The harder I try to lose weight the more I put on - what do I do?

Hi,
This is a tricky one.  Weight gain and energy levels, disappointment and frustration that comes from not achieving an intention can for some result in comfort eating, ‘why bother’ attitude and generally doing the opposite to what we would prefer to do. 

Firstly, give yourself some credit and take stock of where you are in your stage of life, your situation and note the good and the bad. It can be challening to make changes when we don't see the balance of life and take responsiblity for our choices.  

I suggest keep a feeling and food diary when things happen - how you feel and what you would like to do about it, do you eat food in response to situations?

Become mindful from the diary keeping and make active choices of what and when you would like to eat. 

Assess your food diary to see if you food intake is in line with the dietary guidelines - or better see an Accreditited Dietitian to help  guide you to the amounts and types of foods that work for you.

Choose a goal you would like to acheive, break it down into manageble parts, focus on doing the steps and not the leap. Celebrate the wins, acknowledge the trip ups and start again.  Guilt is poision, just keep starting again, and allow yourself the space to be human. 

Look at your lifestyle, what could be changed? Make an effort to go out at lunch time to get as much as a mental change as a physical one. Go smell the roses so to speak, if not the grass. 

Do you like your job?  Doing things we don't like is difficult. Dream a little and check in to see if there is something you would rather be doing (other than a holiday, though you might just need a rest) and test the viability of some of your options. 

Above all, what is your wieght gain about - food/nutrient density, emotions, fluid retention, lack of movement?  Address the contributing factors, and allow your body to heal.  

For more ideas contact a dietitian and possibly a life/work councellor to help you explore your situation fuller. 

You have to be in a good frame of mind to lose weight. At the moment you sound so negative. You do not seem to be enjoying your job, and you seem extremely tired. Fatigue is one of the biggest stimuli for over eating. When you get control of your eating and start a regular exercise pattern your will feel more balanced and calm.
 
Weight loss is an overall process and there are no magic answers. Pay no attention to all the latest fads. You need to think about many factors but most of them are related to issues we've known about for a very long time. There are many sensible things you can do that will make a tremendous difference over the long term if you need to lose weight.
Keeping a food journal really does help. It will give you a much better sense of how much you are eating, and when, and why.

Make a few additional small changes - walk everywhere, always use stairs instead of elevators, walk on escalators, get up and move around at least once an hour if your work or your life in general is sedentary, walk every day, use a pedometer. Walking 10,000 steps a day is a really good idea. Build up to a long brisk walk every day, or most days. Be more active, watch less TV and spend less time on the computer.

It is a good idea to join a gym if you work long hours as they are open when it gets dark. Try and exercise for an hour each day. Walking is great if you enjoy being outdoors. It is a good idea to socialize while exercising as it is motivating – walk with a friend, go to Zumba are just a few ideas.

In terms of diet, cut out or reduce junk food, soft drinks, fat, fast food. Eat more fruit, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, fish. You have to be organized so plan your meal. Do a good shop on the weekends so you have the correct food to eat on the weekends.

Reduce your portion sizes. Use a smaller plate - in our society we have become accustomed to thinking that we need a large plate of food at every meal, and we don't. About quarter of your plate of food should be protein and at least half of it should be veggies.

Eat small amounts frequently, rather than three large meals. Never skip breakfast. Include some protein in your breakfast. It will help get you through the day.

Drink plenty of water, at least 8 big glasses of water a day, and more if it is very hot, if you sweat a lot, or if you are exercising intensely, and eliminate fruit juices. Fruit juices have too many calories, so get your vitamins from fresh fruit, not the juice. You will begin to see changes in your body.

Exercise is good for your mood. Pick a time of day that you can manage to exercise and schedule this into your day.
An area that many people overlook is getting enough sleep. You are much more likely to overeat or to binge eat if you are tired and not well rested, so get enough sleep.
 
When your eating, exercise, and sleep are in control you will feel happier and your life will be more balanced!
 
 

There is some part of me (the woman who has been trying to lose 5kg since she was 15) that wishes there was a magic pill and it could all be done without some strain, both physical and emotional.  I have always exercised, eaten well enough but still battled weight changes because of children, hormones and life's big events.  I believe the answer lies in consistency and patience.

Consistency is in relation to both eating and movement.  And patience is in understanding that when you want to change your body with consistent behaviour, it is going to take longer than a 1 week of detox and gym membership.

Since November I have been listening to “The Smarter Science of Slim” podcast.  You can go to the website, or listen, and follow the guidlelines that they suggest which are simplified to “eat more, eat smarter, exercise less but exercise smarter”.  With patience you will see your body change over time.  Personally I have lost 3kg, it has taken months, but what has happened simultaneously is that my body has changed shape - less muffin top for instance.  And I am fitting into clothes well as opposed straining and without the constant feeling of ‘I want my trackies back!’.

To break it down, I eat well - really well!  Good food with a high nutritional quality and good amounts of it, I steer clear within reason (80/20 rule) of sugars and starchy carbs.  I exercise to their plan weekly and anything else is a bonus - walking, fun stuff with the kids, group training with friends.  This is not a plan just for women, it is working for anyone.  But as I said, consistency and patience are now becoming my friends.

Best of everything to you

Kindly, Karen