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Five Steps to Success
Step 1
Change your mindset. Whatever it is that is affecting you pschologically (and I know from personal experience there probably is something), try and resolve that first. In our case I overate dramatically after having children, but I also know that at the time we were living somewhere I didn't know anybody, didn't have any family around and felt very isolated. After we moved somewhere else and I started over again, meeting new people, I felt invigorated and less likely to hit the sugary snacks.
Step 2
Watch what you eat. I don't mean stop eating or cut down on eating. In fact, the right diet will still allow you to eat as much as you want. You might guess though that that doesn't involve crisps, cakes or daily trips to McDonalds. There are also some hidden bad things in food labels to look out for I'll tell you about later, but my main help in this respect was Weightwatchers.
Weightwatchers diet philosophy fitted me exactly. Their points system is flexible enough to allow you to eat whatever you like as long as you keep within the points each day. Okay, so you could have 3 cream cakes a day, but you and I both know that isn't doing you any good. What's really great is that most vegetables are zero points, which really encourages a much healthier eating lifestyle, and as you'd expect healthier foods cost less points than unhealthy, processed ones. This system also allows you to use up spare points on the occasional treat.
The other good thing is the weekly weigh-ins are a great incentive to keep to your target - no-one wants the personal embarassment of being seen to have gained weight. You can read more about Weightwatchers here.
Step 3
Have distractions to help you forget about eating. Boredom and monotony were two of the biggest factors in my overeating. By attending baby groups, taking kids out to the park, etc. I found that I filled my day with activities I looked forward to, saw the kids benefitting, met new people and completely forget about eating until proper mealtimes.
Step 4
Treat yourself as things go well. When you start losing weight and feeling better about yourself, treat yourself to new clothes, hairstyles, etc. It doesn't have to cost the earth and you are probably spending less on food now anyway. I really found myself lifted when I found something in a sale which fitted that I would never have considered would've even fit me, for example dropping to a size 16 from an 18.
Step 5
Make sure your partner and family are supportive. In my case, my partner was brilliant. From the occasional nudge whenever I was tempted to have one more square of chocolate than allowed, to treating me to new clothes when I hit my targets. I think he is into the Weighwatchers recipe books even more than I am! You really need someone who is on your side all the way on this. It'll be hard if your diet before involved regular takeaways and the rest of the family still insist on eating chips in front of you while you're munching on salad.
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