Weight loss help needed.

[Panter]

Could do with a bit of help here with my weight problem.

I know that I need to eat less & move more, I know that it's a simple calories in vs calories out equation, I even have a good understanding of nutritional values and what things I should be eating.

The problem is that I just eat too much and can't seem to stop.

If anyone suffers the same thing, and has found a way to beat it, I'd very much appreciate some pointers either posted here or by pm (confidentiallity assured.)

I'm launching another big weight loss drive this week and am just looking for all the help I can get.

I'm doing all the usual things again, food diary, progress charts etc I just need some help on beating that physcological problem which condems me to failure every time.

I'd appreciate it if the "fatty haters" could keep out of this thread, there's plenty of others to pop at, I know I have a problem and am just looking for help.

I've found it hard to ask, but it's a sign of how desperate I'm getting.....

Thanks all.

 

[rich p]

What about Weight Watchers to help with motivation?

I lost a stone over the last 9 months by giving up cheese/ bread for lunch/ halving my spud intake/ butter. I still drink half a bottle of wine every night.

 

[Keith Oates]

The only thing I can say is that you need will power to cut back. I've found out in the past that if I tell friends and family I'm going to do something then pride and not liking to be seen to fail gives me the incentive to keep going and reach the target!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Jane Smart]

It is not easy to lose weight, but as been said, will power is a huge thing. I have lost three and a half stone since this time last year. I started to eat healthily, when I was hungry would have some fruit, I hardly ever eat potaotes now, switched to soya milk and exercised alot. I feel the exercise is as important as the diet. I did go over the top though and spent three hours a day at the gym. Now my exercise has been cut right down. Thinking of how fat I was this time last year, is good motivation in itself never to go there again. You can do it, we can help you keep us posted on your progress

 

[threebikesmcginty]

You should have a word with gb155 of this forum - that guy's lost 16 stone, an inspiration to anyone looking to lose weight!!!

 

[XmisterIS]

I know that I need to eat less & move more, I know that it's a simple calories in vs calories out equation, I even have a good understanding of nutritional values and what things I should be eating.

May I be so bold as to say that I think you've fallen at the first hurdle?

PM me if you like.

 

[potsy]

Could do with a bit of help here with my weight problem.

I know that I need to eat less & move more, I know that it's a simple calories in vs calories out equation, I even have a good understanding of nutritional values and what things I should be eating.

The problem is that I just eat too much and can't seem to stop.

If anyone suffers the same thing, and has found a way to beat it, I'd very much appreciate some pointers either posted here or by pm (confidentiallity assured.)

I'm launching another big weight loss drive this week and am just looking for all the help I can get.

I'm doing all the usual things again, food diary, progress charts etc I just need some help on beating that physcological problem which condems me to failure every time.

I'd appreciate it if the "fatty haters" could keep out of this thread, there's plenty of others to pop at, I know I have a problem and am just looking for help.

I've found it hard to ask, but it's a sign of how desperate I'm getting.....

Thanks all.

Hi Panter, I too suffer from eating too much of the wrong things,the only way I have ever successfully lost weight was to make sure the cupboards were stocked with healthy food and not biccies.crisp etc.
I tend to do the food shopping in our house so I have to be strict and not give in to the temptation of the 2 for 1 offers on all the bad stuff.
What amount of weight loss are you hoping for?
Good luck with it

 

[accountantpete]

I live to eat, Panter, so the only way I manage it is to ensure that my calories intake is exceeded by their usage -mind you it is a bit mind blowing to find out how far you have to ride to compensate for one Snickers bar.

 

[Wigsie]

My weight seems to yo yo radically depending on how happy I am in my life (the happier I am the more I eat, oddly).

I always find setting personal targets useful and targets that involve other people as I am less likely to allow myself to let them down by giving up and find a competitive edge is always helpful for motivation.

As I hail from a similar region I would be happy to work to some targets with you as I am aiming to lose around 2.5 stone over the next little while mysel. I know the Sevenoaks ride is a no no for you (and possibly me now I have hurt my bloody back again) but what about the Downland one in November or something less official?

 

[Panter]

Thanks all, much appreciated, some more good ideas to look into

Wigsie, I'll pm you. I have two targets really, one is to get down to around 15 stone 6 which will drop me just under the magical 100Kg mark and then a final weight of whatever I feel comfortable at, probably IRO 14st or so.

Maybe doing it with somebody else will give me an edge

 

[Globalti]

I'm not overweight by any means but I find that flossing my teeth after the evening meal gives me the discipline not to snack in the evenings. Worth a try?

 

[Speicher]

An excellent suggestion, Rigid Raider. I have a similar problem to Panter's. Eating too many calorie laden snacky munchie type foods late in the evening.

 

[cheadle hulme]

I've found it easier to lose weight since I learnt the difference between fat and glycogen as an energy source.

Low intensity exercise (c50-60% of max heart rate) on an empty stomach does it for me. Don't be tempted to "put some back in the tank" afterwards.

 

[ColinJ]

I find eating a big bowl of porridge in the morning really helps. It's extremely filling and nutritious. If I have to, I could easily last 6-8 hours to another meal on that without getting hungry, even if I did a 2-3 hour bike ride in between. It's not a great idea to go 8 hours without eating though, so I usually have an apple and maybe some seeds, nuts and dried fruit during the day.

I eat a lot of salads and I don't put any limit whatsoever on the size of the portions. Salad vegetables are full of water, fibre, anti-oxidants and other good nutrients so I don't see any need to cut down on them; I also think that they are delicious. Typically I'd have a baked potato or sweet potato with a salad, and probably a tin of tuna and/or a 125g tub of cottage cheese. I make my own salad dressing.

Other evenings, I might have a home-made veggie curry with couscous, brown rice, pasta or quinoa. Again, I don't really find it necessary to cut down on portion size.

Another typical meal might be new potatoes with cottage cheese, tuna or baked beans, as much broccoli/cabbage/carrot (etc.) as I want.

I get through 1.5 - 2.0 litres of skimmed milk a week and about the same amount of low-fat natural yoghurt.

'Treats' have to be earned so I might have the odd biscuit, piece of cake or buttered toasted currant teacake (yum!) on or after a walk or bike ride but try not to at other times.

I allow myself one whole 'treat meal' a week. Fish and chips, a Chinese takeaway, a pizza, takeaway curry, something like that. I enjoy those meals, but don't use them as an excuse to totally pig out.

I have a big weakness for certain foods such as bread and cheese so I simply don't allow them in the house. It doesn't bother me to know that there are shelves full of those products in the local shops. If they were on my kitchen shelves or in my fridge, I'd be thinking about them all the time! Ditto junky snacks such as chocolate, biscuits, crisps. BANNED!

Okay, before any of the many CycleChat members who have met me chime in and tell you that this is all very well, but actually, I'm fat... I ought to mention that I'm overweight! The culprit was not my diet as described above, it was alcohol. If I eat as above, don't exercise much and drink a lot of beer, I gain about a pound a week. If I eat as above, booze away and exercise, my weight stays constant. If I cut out the booze, eat as above and exercise moderately I lose a pound a week; with intense exercise, I lose 2 pounds a week.

I think the secret is to adopt the right mindset, eat filling nutritious meals, allow yourself the occasional treat (plus others as 'earned') and get plenty of exercise. Don't drink much alcohol, and banish crisps/cheese/chocolate and the like from the house.

I'm off the beer again and losing over a pound a week without really trying. If the weather was better and I got out more, it would be 1.5-2.0 pounds a week.

I hope that helps; good luck fighting the flab!

 

[JtB]

This sounds more like a motivational issue to me and what works for one person might not work for another. I can tell you though what worked for me and brought my weight down from 89kg (14 stone) to 72kg (11.3 stone) over the period of a year.


Basically I found things that I enjoyed and gave me satisfaction rather than things that resulted in instant weight loss. So for example, I started cycling because I enjoyed it and knew it was good for me. I also started eating healthier things and in moderation because it made me feel better and again I knew it was good for me. As for the weight, that sometimes didn't move for weeks on end and if that alone had been my motivational factor, then I'd have given up long ago. However, what I did find was that with a determined approach, my weight would go through phases when it dropped effortlessly.


The easy thing for me was reducing the alcohol intake to almost nothing because I don't drink much anyway, but the difficult think was the cakes, biscuits and chocolates which I had to cut out all together because I do have a bit of a sweet tooth (that was like 12 months of lent for me). Regarding the healthier alternatives there are things you can do to make them more tasty like adding herbs to salads etc.


Now I've hit my ideal weight (I think my BMI is about 22) I'm learning to keep it there. I tend to eat everything (including the sweet things), but because I'm motivated to keep my weight (which I'm very pleased with) where it is I'm happy to eat/drink in moderation. I'm still also building up my cycling which I enjoy immensely and while its pretty insignificant compared to some of you guys, over the summer months I've been averaging about 3 x 11 mile road rides per week in the evening, 1 x 20 mile commute per week on Fridays and 1 x 15 mile off road ride per week on Saturdays.