time, but this is the first time in a long long time, apart from a spell in my mid 30s where I was very fit where I really dont have a negative relationship with food, or a poor body image.

And given that I still have some weight to lose, Im proud of that.

Its one day at a time stuff for so many people out there.

Indie_Kid

paulineb wrote: »

I also suffered from a very poor self image for a long time, because as a size 10-12 and at the weight of 9 stones 4 in my teens I was referred to as fat by just about anyone who wanted to pass remark.

I think (and you probably know this too) it's jealousy.

Even not eating a packet of crisps a day is a massive thing for me, in times gone by that would be a daily thing.

Same for me. I may now have a packet of crisps once a week and that's it.

~Chameleon~

For those who like to follow a particular plan, the only "diet" we would ever advocate is Slimming World. We have clients working with us on exercise regimes that are following this plan and have great results.

paulineb_2

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

For those who like to follow a particular plan, the only "diet" we would ever advocate is Slimming World. We have clients working with us on exercise regimes that are following this plan and have great results.

Didnt really work well for me. I dont eat meat and in those days it was red day, green day, I know its changed now. My friend lost 3 stones fairly quickly on red days, took me some time to lose ten pounds on green and by the end of it I was heartily sick of baked potatoes and the like.

I do know a lot of people it does work well for, but not me.

I actually think the slimming world diet is pretty healthy anyway, so people lose weight and clean up their diet without feeling deprived.

~Chameleon~

To answer the "crisp debate" - I bought a bag of 6 in Aldi on their last £5 off a £40 spend day just to test them. The Cheese & Onion ones were also half price, my favourite flavour!

I think that was maybe two (+) weeks ago now and we (2) still have at least 3 packs in the cupboard!