1978Emma
Full Member
Ok so I know its a bit of a cliche saying you are doing the whole "lifestyle change" thing rather than a "diet" but for me I feel this is what I am finding is working. I can't talk for everyone but I have done almost every "diet" under the sun before and basically lost a bit and got fatter and I think the main problem was that I was on a "diet" the word itself for me means going without, being hard done by and quickly makes me want to binge more than ever.
I feel like its finally sunk in that the best way for me to lose weight is through a complete change in lifestyle, so pre this plan due to my eating disorder I would starve myself all day and then binge each evening or would be on one fad diet after the next fad diet always looking for the quick fix answer. I finally realised that there is no quick fix for long term weight loss, I didn't put it on over night and I can't hope to lose it all over night, its going to take time and effort to reach my goal.
I think the problem is we all hanker after this magical "diet" that suddenly will let us turn our lives around and lose all the unwanted weight yet I think in reality this is something that rarely exists and the true key to long term weight loss is actually more boring and dare I say it obvious and that is healthy eating and getting more exercise. I have known this of course for years but always not managed to do this as it wasn't "extreme" enough for me as someone who is all or nothing, I have always felt that to lose weight I had to feel like I was suffering like with a low calorie diet I did I felt great going without , like a sort of punishment which itself isn't healthy.
I now feel as if the only answer for me was to try the path less travelled and that involves eating healthy foods, yet foods I actually now realise I like, eating regularly and drinking enough water all be it for me with orange squash and of course increasing my exercise. Its as if finally I have stumbled on to a way of eating enough, eating nice foods and feeling satisfied food wise and to boot am seeing a great weight loss. I am much more happy than I have been in years as I am enjoying my plan, the food is tasty and great but its so new to me as well, who would have thought that someone like me who would snack on chocolate would suddenly find snacking on fruit enjoyable. I always have enough energy unlike on some of the fad diets I have done, my physical hunger is always satisfied and I am seeing all kinds of differences in my weight and general health already and the best thing is this is a plan I can keep up for the rest of my life, no starvation I'm in fact actually eating to lose weight, its fab!
Oh and no to thinking certain foods are "bad" or off limits in fact as long as I plan my treats in advance for me this is having a meal out most weeks with family or friends I feel I have a lovely food treat to look forward to and not at all hard done by. I had a gorg pizza the other day whilst out at an Italian restaurant and it was so tasty and do I feel guilty hell no, this isn't about punishment but about getting my life back and whilst I hate my binges I still love food and it shouldn't be viewed as being "bad". I will admit to having done alot of research into my so called trigger foods and removed them from the house as they trigger my binges but I can still have the odd trigger food but for me I work it into the plan by having it on a night out when I will not just carry on eating non stop as I would if I was to do it in the privacy of my own home.
Also I think its a real myth that you have to go on to extreme diets to lose large amounts of weight, I see people over and over again on these boards losing large amounts of weight yet they haven't starved it off, they have eaten healthy food and exercised more and they have changed their lives for the better and in my humble opinion doing it this way means they are so much more likely to maintain any weight loss as they will have re-educated themselves re eating on the way to their goal.
Emma xx
I feel like its finally sunk in that the best way for me to lose weight is through a complete change in lifestyle, so pre this plan due to my eating disorder I would starve myself all day and then binge each evening or would be on one fad diet after the next fad diet always looking for the quick fix answer. I finally realised that there is no quick fix for long term weight loss, I didn't put it on over night and I can't hope to lose it all over night, its going to take time and effort to reach my goal.
I think the problem is we all hanker after this magical "diet" that suddenly will let us turn our lives around and lose all the unwanted weight yet I think in reality this is something that rarely exists and the true key to long term weight loss is actually more boring and dare I say it obvious and that is healthy eating and getting more exercise. I have known this of course for years but always not managed to do this as it wasn't "extreme" enough for me as someone who is all or nothing, I have always felt that to lose weight I had to feel like I was suffering like with a low calorie diet I did I felt great going without , like a sort of punishment which itself isn't healthy.
I now feel as if the only answer for me was to try the path less travelled and that involves eating healthy foods, yet foods I actually now realise I like, eating regularly and drinking enough water all be it for me with orange squash and of course increasing my exercise. Its as if finally I have stumbled on to a way of eating enough, eating nice foods and feeling satisfied food wise and to boot am seeing a great weight loss. I am much more happy than I have been in years as I am enjoying my plan, the food is tasty and great but its so new to me as well, who would have thought that someone like me who would snack on chocolate would suddenly find snacking on fruit enjoyable. I always have enough energy unlike on some of the fad diets I have done, my physical hunger is always satisfied and I am seeing all kinds of differences in my weight and general health already and the best thing is this is a plan I can keep up for the rest of my life, no starvation I'm in fact actually eating to lose weight, its fab!
Oh and no to thinking certain foods are "bad" or off limits in fact as long as I plan my treats in advance for me this is having a meal out most weeks with family or friends I feel I have a lovely food treat to look forward to and not at all hard done by. I had a gorg pizza the other day whilst out at an Italian restaurant and it was so tasty and do I feel guilty hell no, this isn't about punishment but about getting my life back and whilst I hate my binges I still love food and it shouldn't be viewed as being "bad". I will admit to having done alot of research into my so called trigger foods and removed them from the house as they trigger my binges but I can still have the odd trigger food but for me I work it into the plan by having it on a night out when I will not just carry on eating non stop as I would if I was to do it in the privacy of my own home.
Also I think its a real myth that you have to go on to extreme diets to lose large amounts of weight, I see people over and over again on these boards losing large amounts of weight yet they haven't starved it off, they have eaten healthy food and exercised more and they have changed their lives for the better and in my humble opinion doing it this way means they are so much more likely to maintain any weight loss as they will have re-educated themselves re eating on the way to their goal.
Emma xx
