The Student Room Group

I've gained a stone

I've gone from being just over 8 stone, up to just over 9 stone since I started uni, and of course coupled with the holiday excesses. 9 stone may not be huge, but I'm 5 ft 3" and it kinda really shows and it means I've probably gone up to a from a comfortable size 10 to a 12. :frown:
I know the drill on how to lose weight, exercise, healthy eating etc. However, my main problem is motivating myself...I dont seem to have any willpower. I know I need to lose weight, but I just think "meh, I actually dont look too bad, a chocolate/biscuit/some cheese wont hurt me", and then I feel awful afterwards for being such a pig.

How do I motivate myself? Help?

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Reply 1
Errm i also lack motivation when it comes to these things, perhaps reward yourself with a night out if you go on a run or something. Dancing is a good form of exercise, perhaps you could drag all your friends clubbing and dance the night away, after all its got to help. Everyone gains weight over winter, im sure you will lose it however. Sorry that wasnt to much help, i also lack motivation. But i tried xD But at 9 stone you arent really overweight, you are probably an ideal weight. But as i said try some dancing or something.
Good luck :smile:
Become addicted to endorphins, like I am. Simple. :biggrin:
Reply 3
i have the same problem. i'm only 5 foot tall, and i'm lazy lol. what i tend to do is just not eat in huge amounts, and lay off the chocolate and stuff. that seems to work... :smile:
Reply 4
pumpkin7
i have the same problem. i'm only 5 foot tall, and i'm lazy lol. what i tend to do is just not eat in huge amounts, and lay off the chocolate and stuff. that seems to work... :smile:


yeah, I know what I need to do, I just never kinda do it...
I've been thinking of just thinking to myself " Do NOT put that into your mouth unless you wanna have fat spilling over jeans forever" whenever I'm about to eat something bad, but I just dont want to kill off my confidence completely.. Maybe I should put a fat picture up or something, I dont know.
Reply 5
I'm 5 6" and I was 8 stone since been 12, until 5 months ago and I went up to 8 and a half because we were off school for a few months after our GCSE's and I wasn't walking around as much and snacking. I know half a stone isn't at all drastic, but because I was that 'used' to been 8 stone it really got to me. I weighed myself 5 times a day and wouldn't eat - I just drank water and had really irregular, small meals. It was pathetic and bordering on me becoming Anorexic. Luckily I got myself sorted and realised that the weight gain was a positive thing, because I was approximately 1 and a half stone underweight (according to BMI etc.) I still weigh approx. 8 and a half and I know that it's a good thing...although I am terrified of gaining anymore weight.
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If you want to lose the weight you've put on - try drawing out your own diet plan/timetable with 3 set meals a day and plenty of fruit and veg into it.

Little things will help you lose the weight:
Cut out fizzy drinks and as much sugar as possible.
Change the way you cook your foods, i.e. don't fry - bake and grill.
Don't eat out too often and if you do order 'healthier' food's.
Instead of catching the bus etc. walk - or if it's too far to walk to your destination, walk to the next bus stop, rather than your usual one and get off the bus a stop earlier than usual.
If you have the time, go swimming 1-3 times a week.
Buy an exercise DVD, there's loads out at the moment and they'll get you exercising at home and it's free - once you've stumped up £15 :biggrin: :wink:

Stay positive and motivated, don't do anything silly to lose the weight.
Reply 6
yeah, I know what I need to do, I just never kinda do it...
I've been thinking of just thinking to myself " Do NOT put that into your mouth unless you wanna have fat spilling over jeans forever" whenever I'm about to eat something bad, but I just dont want to kill off my confidence completely.. Maybe I should put a fat picture up or something, I dont know.
Maybe but would that help??
Reply 7
Hey, you're like me!

I hate myself when I eat chocolate or anything like that.
Reply 8
Hiya!! :wink:
OK, I ended up losing weight whilst at Uni despite eating a lot...for me it was the walking that did it (and stress) ...always take the 'long way' to something. If your uni has a big court/quadrangle go for a walk round it in the morning/before lunch/dinner time - basically every time you are not in a rush. Drink lots of water, it destroys your appetite before mealtimes. Instead of a biccy packet by your laptop why not keep a bowl of lettuce/rabbit food? I know it sounds gross but it means you are munching...but it's something that is high in water and therefore takes up appetite and that is also healthy. Chew gum...keeps the jaws moving.
Good luck, I know you can do it...and remember there's always someone (like me) who weighs twice as much as you do :smile:
xx
Reply 9
Don't buy the food at all, so it won't be sat there in your fridge going *EAT ME!* and tell who else you are living with to keep their chocolate out of view.

x
Reply 10
i have a massive tub of celebrations next to me... i'm going to die from eating all of them... stupid chocolate.
Reply 11
Keep looking at your profile in the mirror ie along the side so you see if there are bumps in the wrong places...one look at myself like that used to put me off food...I'm a lardball lol.
Reply 12
Katia
Buy an exercise DVD, there's loads out at the moment and they'll get you exercising at home and it's free - once you've stumped up £15 :biggrin: :wink:

or if you have a playstation buy a dance mat like I suggested in another thread lol

as for stopping yourself from eating all the things that are bad for you - just don't buy em when you go shopping - kinda simple really.....
Reply 13
sounds daft but get someone to hide the stuff your craving!! i used 2 snack on cereal 99% of the time..Mum hid it about a year ago and now if I want it I have to ask her to get it out and I have to leave the room!! Sounds totally drastic but it works as I still to this day haven't got a clue where it is!! x
Reply 14
ummm go running!!! well i do every so often!!!
when i run thing have to be symmetrical i do a route and i walk run walk, run run walk run wlk run run walk run walk its like at least 2 miles in total, running feels pointles but its about pushing oneself!!! YOU CAN DO IT
Anonymous
yeah, I know what I need to do, I just never kinda do it...
I've been thinking of just thinking to myself " Do NOT put that into your mouth unless you wanna have fat spilling over jeans forever" whenever I'm about to eat something bad, but I just dont want to kill off my confidence completely.. Maybe I should put a fat picture up or something, I dont know.


Please don't do that. Banning food you love and being harsh on yourself will not work. If you tell yourself you can't have something, you'll want it more and more until you give in and scoff loads of it. Then you feel bad about your lapse, your self-confidence drops and eventually you just give up and comfort eat.

The key here is moderation. Try to make sure that you get all the nutrients your body needs, and don't starve yourself. Eat when you're hungry, but don't stuff yourself. Don't skip breakfast. Make the time to get up earlier in the morning and have a proper breakfast. If you eat cereal, try to find one you like that isn't too unhealthy. Avoid the sugary ones like Coco Pops and go for something nutritious and filling, like Special K or Shredded Wheat. The ones with dried fruit in can help make it taste better without overloading on sugar. Porridge is a great thing to eat for breakfast, if you like it. (If you don't, fair enough; neither do I!) If you have toast, try having brown bread or best of both with a low fat spread and something like marmite, honey or reduced sugar jam.

It might sound like a bit of a mission to you (I know it does to me!) but it's really worth it. Starving yourself slows down your metabolism, which means you burn fat much more slowly, and so it ultimately hinders healthy weight loss. Whatever weight you do manage to lose will go straight back on once you start eating properly again, and once you do start eating, you'll also be more likely to binge on junk food, because you'll give in and feel as though you've "failed".

Keep healthy snacks in your bag whenever you go out, especially to lectures etc. Apples are good if you eat them quickly, but if you're anything like me, you'll leave them in your bag for ages and then throw them away. Satsumas are good, but you might end up with a bag full of peel if there's no bin handy. I suggest small bags of dried fruit or unsalted nuts. Raisins are also brilliant, as you can take a box of them everywhere or put some in a sandwich bag and it doesn't even matter if they squish a bit. They're also lovely and sweet, which means they're great for satisfying those annoying sugar cravings that we all get from time to time. I know I'll often walk past a shop window and think, "I'm desperate for chocolate" when I'm really just a bit peckish and fancy something sweet. If I have raisins in my bag I can often resist. Snacks are actually important because if you get hungry between meals and have to wait ages, you're more likely to binge on something unhealthy later, whereas if you keep the hunger pangs at bay, you won't feel the need to eat as soon as you can. Honey is another good thing to keep in your kitchen, as you can satisfy your sweet cravings with that and it's better than nutella!

Try to vary what you eat as much as possible and experiment with cooking. It can be good fun finding new recipes which are healthy and easy to cook. Keep your portion sizes down. Don't eat such a small dinner that you will be hungry later, but if you feel uncomfortably full afterwards, you've overeaten. If you can, use a smaller plate. It's a psychological thing. The smaller your plate, the less food needs to be on it before it looks full. If there's loads of space on your plate, your brain thinks you haven't eaten very much, even if you have. I eat things like pasta and chilli out of a cereal bowl when I'm at uni, because the same amount of food looks like so much more when you put it in a bowl. Sounds weird, but it works.

If you're having a pudding, wait half an hour for your main course to digest before you dig in. This way you spread out your eating and don't get to a point later on in the evening where you think you haven't eaten anything for ages. You also might wait and realise that you're not actually hungry enough for pudding, and have the self control to save it for the next day.

At the same time, don't deny yourself something you really want. If you want a Mars bar, have one. Just don't do it every day. Perhaps have one as a treat after you've written an essay or something. If you're a chocoholic, buy a big bar of really rich chocolate and keep it in your room. That way, when you really get cravings, you can have one or two pieces, but you'll limit it to that because it's so rich.

Finally, try not to comfort eat. If you're pulling an all nighter for an essay, don't eat chocolate; eat bananas. They're full of slow burning carbohydrate and will give you much more energy. If you come home after a really hard day, don't reach straight for the chips or the chocolate, but have a bath or a shower, and settle down with a cup of tea. If you really are hungry and it's only 5 o'clock, have some toast with honey, or a bowl of soup. Try to establish what it is you're craving and why, and you might be able to satisfy that with something a little more healthy.
Reply 16
Wow that was an excellent post, that helped me aswell :redface: You can have some of my pathetic rep xD
Thanks very much. :smile:
Reply 18
Lol no problem :smile:
Reply 19
im tubby !

hurrah for me !