Hey guys, I was wondering if anyone had some advice on how to stick to a healthy diet, I've gained like 20lbs in the past year and want to lose it. I lost like 75lbs a few years ago, but did it by basically starving myself, wouldn't let myself eat more than 1200 calories a day, and I'm 6'3. Every time I try to diet again I either cheat way too soon or go back to not eating anywhere near enough and when I catch myself doing that I stop dieting since I don't want to get into that habit again since it's so unhealthy and I'll just gain it back like last time. I kinda want to lose weight in part because I feel really bad about being overweight and feel unattractive, my boyfriend has been dropping hints that he's upset I've gained weight since we've been together. Part of the problem is I'm dealing with depression and have trouble getting motivated to do anything, I'm taking Lexapro for it which also has the wonderful side effect of weight gain.
Re: Getting a motivated to start and stay on a diet 'Diet' in the sense of a radical change in eating habits for a period of time is a disaster. Go slow and change little things. I'm gradually losing weight over time. I started by cutting out fizzy drinks. I've not had any for what...nearly a year now? Then I started limiting bread/rice/pasta, you know, carb heavy stuff to one serving a day. Then I started trying to limit my meat intake. Replace it with quorn or just eating less of it. At the moment I'm trying to cut down sweet things to once a week. You won't lose much very quickly, but it's a lot easier to lose it and keep it off this way because you don't get that feeling that you need to 'cheat' as much. You're not necessarily eating 'health food' or anything, it's just what you do usually with some small alterations. Then try adding in some exercise. Walk for an hour a day. Go swimming. Take up a martial art. Something like that. Don't have to do a lot, but it helps a lot too. Don't expect too much, too fast or you'll mess it up and end up gaining weight again!
Re: Getting a motivated to start and stay on a diet The problem with going on a "diet" is that your mind sees it as a short term solution to a lifetime problem. Another problem is it often is about denying something you enjoy to meet some arbitrary goal weight. Particularly with depression, weight gain seems to be an integral part of the issue with self-image, a sort of self-defeating mechanism in our minds. I've been there three times in my life. First time I gained a lot of weight was the summer after my dad had a sever car accident that left him disabled. He was so withdrawn from us it almost felt like he had died. So I ate. A lot. I started the next year at school fat, and by then money was running short at home so I felt like a loser and became withdrawn and stopped eating much, lost a ton of weight. I stayed thin the next 7 years through graduation and first year of college. I had my first boyfriend when I went to college, and it was great until I came out to my parents. They gave me the "go straight" or "get out" ultimatum, so I panicked and tried the "go straight" route, got depressed again, and ate. A lot. All summer. Again I went back to school the next year fat. It took me two years to get the weight off, that time eating healthy and exercising. I stayed in shape until a few years into marriage. By the time I had been married a few years, our relationship was changing. I didn't want to see the real reason was because I really am gay. So I started eating more than I should and gained weight. Then we had kids and I was still gaining weight. Then we had some family members have health crises. I still gained weight. Finally last summer, the realization after my mom died that my life was based on lies and deception, I had to work on coming clean with my wife. That finally happened a few weeks ago. Since then, my nerves have been on edge and appetite has only started to return in the last couple of days. Now, I'm making better choices of what and how much to eat again. It's not about avoiding foods you love, it's about making those things a treat instead of a regular indulgence. And then exercise... that I have to work on still.
Re: Getting a motivated to start and stay on a diet I reached my heaviest weight ever just after Christmas, due to over-indulging and limited mobility with a back injury. My weight is gradually reducing through a combination of diet and daily exercise. I'm not denying myself any foods or fasting, but apart from breakfast I'm only eating if I actually feel hungry and I'm taking great care not to exceed the recommended daily calorie intake for men. It's a slow burn, but that's the best way, I think.
Re: Getting a motivated to start and stay on a diet I'm not so great at sexual orrinetation questions but I can help with dieting! :lol: I have lost 120 pounds over a year and a half and I have kept it off for the last two years. I lost through calorie counting, which isn't as tough as you think once you get started. I log online, but I'm not sure I can post the site (MFP) . I think your problem is that you are being way too restrictive. Losing weight, and more importantly keeping it off, shouldn't be about depriving yourself. If you stop eating everything you love, you are likely to binge once you can't take being deprived anymore. In my experience, you actually lose weight faster by eating the amount of calories your body requires rather than starving yourself on 1200 or less. You can find an online calculator (or message me) and I can help you set that up. I imagine you would be eating about 1600-2000 calories a day to lose, depending on your activity level. That would be a pound a week loss, a good healthy rate. The main thing is to allow treats, whether you take one day a week to eat a few higher calorie foods, or just have one treat every day. You should be eating enough calories to allow for that. It's about creating a lifestyle you can stick with. It prevents rebound weight gain when you go back to your old way of eating after the "diet" and put it all back on again. Anyway, feel free to message me if you need more help
I think it's really messed up that your boyfriend would drop hints over you gaining weight. Eat something that makes you feel full, but has little calories. Sushi, would be an example for that. Also, find an activity that you enjoy doing that involves physical activity. Maybe walking more on campus or whatever. Good luck.
Try exercising more. Exercise is a lot better for your health than dieting. You don't always lose weight from exercise, but even if you stay the same weight you tend to get slimmer-looking, because you're replacing loose fat with dense muscle. My Dad has been doing karate, and he's stayed at exactly the same weight for several months but has been dropping belt sizes steadily.
