I have been on a diet for half of my life and I have still not cracked it.
I have cut out carbs, fat, sugar, fruit, meat, and vegetables, yet I am further away from my goal weight than when I started.
I have counted points, weighed, measured, and cut off all the tastiest bits of meat; but I am still not back into my pre-pregnancy jeans.
I can go months without chocolate, but could devour a monster sized packet of crisps in 10-minutes flat. Every day.
Cake does not call out to me, but show me a cheese board and it will not be there again when you look back.
Steak night is enjoyed with red wine. Pasta with cheese on top. Salads with avocado and streaky bacon.
For many years, I have been trapped in a vicious cycle of feast or famine. A few months of over indulging inevitably leads to a few months weeks of extreme guilt dieting.
I am bored of it! Bored of the weeks when I can’t stop pigging out. Bored of restricting food groups and portion sizes. Bored of thinking about food, talking about food, blogging about food.
Yet here I am again, typing away about frigging food and this awful pattern I am stuck in.
When it comes to diets, I have tried them all.
I liked Weightwatchers because it allowed me to drink wine, until I realised I still had to track the wine and saw what a 125ml measure really looks like. When I worked out the points value of my interpretation of what ‘a glass’ is, there was very little left for food.
I liked Atkins because I did not have to track anything, including wine! However, the combination of a low-carb diet and wine will make you more likely to order a pizza at 10pm and not remember doing so. If you are on Atkins and you stop losing weight, late night drunk snacking may well be the reason.
The 5:2 was good, because really you only have to limit yourself for 2 days and then eat normally for the rest of the week. Although, I had to promise the Greek God(zilla) to never, ever, go on it again due to severe hunger induced bitchiness.
The 4-hour body diet seemed easy enough to follow, plus came with the added luxury of a cheat day where you are encouraged to binge on chocolate, crisps and all the other good stuff you deprive yourself of during the week while you are busy thinking up new and exciting ways to cook beans. Beware of the wind.
The diet with both the fastest result AND the fastest quit rate, was the Dukan. I dropped 10lbs in 2-weeks but could not bear to look at another slice of ham by the end of it. A good pre-holiday bikini diet perhaps… although it has been so long since I have actually worn a bikini, they may well be called something entirely different by now.
I Quit Sugar by Aussie babe, Sarah Wilson. This book made the most sense to me and I found it really easy to follow. I did not lose a single pound though. Not one. Probably because it said to snack on cheese. I like cheese.
The South Beach diet, which is a bit like the Atkins.
You Are What You Eat, which turned me into a quinoa & bean casserole for 3-weeks.
Carol Voderman’s 28-day detox, which is by far the healthiest I felt and kept me nice and regular, but try being a vegan when you are married to a Greek.
Eat less and move more. That has to be all there is to it, so why can’t I manage it?!
Last week, I was advised to lose weight and exercise to bring my BMI and cholesterol down.
I WOULD LOVE TO!
I have been thinking about diets for half of my life.
I like carbs and I like meat and I like vegetables and most of the time, I like them all on my plate at the same time.
I understand that cheese, bread, and wine are not to be eliminated, but enjoyed in moderation. I can live with that so long as I can eat roast chicken and potatoes TOGETHER, and in a portion designed to fill more than a side plate.
I don’t even mind doing a bit of gentle exercise if I really have to, but boot camp will never be for me.
I need something I can stick to. Something I WILL stick to.
The nurse at my GP surgery handed me a leaflet for Slimming World.
There is no measuring, weighing, eliminating, or combining required.
And let’s face it, it is the only diet left in the world for me try.
If I don’t crack it with this one, there is no hope of ever squeezing back into those pre-pregnancy jeans.
Although to be honest, at this stage I’d just settle for pulling them up past my knees.
*****
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Oh yes, this is SO me too. Except Atkins, I am veggie so that always seemed too daunting! I actually did lose 3 stone a few years back by doing the eat less, move more thing, and I kept it off too- until I had another baby, now I am still a stone less than to begin with, but 2 stone more than I would like! I keep hearing good things about slimming world…and hovering over the join button online….but maybe it is about being in the right state of mind- when I lost the weight the first time it was because I had seen a photo where it became quite apparent that my mental image of me as ‘curvy’ had actually become just plain fat, I was so horrified I went on a diet and stuck to it. Maybe it is time for another full length photos of myself….. Good luck to you xx
Author
Thank you and I agree you have to be in the ‘zone’ to start a diet and my health check last week kicked me right into it! I will keep you posted on SW but so far, it makes sense and I don’t feel like I am on a diet. I think you look fab, by the way. Sometimes we are probably too hard on ourselves as well x
I’m with you, my shelves are stacked with diet books!
I started Slimming World in October and last night got my 2 stone award, it’s been slow steady progress and I’m amazed at what I can eat. Possibly not good if you like wine but otherwise it’s been good.
Loads of FB groups you can join too for help and recipes.
Good luck x
Author
Well done that is amazing! Slow and steady is the way forward and the only hope I have of sticking to it, I think. 2-stone since October!! What an achievement x
Slimming world is 100% the way forward … It’s not a diet it’s a life change, I have been following SW for 3 years (target member for 18 months) and you can eat and drink what you want (kind of ?!?!) FB me if you want some tips x
Author
3 years! Now that is more like it. Most of these fad diets are abandoned after a month. I need a life change! I am trying not to get my hopes up about Slimming World but I am a little bit excited 🙂 FB-ing you now x
I just can’t be arsed with dieting anymore… every so often I go on a bit of an exercise binge and then I pizza/chocolate back up again! lol x
Author
This has been me for 10 years! But really want to break the cycle 🙂
I’ve been doing Slimming World for the last month. I have no idea how it works, as I eat like a pig and I eat what I really like to eat which is carbs!! How a big bowl of Spaghetti Bolognese can be free points is beyond me, but it is! And it’s working! Give it a try. I do exercise like a demon though, I go to the gym everyday. For me I’d rather kill myself in the gym and eat what I enjoy (in moderation) than not do any exercise and eat like a rabbit. Since September I’ve lost 12kg and I really do put it down to exercise and trying to eat as healthy as I can…but I still cheat. I figure, I’m never going to have the body of a supermodel but if I can at least be fit and healthy then that’s ok by me..and fit and healthy doesn’t always mean a size 6 or 8 xoxo
Author
I agree. Healthy for me is not a size 6 or 8. I am so pleased you have had so much success with SW. I am a week into it now and really like it so far… plus lost 2lb in my first week by eating LOADS. I do need to up my exercise, this will always be my downfall. But I am starting slowly with a gentle swim and pilates once a week xx
I could have written this post! Then three months ago I changed to paleo style eating. I have honestly never felt so good. I have a stupid amount of energy, never hungry, eat some beautiful food and no counting (oh and I have lost 2.5 stone)
No carbs but I don’t have food hangovers anymore, white wine is ok, loads of meat and veg.
Xxx
Author
I have heard so many good things about the Paleo way and it is the recommended diet for someone with my particular auto immune condition however, it just does not agree with me at all. Become very blocked up… TMI! I am worried I will not recognise you with all the weight loss, am sure you look and feel amazing! Will you post photos up please?
The Dukan made me feel so sick, whilst I find the 5:2 more bearable…most of the time. What worked best for me was the breastfeeding diet, sadly it has limitations 😉 Failing that, moving to France and starting to eat like the French is how I shed the most (non-pregnancy) weight ever. Also fairly extreme. So good luck with Slimming World! I’ll try not to tempt you too much with wine and cheese 😉
By the way, am totally LOVING the new look blog 🙂 xx