To ask what diet plan has been successful for you?

[xCupidStuntx]

Before you point me in the direction of the diet forum, hear me out. I'd really like some straight talking opinions here.
I've got quite a lot of weight to lose and I've become so muddled up over the years of all the different advice and view points, I'll start one diet on a Monday and change to another by Friday.

What weight loss plan have you found has been very successful for you or family/friends?

I see threads like why do people let themselves get so fat, God I really don't know how I let this happen!

5:2 has worked well for me. I think the main reason is that it helped me get control of my snacking- I now only snack very occasionally and I don't feel I need to any more. It has also helped me be a lot more mindful about my eating- I eat more slowly and don't just keep stuffing it in until I feel sick.

I have also reduced my carbs a bit but I do still have them, just a smaller portion. I never have 'diet' or low fat stuff and I eat a square of dark choc after lunch and dinner. My BMI has gone from just over 25 to 21 and my body fat has dropped from roughly 32% to 23% (calculated using the US Navy body fat calculator).

I also do Jillian Michaels DVDs- started with the shred and now doing 6 week 6 pack. My post shred figure is on my profile, I'm getting more definition now.

My friend has been very successful on Slimming World- I think if you really want something to work then it will but you must make a lifestyle change rather than see it as going on a diet.

Exactly what Wrigglebum said! For us it's made us more mindful about eating generally. Treats have now become occassional rather than every day etc.

After years of battling with weight, I'm on Lighterlife lite and loving it.

Done WW, done SW, done Atkins etc. I got bored after a week and used to pig out on weigh in nights. I'm a bit 'all or nothing' so LL works well for me - it's structured and fits in really well with my life. It's the only diet I've been on where I haven't 'cheated' after the first week. I feel brilliant.

I don't have a huge amount to lose - two stone or so, but I've shifted 10lbs in three weeks. The counsellor is excellent and the ladies in my group are lovely. They're all maintaining now - you still go to the group sessions once you've hit your goal weight.

I've accepted that it's a lifestyle change that I need, and that I will never be able to eat the way I did again. That's half the battle for me.

MyFitnessPal was an excellent tool for me as I realised I could eat what I wanted within a given perameter. I put in that I wanted to lose 1lb a week. So far, I've only lost 10lbs but it hasn't been hard as I've not really had to change my eating habits that much (therefore, I'm more likely to stick to it). Slimming World is excellent but it's that who "I'm going on a diet" thing I hate. For me, it's doomed from the off as it has a temporary ring to it.

I've also started a walk/run every day. It's 40 mins total and for the first time in my adult life, I have toned legs/backside and I've "spot reduced" if you like. Always bottom heavy, I'd usually lose weight from my torso/boobs which only served to make my bottom and thighs look even bigger! This way, I've got a more balanced shape. My chest/top hasn't changed. The 10lbs have come off my backside, hips and rum (because of the running).

Because I have had "wow, your whole shape has changed" comments it gives me the impetus to continue.

"Backside, hips and tum". Bloody iPad.

The reality of getting on the scales every day and seeing my weight go up after a heavy food day keeps my weight level, I have lost a stone but still have two to go. I think that seeing the effects of eating too much is what I needed. Not a plan.so much but a lightbulb moment.

For me my fitness plan was brilliant - I recorded absolutely everything for about three months. I learnt so much about my habits, my triggers for junk and controlled my calories so it feels normal to eat around a quarter less than what I was.

I also stopped eating mcdonalds chips.... The most calorific things on the planet

For me (3 stones since Jan) it was MFP too. But more than that, it was a quote I found on the chiefs thread on here;

"Losing weight is hard, being fat is hard. Choose your hard"

I know it's cheesy but it was that that changed my mindset. I had to accept that I couldn't eat whatever I fancied whenever I wanted. I also had to accept feeling a bit hungry sometimes. You have no idea how many times I opened the biscuit tin and repeated "choose your hard" in my head over and over and put the tin back.

I also realised that every time I ate a chocolate bar because I felt sorry for myself/I'd got wet on the school run/I had my period etc etc it was ultimately making me miserable. The 'treat' wasn't really a treat at all.

I'm not a saint at all with my eating now, I have the odd biscuit but its much more limited. It is incredible how few calories I can manage on (I mean around 1300 btw not 400 or something!!)

And yes to daily weighing, for me that was (and still is) a massive motivator. Now I'm maintaining instead of losing but I have to be vigilant

Low carb (though not atkins level carb, not as low as that) worked wonders for me.

cutting down on junk and exercise...I lost a stone after going to aerobic classes twice a week for a few months. It doesn't happen overnight!
I then put on three and half stone during pregnancy..lost that within the Weeks by breast feeding and at the moment i'm half a stone lighter than pre baby. Can't wait to get back to my classes though!

Slimming World. Only one i am not hungry or feel deprived on.

Laundry that is a great quote.

I am also a daily weigher. Sometimes motivating, sometimes fucking annoying.

I too bought a new scales after years of telling myself they just sent you demented. The key for me is to weigh myself once a week. Hopping on and off the scales three times a day is the road to ruin.

Don't tell anyone you're on a diet if possible. I think it adds to the pressure and gives people permission to 'comment' eg: Should you be eating that?

I didn't do a diet as such, because as many a wise poster has pointed out, you have to stick to it once you get to your ideal weight. I suppose you might call my diet Mindful Eating.

Smaller portions

Don't go hungry - ever. But many of us eat when we're not hungry or upset or just bored. I had a 1 - 10 counter with 1 being not hungry and 10 being starving. I had to get to 5 before I could eat.

If I wanted pudding/crisps/ I would wait 20 minutes (the length of time it takes for your brain to realise your stomach is full and if I still wanted it, I had it.)

No second helpings. Eat slowly.

No alcohol during the week.

I work from home so snacking is a problem. If I was hungry between meals I would have a piece of fruit or dried fruit. Dates are lovely.

I never ate 'low fat' versions of things that are meant to be high in fat. If I wanted cheese I'd eat a small piece of the good stuff - slowly, enjoying it, not scarfing it down.

Lots of water.

Miso soup is warming and feels like a snack

Exercise classes twice a week and lots of walkng.

Getting yourself flattering exercise gear helps too.
Exercising at home in grey pants and an ill fitting bra staring dispiritedly at post DC tummy is depressing but putting on nice trainers and kit is quite cheering.
Then you just have to press play on the DVD :)

The only person I know who has lost weight and kept it off did slimming world, unfortunately it didnt click with me. I'm thinking of giving 5:2 another go but combining it with very reduced sugar. Has anyone lost quite a lot of weight on 5:2? I have about 5 stone to lose do you think it would work if I stuck to it?

I should have said my friend lost a lot of weight and kept it off on sw about 6 stone.

I am doing it by myself using MFP and exercise, and I have lost about a stone over 4 months. Here we go.

I am eating 1500 calories a day (any less and I feel hungry) and doing some exercise every day. To start with I did the Shred DVD, but got bored with it after a couple of months of doing it - I could recite it word for word! So I started running. I run about 4 miles every other day (I had to build this up though), and the other days I spend 20 mins on a cross trainer. Otherwise I am pretty sedentary as I am at a desk all day.

In terms of food:

The Hairy Dieters cookbook is simply THE best recipe book to use imo and I have cooked a huge range of recipes from it. The recipes are very cleverly put together so that you are eating full, what I would call 'proper' meals, and it's all calorie counted for you.

No alcohol.

Choosing snacks carefully is the key - I eat bananas, satsumas, Jaffa Cakes, KitKats and mini hot cross buns from M&S as they are all pretty low in calories but quite satisfying.

It does however really help to have someone at home supporting you and preferably doing it with you.

For those looking to lose a lot of weight there is a great support thread over on the dieting board - we are all using different methods but its a great source of support and kicks up the backside so feel free to join us!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/weight_loss_chat/a1862690-Losing-the-stones-one-guinea-pig-at-a-time#42757811

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/weight_loss_chat/a1862690-Losing-the-stones-one-guinea-pig-at-a-time#42757811

Another mindful eater here. I normally maintain a healthy weight and am currently losing my second round of baby weight. 1+ stone down since May, and half a stone to go.

Be patient. It's easier to gently lose 1lb a week than yo yo with greater amounts. Life does get in the way.

Exercise. It feels good, tones you, and boosts your metabolism for extra calorie burn. I've had to rebuild fitness from scratch and am using walking and aquafit to get me to a stage of being able to increase the impact.

Avoid low fat. It's packed with sugar, sweetners and other fillers. Cut sugar. Sugar crashes make you hungry and tired. Healthier fats keep you filled for longer. Sweetners con your body into sugar rushes and crashes and mess with your metabolism. Protein is good for snacking.

Portion control. Smaller plates. You can leave food on your plate. It's more wasted in you.

Don't ban anything, but be moderate. Consider if you really want or need it. Go for quality over quantity.

Think about what you drink. Soft/ alcoholic drinks contain a lot of sugars/ sweetners. Dilute juice so the sugar content goes down. My pub drink is now lime and soda with far less sweetners and sugar than lemonades.

Subsitiute. When DH has a cake when out, I'll have something smaller and more modest. I'm not missing out, but can still save a couple of hundred calories.

Avoid certain sections of the supermarket, and don't let the rubbish into your house. If you really want it, you'll go and get it as you need it.

Home made contains less rubbish than premade. Batch cooking is good for "ready meals"

Keep a spreadsheet to record your progress. If I have a poor week I can still see the general trend. I record waist/ hip measurements and log exercise too. Seeing the exercise filled in most days is very motivating.

My methods work for me because they're sustainable and I'm not deprived. It's realistic for me and simple to maintain through life. There's no fail.

thehorridest
losing 5 stone using 5:2 ....
have a look at the profile pictures of eatriskier and bsshBossh
both of whom have lost around 5 stone

the main thing is to remember the following

As an adult a person has a pattern of eating ( method z ) that results in them being overweight (at size a )
They go on a diet restricting calories all the time ( method y ) until they get down to "target weight" ( size b ) and then they come "off the diet" and rapidly return eating as per method z and hence size a

But actually "diet" just means "what you eat"
So you need to eat the right amount to stay stable at size b for ever ( method x ).
By chance, if you are starting from size a eating method x you will lose weight.
But because method x is nice : healthy meals, no excessive restriction, it becomes the new normal and you stay at size b for the rest of your life

Done everything, including 5:2. Its good for short-term i.e. less than a year or two. But you don't change your eating habits, so after a year or two or three, it comes back.

The only thing that works long-term is no sugar diet. Its easy, you are never hungry, and your appetite stabilises and becomes normal (no sudden cravings etc). You get to eat great nutritious food. It improves your mood and energy levels generally. Try it and see!

p.s. The only time I was ever TRULY slim was when I could eat anything - except NO sugar NO yeast.

So, basically, it was just meat, vegetables, dairy and soda bread!