to ask for your diet secrets/success stories?

[malika54]

Posting here for traffic really. What was your most successful diet? How did you keep the weight off? Thanks for sharing!

Slimming world for me too. Went from a size 18 to a size 8. Have been maintaining now for over a year. I like that it's proper food, I don't feel like I'm dieting, my family all eat the same food and we can still all eat out.

Intermittent fasting ( various types) 2.5 stone and still losing, hoping for another stone. Totally comfortable with it and can't imagine ever being unhappy to continue doing it.

Another vote for no breakfast - even on a non- fast day I often don't eat till lunch time. On a fast day I don't eat till dinner time.

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

OP 1000 cal/day isn't safe; you shouldn't eat less than 1200 unless on medical advice. Eating too little is counter productive, too because your body will think there is a famine and will burn muscle and hold on to fat (which is the opposite of what you want!)
My advice : use an online calculator to work out your TDEE (IIFYM.com is decent), and reduce the calories by about 300/day.
Exercise 3/4 times a week, picking activities you enjoy and that you are likely to stick at, but try and make at least one session of weight-bearing exercises a week (it will help you burn more calories at rest while also toning your body)

I lost 18lbs in 6 months on the 5:2 diet in and a year later, it's still off. I will continue to follow this way of eating for the rest of my life. MFP is a great help, too.

Before this, I've lost weight on SW, WW and Rosemary Conley but none of them were sustainable for me long term.

5:2 used to work for me but doesn't anymore. I have recently lost almost 1.5 stone following Michelle Bridges 12 week body transformation and I'm finding that works really well for me. Remains to be seen whether I shift the further 2.5 stone and keep it it off though!

Coffee, Fruit for lunch, and then dinner. No snacks. No food type restrictions as I don't eat junk through the day.
a mix of HIIT
Pilates twice a week
Repeat through the week. Not fun but it works.

Low carb (use the Bootcamp threads on here)

My thoughts is to stop doing stuff to punish yourself "I'm dieting because I'm fat", "I'm exercising because i ate like a pig last night" and start looking after your body because you love it. Instant weight loss for me.

Another vote for skipping breakfast. (If I have breakfast, i feel bloated and sluggish)

No butter or even low fat spread on toast or sandwiches..you get used to it, really.
Keep an eye on how much milk being used in tea and coffee etc, and no sugar of course (you get used to that too)

I lost 8 stone - calorie counting and exercise.

Another calorie tracker here. I like using nutracheck: it has a bit more of a UK focus with regard to branded foods and I find it easier to change portion sizes. I started out on slimming world and so use many of its principles (lean meat, lots of fruit and veg, fewer refined carbs). I lost nearly 2st, I'm now under 10st (I'm 5.8) and ive kept it off for over 6 months now. It doesn't feel like a diet but just a healthier way of eating - no deprivation!

Not a success story (yet) but eating raw til 4, gives me energy and has improved my mood and skin. I'm losing baby weight so not really weighing myself as I'm breastfeeding and not really dieting so much as eating better.
Problem is I only really like doing it on sunny days, as drizzle makes me want porridge or bagels. You do end up eating way more than five a day anyway because the fruits in the house

I went from a size 12 and 10st 12lb to a size 8/10 and 9st 7 by just deciding to eat healthier for life, and not thinking of it as a temporary "diet."

I eat a lot of fruit, veg and dairy. A bit of meat and fish, minimal carbs. No snacking, ever.
Nothing pre-packaged or ready meal-ish, just proper, whole foods until I'm full, three meals a day.

I track on mfp to keep focused and run most days. Also trying to get back into circuits after the birth of DC2, but complications after her birth mean I can't lift kettlebells or weights like I could.

I've lost 84lb (6 stone) since November by simply eating less and moving more.

I log everything I eat on MyFitnessPal, wear a Fitbit Surge to count steps and estimate how many calories I burn a day and sync the two to make sure I burn more than I eat. I generally eat around 2000 Calories a day and no food is banned, not even chocolate. I do try and make sure I get a lot of protein in though to try and preserve muscle mass.

As far as exercise goes I strength train twice a week, run when I feel like it and walk around 15km (23000 steps) a day.

Following

I got married on 28 May this year. On New Years Day I was 13 stone 8lbs 😳. On my wedding day I was 11 stone 11lbs.

I did the following.
No wine or alcohol for 4 months.
Changed to skimmed milk.
No chips, processed foods, cakes, biscuits or white bread since Feb.

We ate a small selection of food such as salmon, chicken breasts, lots and lots of salad, piles of veg, wholemeal pita breads/wraps and 0% greek yoghurt with fresh fruit every morning.

We also put away our dinner plates and used two smaller ones and measured all our portions in small diet tubs.

It worked, I'm now 11 stone 9lbs (blame the NYC honeymoon) and my bmi came down to 28 from 30 something and I'm now " only" overweight instead of obese!!!

No exercise apart from I walked more and didn't snack at work and drank more water.

My wedding dress was a 20 and needed taken in two sizes the week before the wedding!!

I've lost 2 stone over the last 3 months. I've lost weight with quick fixes before and it didn't last. This time I've re-evaluated what I'm eating using mfp to help me. Nothing is banned but I aim to reach some of my nutrition goals with my 1200 calories. I have cut down massively on the amount of bread I eat and only eat a small amount of cheese. I've replaced cereal with oats or eggs for breakfast. I only eat food I enjoy and put more thought into what I eat than when I was overweight. I also always stop and eat to avoid eating mindlessly. I try not have a treat day unless I have a social occasion e.g. I was at a hen do at the weekend so didn't worry as much - but still logged what I ate. Portion control is key - much less carbs and more veg and protein.

Oh. And I run 3 times a week.

I have gone from a size 18 to a size 12 simply by not drinking alcohol and only eating when hungry.

Fitbit for tracking, set it to target -250 calories per day, and applying all the knowledge I already have about portion sizes and good nutrition. Slightly obsessive about inputting calories into titbit. Not buying bad stuff so it's not in the house. Only drink 2 nights a week.

That said, my birthday treat has been KFC and some Thornton's chocolate toffees :-)

I'm so glad to see these responses! Most people are actually cottoning on to the fact that it's really only calorie counting that works, it's a simple equation.

I work with My Fitness Pal. I stick to 1400 cals a day as I don't believe in fast weight loss or depriving myself. 1200 would be way too low for me. Plus I like my wine!

It's a silly myth that eating clean makes you thin! Eating clean is great, it's healthy but if you eat 2500 clean calories a day you are going to get fat!

I do 4 gym classes and hikes a week.

But the biggest revelation to me has been resistance training and free weights. THAT'S what really changes your body and shape and it helps you burn fat, I never realised this before. I can't recommend it enough.

ps I should have said, you don't have to actually count calories. The poster who gave up wine and not overeating is simply reducing calories. You don't have to count cals if you find that boring or too much like 'being on a diet' but you do have to make sure you're not kidding yourself.

^^Yes to free weights! It burns fat like you wouldn't believe!
In 5 months of lifting 3-4 times a week, and eating at a slight calorie deficit, I have seen my waist become much thinner, by bottom more rounded, and the cellulite on my thighs is all but gone!
And I eat between 1600/1800 day so it's not like I'm starving myself either

I found since my gallbladder started playing up and I cut out fat from my diet I've been losing weight fairly steadily.

Heartbreak was always my most successful diet (non) plan

Don't diet.

Eat full fat everything. In fact, eat exactly what you fancy - just only eat enough to satisfy your hunger it craving, then stop.

If you struggle with willpower on that score, try the virtual gastric band app. It's worth the money.

I'm 35, have lost 4st so far noshing butter and proper yoghurts. Life is too short to eat fucking mullerlights.