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How do you find the motivation to keep dieting

Iain

A few weeks ago I had an appointment with a nutritionist to help me look at my physical health and diet so I could work out a healthy approach to aging (I'm just over a year away from being 60).

They did a bioimpedence scan (like bathroom scales but with a T shaped handle you hold so it measures electrical impedence in your body) and I had to stand there in my underpants while she used a set of skinfold callipers all over my body to measure the subdermal fat in a most undignified way. Height, weight and age were all plugged into the software and the results were that I was well above average for muscle mass but also for body fat.

As a result I need to drop 9kg to get back into the healthy range for the long term. I've been around my current weight for 4 decades now so it is going to take quite a shift to drop the weight (done it before, twice) and keep it there.

I've started out on a slightly lower calory intake (1,500 a day) and upped my gym sessions to just over 2 hours a day (about an hour each), one of which is all cardio.

So far so good, dropping about 1.5Kg a week over 2 weeks but I know that I'm approaching a normal barrier for me where it takes a big effort to drop more and the effect of dieting starts to make me crave my favourite foods badly.

I'm planning on taking up running in addition to my gym activity, but when a work project comes along then the routine for all this goes out the window for 2-3 months. The work itself if quite physical at least (I renovate apartments) but it is hard to plan ahead well enough to eat healthily when there is no fridge, little running water etc for most of the day.

How do you cope with this stage of a diet? What motivation keeps you going when all you want is a big plate of chips and ribs then ice cream or whatever?

I do love my food so this is a real challenge for me.

Parents

  • I don't really bother with diets, I just cut down carbs, have smaller portions and do rowing.

    2 hrs a day is likely too much by the way. It allows no time for recovery, although it depends on whether you are doing different things each day.

    I'd go for a slower weight loss. 1.5 kg a week is stressing your body a bit.

    You can let your weight yo-yo a bit as work allows. Now you know you can lose it.

  • in reply to Stuart333
    Stuart333 said:
    2 hrs a day is likely too much by the way. It allows no time for recovery, although it depends on whether you are doing different things each day.

    I do 60-80 minds of resistance on the weight machines in the morning (16 machines, 3x8 reps per machine) and push to near failure on all of them, so I am slowly going up in the weights and have maxed out on 5 of them.

    I do that at 9am then at 4pm I go back for 60 mins on the cross trainer at about half way up the resistance levels - I never get to heavy breathing stage that way and keep the heart rate at 120bpm so is the fat burning range.

    None of this is leaving me knackered and I still have energy for other stuff if needed like the odd flooring instalation job or a 2 hour walk when the weather is nice.

    So I don't think my fitness is an issue, just the balance of calories needs to be adjusted to keep the weight dropping.

    Everything is being weighed now and I'm cooking all my own food so I get the right proportions of stuff - snacks are being skipped too and it seems to be working now, but from experience in the past it gets really hard soon as the body starts to resist wanting to burn fat and will burn muscle instead.

    I'm reading up on how to structure the workouts and eating patterns to make this work the way I want it to, but there will soon be a craving for a big, tasty meal which there are many great options for here.

    There is also a bit of a selfish / vain reason for some of this and it is because I'm getting back into the dating scene and want to look good as age, nationality and hairline are all working against me.

    I remember from early days of dating before that there are so many temptations for ordering a pizza after a steamy session or getting through a bottle of wine with a good meal - my foodie vices will be a struggle here.

Reply
  • in reply to Stuart333
    Stuart333 said:
    2 hrs a day is likely too much by the way. It allows no time for recovery, although it depends on whether you are doing different things each day.

    I do 60-80 minds of resistance on the weight machines in the morning (16 machines, 3x8 reps per machine) and push to near failure on all of them, so I am slowly going up in the weights and have maxed out on 5 of them.

    I do that at 9am then at 4pm I go back for 60 mins on the cross trainer at about half way up the resistance levels - I never get to heavy breathing stage that way and keep the heart rate at 120bpm so is the fat burning range.

    None of this is leaving me knackered and I still have energy for other stuff if needed like the odd flooring instalation job or a 2 hour walk when the weather is nice.

    So I don't think my fitness is an issue, just the balance of calories needs to be adjusted to keep the weight dropping.

    Everything is being weighed now and I'm cooking all my own food so I get the right proportions of stuff - snacks are being skipped too and it seems to be working now, but from experience in the past it gets really hard soon as the body starts to resist wanting to burn fat and will burn muscle instead.

    I'm reading up on how to structure the workouts and eating patterns to make this work the way I want it to, but there will soon be a craving for a big, tasty meal which there are many great options for here.

    There is also a bit of a selfish / vain reason for some of this and it is because I'm getting back into the dating scene and want to look good as age, nationality and hairline are all working against me.

    I remember from early days of dating before that there are so many temptations for ordering a pizza after a steamy session or getting through a bottle of wine with a good meal - my foodie vices will be a struggle here.

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