To ask the best way you lost weight?

[Jumbo2000]

I’m having a toss up between going back to counting calories (I know this works even though it’s slow and very tedious) or going low carb.
I’ve never done low carb. It seems very restrictive.

My midsection is my problem area, I seem to store an awful lot of weight there and I know this can cause health problems.

Help a dumpy sister out here...

[managedmis]

Fuck me there's some superb stories on here.

Well done, all you losers

[Ludoole]

I went from a size 22 to a 12 in a few months but I definitely wouldn't recommend doing it my way!!
I lost my husband to cancer and my appetite disappeared.
3 and a half years on I'm still a size 12 but I live mainly on things on toast and soup as food no longer interests me. Beer on the other hand....

[Littlepond]

Calorie counting has longevity for me. I’ve done slimming world and piled it all back on again. Calorie counting is slow loss but it stays off. I’ve lost a stone in 3 months and that’s with at least one “cheat” day per week.
My fitness pal app is free and calorie counting is easy. I also do an hour in the gym 3x a week.

[Teachtolive]

For those of you calorie counting, how long did it take for results to start appearing? I've had a atone to lose for over a year now and my pattern is always the same. I have a few good weeks with MFP and exercise. I hop on the scalea but nothing changes and I get annoyed and binge!

[ShastaBeast]

A bit of a combination of lowish carb and calorie counting is best for me. I did my last diet using meal replacement which is frowned upon, especially as I’m a healthy BMI already. Planning is key so meal replacement helps a lot as it makes it easy. But long term you have to eat healthy and keep it up for the rest of your life, that’s the tough bit.

Exercise can help but don’t rely on it. Only diet will make enough difference. I spent an hour in the gym doing weights and then a 15 min run home today, burnt 300 calories which is enough for a ham sandwich. It doesn’t feel worth it but I’m doing for health/Physio rather than weight loss and it helps hugely for that. Plus exercise gets easier as you lose weight. I see young girls who are very overweight working out with the PT at the gym and really hope they are dieting well as it looks like torture for nothing otherwise. Less intense exercise plus good diet is a better option and has worked so far. I’m going for another half stone after maintaining my target weight over winter. Meal replacement x3, reduced carb healthy meal and moderate exercise.

[ShastaBeast]

Weight loss isn’t a constant downwards trend - you will lose initially and stall. But then it suddenly comes off again and then back to stall. Patience and persistence are key. Plus exercise can increase muscle so body composition is more important. And your hormones will impact. Weighing once a week or even monthly can be more accurate. Stick at it and be determined. Prove it works.

[Margot33]

Exercising every day and cutting down on bread and alcohol works for me.

[Myfoolishboatisleaning]

Low carb. I found it pretty easy, but I don’t really like bread, pasta, fruit or sweet things generally. I lost over two stone in under six months. This was almost two years ago and it has stayed off. (Despite my love of wine)

[Jumbo2000]

@Ludoole so very sorry about your husband

The thing that worries me about low carb is, although I love eggs, green veg etc... it’s the amount of things you’re not allowed to eat. Just one slip up would undo the hard work and I’d have to start over again.
I’m not much of a fruit person, but being told I can’t have it makes me crave an apple

I am quite concerned about the amount of belly fat I’m carrying though. I’m a size 14, but if it wasn’t for the fat around my belly I’d easily fit a 10/12 around my legs.

[Sallycinnamum]

Low carbing is brilliant and I lost a ton of weight a few years ago on it but it absolutely wrecked my gallbladder due to the amount of fat I was eating.

It's also a very unforgiving diet in that you cannot cheat as it throws you out ketosis. That said I know a few work colleagues who swear it's helped with their diabetes.

For me it's good old calorie counting and limiting eating desserts and sweet stuff. Boring I know!

[SallyWD]

16:8

[HicDraconis]

Combination of 5:2 and low carb/keto. After a few days the desire for sweet stuff just goes, you eat less because what you’re eating keeps you feeling not hungry for longer (not full, just not hungry) and it tastes amazing (the flavour is all in the fat!). Also cutting right back on the wine.

[Thesnobbymiddleclassone]

Cutting out snacks and just sticking to the three main meals a day. Also lots of water.

[chillychicken]

How does Joe Wicks plan specifically take off the belly fat?
You can't target specific areas to lose fat, he even says that on his own website.

OP, take a look at James Smith Academy. There is a 5-day free trial, no obligation to sign up. Use his calculator to work out you TDEE - it'll also give you the calorie target to lose weight. Pop this into MFP (rather than following their 1200kcal) and have a look at some of the meal plans on his website too. I've been struggling to lose weight for a while, but it was like a lightbulb moment the first time I saw one of his videos on Instagram. Since then I'm steadily losing weight and have been enjoying what I'm eating at the same time!

In short - you need a calorie deficit.

[Montsti]

Cutting out starch after lunchtime so just meat/fish and vegetables type things in the evenings...no potato products, pasta, rice or bread after 1pm...

No sweets or snacking unless fruit or nuts..I do still have something every day but try to limit it to one regular chocolate bar - no biscuits, cake, sweets etc...

Walking A LOT. Get yourself a Fitbit or similar and make sure you do at least 10,000 steps a day. Walk to as many places as possible...walk up & down stairs rather than taking the lift...

Good luck!

[Montsti]

Breastfeeding also worked well for me...

Interestingly giving up alcohol has never made me lose weight! I have a glass of wine every night...but I don’t binge drink so maybe it’s that old adage...everything in moderation...

[ASundayWellSpent]

You need carbs to turn fat into muscle. You need a varied diet, and to be calorie deficient every day (meaning you eat less than you use). That doesn't mean starve yourself; if you have a sedentary lifestyle eat less, if you can be more active then your "reshaping" will be quicker and you can afford a higher calorie intake

[pocketcucco]

Just count calories! There's lots of weight loss calculators online that will take your current weight, goal weight, height, age etc. into consideration and recommend a daily calorie limit.

I can't do low carb or cut back too much or I binge eat so I work out and walk a lot too. Just start with counting calories and you'll learn through trial and error what works best for you

[Peanut91]

Eat less and move more. I wanted more of a lifestyle change and something I could stick with long term rather than a fad diet.

I have lost nearly 2st since beginning of the year and have another stone to go.

[Grumpasaurous]

5:2 here

Have tried many, many diets.

Have lost 16lbs in 8 weeks, have plateaued the last few weeks, so going to try combining it with the 16:8 and see what happens then.

[managedmis]

The thing that worries me about low carb is, although I love eggs, green veg etc... it’s the amount of things you’re not allowed to eat. Just one slip up would undo the hard work and I’d have to start over again.
I’m not much of a fruit person, but being told I can’t have it makes me crave an apple confused

^

Depends how low you go. I eat sweet potato, potato, squash, lentils. Eaten in small quantities it's fine.

[flameycakes]

I ate less calories and got a lot more active, rigorous sex was good exercise at one point, lost loads then x

[BarbieJellyBabyBrain]

The only thing that works for me is the 'before you stick it in your mouth, stop and think' diet aka 'mindful eating' aka Paul Mckenna's method basically aka eating a hell of a lot less.

I can't do diets where you have to cut stuff out, it just makes me want it more. Low carb does work, but it's so restrictive and becomes quite repetitive, and I can't get on board with a diet where an apple is 'too carby'. Plus it doesn't address my issue with food, which is sheer volume and because low carbing, like some other diets, doesn't really focus on portion size, or the 'you can stop eating now you know' switch, or the 'do you really want that or are you just eating it because its there and you are allowed it on this diet' thing, I still end up mindlessly eating.

[BarbieJellyBabyBrain]

Oh yeah, and the other problem with low carb is that if you 'cheat' it's really bad, because you will have been eating loads of fat, so adding any carbs back into that is going to be a disaster! And the idea of 'cheating' with food isn't very healthy anyway.

[GooodMythicalMorning]

Counting calories. Its just creating a calorie deficit. hoola hooping with a weighted hoop helped too.