I really need to lose weight!!!

[Asleanna]

Someone stop me eating rubbish. Someone help me exercise. I really need to change my mindset. I'd love to get to Christmas 1-2 stone lighter. I feel gross. I've put on so much weight since the start of the pandemic.
What has worked for you? I don't want 'quick fix' but I want something sustainable. I work long hours. I leave the house between 7-7:30 and don't get home til 7:30/8 at least 3 days a week so find it hard fitting in exercise then as I'm knackered

Listen to the ESG fitness podcast

1800 cals a day, 100g min protein, lots of fruit & veg, 10k steps a day, imperfect action

Maintainable and adherable without getting into a cycle of restrict and binge.

@YouJustDoYou

Oh and no breakfast most days. It just works for me personally.

We are all different but if I never skip breakfast. I always have something as it stops me feeling hungry until at least midday.

@endlesscraziness

Listen to the ESG fitness podcast

1800 cals a day, 100g min protein, lots of fruit & veg, 10k steps a day, imperfect action

Maintainable and adherable without getting into a cycle of restrict and binge.

It depends on age but I would become fat if I ate as much as 1800 calories a day. I’m old and you need far less calories as you age.

Download MyFitnessPal and track your calories

I had always avoided it until recently as I thought it would be too much hassle but it's actually quite easy as it has loads of common items stored that you can search for and you can put in your favourite recipes too.
I doubt mine is 100% accurate as I am not weighing stuff but its a reasonable guide.

1. It's stopping me mindlessly snacking because then I'd have to log it
2. It's showing me where I am commonly falling down so that I can see where would be the most 'bang for buck' change.

Better breakfasts for me.

Exercise. I have lost 8kg in 6 months (so not a lot to some but I didn't need to lose a huge amount). Done very slowly so that it's sustainable.
Run twice a week. Weights twice a week.
It's enough for me and according to my data- I burn about 2000-3000 calories a week which means I haven't had to change my diet too much. I will occasionally say no to pudding or a cake etc and I don't have a takeaway every week but it's been sustainable to me which some maintenance months and others where I've made a significant loss.

I'm with you too, OP. Trying to start some healthy changes.

Last week I started trying to delay breakfast til about 11.30, and then a small late lunch and dinner around 7.30. But I don't know if that's really going to make any difference as it's still 3x eating, just in 8 hours!!

Also, I have a couple of (small) cappuccinos at home in the morning instead of breakfast - not loads of milk, but still maybe 100ml, so I guess it's not really fasting. If that's going to destroy the whole thing because it's not proper fasting, then I'm not sure I want to do it!

I find my legs get a bit empty feeling at times, and although I was thinking of starting couch to 5K again, I'm not sure the mornings are a great idea if I'm trying to fast then. But maybe it just takes getting used to - and would give me a chance to drink lots of the water!

@PeasLilydoes it make you feel faint?can you give an example of what you ate please?

I've been unwell the last couple of weeks and the doctor took my blood pressure. It was alarmingly high. I mentally think about the number every time I want to eat something and it's really stopped me having anything unnecessary. I am really early into my healthier living lifestyle but for the first time ever I feel motivated and finding ok to not eat treats/snacks. A lot of my problem was bingeing and eating out of boredom. I think really thinking about what you do and when you are eating your calories to identify where the issues are will help. If you eat well but eat too much that will be very different to eating junk because you are too busy at work to eat well. I know I ate out of boredom and binged. Have a carefully think about it as it will impact your strategy as to how to help. If you are working long days and are ravenous when you get home, maybe having your evening meal already prepared so you don't snack before eating supper may help.

Motivation aside, you won't know if you are loosing weight if you don't know how heavy you are. I've bought some new scales that measure body fat etc and it has a nice app where it tracks your progress and taken body measurements. I have also bought a blood pressure monitor to take my own readings.

I am not particularly calorie counting but I ate so much junk before that eating meals with plenty of veg, limited additional carbs and a portion of protein has to be a big improvement so can't really see how it won't lead to a weight reduction too. I have also been trying to go to bed hungry and not snacking in the evening once the kids are down.

Still early days for me but for the first time ever I am motivated and that has made a world of difference.