Please recommend a diet/weight loss approach for me

[Anonymous]

I have never been able to consistently stick to a diet or exercise regimen (exception being a couple years in my mid-20s where I got really into spin classes). I lost 30lbs last year due to a combination of medication I'm on for something else and intermittent fasting.

I had to start a new anti-depressant earlier this year and weight gain/hunger is a known, common side effect. I figured if it worked and I stopped being suicidal, gaining a few lbs wasn't a big deal. But now I've gained 15 in the past few months, even with IF. Being super sedentary WFH is a big part of it. So I need to figure out a new game plan, but I know nothing about diet or exercise, really. These are my problems/limitations:

-I hate working out. I always have. I struggle to even force myself to get outside and be active with my kids (hello, depression). The Peloton is mildly appealing but there's no way I could justify buying the bike when I've never been able to commit to any regular exercise.

-I have no self-discipline. Lifelong problem. I eat relatively healthy, home-cooked meals these days but have been indulging in nighttime (8-9pm) eating -- usually something like a bowl of cereal, a turkey sandwich, or Greek yogurt with granola and honey...but sometimes a mug cake or piece of banana bread. I've been justifying it by not eating until noon, but clearly, it's not working.

Anyone out there had similar issues but successfully managed to lose the weight? I would be happy even with just losing 5-10 lbs. I cannot continue to gain. I'm 37 and F. Please help!

[Anonymous]

If you don't like exercise don't exercise. You don't need to exercise to lose weight, although, I would argue that exercise is good for your cardio and mental health. That can be walking. Don't spend money on an expensive bike if it's unlikely you will use it.

Now to lose weight you need to watch your diet. Stop telling yourself you don't have any control, you do. I prefer calorie tracking and eating in a moderate deficit (10-12X goal body weight= calorie range you should be eating in). Focusing on protein to stay full. Now if you like to snack at night work that into your calories. Plan your day of eating ahead of time to account for it. Be patient and ready to stick to it for a while.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you don't like exercise don't exercise. You don't need to exercise to lose weight, although, I would argue that exercise is good for your cardio and mental health. That can be walking. Don't spend money on an expensive bike if it's unlikely you will use it.

Now to lose weight you need to watch your diet. Stop telling yourself you don't have any control, you do. I prefer calorie tracking and eating in a moderate deficit (10-12X goal body weight= calorie range you should be eating in). Focusing on protein to stay full. Now if you like to snack at night work that into your calories. Plan your day of eating ahead of time to account for it. Be patient and ready to stick to it for a while.

Thank you. I'm going to try to push myself to at least walk. And I will go back to tracking calories, which I did once upon a time long ago. I used to use MyFitnessPal, are there better apps now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don't like exercise don't exercise. You don't need to exercise to lose weight, although, I would argue that exercise is good for your cardio and mental health. That can be walking. Don't spend money on an expensive bike if it's unlikely you will use it.

Now to lose weight you need to watch your diet. Stop telling yourself you don't have any control, you do. I prefer calorie tracking and eating in a moderate deficit (10-12X goal body weight= calorie range you should be eating in). Focusing on protein to stay full. Now if you like to snack at night work that into your calories. Plan your day of eating ahead of time to account for it. Be patient and ready to stick to it for a while.

Thank you. I'm going to try to push myself to at least walk. And I will go back to tracking calories, which I did once upon a time long ago. I used to use MyFitnessPal, are there better apps now?

Some people like the lose it app. I still prefer my fitness pal because I have used it for years and have a lot of stuff already.

[Anonymous]

Are you able to go on long walks?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you able to go on long walks?

Not really. My workdays are stacked and I have young kids. I might try for long weekend walks and either a short walk or a yoga video on the weekday mornings.

[Anonymous]

I am similar to you and find if I plan, it helps. With Myfitnesspal, I fill out the entire day in the morning instead of after eating—then I am better at sticking with it. It helps me not make bad decisions, and helps me not think about it. But I have to combine this with something new in real life to distract me. Tonight I’m going to play cornhole with my teens. Nothing too exciting just different and not involving food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you able to go on long walks?

Not really. My workdays are stacked and I have young kids. I might try for long weekend walks and either a short walk or a yoga video on the weekday mornings.

I have your same issue - no time and no motivation. I got a trainer and I split it with my best friend. We work out together three times a week for 45 min each on Zoom with the trainer. I am accountable to both of them to show up and the only thing I have to do is put on my workout clothes and set up Zoom. I have very few excuses to skip it and that helps tremendously. I don't even have to work out with my shoes on if I don't want to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you able to go on long walks?

Not really. My workdays are stacked and I have young kids. I might try for long weekend walks and either a short walk or a yoga video on the weekday mornings.

That's too bad. For me, walking a ton works. Dieting alone does now. I love to eat, so I'd rather eat normally and walk a lot. But, college aged kids...which actually is my motivation right now! To get out of the house!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have never been able to consistently stick to a diet or exercise regimen (exception being a couple years in my mid-20s where I got really into spin classes). I lost 30lbs last year due to a combination of medication I'm on for something else and intermittent fasting.

I had to start a new anti-depressant earlier this year and weight gain/hunger is a known, common side effect. I figured if it worked and I stopped being suicidal, gaining a few lbs wasn't a big deal. But now I've gained 15 in the past few months, even with IF. Being super sedentary WFH is a big part of it. So I need to figure out a new game plan, but I know nothing about diet or exercise, really. These are my problems/limitations:

-I hate working out. I always have. I struggle to even force myself to get outside and be active with my kids (hello, depression). The Peloton is mildly appealing but there's no way I could justify buying the bike when I've never been able to commit to any regular exercise.

-I have no self-discipline. Lifelong problem. I eat relatively healthy, home-cooked meals these days but have been indulging in nighttime (8-9pm) eating -- usually something like a bowl of cereal, a turkey sandwich, or Greek yogurt with granola and honey...but sometimes a mug cake or piece of banana bread. I've been justifying it by not eating until noon, but clearly, it's not working.

Anyone out there had similar issues but successfully managed to lose the weight? I would be happy even with just losing 5-10 lbs. I cannot continue to gain. I'm 37 and F. Please help!

Just being honest here - but you seem to have a very defeatist attitude. You can't be successful if you're already telling yourself that you can't do it. You CAN do it. Plus, exercise would probably help with the depression. There are so many different type of workouts, there is bound to be something you'd like. And you don't even need to go crazy, even just going on a long walk or doing power yoga before the kids get up is something. You can work your way up to more difficult stuff, its just about getting moving and the blood flowing.

Dietwise I am a big fan of IF. However you mentioned waiting until 12 to eat but snacking around 8-9. If that's the case then you need to shorten your window. I tend to eat a late dinner and go to bed late, so my window is 3-9. If you want to still have the late snack, you should probably push your eating window later. Have a healthy dinner and choose one after dinner snack - yogurt with fruit instead of granola, half a piece of cake, 2 small cookies, a small piece of dark chocolate, etc.

[Anonymous]

OP, I have been in your shoes. When my kids were young, I found it challenging to find time for exercise and cooking nutritious meals. I was exhausted. What helped me was changing my mindset by viewing my issues as a health concern and not a beauty concern -- in other words, making health a priority. I know that sounds obvious, but I'm sure you are like me and countless other parents who tend to put ourselves last.

I had gained a lot of weigh after I had kids, my body ached, and I was just overall miserable; more than anything, though, I was scared of dying from ill health -- I had gone to see a dermatologist for some skins issues and for the first time in my 20 year history with that physician, she told me that many of my issues were related to inflammation and could be resolved if I lost weight. I realized then that it was critical to put myself first.

Here is what I did:
- I counted calories and built in a satisfying snack each day.
- I maintained portion control.
- I aimed for at least four 3-mile walks each week (start out with a 1-mile walk, 3 days per week and see if that is achievable).
- After I started to see some progress, I added weight training (I eventually hired a personal trainer to come to my house from which I compiled a large notebook of at-home exercises - it was well worth the cost).
- I save binge-watching for exercise, meaning I allow myself to watch TV only when I'm exercising. This has a two-fold approach: I *want* to exercise because I *really want* to watch that show; I push myself during my workout because I want to finish before the end of the program (think Project Runway - I want to finish in time to watch the runway show).
- After I'm done, I reward myself with a small (100 cal.) treat, like Italian ice.

Weight loss is a long haul, but exercise will actually help with your depression or anxiety. If your mental health is a priority, then exercise should be part of your remedy. Good luck and hang in there!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you able to go on long walks?

Not really. My workdays are stacked and I have young kids. I might try for long weekend walks and either a short walk or a yoga video on the weekday mornings.

I am a huge fan of weight watchers. It really does help control weight without tracking a bunch of stuff.

As for the kids - you MUST incorporate them into your plan! Whether they are in the stroller or riding bikes, TAKE THEM WITH YOU. My husband (at the time) is not very supportive so I had to figure it out. You exercise for your heart, not your weight.

[Anonymous]

Stop fighting your nature. If your body wants more food at night, feed yourself. Some things I’ve made lately: crustless greek spinach pie, strawberry smoothies with a sugar free sweetener, roasted broccoli sprinkled with crystallized lemon juice, giant salads with goddess light dressing.

[Anonymous]

I recommend you eat less.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stop fighting your nature. If your body wants more food at night, feed yourself. Some things I’ve made lately: crustless greek spinach pie, strawberry smoothies with a sugar free sweetener, roasted broccoli sprinkled with crystallized lemon juice, giant salads with goddess light dressing.

And you are losing weight on all that? You must be doing IF all day.