I have a lot to lose. I'm 5'3 and currently 250lb. BMI is 43ish. I know...
If you have lost a substantial amount, how did you do it?
Almost identical to me back in January 2018. Attached was my journey from BMI 43 to BMI 25, in less than 10 months.
I don't hold myself as someone who has The Answer - as is evidenced by the last month when significant Coronavirus- related money worries and the stress caused has resulted on the resurfacing of my sugar urges and binges.
That aside though- you're not looking for a diet OP. You need a lifestyle change that will last forever.
I exercise most days now, I go out of my way to create time to do it (I have 4 school aged children, so time is not easily come by).
Regarding food, I can't underestimate how much of a massive change is needed. You have to be in the right place psychologically to accept that. Because mostly it's all about psychology. For example:
● you're eating far too much. Since you're similar BMI/height to me. I'd guess you're probably consuming 3000-4000 cal on an average day. You could manage easily on 1000 without any physical hunger symptoms (although you may psychologically feel differently)
● I was eating around 800cal a day- 7 days a week, every day all the time for about 8 months before I physically felt I needed more calories per day... You need to remember that you have loads (and loads) of fat cells to burn for energy. So you will not go hungry for a long time yet - you've got loads of energy stored in your body. Realising you don't need much physical food is a psychological barrier you have to leap.
● I ate real, normal food. No commercial diet. My principles were:
• Loads of vegetables
• Preference for above-ground veg, limited amounts of root veg.
• Only lean, low fat protein.
• No processed carbs at all. So nothing with wheat in - no bread, pasta, cakes, biscuits etc.
• Only limited amounts of whole-grain carbs (oats, rice, quinoa). About 2-3 portions in a week.
• No breakfast. When i got over the psychology of hunger I realised I never needed breakfast. I still don't and sometimes I run 50 mins a week. I just only need 2 meals a day
• No snacking, ever. I only eat at meal times.
• Apart from Sunday Dinner, no puddings. Savoury meals only to limit sugar consumption. Which results in...
• No fruit. Or very tiny amounts, maybe 1 portion in a week but often none.
• BIG portions of veg. At least 3/4 of a meal will be veg. The rest lean, low fat protein. Often I replace the meat with pulses, so extra veg.
• 7-10 veg portions per day.
My typical lunch would be half tin of chickpeas whizzed up with garlic. Served with 2 whole peppers, sliced and 3 full celery sticks. This is very filling and is 7 vegetable portions. Then main meal of masses of (above ground) veg and steamed chicken or fish. Or a huge, huge salad with quinoa and tuna.
● Hunger isn't a scary thing. You are supposed to feel hungry several times a day. You should be feeling hungry an hour or two before a meal. Indeed, don't eat unless you feel hungry. I'd guess currently OP, you never experience even slight hunger. Embrace that hunger is ok - you'll probably realise you aren't actually hungry in a physical sence.
● mrsbyers above said: At the moment surely you could just not purchase the things you binge on ? People say but it’s for the kids but I doubt they’d miss it after a couple of days. This! Just don't buy unhealthy stuff.
My entire family (me, DH, 4 children aged 5-15) changed their diet completely with me. I shop and cook so they had no choice. I just stopped buying white bread, pasta, biscuits, and all other crap. There was none in the house so no one could eat it. Kids got treat money to spend at the weekend at the shop and they are what they bought that day. That was their only unhealthy concession.
● The diet doesn't end. I lost my weight over a year ago. It's a lifestyle change. Yes, my weight fluctuates now I'm not so heavily regulating it. But it works along the lines of knowing if I indulge then I have to "pay for it" by eating a calorie deficit to make up for it. I don't expect the indulgences very often for the self-regulating reason of the time it takes to balance with calorie deficit.
● And before I go.... Couch to 5K is the answer. Start off walking every single day for at least 40 minutes. Create time to do this 7 days a week, every day, every week, every month, always.