Beating yourself up for getting here in the first place?

[colly strings]

I know it seems impossible mate, I remember that feeling so well. If it's any help, I've managed to achieve all this change after being a chronic binge-eater for 20 years. I was honestly suicidal over my eating 18 months ago. I gave SW a go as a last-gasp thing, not expecting it to work, never mind that I would find myself almost 10 stones lighter within 18 months!

It is possible, believe me. Even for people like us who feel they can never eat normally. I would not have believed 18 months ago that such change was possible for me, but it WAS, here I am at a normal weight eating like a normal person!

One day at a time. Permanent change, not 'dieting'. You *can* do it.

oh god sat at work just about crying at that, past you is pretty much present me :cry: (forgive me, im very over emotional today anyway)
sw has always been at the back of my mind but i have so many food intolerances to try and work into that. its all very, very overwhelming, and i obsess about food constantly, not necessarily in a "GOD I NEED TO EAT EAT EAT MMMM" way, but just a "wow, what the hell can i actually eat today" way. and when i think about nothing else, i eat a lot. ahhh i dunno. im probably just rambling x

 

[elizabeth]

BTW Elizabeth, you have done fantastically well. What an amazing achievement :clap:

Thanks hon, I'm just so glad I gathered up what little strength I had and decided to give it all another go. It's been a real journey for my mind as well as my body.

 

[elizabeth]

sw has always been at the back of my mind but i have so many food intolerances to try and work into that.

There's quite a wide range of foods on SW - really it's just old-fashioned sensible eating, cooking with staple ingredients from scratch instead of relying too much on processed food etc. I found it enormously beneficial in that it taught me how to eat healthily as a normal way of life. But you need to find your own way of healthy eating ultimately, take what you can from the different approaches and find what you can live with long term.

 

[colly strings]

i have to avoid dairy and gluten among other things so sometimes its a nightmare- i might give one of the class leaders a ring and see if they can help me out.

 

[elizabeth]

I don't have dairy myself hon, I'm a vegan - no animal products at all. I find it quite easy to live on the range of foods I have, lots of vegetables, wholegrains, pulses, pasta and rice. I would think this would be feasible for you, along with lean meat, poultry and fish if you're a carnivore? You can get gluten-free pasta and noodles, everything else would be fine I think. It's really processed food you have to watch as wheat gluten is often present as a thickener, but the SW way encourages you to cook proper food so that could be helpful?

Might be worth finding out a bit more about it for yourself anyway.

 

[colly strings]

yeah just wasnt too sure if the gluten free pasta would be same syns as normal and such, whether it was even incorporated. thats good to know though, i shall investigate further and report back with my findings...

 

[elizabeth]

yeah just wasnt too sure if the gluten free pasta would be same syns as normal and such, whether it was even incorporated.

It would actually be a 'free food' on a green day, meaning you wouldn't even have to weigh it or anything - just have as much as you need to feel satisfied.

Dairy is included in the 'healthy extras' part of the plan, but there are alternatives for those who can't have it. I don't like soya or rice milk myself so I never bothered with them.

 

[Isis1981]

You have done amazing Elizabeth Well done! SW got me my nearest to goal ever, nearly 10 years ago. I have joined it loads of times since. And weight watchers lol

I think you have done it the best way. I am hoping that once I have shifted some of this heft, I can do it the way you are....By just being sensible!lol x

 

[elizabeth]

Thank you hon, really appreciated.

Yep, I tried lots of times over the years with different 'diets', WW, calorie counting etc. I don't think I ever managed to lose more than a couple of stone before putting it back on, and more besides.

I set out on SW as 'yet another diet', but quite quickly realised it was like being given a key to the cage I'd been prisoner in for years. Things really changed for me when I accepted that I needed to change how I ate forever, and the SW plan gave me the tools to be able to do that.

Accepting that permanent change in your habits is the only real way to achieve a healthy weight and stay there is the hardest thing to do, I think - when you're so used to relying on food to get you through life, it's hard to believe things can ever be different. But when you finally accept it, your whole attitude changes.

 

[colly strings]

elizabeth- you've inspired me. i am starting sw tomorrow x

 

[elizabeth]

Oh my goodness hon, that's fantastic!! I'm so delighted for you, I hope it helps you as much as it did me.

The main bit of advice I would give you starting out is to put all thoughts of 'dieting' out of your head. Look at the plan as what it really is - a brilliant opportunity to change how you eat permanently, let it teach you how to eat healthily and nourish yourself with good food. It makes such a difference, believe me.

Good luck on your journey, and don't forget to check out the SW section of the board. Everyone there is really helpful and supportive, and there's lots of tips and recipes too.