How did you lose weight if you find it hard?

[daisiesdahlias]

If you enjoy exercising, or you have a naturally good metabolism, or you're just able to make a healthy meal plan and stick to it, your advice will not work for me!

I'm 235lbs and 5 foot 5. It's been slow gain over the last decade (I'm 28) due to ill mental health but I'm in a good place now and haven't gained for a long time, I had a baby 4 months ago and didn't gain any weight as I am quite healthy these days. However...I'm healthy enough to maintain this weight without gaining but I want to lose.

I've never found an exercise I enjoy doing. I hate meal planning as spontaneity is part of the fun of eating. I find calorie counting mind numbing and don't have time for this now I have a 4 month old and sometimes just have to shove in some toast.

Give me your best advice if losing weight is hard but you managed it!

I've never found an exercise I enjoy doing. I hate meal planning as spontaneity is part of the fun of eating. I find calorie counting mind numbing and don't have time for this now I have a 4 month old and sometimes just have to shove in some toast.

More-or-less agree with all of this!

I lost weight very successfully and comfortably through High Fat Low Carb eating. There is a board for this way of eating in the diet form heart on MN. They started me off and I found it easy to continue.

Like any diet it is challenging at first until both your body and your brain get the hang of it. It's a complete reversal of the fat is baaAAAD mentality. Takes maybe one month to get into it, by which time you will have seen very encouraging results.

It's a very positive mindset to eating. Essentially do not eat XYZ foods, but everything else is available. Enjoy your food, eat mindfully and never feel starved or deprived.

If I sound evangelical about it - I am! It has transformed my relationship with food. When I stick to this way of eating, regardless whether I am trying to lose or maintain, my mood is better, my energy is better; and I never get ravenous or hangry.

Throw away all junk food and don't buy anything unhealthy, if it's not in your home you won't be able to pick.
Sugar is your enemy and it's addictive, ask yourself are you craving sugar or feeling actual hunger?
Alcohol is empty calories- bin it.
Replace white bread and rice with whole grain.
You'll be surprised how tiny changes will make a noticeable difference, just don't try and make too many changes at once.
Buy a Fitbit and just aim for 10k steps, I can do that walking around my home some days.
Buy clothes one size smaller and aim to wear them by a realistic date.

Another plug for @BIWI 's low carb high fat bootcamp, as bound in the MN's threads of that name. No counting required, simple rules, stick with it and you too, like me, will wonder why it took you so long to discover this way of eating.

Having as small a breakfast as possible (yoghurt and apple), soup and salad or huge salad for lunch, meat/fish and loads of veg for dinner. 2x 100 cal snacks.
that’s it. A glass of wine at the weekend.
basically it’s low calorie and low carb

I always had to try harder it seems. So if one person went for a walk or jog, I had to lift very heavy weights (with rest intervals). I had to calorie count. I reduced carb portions and cut out sugar as much as possible. Alcohol was binned too. It was all that combined which helped me shed weight. I've gone backwards a bit recently because I've not cal counted (I find that miserable and difficult) and eaten too many carbs (possibly a winter thing). I've kept to no wine and choc.

Most people don’t particularly enjoy exercise, but it’s like getting up early to go to work: something you just have to get on with & do it.

5:2 diet

500 calories 2 days a week, 5 days of normal (but sensible) eating.