I want to lose weight without dieting

[Megan74]

I am fat and need to lose weight. I cannnot stand counting calories/carbs/points etc. Been there, done that and I am still fat. I know exactly what I am doing wrong; eating way too much between meals and snacking/picking at high claorie stuff. I plan to have 3 meals a day, reduce portion sizes, increase veg to half the plate and only snack between meals if hungry and pick low cal options (I am something of an expert after all that calorie counting I have done over the years ). I cannot explain it but I just hate the whole counting thing. Has anyone been successful at this?

[DisappointedHorse]

Don't we all!

Actually a colleague has been doing what he calls the EH diet - eat half! He says he did feel hungry at first but now he is completely used to it and he's lost a stone in a few weeks.

I'm tempted to try it.

[Megan74]

That's interesting. I think I am going to do this in two halves. Tackle the snacking issue first and then portion sizes at meal times. I wish I wasn't such a greedy guts!

[FoodieToo]

Think about joining all of us on the 5:2 thread!

[rosemarysage]

You Could look into calorie density (it looks much easier than counting every single thing which would wreck my head as well). I am also doing the 5:2 (I can just about cope with counting up to 500 twice a week or so ).

www.jeffnovick.com/RD/Newsletter/Entries/2012/5/20_A_Common_Sense_Approach_To_Sound_Nutrition.html

[Megan74]

Wow thank you. I shall look at the links and the 5:2 thread.

[NellyJob]

whenever I have been doing something regularly that exercises the largest muscles in the body, I have lost weight without really eating less, eg cycling, walking or swimming.

[SCOTCHandWRY]

YY to Nellyjob, any kind of activity is good - even just a simple brisk walk 3 or 4 times a week.

Have to had a go at low a carb/high fat/high protien diet such as Paleo or lchf Swedish diet?

You don't count calories, or avoid fat, eat lots of protein, and it breaks that constant snacking cycle you often get with a low fat, low protein diet - because you don't get the blood sugar highs and lows.

Things to avoid - all grains and grain flours, but especially wheat, starchy root veg (if you eat them, very small quantities), and very strictly limit all sugar (glucose, fructose. lactose (milk sugar), dextrose, anything with "-ose" at the end of the word!).

Here's the funny thing. Eat protein and fat based meals. don't limit the amount you are eating except in a very relaxed way (ie serve a handful of nuts at a time, not a whole packet), and without all the sugar/carb to spike your blood sugar (then crash it) - you won't snack the way you do now.

It works!

[SCOTCHandWRY]

2nd pars *have YOU

[halfnhalf]

I'd recommend joining myfitnesspal. It's free, and 'all' you do is enter everything you eat and drink, plus any exercise that you do. It tells you how many calories you've consumed that day, also how much fat, carbs, protein. At the end of the day, there's a message saying something like 'if you carry on like this, you'll be x lb in 5 weeks'

I was put off doing this for a long time, as it sounded so boring, BUT, having taken the plunge, it really works for me. I'm a binge eater, and it makes me mindful of what I eat, and also made me realise how much fat and carbs I was getting through. I'm eating normally and losing weight.

[Megan74]

Thank you all. I have decided for now to just cut out snacking and drink more water and less coffee. My biggest problem by far is the amount of picking and snacking I do. I also don't think 5 cups of coffee a day help with general health. I have weighed myself which was somewhat of a revelation so will stick to this and then post the result on sunday. I really don't want to get drawn into any logging or counting. I just know I won't stick to it.