Help me lose a stone! I have never dieted and hate exercise!

[KasabianKat]

Over the past few years probably due to a combination of developing a sleep issue which makes me feel really tired and lockdown, I have gained a stone which I'd love to shift.

However, I am clueless about diets and exercise and wanted to create a simple and realistic plan.

What's the best way to approach this? What exercises are best. I can't run due to my knees.
How long do you think it would take?

I'm similar in that I've always been naturally slim but in the last few years have been trying to control creeping weight gain before it gets out of hand! There are ways of losing a stone quickly I think, such as low carbing, but to be it seems to go straight back on. I've tried to make changes that I can sustain - for me it's limiting bread to one portion a day, swapping rice for cauliflower rice (just food process a cauliflower and steam it), just 1 small sweet thing a day, being careful not to mindfully graze, not eating the kids leftovers! I initially found a calorie counting app helpful as it's easy to vastly underestimate the amount you are eating.
Doing things this way, it's taken me a few weeks to lose lose half a stone, it's slow but I feel I can sustain it. I don't like 'diet' or 'low fat' versions of things, as they are often ultraprocessed and I'd rather eat a small amount of good food. I did switch to skimmed milk though as I drink a lot of coffee and it adds up!

Losing weight is at least 80% about diet and actually very little about exercise - obviously exercise has many other benefits and is important, but most of your weight loss is down to what you eat.

Rather than faff about with complicated eating plans, why not focus on eating for health rather than anything else and back that up with My Fitness Pal, where you can log everything you eat and keep an eye on calorie intake. Cut out processed crap, booze, fizzy drinks etc, eat fruit, veg, lean protein, some good carbs, allow yourself a treat meal once a week and really make sure you're eating plenty of all the right things, and that should get you off to a good start.

Have a look at Michael Mosley’s The Fast800. If that’s too much for you then just try upping your intake of lean protein and healthy fats, reducing carbs/sugar (ie bread, pasta, rice, cakes, biscuits etc), and drink at least 2L water daily. Eat full-fat dairy rather than fat-free as they just add sugar and sweetener to counteract being fat-free. Include some exercise daily.

I agree with lurkingfromhome about the exercise - great to general health but doesn't contribute a great deal to weightloss unless you're a total gym bunny. I walk a lot, got a running maching to use during lockdown but don't use it much now we're back out of doors.

Ooh, also on the topic of fasting, if you can not snack after your evening meal, and have breakfast later, that can help as your body has a longer fasting period.

Are there some easy wins in your current diet?
The last time I wanted to lose weight I cut out Pepsi. I was drinking at least a small bottle a day. It made a difference.
This time round I need to stop the snacking. My meals are generally ok but I keep reaching for snacks out of boredom. I know if I cut them out my weight would drop again.

For me it was portion control and snacking.

We would easily cook a recipe meant for 4 and eat it between the two of us, hardly helpful. So I had a seriously look at portion size. Also I increased veggies and decreased carbs.

Snacking - it was boredom and stress. Don't buy a big pack, buy something small or - in my case - I buy single wrapped items, at least until I have the urge under control. It's a lot easier to stop after one thing when you need to unwrap it then stopping after one piece of chocolate of a normal bar.

Also I started drinking more, a bottle of water at my desk instead of always going down to refil a glass. We have a Soda Stream style carbonator and I just fill it up, add ice and refil it after lunch. I hate still water unless it's hot and I am desperate so that's a good alternative.

People always say it’s diet rather than exercise that makes the difference, but me personally I’ve never managed to lose weight without exercise. I can’t run either (post kids pelvic floor issues!) and find a combo of cycling and YouTube yoga and fitness videos really helps.

Actually Les Mills online has been amazing for me, because I can now do body pump and body combat at home, which I find are both really good for weight loss and toning up, but that’s a bit of an outlay for the subscription (£11 a month) and the pump equipment (approx £70 for a barbell set) so not for everyone - though for me spending the cash concentrated my mind on committing to the sessions!