If you have lost a lot of weight please read and advise

[needchange01927374]

Hello everybody.

I posted on here a few weeks ago about being in a dire state and needing to change. I tipped the scales at 17 stone which makes me obese.

I have been chatting to a family member tonight who is into fitness and nutrition, and they advised me that I should avoid all processed food. They said that I shouldn’t calorie count but rather eat foods that are not processed as I will feel fuller for longer.

I was planning on doing calorie counting because that’s how my brain is wired. I did it in the past and it worked for a bit. I also lost 4+ stone on WW, so mentally for me this is how I lose weight - by doing some form of counting.

I don’t know anything about nutrition, and I find the mass of information out there overwhelming. However, I have just bought the book “ultra processed people”, which I plan on starting tonight.

So my question for you is…. have you lost a lot of weight by not eating processed foods? Are there are any golden resources / cookbooks that I should be following? I want to lose at least 6 stone.

I would really appreciate anyone’s advice / tips / sharing of their experiences.

but a good rule of thumb people use is that if you can't make it at home with your own kitchen equipment and with easily sourced ingredients, it's probably "ultra processed".

Going by what I read on MN that's probably not good rule of thumb (being pedant)😶
Like I get the logic! But then it can confuse people who don't know you can easily own dehydrator etc, and "easily sourced ingredients" is very localised issue. I consider fresh turmeric, dried fish or xantam gum easily findable, someone who shops in tesco all the time would probably not.

OP take a look at the 'Pinch of Nom' recipe books.

Exactly. So changing your mentality and the way you eat is what's needed. It's no good counting calories/points or syns if it isn't going to work long term. Simple things like eating 2 biscuits and not 4 are doable, or having half a plate of vegetables with every meal is doable. Consulting your Weight Watchers app at every meal really isn't a great long term plan. That's why diets don't work.

I've just lost 4 stone with WW over 2 years and reached goal for the first time ever. I am also now a healthy BMI for the first time in many years. I took it very gradually and looked forward to each small milestone, every 7lbs, under a stone etc. I didn't miss out on Christmas or holidays. This time it was the app that worked for me. I track everything, so if I have a day where it goes west, it's easy to sort out. And I started to walk a lot more. Good luck!

FAST 800 recipe books
pinch of nom recipe books
the roasting tin series (v simple to do and delicious)

Any of these have a range of non processed delicious easy or fairly easy recipes. Roasting tin probably the easiest

I'd be really hungry if that is all I ate in a day.

I've lost nearly 4 stone in a year doing SW but concentrate on filling food and don't eat UPF. I use my syns for oils and nuts , avocados etc and it works well and I find it easy to stick to. I do it on line,I don't fancy the classes.

You would lose a lot of weight quickly ditching UPF as your diet is really bad at the moment - no judgement,just fact,so that would be encouraging as you'd see results quickly.

For me as soon as I ditched sugar it was easy, sugar makes me hungry.

Meant to add that I started this with a view to doing it forever so it's a whole life change and change in attitude,it's not a diet as such but a healthy eating plan. Wish I'd started it sooner as I find it easy to do.