Just Starting trying to loose

[ab-uk]

Hello everyone,

Just starting out and in need of advice!
During my time at university I've managed to put on 3 stone! I only realised how much my body has changed recently. I think I use food as a reward when I'm stressed which is often! Currently at 12 stone and size 12-14.
I have no idea how to lose weight. I really don't enjoy exercising so making myself go to the gym is not easy. I also have had a problem all my life where I don't like textures of a lot of vegetables so I only really eat leafy salads and this really limits what I eat. I can't really talk to my friends about it as they're all stupidly skinny and it would be so embarrassing.

Anyone have any suggestions? Ways to enjoy exercise/vegetables and generally lose weight!

 

[TracyGWill]

Hiya! I would strongly recommend reading the thread above, about how dieting makes you fat, before you start on a potentially disastrous lifelong journey of weight loss and regain. I know it happens, because the same thing as described in that article has happened to me over the last 30 years, since I was at Uni and fretting about being what I now know was only a bit chubby. You don't say how tall you are, but I would kill to be your weight and clothes size, instead of halfway through trying to lose 10 stone. I started where you are, and ended up here, so PLEASE read that article, and maybe have a look at the book someone mentions in that thread, Escape The Diet Trap, before you end up on the wrong path.

Sorry to sound preachy, but you sound like me 30 years ago, and if you could not be me 30 years from now that would be fantastic! xx

 

[soooom]

Hi Ab

I also gained quite a lot of weight whilst at university, lost about 1st in 3rd year and then have put 2 stone back on in the 2 years since then .
How about calorie counting, since you have much more flexibility with what you can eat as long as your stay within your limit. Also as you dont like exercise, if you manage to do some a couple of times a week maybe, you get to eat back those calories, if not, just stick within your daily limit!
I've been doing it for a month so far and have lost half a stone so far, but still been able to eat a takeaway, about 3 meals out and choc/crisps within that time so its been pretty easy. I do try and eat healthy stuff mostly though.
I am using the myfitnesspal iphone app to track all of my calories and exercise so that I know how many I have left in a day and to make sure I am eating enough. Its good too cos you can add friends on it, I have quite a few people from this site on it and you can see their diaries each day which is good for ideas of what to make.

Calorie counting may not be for everyone, but its flexible and cheap (well, free in fact!) and I see it as something I could just keep doing forever, whereas I would not be prepared to keep paying for WW or SW indefinitely and would worry that once I went back to normal eating I would put the weight back on!

Good luck

 

[ab-uk]

Thanks TracyGWill. After reading it I really don't want to be stuck in a dieting cycle the rest of my life. I really just want to get towards the weight I used to be before I keep putting it on.
Soooom, I actually have that app on my phone lol! I haven't really noticed much difference from using it but maybe that's because when I have lots of work on I don't stick to it. How many calories is your goal daily amount? I also think my problem is maybe not eating healthy just eating less to meet the calorie numbers, not sure if this makes a difference?
I just need to get myself into gear, it's just so hard when I have so much stress especially as I use chocolate as a pick me up!
Thanks for the replies!

 

[katiejames27]

Hi Ab.

Am not a gym person too. So what I do is walk as much as I can and do belly dancing which is great. You lose the pounds in no time. I also try and have plenty of fruit and healthy protein. I also try to use as much as possible what I have in the house to make healthy drinks.

 

[ab-uk]

Hey Katie,

Belly dancing sounds so exotic! I bet all the hip rotation does help! I'll have a look if there's any classes around. I do yoga once a week and whilst it's made me more flexible it hasn't helped me shed the lbs!
I lost 3lbs in my first week of calorie counting and moderate exercise! I'm hoping this trend will continue and it's not just my bodies natural fluctuation so I'm apprehensive of next weeks results!
Al