3 months to get myself sorted! What are your tips for weight loss and improving your health please?

[TwoBigNoisyBoys]

I’ve just submitted my final assignment for my second year at uni (yay!). I’ve been heads down studying for months and I have completed neglected myself, (not so yay!) I’ve put weight on, about a stone and half over the last couple of years but I wasn’t slim to begin with, so probably need to lose 3 stone realistically...I’m a single mum of two teenagers, in my forties and I also work alongside uni studies, as well as doing a work placement, so I’ve been flat out busy, and I’ve been over eating, probably drinking too much and I’m horribly unfit...but I have a couple of months off uni now, so want to sort myself out. Where do I start?! I’ve got a Noom subscription that I’ve ignored for a month 🙈 so I’m planning to re-engage with that, but I’m after some tips to make me healthier, slimmer and happier in myself...and preferably quickly! I’ve been studying online due to Covid, but I hoping to have back on campus in September, and I’d like to feel and look my best...Anyone got any tips they’d like to share with me please? 😊😊

Calorie counting is your friend here. The point isn't to eat as little as possible, it's to eat as much as you can whilst staying in a deficit. There are numerous calculators online to help you work out how many calories you are burning each day.
I would also start with a gym class or just open gym- I began in January with online classes. I started with 10 mins of weights and cardio and then onto 20 and then onto 30 minutes. It was hard at first and I used to turn my camera off zoom and stop when I felt it was too much. I now complete the whole class in person and love it (weights are your friend)
Running is also good on the side, but strength will help so look at upper and lower body exercises. It takes time to build up but I managed to lose 2 stone and can now run 12km without too much stress.
Sorry if that's not helpful at all. Just sharing my experiences. (The muscle pain to begin with is horrid btw! But get through it and it gets much easier!)

Also don't start on June 1st. Start tomorrow. And you can slack at the weekend. That is also fine! But at least then you will have a few more days head start.

I joined Noom recently too but it's very American and a bit ott for me so I didn't subscribe after the trial.
I really need to lose 4 stone, my weight takes over my life and makes me bloody miserable but I have zero willpower against sugar, I start every day with such good intentions but fail everyday.
I'm 46 and have yoyo I dieted since I was 20 and have lost count of the times I've shed and regained the same 3 stone.
What I really need is a determined fat friend to kick my ass and have mini weight loss goals with but my friends are all slim.

@IslandGirl5

Hey! Qualified personal trainer (Pilates and yoga mainly) and nutrition for weight loss advisor here! This is my kind of post! Right so:

You don’t need to go crazy straight away or you’ll be less likely to stick with anything. I always advise a 20% calorie deficit alongside a step target for the day for starters (you can find some decent calorie calculators online, the one that lines up best with my personal way of calculating things is over on James Smith Academy). Then get moving with steps, walking more, take the stairs etc

Once you’ve got that down look at reducing alcohol (don’t feel you have to cut it out completely as again this has to be realistic for you but keep it within your calorie target), pick an activity or exercise you enjoy and get good quality sleep! Sleep is so important for the body to function properly and mindset!

Once that is sorted increase physical activity and make healthier food choices about 80% of the time and let yourself have some of your favourite naughty snacks or drinks as and when as you still need to enjoy your food and have a healthy relationship with it!

There are a few comments here that are alright for some but not for everyone. Intermittent fasting is just a shorter feeding window that will help some people eat fewer calories (calorie deficit is the only way to loose weight. To eat less energy than you use day to day). But if your like me and wake up ravenous you will binge later in the day so don’t do this if you feel hungry first thing.

Low carb is tricky as people literally need carbs to survive. Carbs aren’t bad. Too many bad carbs can be. Be sensible with your food choices and carbs are your friend.

Apple cider vinegar is literally pointless unless your in peak physical condition and want a boost. It’s like putting the cherry on top of the ingredients of the cake. Do the cake first. Also sorry for mentioning cake...

But do the small steps first, keep a positive mindset and find what works for you. Good luck.

This is interesting.

I follow a very low carb diet.

There is nothing I would get from carbs that I can't get elsewhere. Why do you 'literally need them to survive'?

I have lost weight previously using calorie deficit but was in a constant cycle of hunger and deprivation. I was eating around 1200 a day and it worked but I was constantly hungry.

I now eat 1600+ cals a day. I'm rarely hungry. I sleep better. I no longer need afternoon naps. My skin is clearer. I have more energy. I never feel sluggish. I was experiencing symptoms of arthritis which have completely disappeared. I've lost 2 stone.

Cutting down carbs was quite literally the best thing I ever did health wise before I even look at the weight loss implications.

I said “low carb” not “no carb”. I know you do need carbs to survive. I eat 30-40g carbs a day from leafy green vegetables, berries, natural yogurt etc, some dark choc. When I wasn’t eating in a low carb way I could easily rack up 300-400g+ of carbs without thinking about it by eating from cereal and milk or toast for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch and pasta/rice/potatoes for tea and a choc bar or crisps, and felt sluggish, bloated and gained weight.

Loads of water, at least 2L.

@LittleRa

I said “low carb” not “no carb”. I know you do need carbs to survive. I eat 30-40g carbs a day from leafy green vegetables, berries, natural yogurt etc, some dark choc. When I wasn’t eating in a low carb way I could easily rack up 300-400g+ of carbs without thinking about it by eating from cereal and milk or toast for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch and pasta/rice/potatoes for tea and a choc bar or crisps, and felt sluggish, bloated and gained weight.

Same here.

I aim for below 50g but I reckon I eat 30-40g too.

@Gertie75 Low carb is the way forward for you if you're in the sugar cycle. The first 10 days are hard but after that I promise you won't crave sugar any more.
I did it a couple of years ago and was amazed at the change I felt. I could look at cake and genuinely not want any. I need to do it again! The keys is to eat loads of anything... just not carbs. So a big bowl of full fat yoghurt with berries and seeds and nuts when you're craving a snack, a massive salad at lunch with eggs and tuna and toasted pine nuts etc, and fish or chicken for dinner with loads of veg... you can even allow yourself a small portion of potato or rice or pasta at dinner if you've avoided carbs all day... if it helps to curb the cravings a bit. Do it!! Just make sure you buy the right foods before you start so you're armed and ready!

I know I eat way too many processed carbs...I’m a bread addict to start with amd that’s before anything else! I so far my plan is stop eating bread, really up my veg and salad, lean protein etc. I’m aiming for at least 2 litres of water a day, and as many steps as possible. That’s my initial goal for this week. Please keep your tips coming! 😊

Read the book Why We Eat (too much) by Dr Andrew Jenkinson. It's literally life changing. I feel 1000% healthier, I look healthier, I love what I am eating and it explains so many things about dieting in a western world and culture. I'm 9lbs down in 6 weeks. And I eat the most amazing food. Have just had fried potatoes, fried tomatoes (fried in butter btw), fish and an egg on top. Steak, Mediterranean veg and chips for dinner. Sunday lunch every week, I drink every weekend and have a takeaway on a friday night, oh and went out for a meal on Saturday to an Indian restaurant.

I'm the same age as you, would also like to lose 3st and am just finishing off the first year of a degree. The book was 99p the other day on amazon kindle the other day as well, but it's worth buying the paperback I think.

It's amazing and I say that as a SW, noom, ww, 16:8, c25ker veteran!

@HighlandCowbag I’m going to order that! You sound like you’re doing brilliantly!

I recently updated my make-up in a local beauty salon. The consultation was free and she showed me what works at my age and how to apply. Yes I spent about £50 but totally worth it.
Gym membership - I go 5 times a week - a mix of swimming, yoga, sauna, aqua aerobics, gym equipment.
I play table tennis with my dp once a week.
As well as walk the dogs twice a day.
I love being busy but also love gardening I find it really relaxing.

@Gertie75 Low carb is the way forward for you if you're in the sugar cycle. The first 10 days are hard but after that I promise you won't crave sugar any more.
I did it a couple of years ago and was amazed at the change I felt. I could look at cake and genuinely not want any. I need to do it again! The keys is to eat loads of anything... just not carbs. So a big bowl of full fat yoghurt with berries and seeds and nuts when you're craving a snack, a massive salad at lunch with eggs and tuna and toasted pine nuts etc, and fish or chicken for dinner with loads of veg... you can even allow yourself a small portion of potato or rice or pasta at dinner if you've avoided carbs all day... if it helps to curb the cravings a bit. Do it!! Just make sure you buy the right foods before you start so you're armed and ready!

Sorry no idea why that posted twice!

@TwoBigNoisyBoys there is a thread, well actually a 2nd thread running in the weight loss thread board, have a look at that while you wait for your copy to arrive, it's a friendly thread if you want to ask any questions.

Thank you, the book has now arrived so I’m looking forward to settling down with that.

Feeling really low today. Braved the scales and I’m pretty much the heaviest I’ve ever been. Probably even when I was pregnant. Feeling just horrible, absolutely horrible 😢

I used to think I could only lose weight doing low carb. Not so - plenty of lean protein, unrefined carbs and some fat works well. The important thing is calorie deficit and tracking everything you eat and drink. Weights/strength based exercise is really good as building more lean muscle means your body is burning more calories even when you're not doing anything.

Thank you, I’ll keep on trying. Just felt really disheartened when I got on the scales yesterday and then the day got progressively worse!! But thank you for replying 😊

I am just about to embark on this too. Restarting c25k, weights, just moving as much as possible really and focusing on eating salads, veg, low carb. Starting tomorrow. The biggest thing for me will be to give up the beer

I find making sure I have some sort of fruit or veg with each meal keeps my portions in check, and also they're low cal and high density foods so never feel hungry! For example, for breakfast I used to have a big bowl of cereal, now I have half as much cereal but fresh fruit with it; lunch might be something like a boiled egg and one slice of toast but with asparagus; stir fry for dinner etc.

I'm going to go back to Zumba and try the 16:8 and portion control. Eating lots of fruit and veg worked for me before. I've got about 2 stone and 2 dress sizes to shift ...

First c25k run done.

Just finished my first PT session at the gym. Half killed me but I’m feeling proud. 3 more sessions booked for next week. It’s my birthday early September and I’m determined to make these 12 weeks count . Good luck everyone, hope you’re all getting on ok.

OP try to think of it like this - that's the last time you'll see those numbers on the scales!
Lots of good advice here so I'll just add a couple of other bits as another yo-yo dieter with about 3.5 stone to lose (on top of the stone I've already lost). I find that intermittent fasting really helps as I do a lot of mindless eating/eating out of boredom, but I just can't manage 16:8 without getting a headache - so I do 14:10 and have really found it helpful. I do also keep track of calories, protein and keeping up veg and water intake.
On the exercise front, I find it hard to get out to a class sometimes so have found the Les Mills app to be great - I think it's about 85 quid for the year and it has so many different types of workouts so it's great value. Also means that if you can't manage an hour class, you can do half an hour in your own house without feeling embarrassed at having to stop. The dance workouts are really good fun! Good luck everybody

I need to lose 3 stone 🙄
I've stopped eating breakfast the last 2 weeks, just having tea/coffee in the morning, salad for lunch and fish n veg or another salad for dinner. I've lost 4lbs. It's a start!