Please help me! I need to lose at least 5 stone and I just don’t know where to start…

[Wondering917]

As the title says. Tried slimming world, couldn’t stick to it.

Lost a lot of weight on weight watchers but then put it all back on, plus loads more.

Dip in and out of calorie counting but I am never able to sustain it.

Thought about slimfast but not sure I fancy shakes for 2 meals a day.

I am at a complete loss but I know I need to take some action. Are there any online (free) support groups, even on Facebook or something?

Try getting Ozempic. It works. You don't feel hungry. I've been taking it for a few days under a month and I think I will have lost 8kg on Friday when I go for my weigh in.

What happens when you stop taking it?

It’s like seeing myself in the mirror, your post!

I need to lose 5 - 7st. I'm now on steroids, which the hospital said would cause an increase in appetite, as well as weight gain. I certainly can't let that happen. I've cut out carbohydrates, almost all fat, all sweet stuff. I lost 9lbs the 1st week, 2lb last week. My meals daily:

2 rashers grilled bacon, poached egg, tinned tomatoes. Fruit tea,no sugar
Salad with 1oz chees/cottage cheese/ham
snacks of fruit and low-fat, sugar-free yogurt or jelly
Fish, chicken and LOTS of vegetables.
Cadbury's Options drink, one or 2 a day.

I'm really hungry today, but trying not to eat the wrong things. I'm having ONE day a week when I eat "normal" food like a small portion of lasagne/stew/curry with no rice (all home-made)

Hopefully by then you'd have changed your mindset and exchanged your old eating habits for the more healthy foods....

If not I'd imagine the outcome will be the same as with any diet suppressant and the weight will go back on.

How many calories are you eating per day, on your list?

Sounds quite stodgy and high

There is a book called The Full Diet by Dr Saira Hameed. She's a Consultant in the NHS - its a really really interesting read. I've just finished it and highly recommend it. Its a tenner on Amazon. Its changed the way I look at food. It might help you.

I'm also surprised that no-one has mentioned the 5:2 diet, which I've been following for years. Again, it's worth reading the book. I find it satisfying because however miserable you feel on fast days, there is always the promise of something nice tomorrow. Plus it's got lots of extra benefits to your health, if you do it properly. It has changed my relationship with food, in that I feel far more in control (normally - I confess I am having a wobble due to other stuff" ATM) and I do feel it's good for me not eating any sugar two days a week.

*The 'other stuff' which you may also like to consider, but which is rather extreme, is that DH has gone on to a totally carb free diet - he's basically eating just meat. It does seem to be doing him a LOT of good, but I am not tempted to join him - yet. But it's left me flailing a bit, a bit unsure of what I should eat now I am back to eating alone most of the time, and my own instincts are rather veggie ones.

I also had five stone to lose, am now nearly a stone down and have got there by calorie counting - my limit is 2000 but most days I hit around 1800. I don't know if it's the psychology but having a generous limit has made me be consistent for a month. I tried 1200 limits in the past and would inevitably fail very quickly - I'd feel like I ruined it if I went to 1300 and then throw in the towel with a binge.

I'm not tall, 5ft 3, so this sounds like a lot of calories.When the losses stop I will cut it a bit further or up the intensity of my exercise. I don't overcomplicate things with fasting, eliminating food groups etc - I eat normal food. When you are that overweight, there is no need to make it super sophisticated - you simply need to start with not consuming too many calories.

I'm not sporty but I move a lot - I naturally walk an average of 15000 steps a day and I've been making an effort to do small things like take the stairs, stand up on the train, walk around when looking at my phone or whatever . Making activity part of your daily life will do more benefit than a punishing fitness regime that you'll ditch the first time you can't be bothered to go to the gym. Find activity that you enjoy and can realistically fit into your life.

I have started lifting as well, it's surprising how much it raises your heart rate and will make your body change quite quickly. I enjoy it and hopefully as I lose more fat it will reveal a strong and capable body underneath. Have goals other than "I want to weigh less" - why? Do you want to be able to wear nicer clothes? Feel more attractive? Be able to climb four flights of stairs without feeling like you're going to die? Don't fixate on the scale number as a goal itself , just see it as a guide for how you are moving towards other types of goal. I also totally agree with smaller steps - even if you look at it as 1lb at a time.

There are no magic bullets. Medical intervention may assist, but won't cure it and if you stop without changing your behaviour, you will go back to being overweight. If you accept that it will take a long time, it gets easier. I also found being kind to myself has helped a lot. Being overweight is not a moral failing.

I found James Smith's book really helpful. There is so much good free content out there on social media if you find it wisely - James Smith, Ben Carpenter, David Birtwistle... They all talk complete sense.

For anybody who’s struggling: I’m 49, peri, sedentary and have just lost 1stone 4lbs in a month. I did keto. Mainly eating meat and salad and vegetables and maybe one fin a week.

I’ve not been hungry once. I can’t believe I lost a stone in a month at my age.

You do need to address why you are eating so much.

But in answer to your question - I'd recommend intermittent fasting. Only allow yourself to eat 8 hours a day (say 10-6). Once you have that down then start to focus on cutting 'bad carbs' white bread, pasta and white rice etc and replace with 'good' carbs - there's lot of info available online about this.

You can always fast longer once you start to find 8 hours easy. Your body will start to burn its own far after about 12 hours of an empty stomach.

I'm not going to pretend that I have been in exactly the same situation but I had a stone to lose after my 2nd child. NOTHING would shift it. I tried all sorts of little diets that left me starving all day and obviously could never stick to them long term.

The only thing that worked for me (and wasn't much hassle at all) was to stop eating in the evenings. I had dinner at 6 ish and then nothing the rest of the evening. One night a week, we have a "treat", like a takeaway. I know if I had chocolate or sweets on that treat night that I would go back to eating every evening, so I only allow myself a nice dinner rather than pudding with it.

I signed up to the Nutracheck app.
Not expensive.
Fill in a daily food and exercise diary, keeps you on track. Ive lost 20lbs since January.
It has a chat forum , Full of encouragement, advice, recipes. Its a good all-rounder .

Three of my sisters are emotional eaters.
One has truly sorted out her emotional issues and lost five stone and kept it off.

Basically you would be better off sorting out your head. Her emotional eating issues stopped when the bad relationship she had been in for decades ended.

I’m similar to you in terms of age, peri etc - I started Keto this week and can already feel a difference round my stomach area. I’ve not been hungry either - lots of vegetables, small amount of fruit, lots of meat, yoghurt, nuts and eggs. I’m hoping it will lead me into better eating habits, as I’ve always been a carb fiend.