Diary of a 20-something serial dieter

[miss14]

Hello,

I am hoping that this forum will help me! A little about me at first - as the title suggests, I'm a 20-something year old serial dieter who has never found anything to work long-term. Like a lot of other people out there, I start a diet/healthy eating/lifestyle/whatever you want to call it with lots of enthusiasm, then a few days or weeks down the line it drops off and I end up putting more weight on that I had started with.

Currently I'm the heaviest I have ever been. And its just upsetting - I've always been a curvy girl but happy with my figure, but now I find myself not wanting to wear any of my clothes because of how tight they are and not enjoying spending time with my boyfriend because I'm embarrassed of my weight. So I felt now was the time to get healthy!

I've chosen slimming world as I think it's the most sustainable plan. Still getting my head around it but it doesn't look too bad. I'll be posting on here what I eat every day, as well as my weight losses etc (I weigh in on Wednesdays). Im looking forward to it - although my downfall is alcohol and binge eating. I generally drink alcohol most weekends, which I know will slow my weight loss: but I'm in my 20s, I need a social life and I enjoy it! So I'm not going to restrict my drinking for now and see where it gets me - if I lost weight slower, but still lose, I'll be happy with that. With regards to the binge eating, I know my triggers - having money at work, going to the supermarket and being on my own are all time when I would normally try and binge eat. So I'm going to try a few strategies to reduce that (not take my purse to work, eat before going food shopping and occupy my evenings) so will write down how it goes.

Any tips/stories/support would be MUCH appreciated

Wish me luck!

 

[xxlauraxx15]

Hi and welcome its great on here loads of friendly people . Good luck with your first week

 

[Wolf]

Welcome in and good luck! With your alcohol plan it might be worth you doing weekly syns rather than daily syns. In my experience, it doesn't work "quite" as well as daily syns but it is great if you like to cut loose a bit on the weekends.

 

[miss14]

Welcome in and good luck! With your alcohol plan it might be worth you doing weekly syns rather than daily syns. In my experience, it doesn't work "quite" as well as daily syns but it is great if you like to cut loose a bit on the weekends.

Thanks for the advice! I'm going to try and stick to daily syns for now, but definitely will keep that in mind for the future!

 

[miss14]

So first day has gone well! My eating has gone like:

Gym - Body pump class
Breakfast - SW bacon and veg frittata with cheese (HEX), banana
Snack - peach
Dinner - Homemade veg soup, 1x 400g wholemeal bread (HEX) and a tangerine
Snack - few pieces ham
Tea - Beef and veg casserole with a white crusty roll (6 syns) and butter (1.5 syns). Frozen grapes for desert.

So total of 7.5 syns. Feeling good! Although really tired from a long day in work. So i think an early bed and to watch something funny on the telly.

 

[xxlauraxx15]

I asked at club if could save syns for a treat at weekend and I got told no. She said it doesn't work no idea why

 

[Wolf]

I asked at club if could save syns for a treat at weekend and I got told no. She said it doesn't work no idea why

That advice seems to vary from consultant to consultant lol. The consultant at the meeting I used to go to would tell people to do weekly syns if there was absolutely no other way they could keep in their syns on the weekend. I often did that myself but, yes, from personal experience, it doesn't work as well as daily syns.

 

[Frangellica]

Hi miss14. Your story sounds very similar to mine, I am also a 20-something serial dieter

I drink all weekend and then binge eat to cure hangovers When I don't drink, I don't anything bad, full stop.

I am getting married in April so want to loose as much as possible. I did dry January this year so that helped me loose an initial 1stone and have now decided to keep it going, to not drink for as long as I can help it. But I know I cant keep this up forever, I have several plans booked before April which I know will involve large amounts of alcohol and then the inevitable hangovers and binge eating.

I'll be interested to follow to your progress to see how incorporating alcohol will effect your progress. Good luck, and keep motivated!

 

[miss14]

Hi miss14. Your story sounds very similar to mine, I am also a 20-something serial dieter

I drink all weekend and then binge eat to cure hangovers When I don't drink, I don't anything bad, full stop.

I am getting married in April so want to loose as much as possible. I did dry January this year so that helped me loose an initial 1stone and have now decided to keep it going, to not drink for as long as I can help it. But I know I cant keep this up forever, I have several plans booked before April which I know will involve large amounts of alcohol and then the inevitable hangovers and binge eating.

I'll be interested to follow to your progress to see how incorporating alcohol will effect your progress. Good luck, and keep motivated!

Yes we sound very similar! You are a better women than me not drinking for so long - i've thought about it but its just never 'the right time' with birthdays, christmas, visits from friends etc. You'll have to let me know how you get on! Have you been going to events and staying sober or not going out at all? Good luck anyway!

 

[miss14]

Didn't write on Friday as I was rushing around after work. Friday's food was:
B - SW Frittata + cheese (HEX)
S - nectarine
L - Veg soup, tangerine
T - White fish with lemon, sweet jacket potato, lettuce, beetroot, tomatoes
Other - LOTS of drinks. I had 2 beers before I went out, 3 pornstar martinis, 3 vodka lemonades and 2 jager bombs. (that's what I can remember, anyway ) ..... a total of 67 syns if I was counting alcohol! Glad I'm not!

So I made a conscious effort not to have any syns apart from alcohol on Friday - even though I know I won't restrict my alcohol intake, I think that's a good balance. Plus, in my weird head, my logic is that food and alcohol are separate things - so if I'm good with food, it doesn't matter with the alcohol. But if I put them together and started syning alcohol, I know i'd be just like 'oh well I've already blown it and had 40+ syns today so might as well have a pizza on the way home' Weird logic but oh well - its working for now.

Saturday was the a bit of a problem. I was really hungover and only got up half an hour before I had to go to work. I had absolutely nothing in, was starving and had a full 7.5h shift. So just quickly ran to the shop before work and they had no 'light' things! So I ended up getting a BLT (23) and a ready meal lasagne (13.5). So no real speed foods AND went over my syns! Serves me right for not thinking ahead - I'm sure if I had made something that's a hangover friendly SW meal (a SW lasagne for instance) that would have solved all my problems - a SW lasagne doesn't really feel like your missing out on something nice, does it! So will prepare for that next time. Although next week I am visiting a friend in London for a night out - she doesn't really eat unhealthy things but I know in the morning I will want to pick something up on my journey back to make myself feel better. Any ideas on low-syn fast food or sandwiches etc from the shop? I know boots do their low fat range, I wonder if that would be an option.

 

[Gonzcg]

Good luck!
Could you prep and pack something for your journey home and take it with you? Then you might not have to worry if there aren't very good choices at the shops for the journey home.

 

[miss14]

Good luck!
Could you prep and pack something for your journey home and take it with you? Then you might not have to worry if there aren't very good choices at the shops for the journey home.

Thank you! I'll have to think of what I can prepare that doesn't need heating up/won't go off in my bag haha!

 

[miss14]

A better day today It is a bit easier when your busy all day - no time to check the fridge 424543 times and see if there has been a surprise delivery of chocolate without me knowing Today's food:

B - 2 pieces SW frittata (eggs, cottage cheese, bacon, leeks, onion, tomato) + cheese (HEX)
Snack - 2 pieces white toblarone (12 syns)
D - Plate of roasted kale and 4 pieces ham
T - Ainsley Harriet roasted vegetable couscous (1.5 syns)
S - 4 pieces ham

1) the couscous was disgusting! I'd been told by a few people to get it as a low syn quick lunch, but really didn't like it. Found it bland and tasting like it's quite processed (which I know it is but wasn't expecting). I bought the tomato and garlic one to try too, which will hopefully be a bit better. I'm in no rush to try it again though!

2) I'm poor at getting my HEX B in. I don't particularly want to use it on bread or cereal/cereal bars. Maybe I'll try and get some dried fruit in? What does everyone else use theirs for?

3) VICTORY! I managed to eat 2 pieces of my king sized toblarone and put the rest back in the drawer! Which is a first for a long time! Really proud of myself

Anyway, only a few more days until weigh in and I think I've lost weight all ready - just got to keep it going... Although, I did prepare lunches for the week which is good. Tomorrow I'll be making another frittata for breakfast and then my tea's are all pretty simple meat/veg combinations. Happy Sunday!

 

[xxlauraxx15]

I have the hifi bars from class for my HEX b option this is my choc fix lol

 

[Wolf]

2) I'm poor at getting my HEX B in. I don't particularly want to use it on bread or cereal/cereal bars. Maybe I'll try and get some dried fruit in? What does everyone else use theirs for?

I struggled with this too as I don't touch processed foods like cereal bars/hifi bars and also don't eat much bread as, although I love it, it REALLY doesn't agree with me! So, I spend a lot of my HeB on dried fruit and nuts. Much healthy and more natural too! I often have smoothies for breakfast and split my HeB into half organic oats and half hazelnuts for that.

 

[miss14]

Another good day

B - Can baked beans
S - Tangerine, options hot chocolate (2)
D - Speed soup + an apple
S - Another apple, 1 boiled egg
T - Burger with cheese (HEX), sweet potato fries, salad (lettuce tomatoes pepper and beetroot)
S - Chewits (6)

So total of 8 syns today. Felt quite hungry but think it may be due to the small breakfast - I usually have quite a big breakfast so must have impacted my day. My evening meal was absolutely lush though, felt like such a treat!

Planning to go to the gym in the morning but feeling really tired and drained today. I've been working 7 days a week for the last few weeks and am getting exhausted now. At least it's extra exercise - my usual Sunday is lying in bed all day watching netflix (usually feeling sorry for my hungover self!)

Was quite happy about my choices before. Apparently this week at certain Subway shops their breakfast sub is only 99p which is amazing. But when I checked the syns, apparently it's about 9-12 syns for the bread alone (!!!!!), around 6 syns for bacon as its not lean, and around 6 syns for the sausages as well. And that's not including the lashings of ketchup I would have put on! So as soon as I saw that I was like no, definitely not. Which I was happy about because if I wasn't on SW I would have gotten a subway breakfast every morning!

Anyway here's to another good day tomorrow, before weigh in on Wednesday. I'm pretty excited!

 

[miss14]

Today was OK. Kept thinking I've gone over my syns for some reason but didn't in the end. Got a little confused with HEX A and Bs.

B - Baked beans and 2 boiled eggs
S - Tangerine
D - Speed soup, one brown roll (6 syns)
S - banana, 2 chicken legs (skin on - 3 syns), dried apricots (6?)
T - Jacket potato with butter (3), tuna, lettuce and beetroot. Can diet coke.

I think I felt a little down because I didn't go to the gym this morning like I had planned to. So then decided that I'd go after work - didn't happen either. I'm just always too tired to go after work so really just need to go before. I just wish I had someone to go with! Nobody that I know will come with me and I get so bored/unmotivated without someone else. I feel like I just need to get into the routine of going every weekday morning, so that it just come naturally. Also feeling bloated due to the diet coke. So I FEEL like i've had a bad day even though I haven't! Will just have to see what the scales say tomorrow.

 

[littlemisspiggy16]

Can you not use the bread roll or apricots as your hexb instead of synning them both?

Don't blame you not going to the gym after work. Exercise is hard enough at the best of times, never mind after a long day working! Your food looks good so far though xx

 

[xxlauraxx15]

Why not buy a excersise bike and do it at home a lot less hassle haha I'm so lazy. Or workout dvds all help

 

[Wolf]

Can you not use the bread roll or apricots as your hexb instead of synning them both?

Yup, either the brown roll or 60g of dried apricots could be counted as you HexB.