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Original poster

To ask what the best weight loss plan is?

102 replies

superstarheartbreaker · 09/06/2014 14:36

Eat less , move more? Aside from which, which way of eating is most effective/ healthy?
I'm so confused with all this Atkins, harcombe, paleo, slimming world, 5:2diet.
I'm doing low carb but eating high fat stuff just dosnt feel right. Also missing rice.

OP posts:
eddielizzard · 11/06/2014 12:33

glad you agree PrimalLass. i always like people agreeing with me Grin

for me, a diet that changes what i eat in the short term is only going to produce short term results.

i think you have to think long term, and cutting carbs or 'eating less' long term just isn't the way i work! i can't imagine denying myself for the rest of my life! life just isn't worth living, and i like to be able to go out and just relax about what i eat.

on the 5:2 feasting diet i can always say 'oh tomorrow i can have that martini with crisps and dip, just not today.' and if i over indulge hugely i can up it to 4:3 for a week. job done.

my energy levels are up
i don't feel lethargic
i don't use omeprazole any more

on the occasions where i have had a break i have felt truly awful.

squoosh · 11/06/2014 12:36

I tried 5:2 to see what it was like but it just made me obsess over food on the fast days and stuff my face on the feast days.

eddielizzard · 11/06/2014 13:04

yes i was like that for the first couple of months, but then it settles down. i don't weigh myself anymore. i go purely on how tight my clothes fit.

eddielizzard · 11/06/2014 13:06

what helped with the calorie obsession was initially only drinking slim fast shakes. i knew that's all i could have, along with tea and water, so i didn't have to worry about the calories. just that i could have a slimfast at lunch and at supper.

now i have a salad at lunch and veg for supper.

bobbywash · 11/06/2014 13:07

As has been said many times, the losing weight should be the easiest bit, quite simply for that eat less calories than you use.

The hardest part is keeping the weight off, generally that is down to portion size and just being aware that sometimes the small things (like smoothies) can be high in calories.

squoosh · 11/06/2014 13:16

I found low carbing to be the healthiest way for me to eat when losing weight and maintaining a weight loss. Never felt deprived or hungry.

5:2 works for lots of people but I won't be revisiting it.

ICanHearYou · 11/06/2014 22:03

I went out today and a friend bought me lunch, would you believe it comes it at over a 1000 calories for a bloody fish and chips!

I've managed to account for it a bit by skipping dinner but I can't believe it!

BravePotato · 12/06/2014 07:56

I have never dieted but there are some things I just do not eat:

Fish and chips is one of them! Also sausage rolls, pork pies, and curries with an inch of oil floating on top..

maggiethemagpie · 12/06/2014 09:00

Personally I find highly refined carbs to be the work of the devil. But that's because I have an impaired carbohydrate metabolism. So a low carb diet works best for me. It's difficult to keep it going though. I'm currently trying to do two weeks per month of low carb dieting, and two weeks of eating half the amount of carbs I normally do, to maintain during those two weeks. I'm trying to lose weight very slowly, but permanently, my thinking is that it doesn't matter too much how long it takes so long as I'm not yo yo ing back up the scale again, as was my usual pattern for so long.
Sadly I've come to the conclusion that all those 'nice' foods like cakes, pastries, chocolates etc are just not my friend. Ever.

ICanHearYou · 12/06/2014 10:23

She sort of ordered for me (and paid) so I would have felt very rude saying 'no no no' if I'd had my way I would have just got the salad like I usually do at the harvester. Anyway it was very nice :) Not nice enough for the calories though!

Back on it today :) People have already said I look healthier which is nice to hear.

normalishdude · 12/06/2014 15:49

Fish and chips from a chip shop is way over 1000 calories.

Bellwether · 12/06/2014 16:20

Eat fewer calories.

How you achieve that goal is up to you. Calorie counting will work if you do it right (ie: weigh everything, don't fib.) Paleo won't magically make you slimmer, it's just quite hard to get fat on nothing but meat and vegetables. 5:2 just means you take in so little calories on two days that it barely matters what you do on the other five - you'll still be under at the end of the week. More protein and fat will make you feel fuller and less likely to snack, hence, you take in fewer calories.

They're different ways of reaching the same goal - eating fewer calories. A particular way might suit one person and not another. You can either find your way, or just calorie count. I've lost 10lb in 8 weeks just calorie counting.

LittlePeaPod · 12/06/2014 16:23

Again I am not judging anyone or trying to tell people how to live their lives I am simply sharing how I live/eat. I am with Brave again on this. There are things I just don't eat. I am 38 and I think because I have not really eaten certain foods since my late teens / early 20s I now find it difficult to eat them. Its almost like my body has adapted to certain foods and gone off others. I guess you could say I have acquired certain tastes and dis-acquired (thats not a word but I hope you get my meaning)others.

Example, I really like the idea of KFC (especially when hung over) but because I don't eat really greasy / oily foods if I do get one I struggle to eat it because it makes me feel really sickly. The same goes with chocolates and biscuits. If I want something sweet (which is rare) I tend to eat Jaffa Cakes and maybe a few squares of a Dairy Milk. I do have a weakness for crips though.

My idea of a tasty lunch is something like wholegrain rice (uncles Bens is quick) with, fresh chopped red onion, cherry tomatoes, chopped pepper, maybe a bit of sweetcorn and a shredded ready made chicken breast, all in one big bowl. Give me fruit (fresh and dried) lots of fresh raw veg with dips or pre cooked lean chicken/beef etc. with a bit of seasoning as a snack and I could eat all that till the cows come home. Love it and can't get enough.

Before I got into training I used to love fast food but I really struggle with it now.

ICanHearYou · 12/06/2014 16:39

It wasn't a chip shop, it was the harvester. The calories were listed on the menu and I looked them up later.

Perfectlypurple · 12/06/2014 16:50

ican you shouldn't have to justify your food choices to anyone. Fish and chips won't make you fat if you have it now and then and eat healthy food most of the time.

squoosh · 12/06/2014 16:58

Exactly, your fish and chips, your business.

glasgowstevenagain · 12/06/2014 17:00

dont eat anything white except chicken or turkey.

Follow that and you wont go far wrong...

coffeeslave · 12/06/2014 17:04

A lot of it depends on whether you want to lose pure weight (i.e. mass) or change your body composition (i.e. lose fat; or gain muscle; or a combination of the two).

I've been exercising regularly for 5 years and haven't lost any (much) weight - about 2kg overall. But my body fat % has gone from 42% to 30%, so I look & feel better. I've maintained the weight by replacing fat with muscle :-)

ICanHearYou · 12/06/2014 17:06

I'm 'lucky' in the respects that I have a LOT of weight to lose (around 5st) so I can actually get away with eating out occasionally

I try and stick to 1600 calories a day.

LittlePeaPod · 13/06/2014 09:22

ICanHearYou you know what, you should eat out and treat yourself sometimes. You have made a decision to make some changes in your life and for that you have my utter respect and I applaud you. So what if you have a bad day its just one day.

I came across your thread earlier. I hope you don't mind me saying but next time your ex belittles you and try's to sneer at your achievements and the changes you want to make to your life, tell him to "go fuck himself and stick a hot rod up his backside". His a nasty piece of work that can't bear to see the positive changes you are making to your life.

Don't let him ruin this for you. You want to do it and you can do it. If you decide to do some training one day feel free to pm me, I will happily try to share some of the things I do.. I am sure there are lots of other ladies on here that would do the same.

Wine a toast to your ongoing and future success.

Perfectlypurple · 13/06/2014 09:51

I agree. Life shouldn't be about depriving yourself. We have all done that for years and it is a never ending cycle of abuse to our bodies. I am hoping that finally stopping dieting will mean I stop the yoyoing. It is hard but I have spent so many years depriving myself and then overeating because I have deprived myself. I bet we have all done it and we are all still overweight!

Give yourself a realistic time scale. Eat healthy but if you go out for lunch and want fish and chips have it.

I hope that in a years time I can do a thread on here saying I have successfully beat my food demons. It won't be an easy year but I will trt my best.

ICanHearYou · 13/06/2014 10:16

Thank you little pea :)

AdorableAbbie · 22/06/2014 14:46

I'm not so particular about different diet plans advertised. I'm taking liproxenol max which helped me control my food portions (I used to be a voracious eater Sad) and choosing food that I think are healthy, I'm doing great now. Lost a great deal of weight too. I reckon it's the amount of food you take that makes the difference Wink

Itsjustmeagain · 22/06/2014 14:51

I have been overweight most of my life (since I was 9/10 years old roughly). I have lost about 2 stone in the last few months by following a roughly paleo (I say roughly paleo as i dont really believe the claims behind it but it has been a good guide for me to eat "real" food which is lower calorie that sandwiches and pasta etc

I have about another 2 stone to lose so I am halfway now

GatoradeMeBitch · 22/06/2014 17:09

5:2 screwed me up, I started to have trouble sleeping on my second '2' night and it has continued intermittently even though I gave the diet up six months ago.

Low carbing was excellent until I fell off the wagon and the weight came back in its entirety in just a few weeks Sad

So I agree, there is no diet plan in the world that will work for everyone. It may be an idea to list your favourite healthy foods and activities and seeing if you can make up your own plan around those.