Ask the expert: weight loss struggle

Hi Dora,

I'm a 40-year-old mother of four children, (ages seven, nine, 11 and 19). I feel at so desperate, I want to lose weight so badly but cannot stick to anything for very long. I weigh 86kg and am 1.65 tall, so bmi is 31-32, this has slowly crept on over the past 11 years. I have tried many diets (lighter life, Cambridge, WeightWatchers, Slimming World and a few more) many different pills (orlistat, lipobind, appetite suppressants and a few more) and given up many times, unable to cope with the restrictions or after losing about a stone I slowly slip back into old habits, justifying it by saying, why should I argue with the forces of nature?

I should just enjoy being me and enjoy my food without guilt. I love all the wrong foods, cakes, chips, curries, chocolate. I work full time as a nurse and do realise what foods I should be eating but knowing and doing are two very different things. I am at my wits' end going back and forth, food is a demon, poisoning me into craving the wrong foods, then throwing the towel in because I cannot stop myself from all the lovely fattening foods available!

As for exercise, I am really too shattered after working all week then with running the kids here there and everywhere, ironing, house work, blah, blah, blah, do not have any energy or motivation to do anything like exercise!

Please can you help?

Thanks,
Sam

Dora says: It seems you know just what you need to do to lose weight, but you need to find a way to stick to your resolution and get the weight off for life! Here are my top tips.

Don't diet
Please don't diet! And please start eating healthily v dieting. Healthy eating can be maintained for life, but dieting is for the short term which is the reason diets don't work!

Beat your demons
Once you start eating right, and stop seeing food as good or bad, tempting or not then you will be able to see food simply as the fuel you need to stay fit and healthy for yourself and your family.

You call food "a demon poisoning me into craving the wrong foods" and say "I cannot stop myself from all the lovely fattening foods available'... The fact is you've made food your demon - a problem that you view as outside yourself, which makes you powerless to control it.

So please don't be a victim, because nothing has any power over you unless you let it. Ultimately you have the power to decide whether you want to be fit and healthy or not! So no, food is not your demon, food is your friend - you just have to pick the right ones.

Control your cravings
You can overcome food cravings by balancing your blood sugar so you never feel hungry or powerless when faced with cream cakes.

Eat foods rich in chromium and vitamin B to help control your blood sugar levels such as: brewer's yeast, wholemeal bread, rye bread, potatoes, wheat germ, brown rice, green peppers, eggs, chicken, apples, parsnips, cornmeal, lamb, swiss cheese, blackstrap molasses and raw nuts.

Control your portions and eat three healthy meals a day consisting of lean protein, vegetables and brown rice or pasta. Carry healthy snacks like apples, pears or a small bag of raw nuts and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.

Exercise in when you can
You will naturally feel more energetic and motivated to exercise once you cut out junk and replace it with healthier options.

Housework is exercise in itself and burns many calories so feel happy that at least you are doing something. You can also try exercising front of the TV, take a walk with the kids or kick a ball with them in the park.

I wish you luck in making these changes and changing your health and life for the better.

If you have any health or diet dilemmas, email your questions to Dora at msn-health-expert@hotmail.co.uk

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