New here, need to change!

[JamieW]

I'm Jay, I'm 24 from the UK.

At the beginning of this year I was 175 pounds, but my weight has shot up. After I injured my knee and stopped going to the gym, I also stopped watching what I eat. I didn't get on a scale until a few days ago and found I weigh 202 pounds. When I was 20 to 21 I went from 135 pounds to 240 and I became very unfit and unhealthy and I don't want to get like that again, or waste all the hard work and effort that went into loosing much of that weight.

I'm thinking of starting a diet and exercise regime, but I work unsociable hours which change day by day, and I'm always going for fast food. I also love my food and often overeat. I sometimes get into cycles of compulsive eating, even when I'm really full, I just eat anyway, even if it hurts to do so, which is something I need to address but when it happens I feel like I can't control myself. I don't like using that as an excuse, but I expect someone on here understands the feeling. I used to cycle until I hurt my knee, now the motion makes it painful, running doesn't help it either, so I need some kind of exercise that I can do without having to use it much.

If anyone has any suggestions, especially taking into mind that I work difficult shifts, then I'm all ears

 

[iq_rider]

Difficult shifts are a difficult thing to handle....

I don't know if this will be any help, but here goes. Try making a bunch of healthy foods when you have the chance. I grill up a whole package of chicken breasts at a time, then package them up for the week. That way when I go to make my lunches, I just reach in and grab my pre-made chicken, and an apple or two. Fruit is a great on the go food!

This is just an idea.... if you want it bad enough... you can make this work!

 

[Jericho]

You don't have to do additional exercises to lose weight but it does help. What you need to focus on is your diet, calorie intake and most important the emotional eating. You aren't alone in this, pretty much everyone here has. I still do but you can work on that. Might I start by suggesting a food diary along with writing how you feel before, during and after eating? You can target and focus on replacing that need of food for comfort with something else productive.

So just look at your diet right now. Remember it's a slow journey but we are all on the same one together.

 

[JamieW]

Thanks to you both for the advice I think the best idea is cooking healthy meals in one go, so I'm going to give that a try.

 

[Maria29]

Belive in your strenght to succed, Jamie! =]

Thanks to you both for the advice I think the best idea is cooking healthy meals in one go, so I'm going to give that a try.

You've done it once, you'll manage to get fit again!

I believe that the the psychological side of losing weight needs to be addressed prior to commencing a diet. The main element that you need to understand is what overeating makes you feel. From a psycho-biological point of view, we only perform behaviours in order for our brain to experience a reward. What's your reward ewhile overeating? In other words, is there an empty space in your life that you are trying to fill in with eating?