To ask how can I lose weight without dieting?

[fieldsofdaisies]

I am so fed up of being on the diet-binge cycle. I have tried several "diets" including calorie counting, intermittent fasting (5:2), trying to eat mindfully/intuitively. It lasts maybe 4-6 weeks and then I go back to eating how I always eat which is large portions of unhealthy food with evening comfort eating of crisps, chocolate and ice-cream. I measured my BMI and I was shocked seeing that I am now classed as obese. I knew I was overweight but I didn't think I was obese!

Whenever I think about losing weight it always creeps into being too restrictive and strict which perpetuates the diet-binge cycle. I am so bored of being on this cycle.

Has anyone managed to lose weight in a sustainable way? I want a complete lifestyle overhaul.

SlimmingWorld for me. Lost 5 stone in 8 months and kept it off for a year so far. It’s not a diet it’s a lifestyle. Gets criticised on here but you don’t have to eat muller lights and mounds of pasta are not recommended. Emphasis on lean protein and fruit and veg. 1/3 plate every meal must be veg. For me not being hungry is key. I cook a lot from scratch, SlimmingWorld recipes and pinch of nom. I need accountability, group support and weigh in weekly. You can still have a small treat I have small amounts of chocolate to stop me bingeing.

Start by drinking loads of water, doing some exercise and no snacking.

Diets don't work.

The only possible way to lose weight and maintain it is calories in vs calories out. You only lose weight when you burn more than you take in. Everything else is just a fad.

I find 16:8 quite sustainable as I've never really liked breakfast, and the closure of the eating window blocked off my mindless eating of snacks in the evening. However, not eating breakfast was triggering awkward questions from my borderline underweight 4 year old so I am now tracking calories on my fitness pal and trying to get on top of portion sizes a little better instead!.

Knowing I need to "write down" a junk food item can work well to prevent mindless consumption - is the momentary pleasure worth it!

I'm very prone to boredom/emotional eating. Too much deprivation tends to lead to a rebound.

Recently I've had good results using MFP to track and trying to slightly reduce carbs and increase protein...

@ikus84 - exactly!!!
Blood group crap
Now insulin crap
No sugar
Low fat
Fasting
Juice diets
Detoxing!
IT DOES NOT WORK LONG TERM!!!!

Sorry Winnie - but eat less and move more!!!!
It's really not rocket science!

Nothing is off limits. Just eat less of it!

Intuitive Eating may work for you. First thing to say that it absolutely is not a diet and anyone promoting it as such is not truly understanding the philosophy behind it. It’s something that many dieticians use to help people get over eating disorders and those who have got stuck in the diet/binge cycle. It’s about getting you back in touch with your hunger cues and why you overeat. Sometimes when people start they put on more weight having been given the freedom to eat what they want without restriction but over time you start to understand when you’re actually hungry and develop techniques to deal with overeating out of boredom, emotional eating etc. Once you get that balance a lot of people find that they loose weight as they’re just eating what they need. It’s not for anyone who wants to be super skinny (unless their genes mean that’s how they should be naturally) but it should get you to a healthy weight.

It does take dedication and it’s an ongoing education but I’ve found it really useful - I’m a classic emotional eater and would often find myself stuffing chocolate in my mouth even though my stomach was quite obviously full but would keep on going because I was tired/stressed/bored.

There’s a great nutritionist called Dr Laura Thomas who has a website (www.laurathomasphd.co.uk) and she has a great podcast called Don’t Salt my Game. She’s on a break from it just now but there’s a massive back catalogue to choose from with introductions to what intuitive eating is. She also has a book called “Just Eat It”. She’s all about cutting through diet culture and getting people back in touch with what they eat while enjoying it. The original architects of Intuitive Eating are Elyse Resch and Evelyn Tribole who wrote a book on the topic in 1995, subheading of “A recovery book for chronic dieters - a whole new way of eating and making peace with food’. If you like to read it’s worth looking at that but if not I suggest Laura Thomas’ podcast and website.

I know that a lot of people on here are advocating diets that I’m sure have worked for them and the simple solution of just not having the ‘rubbish’ foods in the house. Great if that works for them but it’s not the case for everyone. For some people if you deny yourself certain foods you’ll always break at some point and find a way to eat them. On every diet you’ll find a moment where you just don’t care about loosing weight or eating healthily anymore and if the food isn’t in the house you’ll go out and buy it. The urge can be overwhelming but if you haven’t experienced it it’s easy to advocate willpower and discipline as the solution. Diets are bloody miserable most of the time and life’s too short to constantly be on one.

I decided I need to get for due to asthma. I started couch to 5K in May and I run every other day. I eat between 12.30 & 8.30pm, don't eat the things I am intolerant to but if I want chocolate or crisps I have some but just a couple of squares or a small bowlful. Half the battle for me is having my head in the right place. I've lost over half a stone, my lungs are getting better and I am pleased with myself I have stuck to the running.

Start by not having ice-cream, crisps etc in the house at all. Buy fruit, tea, cheese and hard boiled eggs instead. Those are your evening snack choices.

If you have a bowl of ice-cream per night, that's 3500 cals per week. If you have a boiled egg every night, 490 calories per week.

Same for me. What's working for me now is sticking to just one rule - 8 hour eating. Luckily I'm still WFH so I'm finding it easy. I start eating at 12pm and stop eating at 8pm. I set alarms on my phone so I don't forget. This means I can have whatever I want, but after 8pm I just drink water. It calms my mind to know I can have whatever I want from noon the next day. It was hard for the first two days but it's like my brain gets it now! It's the only thing I'm doing and I'm losing a bit of weight.

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OP, why do you want to lose the weight? I think you need to have a solid “why” before you can think about moving forward. Next, think about what has got you into this position. I imagine the yo-yo dieting plays a large part (worth checking out Rebelfit on Facebook for this). There may well be other factors.

I think once you understand why you’re in the obese category and what you now want to do, you’re in a better position to move forward and lose the weight.

PP have mentioned insulin and there’s a lot of science behind regulating blood sugars leading to better weight management. I would do some research into this as I think this would help you figure out the best way to go. In the meantime just avoid buying the junk so that way you can’t eat it.

OP, I am in a similar position to you but have begun the Fast800. It is working but it isn’t easy. However being fat isn’t easy either so I guess I have chosen which form of ‘hard’ I am going to put up with.

I wish you well with this.

Definetly identify links to food. If you always snack with alcohol then cut the alcohol back to one night. If you always end up reaching for the snacks at 8pm then move dinner back to 7.30/8pm, then go to sleep at 10 before the snack urge appears.

Has anyone managed to lose weight in a sustainable way?

Yes, I do 60-90 minutes walking per day (7000-10000 steps) every day without fail/excuse, rain or shine, etc.

I lose the odd pound or two here and there, so it's VERY long term, but I'm now 5 stones less than at my worst, and that's without really thinking about dieting etc., other than trying to avoid eating between meals, smaller portions and having plenty of fruit & veg rather than bread and chips (which I do have in moderation). Still have the occasional bag of crisps or chocolate bar or biscuit, but not every day!

For me binge eating cycles happen during periods of unhappiness and dissatisfaction with my life. Without fail.

I'm not sure of your situation but if you have ability to go out in the evening then get out! Find hobbies/a social outlet and make your life "busier". The weight falls off me when I do this. I've been stuck at home for a few years with small DC and a husband who worked all the hours under the sun... the boredom, stress and confinement in the evenings meant a slab of chocolate/huge creamy curry etc was all I had to "look forward to" and that was what I used to fill the void.

Now with covid DH is around more which means an element of freedom for me - it's been amazing! I've lost a stone in the last six weeks. I walk the dog most evenings or meet a friend for a walk in the woods. I started following bloggers on Instagram (which I would have previously rolled my eyes at!) but I choose the least vacuous ones I can find and who have a style that suits my age and stage and I've actually found it very motivating and I've gradually built up a bit of a capsule wardrobe and have gotten back my love of clothes after years of worn maternity bras and holey leggings basically I've started to value myself again. I still have about 1.5 stone to lose but I feel so much better and it took very little effort!

Good luck OP, I know how hard it is but you deserve to feel good about yourself. Take one new step this week, then add another in a week or two and it will have a snowball effect

Look up Tom Blackman on Facebook. He’s a performance nutritionist and specifically helps people tackle binge eating as well.

I think one big issue with the basis of calorie counting is that when you want to lose weight you end up restricting yourself too much which only ends up making you binge .
The key is to aim lower with a 1/2 pound or 1 pound a week lose - yes it may take a while to lose all the weight you want but it's sustainable and you can still enjoy food !

'James smith ' has a great calorie calculator online , it gave me 1700 calories per day which is plenty for me to enjoy 3 meals and have a few snacks

I rely on my Fitbit a lot which encourages me to reach my steps target and a calorie counter app called 'nutra check ' is fantastic - much easier to use than my fitness pal !
Yes it's still technically dieting but it has definitely taught me some healthier ways to deal with food

Sleep. If you're tired you'll be more likely to eat high energy foods. It's the body's way of trying to stay alert. If you're properly rested it's easy to say no.

Éducation. The only time that I have successfully changed my eating habits is when I have read, considered and understood how our bodies react to certain foods / products. And much more besides.

Some of the posters above give some good starting places. For me, it was reading Atkins book back when that was popular. Robert Lustigs Fat Chance is good, and books by Gary Taubes. These don’t have to be diet books per se: the aim is to educate yourself, so you can make better choices - and to understand why you make the bad ones (clue: it’s got bog-all to do with willpower).

John Briffa’s Thé Diet Trap is a more UK based one. Also Michael Pollan’s In Defence of Food and Food Rules are really good, and easy reads.

So do your homework first. Learn why you do what you do, how your body reacts, and use the time to work out how you will do it differently in the future. Courage.

@hellsbellsmelons Crikey woman that's fighting talk, you'll have the hormone quoting low carb insulin army coming after you.

This has been me my whole life. I have yoyo dieted and my weight has gone up and down more often than a brides nightie.

But after a period of being slim a year or so ago (after a period of really strict calorie controlling and starting a new business ) I then fell back into old habits and put some of it back on.

I made a decision to stop all this dieting, no more feast or famine.

No more calorie counting and obsessing over my weight. No more over doing it then denying myself. And most of all started talking to myself gently. I have stopped giving myself such a hard time about not having the perfect body.

And to begin with I put on a bit again as if I had all the freedom from dieting taken away then i lost sight of what was healthy again. I was literally like a kid in a sweetie shop.
And then i felt myself thinking..well i need to go on another really strict diet to get back to where i was..and on..and on...the cycle would have started again.

But I thought..no! I am having 3 meals a day. Healthy as i can. Nothing is off limits. If I'm hungry i will eat a little more. If I'm full then a little lighter.
I still have treats at the weekend but they aren't the craziness ive done before. Because i don't feel I have to fit as much crap into my mouth as i can because I will be starving myself again by Monday.

I seem to have lost that constant battle in my head. Its very freeing.

And i do feel lighter (not weighed myself) but my clothes are a little looser again and I feel healthier.

I am also finding exercise that i enjoy for the sake of it instead of trying to do things for the sake of losing weight. I enjoy walking outdoors and have started wild swimming. But I don't do these things to extreme to lose weight, that's not the focus . I do them because I enjoy them.Feeling healthy and enjoying the activity are much more important. The fact it may help me lose a little of my belly is an extra bonus not the main event.

It's not a quick fix i realise but it's my thought process that has changed.

Go to your GP and make sure nothing weird in going on hormonally/thyroid. Examine your mental health (easier said than done). Make sure you're taking a good multivitamin.

Then....focus on eating a lot less! I don't have any banned foods or whatever, but I lost weight by having a couple of days a week where I just ate a lot less. I still eat junk - just half the week instead of every day. I went for dinner last night and had 3 courses plus wine, enjoyed every bite. Today I'll just have some salad and fruit, maybe some chicken, cause tomorrow I'll be hitting the burgers and beer.

Maybe try to take up an activity where its hard to eat cause you hands are full, like crochet or painting - or join a gym! Good luck

As someone who has gained/lost at least 30 stone over the years I feel I can speak from experience. I have tried ALL of the faddy diets.

I have sustained current weight for more than 3 months which is a first for me.

First thing is to think about WHY you want to be healthy and not overweight - my driver is my being healthy for my family. Also, I had a relative with T2 diabetes and watched her lose eyesight and limbs as she refused to look after herself and take it seriously.

The WHY is the most important thing. It cannot be something like a holiday which comes and goes - it needs to be something that is important forever. If you don't have the motivation long term it will go back on - I have proven that numerous times. Find your focus.

Food issues are more complex than eating less/moving more. I still consider myself a fatty and I love food and know every calorie in anything. I just have mental health issues that would require an NHS wait of over 12 months to resolve!

Then tell everyone around you that you are quitting processed foods like cakes/biscuits/chocolate. That way, you know you cannot eat them and you are changing your mindset and telling others your new mindset - they will encourage you (unless they want to saboutage you!).

Then find a form of exercise you enjoy. I walk with friends every day/eve of the week (where possible) for a good natter - usually 1 hr of chat equals 5-6K and it's fun so passes quickly. I have signed up to Les Mills - loads of at home activities for the rainy days.

Accept you will have odd bad days and don't use the excuse of one bad day to have a bad week - as "it's not worth it, I've already failed". Get back on the wagon the next day.

Load your plate with more protein and veg - less carbs. Use My Fitness Pal and log EVERYTHING! Including milk in tea and squash etc. This will help you to manage your inputvs output and get a positive excess daily. Remember it is a marathon not a sprint.

That's all I've got. It may not work for you but find your "forever" goal. You can't do it without genuine motivation that is time restricted. Good luck.

I know it's boring OP but I'm inclined to agree with ikus and hellsbells.
I changed jobs last year which involved a bit more physical activity and less time to eat, well fuck me sideways what da ya know I lost weight!

Diets don't work.The only possible way to lose weight and maintain it is calories in vs calories out. You only lose weight when you burn more than you take in. Everything else is just a fad.

Yes, but deliberately making sure you take in less than you burn is a diet. And it requires more willpower than the vast majority of people possess.

It doesn't matter whether you call it a diet, a fad, a way of eating, a lifestyle change or a health kick. It still requires self-control while surrounded by tasty, calorific food that everybody else is allowing themselves to eat when you're not. And that self-control has to be constant and permanent if you want to keep the weight off. That's why almost nobody stays on the waggon.

As for education... like many people, I've read tons of the recent books about weight loss, insulin resistance, fat vs sugar, clean eating, the evils of the big food companies. My Kindle is stuffed with them. It's all very fascinating but it doesn't magically bestow willpower on the reader.