The 'Lets lose a few pounds for 2009' thread

[Two_Sheds]

I biked for an hour & missed lunch (I had to dash out unexpectedly), then got tempted by my favourite Black Pepper & Salt crisps in Lidl.
But get me: I had a handful to satisfy my craving, and threw the rest away (better in the bin than on my bum)

[Hilary B]

Yay!
slow and steady, that'll keep the weight off long-term

A few years ago I joined a slimming-and-exercise group. Lost a stone in 2½ months, after Christmas lost the 3lb I had gained during the holiday, and then another 4lbs over the next 2 months. Then I kept being unable to go (working late that night of the week) and within 6 months was weighing more than when I started. On the whole I don't eat a LOT of the 'bad things' that are so nice, and I mosty manage to keep portions reasonable, but without group support, my weight creeps up because I don't notice that the 'occasional treats' are becoming more frequent (cutting them out entirely, with the weight I need to lose, is so depressing I stop caring about weight at all). The big problem is I get tired!

Must re-try Paul McKenna! That was a big help when I first got the CD.

[Two_Sheds]

without group support, my weight creeps up because I don't notice that the 'occasional treats' are becoming more frequent (cutting them out entirely, with the weight I need to lose, is so depressing I stop caring about weight at all)

this is what I meant when I talked about emotional eating (and got told off for it)

You aren't eating because you are hungry ... you're eating because you want a treat, or because you're depressed, or whatever.

Food has become a reward, instead of just being fuel for your body to stay alive.
It's really complex, and difficult to overcome. You won't do it unless your brain is totally engaged. If half of it is saying "I want to be slim" but the other half is saying "I need a treat" ...

I do it too (I was a 14 at my heaviest, but am naturally an 8)
That's why I can't have my trigger foods in the house, foods that lead to a binge.

[Hilary B]

this is what I meant when I talked about emotional eating (and got told off for it)

You aren't eating because you are hungry ... you're eating because you want a treat, or because you're depressed, or whatever.

Food has become a reward, instead of just being fuel for your body to stay alive.
It's really complex, and difficult to overcome. You won't do it unless your brain is totally engaged. If half of it is saying "I want to be slim" but the other half is saying "I need a treat" ...

I do it too (I was a 14 at my heaviest, but am naturally an 8)
That's why I can't have my trigger foods in the house, foods that lead to a binge.

It isn't food being a reward, it is food being a PLEASURE (not quite the same, although fairly close).

Quite simply I enjoy nice food. If there was no pleasure in it, why bother with recipes for tasty things? We could survive on a much less varied and interesting diet, but variety and flavour are among the pleasures most of us enjoy.

I don't have the option of not having the trigger foods in the house, because OH would either object to the absence, or simply buy them himself. I'm not talking about sweets (except leftover-from-Christmas ones, which will soon be gone now) but more basic things like too much cheese, butter to put on bread, dumplings in the stew etc....

As I also said, I get tired. Sometimes I realise that tiredness is why I 'felt hungry'. The signals can be confused, but by the time I realise that has happened, I have already been eating......

[Rhona]

I've decided that despite my best intentions, I can't really share in this thread. I'm growing one Sweetpea and still breastfeeding another (just a bit now), and so if one or the other baby demands that I eat an entire family bag of popcorn, or three pots of potted shrimps, or a disgusting microwave cheeseburger (why, Rhona? why?); who am I to argue?

Not going to overdo it, as only want to have minimal babyweight to lose, but along side our nice dinners and salads, my diet has gone mad, and my food combinations would put you all off eating... or maybe that's it! I should help you all out and post them here - they can certainly put Mr R off his lunch!

[Two_Sheds]

It isn't food being a reward, it is food being a PLEASURE (not quite the same, although fairly close).

I mean 'reward' in the psychology sense ... conditioning/rewards/punishments/behaviour modification.

Losing weight and being slim is a 'reward', but it's not as quick to give you pleasure as eating something enjoyable.
Sorry, I am as clear as mud this morning.
this explains it better: Weight Loss and Behavior Modification

[Two_Sheds]

Quite simply I enjoy nice food. If there was no pleasure in it, why bother with recipes for tasty things? We could survive on a much less varied and interesting diet, but variety and flavour are among the pleasures most of us enjoy.

Of course. I enjoy lovely foods too, but I know I have to eat them as occasional treats, in small quantities, or else I will be as big as a house. I also have to exercise to burn off my food. The more I exercise, the more I can eat!

I make my 'healthy' food as tasty as possible (and your taste buds are completely capable of changing and adapting).
I have gone from living on cakes & biscuits (as a teenager) to actually preferring fresh salads and seasonal vegetables.
I'm not holier-than-thou, and I am not a Dieting Guru ~ this is just what I have done myself. I have yo-yo'd between a size 8 and a size 14 all my life, following faddy diets. Now I can stick at a comfortable size with healthy eating & exercise. There is no magic bullet unfortunately.

[Two_Sheds]

As I also said, I get tired. Sometimes I realise that tiredness is why I 'felt hungry'. The signals can be confused, but by the time I realise that has happened, I have already been eating......

Me too.
I realised that I was eating whenever I felt weak & tired. Try having a lie down, or do exercise, before you start snacking?

Your brain can tell you you're hungry, when in fact you're thirsty - that's why having a glass of water before a meal is effective.

[Hilary B]

Of course. I enjoy lovely foods too, but I know I have to eat them as occasional treats, in small quantities, or else I will be as big as a house. I also have to exercise to burn off my food. The more I exercise, the more I can eat!

I make my 'healthy' food as tasty as possible (and your taste buds are completely capable of changing and adapting).
I have gone from living on cakes & biscuits (as a teenager) to actually preferring fresh salads and seasonal vegetables.
I'm not holier-than-thou, and I am not a Dieting Guru ~ this is just what I have done myself. I have yo-yo'd between a size 8 and a size 14 all my life, following faddy diets. Now I can stick at a comfortable size with healthy eating & exercise. There is no magic bullet unfortunately.

I have NEVER eaten very much in the way of cakes and biscuits (can go without any for months), and until I had children I was more likely to be underweight than overweight. I had trouble losing the 'baby weight' after the second baby in 2 years, but it wasn't too much of a problem until we sold the farm, and I stopped having cows to muck out every day in winter, and fields to walk every day all year round looking at the sheep. My current work is not entirely sedentary, but has a large element that way, and exercise beyond walking the dogs is a practical problem.
We don't all have the same problem, or the same limits on action, so we need a variety of solutions. Unfortunately all the ones that are likely to work for me would take a long time on maximum 'won't power', and my OH sabotages every effort I make! The main reason I come online in the evening is to avoid his "what's for afters?" (I can quite happily go without, but NOT if I watch him eating), and that is just ONE bit of 'diet sabotage'! His idea of losing weight is to miss meals, and have a biscuit with every cup of tea (about 5 a day)......... (moan over, I just need to let off steam sometimes!)

[Hilary B]

Me too.
I realised that I was eating whenever I felt weak & tired. Try having a lie down, or do exercise, before you start snacking?

Your brain can tell you you're hungry, when in fact you're thirsty - that's why having a glass of water before a meal is effective.

Drinking before meals (or as the first part of a meal) I can do, but often having a rest when I need one is exactly what isn't practicable. Ah well, one day it will all work out!

[zazen999]

I can only ever do it when I write everything down.

Today was bad - mainly because I was stuck on the M40 on the way to a meeting for 11 and spent 2 hours in the queue to leave - did 1 mile in those 2 hours. So, ended up eating my lunch before 11 and then having to stop on the way back home [I just turned round and came back] for the ladies and getting a cheese and bean wrap and a packet of 100 cal crackers.

But, had spaghetti and home made sauce for tea - so may have just got away with it.

[Two_Sheds]

I was stuck indoors by the flaming weather again, so I made myself do 10 mins brisk walking on the treadmill before lunch. I didn't change my clothes, just put on a pair of trainers & my iPod.
I hated it, every minute seemed like ten, but afterwards I felt brighter, more energetic, warmer - and less hungry.

[Hilary B]

If truly 'stuck indoors' exercise is limited to walking up and down stairs, or (rarely) dancing-on-the-spot to music played from my computer (OH tends to ask what is going on, because computer is upstairs and he is often downstairs.....). Dogs got half-hour in deep snow this morning (we walked about as far as we usually do in half the time).
There must BE an answer to my weight problem, it just isn't the same (in detail) as anyone else's, and I haven't found it yet. Yes, of course 'less intake, more energy used' is the formula, but achieving that is just 'not so simple'. Changes in lifestyle are not always a matter of choice.

[Two_Sheds]

Hilary, I am not going to go on any more. You will lose the weight if you really want to.

[Two_Sheds]

Me, I am happy because I have lost 4lb of the 11lb that I put on over winter (in 4 weeks)

Another 2 hr cycle today to visit my old mum, but had half a naughty Twirl & a flapjack to be sociable (instead of lunch).
Eggs on toast for brekky, veggie curry for dinner.