Has Anyone Lost Weight Without Dieting?!

Anoneemoose

Evening All!

I am still struggling with my weight. Recently tried SW again but not much success after the initial losses. I know it works but I get overwhelmed by trying to remember what is what. I have OCD and spend a lot of time 'thinking' so that's why it gets too much.

I also struggle because of my Fibromyalgia. I have had a rough few weeks with pain but am lucky that most of it is taken away with regular paracetamol/ibuprofen. One of the things that makes me struggle as well is the fatigue. My daughter was up in the night which meant poor (even more than normal which is not good) sleep for me. So this afternoon I napped when she did (couldn't stop myself). When I woke up, I felt so drained I 'needed' a quick energy boost ao grabbed biscuits. This happens regularly. I have tried healthy snacks like carrots, cucumber, pepper etc but they don't do the same! I also have PCOS and IBS so some of the healthy things I love like pulses and lentils and lots of veg are off limits!

Anyway, that's a bit of background. I just wondered if anyone has had their own 'restrictions' but still managed to lose weight? I have tried to think of a 'baby steps' plan to gradually change habits like first week, make sure I have veg with every meal in some form, or drinking a certain amount of water. And then adding something new every week until my diet is overhauled so to speak!

I have honestly tried everything and am totally stuck. I know it might sound like I used my ailments as excuses and sometimes I probably do, but really, they do actually hinder me as well.

I think i have probably rambled so if you got this far, thanks!

trailingspouse

When I first started reading your post, I was ready to say that, rather than dieting (which implies a temporary change), you need to make a permanent change to your eating habits.

However, I'm not an expert on the do's and don'ts when it comes to what you should or shouldn't be eating for the health problems that you have. I wonder if you could get a referral to a nutritionist via your GP?

gunsandbanjos

I'm currently using Paul McKenna's hypnotic gastric band. I've lost 12lbs in about 8 weeks. So it's not flying off but I'm very happy, there are no banned foods which stops cravings.

It's a step on from his I can make you thin books. It is 100% worth looking at! it's mostly about intuitive eating, eating when you're hungry, eating consciously, stopping when you're full etc.

Anoneemoose

Thank you for the replies.

I have spoken to my doc about my ibs and have had success with being aware of 'FODMAPS'. I do still have some ups and downs with it but generally am ok. PCOS advice is stick to low GI but again it's the trying to remember what I should and shouldn't have!

I tried I can make you thin once but found it a struggle to stop eating! I also have an app on my phone which I had a small amount of success with last year and that is easyloss hypno gastric band. I started struggling with my OCD for other reasons at the same time and found it very difficult to relax when listening to the app so that's why stopped that.

That's why I was thinking along the lines of making gradual positive changes that hopefully become habit over time.

aintshesweet

I did (still am). I don't follow any particular diet, I've made changes to both my diet and exercise routine, neither of which were terrible to begin with, but obviously weren't working for me before.

I'm doing it slowly. Have been since the end of last year.

I read 20+ nutrition books before I began and started making small changes to my day to day eating. I still eat "bad" foods but don't see them as bad foods per se. They are just yummy things to eat on the rare occasion. I don't believe in banning any food type. I had a curry takeaway tonight - one difference is, we share one portion between two people, and I don't have the fried rice, I just have use the naan to mop up the curry sauce. I don't go for particularly creamy sauces. The big difference is that I avoid takeaway 90% of the time.

I've cut out diet coke, totally. I think the artificial sweetener wasn't helping, I've read it can hinder weight loss rather than help. Change one of your snacks a day, or cut one out. Maybe try taking your tea or coffee with no sugar (one of my new habits).

Watch portion sizes, reduce them slowly so you don't feel starving (you'll be more likely to fail if you drastically reduce your intake). Find foods that are balanced and slow release energy, that work for you. They need to be foods you enjoy or you'll get sick of it. The key is sticking to it.

Also, exercise. If you can, exercise will help you a lot - the more muscle you build (and it is very difficult for females to bulk up so don't be afraid), the higher your basal metabolic rate will be, so you'll be able to eat more. It will also help shape your body. I'm a big fan of calisthenetics - basic exercises that everyone should be able to do, anywhere.

I'm afraid you do have to make changes to loss weight - you can't expect it to just happen by itself.

TheTrash

Exercise,exercise and then some more exercise if you want to lose weight and still eat the same foods. If you are looking after children there are workouts you can do in the home for nothing. Motivation is needed though

Anoneemoose

TheTrash wrote: »

Exercise,exercise and then some more exercise if you want to lose weight and still eat the same foods. If you are looking after children there are workouts you can do in the home for nothing. Motivation is needed though

Unfortunately exercise is a no good for me - fibromyalgia and associated fatigue hinder all but the most gentle of movements.

Anoneemoose

aintshesweet wrote: »

I did (still am). I don't follow any particular diet, I've made changes to both my diet and exercise routine, neither of which were terrible to begin with, but obviously weren't working for me before.

I'm doing it slowly. Have been since the end of last year.

I read 20+ nutrition books before I began and started making small changes to my day to day eating. I still eat "bad" foods but don't see them as bad foods per se. They are just yummy things to eat on the rare occasion. I don't believe in banning any food type. I had a curry takeaway tonight - one difference is, we share one portion between two people, and I don't have the fried rice, I just have use the naan to mop up the curry sauce. I don't go for particularly creamy sauces. The big difference is that I avoid takeaway 90% of the time.

I've cut out diet coke, totally. I think the artificial sweetener wasn't helping, I've read it can hinder weight loss rather than help. Change one of your snacks a day, or cut one out. Maybe try taking your tea or coffee with no sugar (one of my new habits).

Watch portion sizes, reduce them slowly so you don't feel starving (you'll be more likely to fail if you drastically reduce your intake). Find foods that are balanced and slow release energy, that work for you. They need to be foods you enjoy or you'll get sick of it. The key is sticking to it.

Also, exercise. If you can, exercise will help you a lot - the more muscle you build (and it is very difficult for females to bulk up so don't be afraid), the higher your basal metabolic rate will be, so you'll be able to eat more. It will also help shape your body. I'm a big fan of calisthenetics - basic exercises that everyone should be able to do, anywhere.

I'm afraid you do have to make changes to loss weight - you can't expect it to just happen by itself.

Thank you for this. That's the kind of thing I was thinking. Portion control. Not too many snacks/takeaways. Takeaways are one of my downfalls because of the fatigue. I make sure my kids are fed decently but am too tired for me so it's like, lets phone for takeaway and I even kid myself that by having a chicken kebab (with the chips and garlic sauce) that it is healthy!!!

I always tend to eat until I am stuffed too. Never seem to be able to switch off before that so gradually reducing portions is good way to go.

Exercise really is difficult. I have no strength and a lot of pain (and post exertional malaise) but one of the mums from school is a gym instructor who also happens to take active health classes for the council and she has said she will draw up a simple plan for me that I can build on.

Thanks again.

aintshesweet

Do you have a kindle? There are quite a few free health books available on amazon, there is a lot of rubbish to get through admittedly, but I learnt a lot along the way.

I tend to stick to real butter, full fat everything, real cream - if I have this stuff. I use the best possible oils for cooking with, I use rapeseed oil or extra virgin olive oil. I do still drink semi-skimmed milk because I simply cannot stand the taste of full fat milk.

But for me, I just try and eat consciously - keep a food diary, you'd be surprised what you eat. And use the scales and measuring pots - again, I'm sure you'd be surprised how much you were previously eating (once you're used to less).

Most of my energy throughout the day comes from fruit and veg. I also, when possible, switch my main meal to lunch time. I've switched to healthier grains/wheats like quinoa, bulgar wheat, spelt, couscous etc. In my Tesco Extra there's a whole section of ready-made health foods which are fab for me for lunches when I don't have the time or energy to prepare my own salads, fruit bowls, leftovers or whatever. I have some easy meals that are very quick to cook in my repertoire now, Nigel Slater has some good, simply recipes. I personally find Jamie Oliver recipes very expensive to cook. If you like fish, this is very easy to incorporate (as long as you can get to the shops to buy fresh fish) - takes 10 minutes to pan fry, or you can bake bigger fishes, and steam lots of lovely veg to go with it. Very easy, very quick, very nutritious. Alternatively I cook rice with herbs and tinned tuna or mackerel, very very easy.

There are websites that list how many calories are in basic foods, and also, some websites where you can roughly work out your basal metabolic rate (the minimum you should eat). Don't undereat because it won't help. The idea is to stabilise your metabolism and kick start it into working faster for you. Because you can't exercise, you'll have less leeway with "binges" and you'll want to make sure you're eating not too much but also not too little, on a regular basis.

The exercises I do aren't particularly vigorous so it may be possible for you- especially if you've got a friend to help. It's effectively squats, lunges, push ups, sit ups, pull ups, leg raises, and planks. I'm doing high rep numbers because I'm keen on fitness, but you could do very gentle versions potentially - there are lots of variations, for example, push ups on knees with wide arms. I don't know what your limits are - but look into it it may be for you too

It's a bloody minefield of information out there so good luck!

shykins

i too have fibromyalgia so i get the fatigue thing. having said that they do recommend exercising if you can but for now put that to one side and concentrate on your diet

i lowcarb and at my heaviest i was over 19stone. if you can concentrate on what you should and shouldnt be eating just cut out as many carbs as u can ie dont eat anything with wheat or sugar in. thats just 2 things to remember not to eat. it will help with your PCOS and IBS at the same time so double whammy!!!

it wont be perfect but its somewhere to start, as you get used to that way of eating you can then start to cut out other carbs.
hope that helps

GwylimT

It depends if you want to lose general body mass or reduce your body fat percentage, exercise also releases endorphins which can combat some of th effects of disease.

When you cook for your children why would you make something different for yourself, just cook enough to feed you all instead of having multiple meals.

A diet will never work for anyone, if you want a healthy body you need a change of life style that you can maintain.