Enough is enough...

S

sweet_tooth

New member
Hi guys,

I was on here just after Christmas; I made a good start on not snacking and exercising, then I came back to University after the Christmas holidays and have slipped back into my old habits, stopped exercising, and given up my diary.

Things have got to change!

I don't want to be overweight; I want to change, but I am severely lacking in willpower. I've given up chocolate for Lent, but I feel like I'm just replacing it with other crap at the moment.

I decided to write this now and go to bed and then tomorrow when I wake up I am going to be nicer to my body. I am only 21 and I feel like this is the time when I should be looking great and wearing fabulous clothes. I don't want an unhealthy relationship with food to ruin that!
I've read some diaries on here and honestly find them inspirational. I think a community like this is something that I need - as well as your encouragment.

I really really want to do this. I hope I can.
I'm currently around 12st and I mainly need to get rid of excess fat on my belly - that's my problem area. By eating healthier and trying to do as much exercise as I can fit into my lifestyle, I hope I can get rid of it!

Thanks for reading if you got this far!
xxx​
 
hey sweet tooth!!
you can honestly do it! I mean I totally understand whatyou're going through: being in school, lacking willpower. I've had a diary on here for about two months now.... and yea things haven't been going the way I want them to, because I am letting myself down. I'm giving myself the easy way out, I'm cheating on my own body. But I realized that what I want is my self-confidence, and that is far more satisfying than any food in the world.

Just figure out your weaknesses.. why do you eat so much? I eat during stressful times, like right now, during my midterms. So figure out ways to improve your weaknesses

Cut out te bad stuff and have a healthy diet. Don't cut out things you like completely, but eat them in moderation

Exercise :)

And i dont know about you, but I usually have like some inspirational pictures that can really get me motivated. So whatever helps you out.

You can honestly do it, you're doing something good for you, don't cheat yourself. Anyways, I can't wait to hear about your progress!
 
Thanks amsterdam, your encouragement means a lot!
So I figured out that I'm an 'emotional eater'. Basically I eat when I'm bored, when I'm stressed, etc. Right now I'm finishing my final year of uni and getting VERY stressed out about postrgaduate courses/jobs and have been eating to make myself feel better.

Today, I had two bowls of cereal at breakfast. BAD. But I was genuinely hungry and thought it was better to have a big breakfast than snack all day. Then I had lunch. Now I am SO TEMPTED to snack on a cereal bar but I know it's because I'm bored and getting frustrated with my applications. So, I'm going to take a five minute break and listen to some loud music and read a magazine, and hopefully I won't want to eat...AH!
(Also maybe the pictures in cosmo will stop me eating and getting fat so I can't wear the amazing clothes in the magazine!)

xxxxxxxxxx
 
Come on youuu! I'm at Uni as well, and near your age. WE CAN DO THIS! Get off your ass and get motivated :D

I've cut out pictures out of mags like Cosmo and stuck them on the fridge ;) Makes you feel bad when you reach for food you don't really want.

And if you're hungry, EAT! It's okay to have a big breakfast but instead of two bowls of cereal maybe have one and then a banana, or an apple, or a fruit salad type thing. Even a bowl of soup may have less calories than cereal.

It's not about starving yourself or denying yourself, it's about moderation. When you have that first bowl of cereal wait 20 mins to see if you're *actually* still hungry. Often I'll have dinner and think I'm still hungry and then wait a while and realise I'm full!

Always have a big bottle of water/squash in your room or fridge and chug some of it when you feel hungry. A lot of the time hunger pains and thirst can be confused.

When you take a break, instead of staying in your room--pop outside for 10 mins. Fresh air will clear your head more than loud music and it'll get your up and out and on your feet! Or do sit-ups whilst you listen to music.

Just find exercise that you can fit into your dailty routine. I jog on the spot whilst the kettle boils, for example!

Anyway, good luck and YOU CAN DO IT!
 
sweet_tooth said:
Today, I had two bowls of cereal at breakfast. BAD. But I was genuinely hungry and thought it was better to have a big breakfast than snack all day. Then I had lunch. Now I am SO TEMPTED to snack on a cereal bar but I know it's because I'm bored and getting frustrated with my applications.
Click to expand...

Ugh I do this one all the time, tell myself that if I eat lots early in the day then I wont be tempted to snack/eat badly throughout the day so I'll have a huge breakfast/morning tea...and then it gets to later in the day and I eat just as much as I always would. So frustrating but I still manage to trick myself every time.

Anyway best of luck restarting your diary/lifestyle change, seems like a lot of people round these forums (including me) are in a similar boat to you (uni student, 20ish, wanna be able to wear the clothes out of cosmo lol, trouble keeping healthy/active around exams/assignments etc) so we should all be able to help each other navigate the pitfalls associated with the uni lifestyle :)
 
I lost my first 20 pounds being in uni, final year too, it was hard. I was very close to 12 st when I started and I am under 10 now (aiming for 8 and a halfish).

Another thing you should do when you get the munchies, make yourself some herbal tea. Those fruit ones taste nice without sugar, then there is green tea, white tea, mint tea... you never have to get bored of them and they give you something to put in your mouth, you get well hydrated and you give your stomach a warm fuzzy feeling.
I lived on tea during revision!! Now here in Spain I don't have a kettle so I never really drink any... oh I miss me some Twinnings!

Have a great week, Camy
 
Oh god I haven't written here in a week...
Thank you so much for all your encouragment!

Sunflower - that's really good advice. I think a big problem is boredom. Because I live in student accomodation (like in halls) I have my dinner then go to my room to work, and there I get bored and go downstairs to the shop in the same building and buy CRAP! If I get out and go for a walk I think the change of scenery/fresh air will definitely help - plus it'll help me to concentrate on my work!

Bolso - I know, I trick myself all the time, it's so silly! I'm just about to have a look at your diary :) I think it definitely helps to have people in the same boat. We can do this!

Camy - That's amazing that you lost that much at uni - it's such an inspiration that somebody else has managed to do it. I actually have white tea and green tea here in my room - white tea is great, I was in the habit of drinking a lot at the beginning of this term but now I just eat instead. Also you live in Spain? I lived in Spain last summer and the summer before, near Madrid (I study Spanish) I loved it! I missed my tea when I was there too :)

To be honest, I think that when I started this thread last week, I wasn't really thinking long term, just about wanting to lose weight NOW. My friend came to visit this weekend, and she's very slim and we went shopping and I found myself pining for the clothes I could wear if I were just a bit smaller...it was a big kick up the bum! I know I wrote all of this last week and definitely don't want to sound like a broken record but it's the truth. I think that this week definitely confirmed my suspicions that I eat when I'm emotional/stressed/sad. And that's not a good way to be!! So no more :)
I'm going to try my best to not snack unhealthily between meals - it's my downfall!

Also I have further goals of waking up EARLY every day this week to catch up on the mountain of work I have....and on that note, I'm going to get a good nights sleep and start my week the right way!

Night all
xxxx

PS - I just had a thought; my appetite has increased a LOT in the past few months, coinciding with the amount of time I've been on the pill (microgynon). Has anybody else found this?
 
Hi guys :)

So no weight loss as of yet; this is possibly (definitely) due to birthdays and whatnot and so cake and alcohol. However keeping positive and taking every day as it comes.
I seriously want to get rid of this excess fat, and at the end of the day, am I willing to sacrifice my goals for a temporary indulgence. Will be posting some before pictures soon....hopefully putting them on here will give me serious motivation to stick with this!

Hope you're all doing well

xxxxxxx
 
Good morning everyone!!

So - today I feel good! I was going to try and get up to go for a run/power walk this morning but I didn't end up getting asleep till at least 3am, so getting up at 7.30 is just unrealistic! However I did make it to breakfast because I knew I'd be staaaaaaarving later if I didn't and then I would eat everything in sight....that is definitely not what I want to do!!

So had some rice krispies and a white tea. And today is going to be a good day, foodwise. And workwise - I had a very unproductive day yesterday with studying, so today I am going to put 110% in with the work and the not binging. Might pop to the supermarket to buy some healthy snacks for when I get the urge.....the only danger is with having snacks in my room is that I get very tempted to binge (I'm sure I have a problem!!)

Any idea on snacks I could get?

Hope you're all doing great!! Happy Tuesday! xxx
 
Evening!!

Today was o...kay food wise.
Had sandwich for lunch (they really don't fill me though) and a cheese & onion panini.
Then for dinner macaroni & cheese with brocolli and green beans and a few waffly potato things. (I don't get to make my own dinner cos I live in halls so I eat what I'm given - pain in the bum when I'm trying to ''eat healthily''!)
Rasberry yoghurt for afters.

Then went to the library after dinner and had a forest fruits yoghurt break- YUM! 72cal and 1.8g fat in each bar, and there's two in a packet, so not too bad as snacks go! Although....I tend to think I can have more because they're not that bad for me.....today only had the one though :)

Had to come home from the lib because I was cold and tired and craving tea....so now finishing off my studying for the night in my pyjamas :) Didn't crave good white tea though - nice and strong and sweet PG Tips! Now I feel ready to get back on the work before bed :)

Oh also I've been buying Werther's Original to keep me going during the day when I have an urge for the sweet things. I know they're not the BEST but really, it's better than me pigging out on chocolate (or cereal bars for that matter!!)

Exercise; well, I was panicking about the work today, so didn't do much. But fifteen minute walk down to lectures, then I walked home the pretty way which took me about half an hour. Then walk to and from the library which I suppose is about ten minutes each way. I'm going to try and do a ten minute solution workout before bed but I'll see how the work goes. Stress of uni!! :(

xxxxxxxx
 
Oh & waterwise I've had two cups of PG tips, two cups of white tea, and I'm finishing my second 500ml bottle of water. Don't actually know how much that is all together? Hmm. xxx
 
Heyyyy!!!
You're doing really well sweet_tooth!! For the binging, I totally get it, but for the past few weeks I've come across some stuff that have really really helped me, and I'm actually on track now, and I don't even think about the "b" word :p (binging)
Ok, well there's actually:

1) I had the same idea as you had! Eat hard candy instead of snacking on... EVERYTHING ELSE hahahh. Though I know Wether's really isn't the best one. I got one, really good and tasty: Crystal Light Hard Candy, it's about 25 cals for 4/ 0 sugar/ 0 everything. They're so yum too!

2) Ok, I don't know if you've ever had dates. They're probably the best thing in the world. It's like 33 cals for each, and think about it: they're full of fiber, and other bunch of nutrients that are super good for you. They help for your digestion and all that jazz. PLUS like i end up having 6 through out the day (200 cals) and I don't even feel hungry at night anymore

OUHH and 3) CABBAGE! I love love cabbage just like that, so maybe if you like it you should try. Just buy like a whole one, and whenever your hungry cut a bitof it, and it's like having chips: they're crunchy and taste knda good... and they have 0 cals. Plus they fill you up. You could always try having some with your sandwich as a side, that way mabe you'll be more full?!

Good luckk on the weight loss, keep us posted!
 
Thanks for the advice amsterdam!! Cabbage is a bit impractical as I like in halls at university (so difficult to cook....actually, do you cook cabbage? I am VERY bad at cooking, sorry if that' a very stupid question!) but I'm definitely going to go get some dates - they sound a lot better than sugary werthers; I hope I like them! (Yup...never tried them before. Sheltered life.) Also I think I'm going to buy some kiwis because I'm seriously lacking on the fruit front. Definitely going to take your advice...I wish I didn't think about the b word!! Although I went to costa coffee for lunch today and after my lunch resisted buying a strawberry cupcake...that's the most willpower I've shown in that place (usually I have to get a slice of cake before I leave)...plus I got a skinny latte so it turned out to be quite a healthy lunch!

Not been too bad on the eating yesterday & today

Breakfast - cornflakes & semi-skimmed milk

Lunch yesterday (they had no jacket potatoes left at lunch so I got a few chips instead) - baked beans, chips, beetroot, cucumber, new potatoes in a creme fraiche kind of sauce (sounds like a gross mix, I know, but actually v. nice!)
Then I got some soup. And bread. With marge. Oops!!

Lunch today - Thai green flatbread & skinny latte (about 450 cals altogether)

Dinner yesterday - veg. balti with brown rice & green beans & carrots
Then for snacks 2 packs of goahead yoghurt biscuits - why can't I just leave it at one?

Today for dinner I bought a tex mex wrap which was only 267 cal (had to go to the library) and then brought the cals up with, once again, the yoghurt biscuits. Plus a red bull and some water.

The only thing is, apart from walking to and from lectures (about half an hr/40 mins each day), I'm not exercising. I know I should be, but I keep getting so stressed about deadlines at uni that I don't find the time. Also I hurt my knee today and I think I have a trapped nerve near my hip so walking HURTS!! I want to start doing work out dvds in my room. Or maybe running/power walking. I think the only way I'm going to be able to do this is by getting up earlier in the mornings - especially now that we're getting into spring it should be easier, I'll hopefully want to go for a run in the fresh air with the sunshine! If I try and do it in the evening I have difficulty finding the time because I find I have to go to the library and work; it's just a bit of a mad time. I finish studying at the end of May and there's just SO much to do before then, it hardly seems possible in my head. I know it is, but this is why I find it hard justifying time to exercise.

Anyway - rant over!! I'm going to weigh in tomorrow morning but given the lack of exercise I don't think I'll see a change. I just really hope that I don't gain! If I do, maybe it'll give me that extra push to stop snacking!

Anyway - that was a long post, sorry about the rant! :) Still staying positive; I need to not let life get in the way!!

Time for bed now, and tomorrow is a fresh start!

xxx
 
Just weight in - 165.4

Not a lot but considering I've not been exercising I'm quite happy and it's given me the motivation to continue (and I want to see what I can do with regular exercise)

At least it's not a gain!!

xxx
 
Good work!! - your moving the scale in the right direction - every step counts along the way. Take it day by day and things will get easier. I think the exercise will help with the stress so give it a try - maybe even when you need a study break try running a mile and I bet you will feel ready to get back to the books with a lot more energy. Keep it up!
 
Just wanted to pop in and say thanks for posting in my diary the other day! I wish you luck on your goals, I have to get going so I'll have to catch up on your diary later!
 
Oh my god I didn't realise it had been so long since I posted! I have been keeping up with everyone's diary on the forum, just not posting in my own! But I'm back :) and am back on the wagon. Had a slight glitch, I went to Italy to visit friends for a week and that was NOT a healthy time. And then when I got home I went to visit some more friends and that was a McDonald's filled few days. Argh. But now I'm back to trying not to eat so much crap. Thing is, I don't WANT to anymore, I don't think. Like, I went the cinema with a friend last week and had a big bag of munchies, and I was so aware of how guilty I would feel afterwards that I didn't enjoy them as much as I usually would.

I'm hope from uni at the moment, I have been pretty much since a week after my last post - so for about a month. Going back next week so we'll see how the healthy eating goes then. I'm studying for my finals at the moment (revising and still have work to hand in - URGH - finish in just over a month and there is SO MUCH to do before then I feel like it's never ever ever in a million years going to turn out well - but, positive thinking hey!) and what's weird is realising that I'm not being snacky because I'm stressed. In fact, it's going the other way so far. Weird. And trying to get all my water in (typically like a pint or 2 of water, and then 2-3 cups of white tea) which is making me not starving all the time.

I haven't stepped on a scale since I left university for Easter, and won't until I go back. It'll be interesting to see if I've gained or lost because I had those awful couple of weeks of eating crap, but now I'm being more sensible and mainly not a huge pig who eats everything!!

As I said, I've been following everyone's progress regularly - you're all doing great jobs :) - well done! Really does make me want to join you in the losing the pounds!!

My food diary for today:

Breakfast: All bran & semi skimmed milk

Lunch: Cup-a-soup with 2 slices of bread: one with lurpak lighter, one with philadelphia

Drinks: So far, 2 cups of white tea.

Better get back to work. Eek. Will report back later with rest of diary.

Love! xxx
 
I cannot WAIT until these finals are over. I have a whole month between end of exams and graduation (early July) - and graduation has given me a proper goal for which I want to look better. As my birthday will be a bit of a non-event this year (mid-May, exams, essay due in the following day, etc), graduation is my motivation.

Anyway, complete food diary:

Brekky: All bran + semi skimmed milk.
Lunch: Cup-a-soup + 2 slices of bread - one with Lurpak, one with Philadelphia
Dinner: Mini pizza, spaghetti & a few chips.
Drinks: 3 cups white tea & 1 cup coffee with two sugars
Snacks: 3 jaffa cakes, a coconuty rasberry chocolate thing (v. small), banana.

Night everyone! xxxxxxx
 
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