Hello,
I'm new on here but thought it would be nice to talk to some people about dieting
I've been really struggling to find the motivation to diet and exercise, as much as i try i always give into temptation. Last year i managed to lose a stone with slimming world but i put it all back on as soon as i started university and now i weigh even more than before
I would love to be one of those people who can get up super early and exercise but finding the time/energy is difficult! I work with a shift pattern so never really know when i'm working so booking (and continuing) exercise classes is a struggle.
I've recently been diagnosed with IBS type symptoms but somehow have still found foods (such as gluten free pasta) to indulge in.
Has anyone got any tips on how i can get motivated? I'd love to lose 1-2 stone by the time i go back to uni in september so anything would be so helpful.
I'd love to hear some of your stories, tips and tricks and would be so grateful!
Thanks!!

Hi Lydia, welcome to Social Slimmers.

I too find motivation very difficult. One thing I have found that helps me is not thinking of this as a diet. Slimming World promotes a healthy eating plan that changes the way you eat for life. It's not a 'diet' that you stick to, starving yourself, until you get to target and then go straight back to eating all the same rubbish that you did before. As soon as I hear the word diet I immediately feel deprived and want to eat as much 'forbidden' foods as possible, I actually crave them. But with Slimming World nothing is forbidden so I don't feel deprived.

You shouldn't beat yourself up about putting on weight at uni, it's perfectly normal. In America they call it 'the Freshman 10', as students leave home for the first time and are constantly surrounded by junk food and alcohol, and on average put on at least 10lbs.

Working shifts must make it difficult to find time to cook meals every day, so you might find it helpful to cook up large batches of food and freeze them in meal size portions. Then when you get home and can't be bothered cooking you can just take one of these out of the freezer and defrost in the microwave. Slimming World frozen meals (available from Iceland) are also handy, though not that cheap. Having no/low syn food around, such as fruit or Mullerlight yogurts, for snacks so that you don't immediately reach for high syn food.

As for motivation, I find this forum fantastic. Everyone is really supportive and the weight loss and food diaries are great motivators for me.

Sorry for rambling so much but hope I've been of some help anyway.

Hi and welcome

I must admit I've yo-yo'd in the past, so motivation has been there, then I slipped up. At one time I was a 'gym bunny' and lost weight from 15 stone to 11 stone on my own. Then I became unwell (I have a mood disorder) and took my eye off the prize. I gained over three years the weight back and another 2 stone.
I have become more stable this year, and for 3 months I up'd my exercise but couldn't motivate myself to lose weight, I knew I was sabotaging myself with puddings and 'treats'. A photo of myself triggered me to finally make the move and join Slimming world (I've a few friends who have had success and are still doing it). I'm 8lb down in two weeks and totally switched on in terms of motivation. I know it's early days but I really do hope I can do this. There are soooo many members out there that have lost a lot of weight and their option of setting your own 'target' rather than going by BMI is much more realistic I think.

I hope you can find a way to motivate yourself - or reach out for some support if you can make a group - I do shifts too but they have a shift working option where you are not charged if you miss a week due to work - as long as you tell your consultant and you still get your holiday weeks.

Also we have journals here you can log your foods and weigh in days you can jump in on and use as support?

We're all in the same boat here, so you'd be very welcome.

Hey Lydia

I'm also a uni student, and actually found doing SW was easier than when I'm at home. I'm not sure if you live away from home or not, but I do for uni, and I chose not to buy chocolate/junk at all. Regardless of multipack offers, I'd just pop to the shop and buy a single bar or whatever when I felt I needed it.

Meal planning is also a good idea. Try as much as you can within your budget in the first few weeks, so you can weed out what you don't like.

There is almost always an alternative to everything you'd usually do. So if going on a night out, it's best to stick to diet mixers and spirits. Making food before you go out so you have something to dig into for when you get back in. As has been suggested, batch cooking so you can cook food quickly for those low energy days. Those kinds of things.

I've also found, like what you've done now, that setting target weights by certain dates helps me keep focussed. I don't want to be someone saying "I'll get there when I get there" as it leaves plenty of room to not find healthy alternatives and keep putting plan off. The longer you put staying on plan off, the harder it is to get back on it. You feel like you've spent 3 months on plan, but realistically, it could be a few weeks.

But just remember, there's no rush. Assuming you start back uni mid September, 2 stone is way too much to lose in 9 weeks at your weight. 3lbs every week week is way too quick, and I'd be surprised if it came off that quickly whilst maintaining a satisfying, sustainable diet. I started at 17 stone 2, and I've had hardly any weeks above 2.5lbs since those first few weeks where it was a radical change compared to my previous diet.

Good luck!

Hi Lydia Welcome to Social Slimmers

I completely understand where you're coming from about the motivation, I've been on Slimming World for several years, and once got to target, but put it all back on again. It took me a while to actually get my motivation back again, but I've found myself back on plan recently and I hadn't realised it properly. I think what gave me a kick up the backside was that I'd gone back to (and slightly over) my original start weight when I joined SW. I was so disappointed with myself because I allowed my realtionship with food to start taking over again, when I'd had pretty good success in changing it and feeling so much better about myself.

If you don't want to join a particular diet/healthy eating plan, why don't you focus on portion control? For example, on SW they allow you to eat what you want of vegetables, gruit, meat, fish, eggs, fat free cottage cheese & natural yoghurt, and also pasta, rice and potatoes, but the downside with eating load sof pasta, rice and potatoes is that they are really stodgy, so a lot of people monitor how much they eat. I make sure I never have more than the recommened portion amount (usually 75g of pasta) and try to fill my plate up with veggies and meat.

There are plenty of food diaries and journals on here for you to have a nosy and and pick up some ideas if you decide to go towards a particular plan.

Like Matt said, 2 stone in 9 weeks may be too big of a target, but say you lost 1-2lb a week, thats at least half a stone, possibly 1 stone before you head back to Uni. If you aim to lose too much too soon, you could end up becoming disheartened if it doesn't happen, and that can just send you off track completely and make you more unhappy than you may already be.

What about setting small goals, like losing 10lbs by the middle or end of August? That way, if you lose more, it's a bonus, but you've still got almost half way to your target weight?

Hopefully we've been of some help to you, and I hope you get your motivation back and get to where you want to be Good luck! x

Hi Lydia,

I think most people who change their lifestyle find it hard to get motivated both in food and activity. For those who are naturally slim and fit I try not to think about

I started with weight loss... it was so far in to that that I wanted more which drove me into fitness. As time has gone on I have changed how I eat and exercise as things change or I learn more to suit me. I also had a spell where I undone all my hard work and gained some weight back.

Have a look into local gyms not leisure centres .... where I work out I can do the camp session 1 of 3 times per day, it's really good. Some local gyms also have classes and fitness programmes or if you were to go to the gym that makes it really flexible to go when time suits you and also try a couple of classes and go to the ones you like again when time suits around your working. Running outdoors is also free and has no time commitment

Getting on it all isn't easy ... but if you give yourself some discipline you will soon feel the benefits and be proud of yourself.

BTW my IBS has gone and I don't even desire half of the crap I once ate any more, slowly that goes away because I know how I feel if I over indulge on those foods that trigger.

My biggest tip is create min goals if it be exercise, food, weight, clothes ...

Good luck and welcome to Social Slimmers