Diet damage control

For some of us, however, giving in to our temptations stems from frustration due to our lack of progress. iVillager Karen explains:

‘Guess who didn’t lose weight this week??!! I really cannot believe it. I’ve tried soooo hard. I gained 2lbs last week, and I thought I would have got at least that 2 off, but no. I wish I’d not bothered now. I’m so close to giving up completely and just staying fat. At least I wouldn’t be so upset every week if I didn’t lose any weight, and I wouldn’t be as obsessed by every morsel that entered my mouth.’

This type of inability to lose weight can be due to reaching a plateau, where the body’s metabolism adjusts to the foods being eaten and the exercise being done, and therefore slows down and burns fewer calories, making it more difficult to lose weight. The best thing to do is to vary your exercise routine. It may also be worthwhile reviewing your food intake and reassessing some of the foods that may be contributing to those stubborn extra pounds.

Another question to ask yourself if you’re not losing weight is, ‘Are you eating enough?’ One iVillager notes, ‘If you starve yourself, then your body will go into famine mode and hold onto all its precious fat reserves. What you might need is to eat regularly and kick-start your metabolism.’

iVillagers mention other reasons for diet sabotage:

• Having tempting foods in your fridge or cupboards. ‘Being at home is impossible. The cupboards are stocked with junk food for the benefit of my younger brother,’ says one iVillager.
• Eating fattening food when you’re a guest or with friends. ‘I don’t want to upset mother by declining home-cooked lard,’ one woman complains.
• Peer pressure from friends who don’t understand how important your diet is to you. ‘I’m going to be surrounded by women who are ‘always on a diet’, but never keep it up because they always pig out, so I won’t get any sympathy from them. They’ll say ‘once won’t hurt’ and stuff like that.’
• Feeling like you’ve strayed so far from your diet and exercise plan that it feels pointless to go back. ‘Terrible eating has got me out of feeling that I’m on any sort of healthy regime, so I haven’t exercised.’

The best strategies for sticking to your diet are:

• Take it one day at a time
• Remember the progress you have made regardless of your setbacks
• Allow yourself some mistakes
• Stay busy and focused on something like work or spending time with friends, so you have less time to sit around thinking about foods
• Keep any tempting foods out of your cupboards
• Anticipate the times when you might be tempted, such as during the weekend or eating out with friends, and try to prepare yourself for these situations with some of the tips mentioned above.

When all else fails, allow yourself a treat in moderation and, most importantly, enjoy it.

Why not chat to other iVillagers about dieting and toning up on the Shaping Up message board. Take a look at some of the LIVE discussions happening there right now: