To think that Joe Wick's/Louise Parker style diets works if you're <35 and exercising loads?

[TartyTart]

AIBU to think that Joe Wick's "Lean in 15" and Louise Parker "Lean for Life" only works if you're young and seriously exercising?

I've been on this style diet for ages and lost nothing (with moderate exercise). I don't look slimmer in any way, waistbands the same.. I was enjoying it but that's not the point as I have a lot to lose!

So AIBU to think I should give up as I meet neither of the above criteria?

Are you doing the 90 day SSS plan for joe wicks or just using the recipes from his books?

Totally agree. I actually signed up for the 90 day plan but gave up half way through phase 2. It was exhausting!! For one, the exercise regime was brutal. 4 to 5 HIIT sessions a week in phase one (which wasn't too bad as at least they don't last very long) but in phase two it was a combination of HIIT and resistance training and each session took me about 45 mins to get through. I only have time to exercise before work and it just wasn't feasible.

Then the food!! Again phase one was do-able because you have to stick to set recipes with set food quantities. But they aren't really recipes that you can feed a family with and because of the weird quantity thing you would still have to cook your own food separately. But when it moved onto phase two it was just a list of foods with various quantities which you then had to use to make your own meals.

I can honestly say I have never spent so much time, money and physical and mental energy on a diet!! I did get results but it really wasn't worth all the angst. I often say that its great for for the under 30s who have only to shop and cook for themselves and don't have anyone else to look after.

Gone back to Slimming World. The weight loss may not be as dramatic but its much more realistic for a full time working mum

I've been giving Lean for Life a go since early October. I lost 10lbs before Xmas, gained a few and have about lost them again. Ive list 2 inches off tits, and waist, 3 off hips and 3 off thighs - now well into healthy bmi and about a size 11, rather than about a 13 before.

,I've done the exercises she recommends - just 20 mins a day - about 4x per week. It feels sustainable and not especially hard. Oh, and I'm 44.

Joe Wicks is clear that he sees what he promotes as being about encouraging people to aim for a lifestyle change for health and wellbeing rather than a short-term diet for weight loss: "eat what you want so long as you’re doing the exercise to match it." Basically, better understanding of what and how you eat and balancing food intake with energy output. I like his focus on exercise. Exercise is important, and most people do far too little of it - we need to break the mental link we've build up as a society that exercise is just something you only do from time to time when you want to lose weight rather being an integral and completely normal part of staying healthy and fit and strong.

If you were enjoying it then that's good, that's how you change your eating and exercise habits permanently. If you weren't losing weight, then is it possible that your food intake is just still a bit high for your "moderate" exercise? I know more people (women with families included) who've lost weight and kept it off with this sort of "diet" than with Slimming World and Weight Watchers - everyone I know who's done those seems to be constantly joining and losing weight then stopping and gaining it again and then rejoining, I can't think of anyone I know who's only done one course of SW/WW.

Louise Parker is also about a change in mindset hence being "for Life", rather than for a stone or two. She advocates 80% healthy lifestyle once you've reached your target. And I agree about SW and WW - their business plan almost wants you to put it back on and rejoin.

I suppose I did learn something from the Body Coach. I really enjoyed the HIIT and still do that regularly (although not religiously!) I do agree with you re the returners to SW and WW. I'm trying to make some real changes to my way of eating, cutting right back on alcohol to social occasions only, only fruit snacks (if any) between meal and just food clean eating without relying on ready meals and processed food. In an ideal world there'd be a class that was a little more "educational" but if everyone lost their weight and kept it off they'd go out of business I suppose

I'm halfway through JW's SSS. So far I've lost 12lb. Yes, the exercise takes time but for me it works.
I'm 48.

I have been using the books rather than the plan so it's possible that I am consuming too many calories. I will look into the formal plan now.

I was beginning to think I'd have to go back to WW and lose the weight, then do something like JW to sustain it for the long-term. I have been heartened to read some of you have had real success on the plan.

The books are based on male food consumption, have you been scaling them back?

I think a lot of his meals from the books are family friendly. (I have the first 2 books).

I just double some of them and there is usually enough for me, dh and both our kids (sometimes with leftovers)

I love his hiit sessions too. I have only really been doing them regularly this month as he is doing the live facebook hiit sessions (I don't get up at 6:30am but I do them after the morning school run)

His books aren't great tbh. His plan is a bit better, but you have to understand that everyone needs to do HIIT slightly differently to feel an impact. Naturally fit people will need more reps than unfit people. And overweight women, who have more fat on their bodies, need to do more aerobic stuff to fat burn than overweight men.