To these simple measures are enough to slim?

[TheRealAmandaClarke]

new year new jeans (or better, old jeans) and all that.

The last few months have seen me eating and drinking too much and not exercising.
So now, whilst not technically overweight (goodness, that BmI thing is a generous system) Im pissed off that my clothes are too tight and I want to be slimmer.
Not nothering with formal diets. I wonder if simply stopping alcohol in the week, stopping snacking (including allowing kids' food to disappear into my gob before it hits their plates) and doing c25k is enough.

Say "yes"

[rookiemere]

I've started tracking on MFP. I find I need to write down my calorie input or it's too easy to pretend that I haven't eaten something. However I'm not going very low - 1700 kcal + exercise cals, and so far it's pretty easy.

[MrsHathaway]

DH gave up sugar in coffee without making any other real change to food intake, and dropped a stone and a half in six months. Drinking your calories makes/keeps you fat very easily.

I broke all my rules over Christmas and put on 8lb, but within three days of "don't drink calories" I've shifted most of that again.

Obvious but bears repeating: no diet/exercise regime actually makes you lose weight. What it really does is move you towards the weight at which that calorie input equals that activity output. If your diet "stops working" you've reached the equilibrium point.

So maybe 1750 kcal per day equals ten school runs and two swims per week at 9st (numbers made up). Start that regime at 10st and you'll lose, start it at 8st and you'll gain. Either way, at 9st you'll stop.

[Brummiegirl15]

My sister is a doctor and has said we as a society simply eat too much in general. Simply eat a bit less and trying to move a bit will really help.

And cut out the booze!!!!!! Anyone who is serious about losing weight needs to cut out or cut down on the booze. It's just sugar!

If you can't bear not drinking then try gin and slimline tonic or vodka and diet coke

[MyIronLung]

Just to add, a few years ago my sister started to get a bit porky () (when I say 'porky' I mean she was a 12, pushing a 14! So not massive) she decided to cut out fizzy drinks and crisps. Everything else remained the same, so the occasional chocolate bar and some alcohol was the norm. It was amazing! she went down a dress size and looked so much healthier.

I'm hoping something similar will work for me (I'm a 14 pushing a 16 )

[MyIronLung]

I'm starting the c25 thing this week. I've been waiting for Christmas to be over and Ds back at pre school, I can't wait (although I think it'll be hideous to start with). I'd like to go to a gym too but it's impossible as I have no one to look after ds.
I'm also being more careful about what I eat. I figure that if I just cut down a bit but still eat my usual food it'll make a differnce. My biggest downfalls are fizzy drinks!

Has anyone done any online fitness workouts? I'm wondering if that would be any good to combine with the running.

[bigTillyMint]

It probably won't work for me either, Mintyy - gaining weight seems very easy when you reach a certain age, but losing it is like climbing a bloody mountain!

Snacking is a problem for me

[Storytown]

It depends how much snacking you've been doing. You need a deficit of 500 calories per day to lose 1lb per week. That's you need to use 500 calories more than you eat. It's not hard to eat 1000 calories in snacks and alcohol if you're snacking a lot on junk food/drinking a lot, so it might be possible but if your snacks have been small or relatively low cal it won't be enough.

c25k is great for fitness and I'd thoroughly recommend it but running 5k will only use 300 calories, so it's not going to help much with weight loss on it's own.

[manchestermummy]

Yes

I'm not doing dry Jan (maybe I might) but I am restraining myself. I'm also going to try to snack only on fruit. I have pretty good willpower anyway but am always hungry. I have managed to put on no weight over Christmas thanks to some odd bug or something (gastritis?) that gave me awful stomach pain after eating anything, so I was kind of put off over-indulgence, or eating much really, for 10 days. However, I have made up for this over the last three days .

I'm going to up my weekly swim to twice weekly too, not just to lose weight, but to feel better about myself in general.

[Mintyy]

It wouldn't work for me but I have the metabolism of a gnat.

[bigTillyMint]

I am doing dry Jan and am supposed to be trying to make sensible food choices...
Don't want to count calories though.

I already do quite a bit of exercise but I think I need to do as much as possible if I am to shift any flab!

[MarjorieMelon]

If you want to maintain a weight or lose a few excess pounds that you put on over Christmas not snacking and giving up alcohol should be sufficient. If you have more than a stone to lose more effort is required.

[Hairtodaygonetomorrow]

Depends on your age, when I was young, just tweaking one thing such as not snacking would see the pounds drop off. Now I am in my forties, it is much much harder to lose weight. Running will increase your metabolism but also your appetite- studies show exercise doesn't always lead to weight loss at all, but you will feel better and look leaner.

[projectbabyweight]

I think it's very likely to work, yes. But to help you, if you get the urge to snack, I suggest upping your protein and fat intake at meals, and reducing the carbs (something to do with insulin and hunger hormones).

[SASASI]

I'm with you - I've been eating way too much cake & chocolate post birth. Planning to start running again soon.

Sitting looking at my granola Greek yogurt strawberries chia seeds & green tea with lemon - big change from my usual seeded bread Nutella & breakfast tea with sugar & milk sob

[Dazedconfused]

This is my plan too (although 3 months post giving birth so not been drinking loads) getting up and going up the hills for a nice walk today.
I know have overdone the bad foods and my excuse was breastfeeding but just going to eat less sugary crap and better food to compensate and keep me fuller longer and keep my milk up.

[JT05]

Definitely, reducing your calories to suit your own activity level will help you lose weight. This is the basis of the 5:2. Eventually your stomach will shrink and your taste for salty, sweet things will deminish. It happens slowly, I lost 3 St over 18 mths. It has stayed off, but like e everyone, eaten too many calorific things over Christmas. So back on the 2 500 cal days. Good luck, I'm sure you'll do it, you seem to have the right mind set.

[hauntedhenry]

Yes. Go for it!

[KERALA1]

Eat dinner off a breakfast plate. Same food but less of it

[Nightboattocairo]

Just remember; A glass of wine = one doughnut..It certainly focuses the mind!

[esiotrot2015]

Yes defininitely
I lost 3 stones by giving up half a bottle a night & half a tube of Pringles a night

[CMOTDibbler]

Yes, if you drink alcohol regularly in the week. A couple of glasses of wine is like stuffing down a burger alongside your dinner

[WhatAHooHa]

Yup, eat less, move more. Sure fire way to lose weight. Just wish I had the disciple at the moment!

[TheRealAmandaClarke]

Yes anomoly i agree that that the eating/ drinking makes the most difference.

[TheRealAmandaClarke]

How hard can it be?

[Anomaly]

Impossible to say really without knowing what you eat already but it should be. Probably won't be that quick. Your eating habits will have more of an effect than the exercise.