Why do I keep failing?

[redmel]

I am at my wits end here... So, so sick of being overweight yet I am the reason and I can't seem to change

My first encounter with SW was about 7yrs ago before I was pregnant with child 3. I lost about 2 stone via SW, doing it alone at home. Then throughout my pregnancy I loosely stuck to it and gained around 2 stone (previous pregnancies had been 4 & 3 stone) I lost all but a few pound by the time baby 3 was 6wks old. Then when he was 6mths old I was pregnant again, baby 4, again I followed SW loosely throughout and only gained 1.5st this time, all of which came off at the birth. By my 6wk check I was half a stone lighter than pre pregnancy (and the lightest I had been in years). By now I wasn't really following SW at all though. Dealing with a new baby, a 15mth old and two slightly older children of 7 & 9 was exhausting. We lived off oven food, takeaways and chippy dinners.

It didn't help that baby 4 was hard work, a reall clingy one, screamed and cried all the time, colicky, I couldn't put her down or she would scream until sick. We were all shattered and stressed, tension in the house was high. She is now 4 yrs old and is still my 'hardest work child' and causes the most friction in the house although she is now in full time school so things are getting easier.

Anyway in the last 4yrs, since she was born stress, the pill, tiredness, lack of willpower has all combined and I have gained over 3 stone... I was already about 2 stone overweight at my 6 wk check (even though it was my lightest weight in years) this means I need to lose about 5.5stone to get down to my healthy bmi, just about!

Inthe last 4yrs I have joined SW group twice and atempted at home a few times. Sometimes I have managed a few days, sometimes a few months but the result is always the same...I give up. I get bored, I can't afford all the SW food, I don't get time to cook... I seem to always have an excuse. I am utterly fed up of myself and my lack of willpower I am now a few pounds heavier than my all time heaviest (not counting during pregnancies) I now weigh 14st 4lbs. I know that isn't a huge weight but I am barely touching 5ft 2in and so I am now in a size 18 clothes size.

How do I stick to this once and for all, how do you all do it? Is it a case that I need to try a different diet.? I am at a complete loss about what to do anymore.

Please help me xxxx

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[MrsTinaV]

Hey Hun,sorry to hear you're struggling. I don't have children so I can't relate in that sense but I have found that you do need to give SW 100%. It does take time to a) settle in and b) to plan. If I don't plan my food then I set myself up for a fail.

i have done WW (didn't like the meeting and felt too restrictive) and also Cambridge (too expensive).

my tips would be to rejoin and stay to image therapy, make it your time and hearing others stories is so helpful. Get yourself some time when you can look up recipes that your family cm enjoy I.e burgers, spaghetti etc? Plan your week and have enough water too.

i've been doing SW this time round since January and due to not focusing, being ill and not bothering to take my own advice I haven't really lost that much, but Xmas is coming up and having had a proper good,talk to myself I am gonna embrace everything SW, read my books and go for it.

you can do it, just make sure you set yourself up for it xx

sorry for any typos on iPad xx

 

[Sameez1]

I totally understand your post.....it could be me minus the children! I lose weight by following the plan, feel great, then for no known reason, ruin it.

i think the previous post is great advice, plan, plan, plan! Oh, and be kind to yourself!

Sw is brilliant if you are in the zone....other eating plans are too restrictive to maintain.....in my opinion.

good luck

 

[PatchworkPuss]

Quite simply hun ... fail to plan, plan to fail ... unless you are prepared and have a strategy in place for how you are going to cope with those difficult times then you will always revert to old habits because they are easy. Give some real thought to what your danger times are and then come up with a plan for how you are going to deal with them. It will really help but there still may be times when you have a bad day, the important thing is not letting that become two bad days, or a bad week because before you know it you'll be off the wagon again xx

 

[redmel]

Thank you for your replies...

Planning is a huge part of SW, I agree, and it is a part I struggle with - a lot!

As well as being busy with the kids I am a full time student entering my third year... I struggle to find time to plan and cook, even though I know I need to make the time. There really aren't enough hours in the day.

I feel I will be giving SW another try... First I will go and hunt for my willower

Thanks again xxx

 

[sewingbee]

Can I just add something here?
To fail is to give up completely. You have not given up therefore you have not failed . Follow the advise from the above posts and you can't go wrong. Good luck xx

 

[lentil2]

I admire you!!
You are a Mum of 4 kids, a mature(?) student....you clearly have an awful lot going on!! I don't know where you find the energy!! Lol

I don't have children, run a small online craft business from home and yet I still face the struggles that you do with dieting! If dieting was easy, we'd all be at target

Don't be so hard on yourself....you are not alone.

I have been on Minimins for a few years now and I have seen the same people come back over and over again. Yes, there are people that reach target but a majority of us are just like you and I, keep coming back for another go at it!

As sewingbee says, you haven't failed. My theory is, all the time I keep trying, I am not gaining weight like I probably would if I didn't keep coming back and giving it another go! Yes it can frustrating, yes it's hard....but we have to keep on, keeping on, we will get there!

good luck to you!

 

[redmel]

Thanks for your replies.

I have dusted off the scales, prepared a mini meal plan for the next two days and I am ready to try again.

This time it will be from home as I simply can't afford to attend, although after Christmas I might be able to. This has got to be it now. I am going to try and schedule my days to allow proper cooking time and planning time.

Mel x

 

[redmel]

Well I got a bit of a shock yesterday. I put batteries in my electric scales and jumped on first thing yesterday morning, I am actually NOT at my heaviest ever (wooohoooo) I thought my scales had said 14st 4lbs, but they didn't they said 13st 4lb... which means since I last weighed myself, in July, I have only gained 2lbs.

Yesterday, my first day back on plan, went really well. I have started a food diary in the appropriate section and have posted in the 'doing it at home' section. Fingers crossed with the support of this group I can keep going and get to target.

Mel x

 

[krupskaya]

I just wanted to say well done - keep doing what you're doing and you WILL get where you want to be. Good luck!

 

[StarlaSilver]

I find planning is my biggest downfall too. Also previous attempt at SW for me have been when I was working nightshifts/shifts and just haven't been able to eat regular meals at regular times. Rubbish excuse I guess, but I found it really hard, night shift especially.
Now I work part time and find it a lot easier to sit down and plan meals, shopping etc. I try to plan a couple of days ahead and have shopping in etc, write down which recipies for which meals etc. I used to do my big weekly shop but have found it much easier just doing a few days at a time. I love the idea of batch cooking too but I hate frozen food, it doesn't taste the same as fresh cooked for me.

 

[CharlieJYN]

Again, apart from the children this sounds like me. I have had a very stressful summer with my job and health issues so after losing nearly a stone and feeling much better about myself I have fallen off the wagon and put a load back on. I'm really struggling to get back on plan although I think it will help some of my health issues and therefore I'll overall feel better and more able to stick to it. I'd like to subscribe to your food diary redmel as I need ideas, if that's ok?

 

[mrsbradbull]

Redmel I'm struggling like you too I sort myself out and stay on track a few days/months n then get stressed and it all goes to pot. I have health issues so can't excercise at all. I find my eating habits are very tied up in my emotions. I like the idea of planning a few days In advance so may try that to get me focused x

 

[redmel]

I'm sorry to hear others are in a similar position. Although it is somewhat reassuring that I am 'not alone'.

It is day 3 and I have the lurgy but, somehow, I am still managing to stay on track! Usually I would feel sorry for myself and eat junk to give me a boost.

We need to plan ahead but take it day by day... I am dreading starting back at uni in little over a week as I know stress drives me food. I am determined, I will stay focused and try to deal with my stress levels in an alternative way.

 

[Phoenix_Girl]

You could consider batch cooking at the weekends if you have the time.
Get a big pot, cook various things and freeze them, then you can have something which is ready in a few minutes from the freezer but about 10 times as healthy as most ready meals.

Most people have summarised already but once you get into the rhythm of being on Slimming World, you will find it increasingly easy to lose weight and to plan meals which follow the plan.

If you are a nibbler or the kids' meals and nick a fish finger or two after they have finished, take the advice of one of the mums in my group. As soon as you clear the plates, pop Washing-up liquid on the leftovers, it eliminates the temptation to pick at things not technically on-plan then