How did you lose weight?

[SunsetBoulevard3]

I really need to lose quite a lot of weight. In the past calorie counting and low carb have worked for me. I hate diet clubs.
I do believe that dieting is mostly mental, one day something clicks in your head and it becomes easy. However, I cannot get in the right mental state. I tell myself constantly next week, next month , whatever I will do it, but after a few days I give up.
I don't snack generally, eat healthily, walk for an hour most days. However portion sizes are probably too big and I have developed a real aversion to cooking. I tend to cook the same things all the time, mostly things I don't like , because the rest of the family like it.
I've more or less given up alcohol and don't eat sugar in general. Just don't know where to start. I think I'm insulin resistant and pre diabetic.
Please give me a fool proof, easy plan which doesn't require huge amounts of cooking or food prep. Am I asking for too much?
Carbs in general are death to me. I bloat up, feel awful, am constantly hungry , just can't eat pasta at all anymore.

[coragreta]

I lost 50lb calorie counting. Just half your portion size and replace half your carbs with veg. Also remember that 1-2lbs a week is a good loss do it could take a long time. I think everyone thinks it should be quick so they give up if results are slow.

[ConFusion360]

Please give me a fool proof, easy plan which doesn't require huge amounts of cooking or food prep. Am I asking for too much?

I was going to suggest Intermittent fasting but it probably fails on "easy" if you are going to have to prepare food for the rest of the family on the fast days.

[MsChatterbox]

I know you said you hate diet clubs but I have lost weight with weightwatchers.

[SummersB]

Weightwatchers online helped me lose about 2 stone. I also hate diet clubs and would never have attended one. But by using the app I didn’t have to go to meetings and it really worked for me. I lost weight slowly and steadily and didn’t beat myself up when I had the occasional week where I didn’t lose.
I’ve lost a bit more and have maintained successfully with MyFitnessPal (calorie counting) for about two years now. I go to the gym a lot (only after my initial weight loss) and I find it helpful that your calorie allowance is calculated on a daily basis with MFP, depending on your levels of activity.
Good luck OP. Once you have cracked it it feels fantastic, so maybe just try and focus on how great you will eventually feel about yourself!

[OnlyCrumbsLeft]

I did it by changing my bad habits one at a time. It took a long time to see results but because I wasn't following a plan/diet it fitted in with my life and now it feels natural to eat better 90% of the time and the other 10% I don't over eat simply because it no longer of something that I want to do.

In a year I have lost 11kg but I am now at a weight I am happy with.

[thetwinkletoescollective]

I am doing something called The Plan by Lyn Genet. If you do it get the older book not the updated version that’s called The Metabolic Plan.

It focuses on finding foods that don’t bloat you and then you eat more of them. It does require some prep. -Getting the food in the house. -Buy a 1litre water bottle so you can fill it up twice a day and keep track of your water intake.

• I had to make her flaxseed granola a day in advance of starting.
  
• Also you have to have a stick blender because lunch is mainly a homemade soup and salad.
  

But it’s mostly vegetables at the beginning that you roast or steam.

Following it has been the only thing to shift any weight despite properly trying for months.

I also like it because it’s teaching me what I can eat and no one else.

[AnuvvaMuvva]

The Scarsdale Diet. Get the book on Amazon for 99p. Life changing

[SunsetBoulevard3]

@thetwinkletoescollective

@AnuvvaMuvva

Thanks I will get both books! All the other suggestions helpful too.

[Readytogogogo]

Calorie counting and smaller portions. Accept that you will feel hungry some of the time, but you shouldn't be going to bed hungry.

[Readytogogogo]

...but you should never feel 'stuffed' either, except on special occasions.

[lazylinguist]

Tbh I'm not sure how you could eat healthily and lose weight without a reasonable amount of cooking and food prep.
Most diets will make you lose weight, but only if you can stick to them long-term. Cutting out sugar and alcohol and gradually reducing portions sounds like a good plan. Anything that involves restrictive eating habits, cutting out whole food groups or time-consuming weighing, measuring or calculating is likely to fail because it's too tedious and demanding.

[Volvemos]

16:8, learning better portion sizes by logging on MFP, gradually increasing exercise (walking, running, yoga)

[NiceLegsShameAboutTheFace]

I know you said you hate diet clubs but I have lost weight with weightwatchers

I lost six stones at WeightWatchers.

[ConFusion360]

Just eat every other day. No weighing or extra cooking and food prep necessary.

[MarchingAnts]

I lost 3 stone with weight watchers, over the space of a year, so it wad gradual and healthy and the group support, working towards goals etc really helped. 10 years on, I haven't put it back on. If I feel myself going up half a stone or more i'll rejoin temporarily to kick-start me again

[MrJellyBean]

Fasting and swimming/aqua fit. I swam 5 miles a week alongside 3 x 45 mins aquafit sessions and 16:8 fasting for a year and lost 4.5 stones. During the 8 hours eating I ate whatever I wanted. I stopped that Since starting work full time last year, I've lost around a further 2 stone more just by eating a balanced lunch (work in school so have that) then whatever I want for tea and zero exercise as my job in a SN school keeps me on my toes all day! Was around a size 26, now a 16 and 5ft 10 so carry well luckily! x

[HoppyHop]

I lost a stone earlier this year (still need to lose another 2!) by doing Keto. After 12 weeks I stopped but now keep to only eating within a window of 8hrs. I've not put on any of the weight I've lost.
Hoping to lose another stone by Christmas so have started Keto again this week.
Michael Moseley 500 plan is a good starting point. (But not eating bread is sooooo hard!). Good luck

[FFSnotanotherone]

If you have been very overweight it can affect your metabolism. So you for example after losing weight might burn 400 fewer calories per day than a woman weighing the same who has never been overweight.

Losing weight is easy. Keeping it off is hard.

I had weight loss surgery five months ago and so far so good. 5.5 stone off

[FFSnotanotherone]

Interesting reading op www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/health/biggest-loser-weight-loss.html

[AgeLikeWine]

5:2. High protein, very low carbs, unlimited vegetables. I found that the best way to do my fasting days was to eat nothing at all before 5pm. This may not work for everyone, of course.

No alcohol on weeknights. One pudding a week. No sugary drinks at all. No cakes, sweets, chocolate or biscuits on weekdays.

Eat & drink whatever I want (within reason) on Saturday night & Sunday.

15-20k steps per day.