To ask about the best way to lose weight and keep it off?

[blackcoffeeredwine]

Currently at slimming world but it’s not working for me... I struggle to do the whole ‘it’s a lifestyle change’ thing - I got to target 2 years ago and put it all back on again and more as soon as I stopped following the plan. I can’t imagine following it for life, and whenever I leave I end up heavier than I started.
I just want to know what worked for some of you?
I have about three - three and a half stone to lose to be my dream weight.

You won't like this you really do have to change your life. You can't expect to keep weight off if you go back to old habits.

You need to find a way of eating that keeps you healthy not just ping pong and yo-yo between diets.

Sorry to be harsh! I have lost 5st7 in the last 18 months and the last 7lbs seem to be the most painful for me! Now I really have the challenge of keeping it off!

As someone who has a bit to lose herself, I don't know OP - but if you find a different answer to "total lifestyle change including portion sizes and regular exercise", you'll be a millionaire

On a more serious note though, the studies about keeping weight off long term are sobering reading. Not saying it's impossible at all, but saying it's hard work because your own body wants to get back to when it was bigger.

Watching with interest. I am a yo yo dieter and keep losing and regaining the same 10lbs. I've finally admitted there is no point losing it only to regain it again often quite swiftly. I find the harder I diet, the more I overeat when I 'm not dieting, so I need to find an approach that's fairly gentle so as not to make me go the other way!

Haha, I do want to completely overhaul my lifestyle but being hungry all the time is horrible!
I don’t want to be counting syns forever or following a ‘diet plan’ but I do want to make it so small portions, little and often etc are the norm rather than 3000 calories a day lol!

shouldaknownbetter this is how I meant to word it but you are obviously more eloquent than me
I keep losing and regaining the same half stone too, takes about two weeks to lose, one week to gain in my opinion and every time I diet I find it harder and harder to lose weight.

There was a group on here a while ago who were trying to lose weight - some of the ladies have lost up to 100lbs and have kept it off for a year or two. They've mostly done it by switching to higher fat foods, so you feel full for longer. So bye bye pasta and bread and rice; hello nuts and avocado and cheese and lean meat/fish. Would that help you, do you think?

Have you seen the "No S Diet"

That could be more of what you are looking for, no couting or anything like that, more about changing your attitude towards food?

No Snacks, Seconds or Sweets except Sometimes on Saturday, Sunday and "Special" days - e.g. xmas/birthday/weddings.

www.nosdiet.com/

I think there is a thread on here that follows it too - this isn't the diet I did BTW!

Find an exercise you enjoy. Do it often. Eat smaller portions of better-quality foods. Look at Joe Wicks on Instagram; his meals feel like 'proper' food (instead of those bullshit SW ready meals which taste like despair). Download the MyFitnessPal app and be painfully honest about everything you're eating and drinking. Consider eating less meat; that's made a huge difference to my health.

I've never yo-yo dieted but last year became unwell and decided an overhaul was what I needed. I'm around 2/2.5 stone down and it's staying off despite Christmas and birthdays and whatnot because I've taught myself not to binge. It's entirely possible, it's just harder than it looks.

No S diet sounds good, so does high fat, I really enjoy Joe Wicks recipes... SW have brainwashed me into thinking high fat will make me gain but I need to change that!

Gastric bypass. It's the only one method any evidence base.

Have a look at the Blood Sugar Diet. Designed for folk with diabetes or Metabolic Syndrome, but can be used by anyone. Basically low carb, no processed carbs, and much higher fat. It is daunting to do the 8 weeks in 800 calories, but I’m 5 weeks in and have lost 16 pounds, and am enjoying it! I’m also a serial dieter and have about 4 stone to lose.

I think the diet industry is responsible for people actually being overweight.

I did sw and was thrilled to lose 2 st. It's all back on again. Because sw isnt a lifestyle it's a diet.

To keep the weight off you need to keep going because it is so easy to overeat when not.following a plan.

I have lost about 5lb in 4 weeks by eating proper food, cutting right down on alcohol and being a bit more active. Oh and avoiding bread more than twice a week.

Why do you think you are overweight? Is it sweet stuff? Crisps? Sausage rolls? Wine?

Whatever you think your biggest vice is limit it to twice a week. So only drink twice a week. Or only have crisps twice a week. Etc etc. Once you have that cracked look where else the calories are coming from. Then only do that twice a week.

Try and eat plenty of fruit, veg and salad. I aim for 8 types a day. So today I have had a salad with 6 in, then we are having lasagne with mushrooms and tomatoes in. So that is 8 pretty easily.

Try and move a bit more. So 3 walks a week. Or a swim. Or a gym session.

Weigh yourself in a couple of weeks and I bet you have lost a bit.

User That is the diet I did!
Really works!

Reduce the carbs. Eat lots of veg, some protein and a little fat instead.
Ditch the high GI stuff like
sugar and sugary foods
soft drinks (drink water instead)
bread
potatoes
white rice
I'd also ditch pasta, crisps and similar snacks, biscuits etc.
Learn to recognise hunger. There's the hunger you get a couple of hours after eating and there's proper hunger.
The blood sugar levels messed up by high GI is makes you feel hungry when you are not.

Eating out and takeaways should be occasional treats - you'll enjoy them more that way.
Cook from raw ingredients where possible.

Try having a look at the Low Carb Bootcamp threads on here. There's a lot of interesting reading about the benefits of Low Carb HighFat and some inspiring stories. I never, ever thought I could give up potatoes and rice but i'm finding it loads easier than i expected to and wish i had started earlier.

I've lost 9lb since New Year with no exercise other than pram pushing. I haven't lost that much weight since around 2013, which I did through intermittent fasting, which incidentally goes quite well with low carb high fat once you get the hang of it.

I've been up & down with my weight loads of times over the years. The thing that worked for me is running & when I can't run I swim. As someone else said find a exercise you enjoy & do it, make it a habit, no excuses.
I was up at 6 this morning (had to force myself) to swim a mile as I've put weight on over Christmas.
I love food so I need to exercise to burn it off. I'm off spinning later (can't be bothered) buy I'll force myself.
It is hard!

The My Fitness Pal app is a game changer for me. I find the actual act of recording what I have stops me over eating. I wanted a crunchie bar last night - I looked to see if I had enough 'allowance' left and I only had enough left for half of it. So I ate half and put the other half in the fridge.

I can still have a treat - chocolate or crisps or a glass of wine (when I'm not pregnant that is!) and I can even go out for a meal and pig out a bit. But then I know what I've consumed and that on that day I've gone over what is recommended. So the next few days, I cut down to make up for it or I make sure I do extra exercise that day/week.

I can never do plans like SW or WW. They are diets - they do work but long term I doubt anyone could stick to them.

ok so since Jan 5th Ive lost 6 lbs.... not a huge amount but its the most Ive ever lost in a short time frame and Ive still eaten sweets and drank wine. I have about 2 stone to loose so feel some what encouraged that Ive done nearly a quarter. Im going to give myself a year ... . I havent found it hard either, because I think as PP have said Ive changed my outlook.

So years ago, pre kids I used to drink a lot. And when I cut back I would still get cravings at 10 am or maybe 3pm or when I had my dinner etc. But I didnt give into them because you cant go round having a drink at 10 AM! And more importantly I didnt want to drinks as much and have all the health problems associated with it.

Same as when I gave up fags - still wanted a fag after lunch / when I got out of the car, but I didnt give in just becuase I wanted one.

I think food is the same - which is why I hope Ive changed my approach. Yesterday I walked all around TK Maxx for 40 minutes thinking I really wanted a glass of wine and burger and chips for tea. But I knew I wasnt going to give in because I actually was going to have a cup of tea, stew and cabbage! So just because I wanted it didnt mean I got to have it (like booze and fags). I think I thought,it wasnt ok to have glass of wine at 10 am, but for some reason it was OK to have a Snickers!??

So now Im doing MFP. I have to eat less than 1800 calories per day. I think too many diets concentrate on people eating less than 1500 per day which quite frankly is miserable for people who over eat/ have a sweet tooth etc. I looked in my Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR?) I think its called, and I use 1990 calories a day just by being alive. So therefore less than that will lead to weight loss. Its takes something like 3500 calorie defecit to loose a 1lb so Ive just tried to plan to loose 2-3 lbs a month. Thats a calories defecit of under 2000 calories per week which is far more do-able. Some days I eat 2000 but other days I eat 1350 - as Im not the same amount of hungry every day.

I also looked at how much I was eating. I had a pretty healthy diet but had massive portions. I used to make this greens smoothie, which had avocado, coconut oil, nuts, chia seeds, apples, spinach, oats, greek youghrt etc - sounded really healthy. But when I added up the calories it was 900 PER DAY!!!!

So Im just trying to make healthy choices, tracking everything, cutting down on portions, etc. I had a big weekend, so now Im being really good this week..... lets hope it works as Im sick of my big bum!

I find the easiest way for me is calorie counting- it's slow but the weight has stayed off.
I stick to 1650 cals on work days (I have a very physical job) & 1500 cals on other days.
I eat food that's low in sugar & under 3g saturated fat.
I've lost 2.5 stone so far with 1.5 stone to go by July.

Calorie counting allows for treats but also means that I focus on eating the most nourishing food within my calories.

Luckily I enjoy the challenge & im quite obsessive about sticking to it anyway!

I do exercise at the gym, mainly rowing & weights, but have introduced treadmill at an incline recently; in the gym I aim to get fit & tone up with weight loss as a bonus.
I go twice a week plus go for at least one long hilly walk. I don't drive so walk most places.

Some amazing ideas here! My vice is wine and constant snacking... think I’m going to do No S diet and also limit wine to weekends (but not Saturday and Sunday, Friday and Saturday!)

Try the No S diet. It works for me. I've lost almost 2 stone over around 8 months. The most I lose in a week is 2lbs, some weeks nothing, occasionally put a pound back on over 2 S days which soon comes back off after a couple of normal days.

I get weighed daily, just because it keeps me motivated. If I've gained over the weekend, then I can keep an eye on it every day. I know that's not recommended but it keeps me on the straight and narrow. I walk a lot too.

I find it quite painless during the week and really look forward to the weekends. Sometimes I overdo it on S days with all the things I've been missing, but as time goes on, I choose treats more carefully because I don't want to undo the week's work. I've still got around 5-7 pounds to lose, then comes the hardest part - maintaining. I'm expecting that I'll continue with the fundamental basis of the diet, but maybe introduce another semi S day?

I think the diet industry is responsible for being overweight
So nothing to do with cheap and readily available takeaways, bottles of fizzy pop, alcohol, multi packs of sweets and crisps, coupled with driving everywhere instead of walking or cycling then?
It's easy to see why people are overweight compared to 30 or 40 years ago. We eat more and are less physically active. I would add the drop in smoking rates as well, because a lot of people used to replace meals with a cup of tea and a fag. Obviously that is a bad thing.
OP, you have to find a way of eating that satisfies you in the right amounts, and exercise that you can do , and form them into habits. I do things like not buying 'treats' in my regular shop, never eating outside unless I'm having a meal in a cafe (so no Gregs pasties), weighing out things like pasta and rice to eat the correct amount, keeping snacking to a minimum. It's funny, I actually feel a bit bloated if I eat too much now, I realise I don't need that much food.
As for slimming clubs, I realise a lot of people find them helpful so I'm not knocking them, but somewhere along the line you have to work it out for yourself.

OP I do Friday and Saturday. Sunday is my gradually getting back into the zone day. If I continue on Sunday, that's when the weight gain happens.

On no S days, I always have a small chocolate treat. I have a small glass of wine when I feel like it. I rarely eat bread or pastries even on S days. It's chocolate I miss the most.

Just to clarify what a PP said, the Blood Sugar Diet is NOT recommended for everyone. It won't work if you're a Type 1 diabetic, or someone with low blood sugar problems. There are other medical issues that it's not compatible with because of the very low calorie count.

Having said that, I'm halfway through week 4, 17lbs down, and finding it incredibly easy to stick to. Well worth a try.