If you have one weight loss tip, what is it?

[ShakeSpears]

I'm interested in what has worked for people and what one thing might be the most important.

15,000 steps would take me about 2 and a half hours.

Thank you very much for the explanation @Britnee! I'm impressed by your list of ingredients and the variety you pack in.

I'm not sure I could eat soup for breakfast but later on, as you suggest, would be fine ....a hot broth mid-morning for example.

Can I ask the posters on here ...the soup-drinkers ...and the brown bread sandwich eaters and all the "dieters" who are following a fairly rigid routine, out of interest, how do you make this work with family life? Do you absent yourself from meals? Do you still cook in the same way for everyone else? I have been struggling with my diet under lockdown because I am cooking all the time for my family. Does anyone have any tips for being determined and separating yourself off emotionally from family eating?

Sorry , emboldening fail, that was for @3Britnee! Sorry to write your NN incorrectly before!

Might not be a popular choice, but I can’t get past WW. It just makes it easier to pull together the really sensible stuff people are posting: protein, fruit, veg, exercise. I like the little bar code reader and Connect etc. (I’m just a punter, not a WW rep!)

👍

I manage it because I havent got kids to feed.

Cut out crap food and reduce it cut out alcohol.
Exercise. If you manage to get into it it tones you and helps you not really want to eat crap. I found just feeling good or better about my body because of exercise massively supported eating really well.

I'm using nutra check app.

Very easy to use and balance out what your eating.

If you have an Apple Watch it also automatically adds your steps in etc to adjust your calorie allowance.

So far I've lost just over a stone in 3.5 weeks.

I use an app called Lifesum. £34 for the year.

Oh and plan to have a cheat day a week.

First week doing it made me feel I could stick to diet because I had a day off!

Week 2 my cheat day made me feel bloated and lethargic and ....

Third week I couldn't face having a cheat day!

I still have cake or chocolate if I want it but I now fill up on proper foods that keep my blood sugars regular and make me feel more energetic and just don't want stupid amounts of chocolate all the time.

Although today I've had a caramel egg and I'm still 300 cals below my allowance! And I've had breakfast (cereal), lunch (cheese/ham toastie) and dinner (lean steak, chips and salad)

Fitness pal

Don't snack.

Easier said than done, I know. But it's just a habit, and it can be broken by eating three good meals a day and drinking lots of water.

@Haberdasheryhen

Thank you very much for the explanation @Britnee! I'm impressed by your list of ingredients and the variety you pack in.

I'm not sure I could eat soup for breakfast but later on, as you suggest, would be fine ....a hot broth mid-morning for example.

Can I ask the posters on here ...the soup-drinkers ...and the brown bread sandwich eaters and all the "dieters" who are following a fairly rigid routine, out of interest, how do you make this work with family life? Do you absent yourself from meals? Do you still cook in the same way for everyone else? I have been struggling with my diet under lockdown because I am cooking all the time for my family. Does anyone have any tips for being determined and separating yourself off emotionally from family eating?

For me it's meal planning.

There is only ds and me in the house and he's a competitive swimmer.

So breakfast and lunch is our own stuff and dinner is the same stuff but portions are different.

So I make a salad and I will eat more if that than him.

A carb. He will have much more of these.

And a protein. He'll have more than me but it always lean meat and fresh.

My issue with weight gain was eating what he was eating but not the right portion control for what I need compared to what he needs.

You need to make something a habit - so for example to fit in the steps, you might need to go to bed earlier and get at least 7 hours sleep, get up earlier and start the day with a long walk. Wear a pedometer or fitness watch and clock every step.

Thank you itsgettingwierd that makes a lot of sense! The same food in different proportions sounds workable.

@Betty000

Eat off a smaller plate

And wear reading glasses while you are eating. My prescription makes the plate and the portions look 20-25% larger.

2: 5 (kind of 5:2 in reverse 😉) , 5 low calorie days 800-1200, 2 mini blow out days. Have fun on special days (birthdays, Christmas etc).

@DinoRoars how often/long do you use the weighted hoop? Does it help with belly fat?

I gave up alcohol for Lent. Had been drinking two large glasses a day for a long time and had gained about 2.5 stone over 10 years. After 4 weeks I had lost 3lb/4lb. However after about 3 weeks I started only to want a small dinner. Have now lost 7lb.

I would love to walk 10,000 steps a day but work since lockdown has been very intense. I start at 8.30am and finish at about 7.30pm and then cook for the family. There just isn't time to fit it in.

NEAT non exercise activity thermogenesis

The amount you move around outside of formal exercise on a daily basis makes a huge contribution to weight and is an under rated factor. A lot of people diet and do some formal exercise sessions but hardly move outside of that. Apparently people will naturally reduce NEAT without realising when dieting as your body tries to keep the status quo.

I try to make it a point to never get the lift or escalator and always take the stairs (I told my kids lifts are only for disabled people but I don't think they believe me) I try to never drive if I could walk or cycle and get off the bus a stop early. If I have to do hoovering or gardening (which I hate) I tell myself it's free exercise.

I honestly think it does help and that the loss of this every day activity has been a big factor in people gaining weight in this pandemic.

A very late breakfast. Really, lunch at13.00 and dinner at 18.30 ish
Almond milk instead of dairy milk in all my many cups of tea, to avoid an insulin response to every cup of tea.

How many calories are you meant to eat a day if you want to lose weight?
I'm 5 ft 5 just wondering if there is a certain amount I'm meant to stick to per day that guarantees weight loss?

@Blacklampshades
Yes it does! I lost belly fat and I also lost inches off my waist and hips to.
I started off just doing 5-10mins and built it up to about 30-40mins.

@PeacheyPeach

How many calories are you meant to eat a day if you want to lose weight? I'm 5 ft 5 just wondering if there is a certain amount I'm meant to stick to per day that guarantees weight loss?

@PeaceyPeach Google tdee (total daily energy expenditure, I think) and bmr (basic metabolic rate) calculators. They will give you the bare minimum calories your body needs to just be, maintenance calories and loss calories.

My bmr is about 1390 at the moment, so anything under that will give me losses.

think about all the lovely stuff you can eat, rather than focusing on what you can't eat
This is a really good idea.
I found the low carb boot camp on here a few days ago and it us inspirational! Lots of ideas of tasty low carb meals and lovely supportive people.
I thought I knew about nutrition but had no odea there are carbs in milk and tomatoes...☹️

@DinoRoars

Oooh -just google the weighted hulahooping -what s brill idea!
www.healthline.com/health/weighted-hula-hoop