To ask, if you lost 2 stone and kept it off...

[Dundundunnn]

...how did you do it?

I've always been fairly lucky in that I've been at a healthy weight most of my life. However now after 2 children I've found myself 2 stone overweight and seriously unfit. I've recently realised how bad it's gotten after doing my back in from doing pretty much nothing, and seeing photos of myself with several enormous chins.

I know the short answer is less cals in, more cals out, but if anyone could share some tips on how they managed to achieve that long term I'd really appreciate it.
Calorie counting? IF? Slimming world?
Best tips for incorporating exercise with 2 young children and working full time? Best exercise for a bad back? How to just stop shovelling shite into my face?

I lost 3.5 stone about a year ago and have kept most of it off. I tried so many times to lose weight and every diet under the sun. For me what finally worked was Michael Mosley’s Fast800 - I can honestly say it changed my life. There are lots of very supportive Facebook groups. Good luck!

And it incorporates IF - that is the main things I have done to maintain - I pretty much eat what I want now but fast from 8pm until midday

Teenagetrials

Wow, well firstly well done! That's quite an achievement and you must feel great for it.
Would you be able to explain a little more about it please and why you feel you were able to stick to that better than other things you'd tried before hand? How quickly did you see results, and were there any obstacles you had to overcome to do it?
At the moment I just binge rubbish without even thinking about it and then afterwards I think how the hell did I do that! It's honestly gross.

I have lost 2st since February by doing couch to 5k and intermittent fasting. I have one coffee at 7am but all other calories are 11am- 7pm.

IF
Meals on smaller plates
Aware of what I eat no mindless biscuit munching like I did before
Do an hours turbo on a stationary bike most days and weights. Watch box sets while I do it so it’s fine
Lost 2 stone at end of last year (11 st 9 now 9 st 9) dropped 2 dress sizes. Kept it off so far

I've had some success with Noom (1.5 stone so far). It's important to address why you're overeating and to replace foods that are calorie dense with ones that are less so. You need healthy foods in that you actually like and to try to eat regularly, small amounts (at least, that's what works for me - everyone's different).

For back health, Pilates is good but get a couple of one to one sessions to check you're doing it right. Maybe look for a physio with Pilates - we have one of those locally and they are booked solid!

Increasing your step count is the best way, especially with young kids. Do you have a FitBit or similar? Or even a tracker on your phone.
Just doing half an hour walking a day and cutting down on excess calories will make all the difference

8 stone lost with keto/carnivore and IF. It took me a year and a half and it will be 4 years since I started in January. I’ve kept every pound off.

Roughly calorie counting (aiming for no more than 1600 cals 5 days out of 7) on My Fitness Pal, exercising 5-6 times a week.
Oh and not eating my "exercise earnt" calories

Jaffajiffy

Well done, its amazing you have managed to do all that during lock down. I seem to have gone the other way and just totally let myself go since March.
Have you completed the C25K now and if so how often are you going on runs now? With the IF do you just eat a normal sized lunch and dinner then? That sounds like it could be doable, but I worry that I'd eat normally and then binge sugar in the last hour and undo all the hard work from the day...

I was also 2 stone overweight. Have now lost a stone since August. Nothing majorly drastic but I did have to take a long hard look at my diet. Too much bread, pasta, junk food etc!

I still allow myself to have a sandwich most lunchtimes. But I haven't eaten pasta since August, drastically reduced the junk food and chocolate too. I still allow myself a pizza if I fancy, but I'll share it with my husband instead of eating the whole thing and have a big salad instead of chips.

I can honestly say I don't miss it. This has become my new normal, so it doesn't feel as I've I'm missing out.

Exercise wise, I started out doing 10-15k steps per day but that petered out after the first month as I went back to work and it's very hard to find the time. However I can still lose half a pound a week doing no exercise and just watching what I eat.

I would say I average 1300 calories a day, but sometimes I skip breakfast and lunch and just have dinner so maybe more like 800 on those days.

What I've learned is that slow and steady works, don't expect too much too soon. Trying to do it quickly never works (I've failed multiple times before!)

I still have another stone to go and should lose it by Feb next yr.

Good luck!

And zero exercise btw. Calories in calories out, eat less move more is all bullshit. I eat more now than ever.

If those theories worked for all of us, nobody would be overweight or obese.

I’ve tried loads of things . I had about the same amount to lose as you, I’ve tried calorie counting, 5:2 diet etc. All I lost weight on but none stayed off. The only thing that really worked for me was just stopping eating superfluous sugar and making sure I do at least an hour walk a day with dog ( fairly quick walking not strolling). I still eat all main meals as normal and if I want a snack I’ll have something savory rather than sweet. I do things like have brown bread not white and not eat things that are obviously sugary - cakes/ biscuits/chocolate I am not avoiding ALL sugar or carbs at all, only ‘crap sugar’. This does mean I have had to get used to not having any desserts but I find it far easier to not have any than to just have a little bit, because then I just want more. I think it’s also about being in the right mindset to set yourself into the right habit — then it just fell off.

I’ve lost 2 stone since June. Less alcohol, no snacks after dinner, no breakfast, gradually reducing portion size. The first half a stone took forever to come off, the middle stone reasonably quickly and then much slower for the last one too.

But, if I want it I eat it or drink it. But I am much more aware now of when I am actually full and not consuming calories for the sake if it .

@Dundundunnn

It was really quick! Lost most of it between June and September 2019. The first few days are tough, but power on through. For me it’s much easier when told I can’t eat at certain times as opposed to the flexibility of SW or WW. It’s a low carb way of eating - the recipe book is brilliant. It’s the first ‘diet’ I have been on where I actually had to try and stop losing weight 😂

I’ve lost about 1 3/4 stone and kept it off with low car /Keto. It’s a lifestyle, not a diet.

Atkins. After about 6 days you have to remember to eat as your appetite gets really suppressed when you eat a lot of protein and no sugar so you avoid insulin spikes. But......I don’t like fruit, cakes or biscuits so I don’t miss them. I love eggs, cream and cheese and can eat unlimited amounts.

Low carb/Keto

Keto. First I did normal Keto and now I do vegetarian Keto. I’ve put a little bit back on over lockdown but that’s because I got bored and had a few pizzas. But I lost 3 stone and kept off about 2.5 over the last 4 years.

For those doing IF, do you do it every day?

Always at least 12 hours

This won't do it alone, but buying a proper non stick pan so you don't need to use oil / as much oil will really help. I consider myself pretty calorie savvy but I didn't realise until recently that there's about 100 calories in a tablespoon of olive oil, which is fine but doesn't help you to stay full.

I've lost nearly 2st between May and early August.

I cut my calories to 1200 a day with occasional cheat day on a weekend - that's when the weight really started melting off. I also started morning workouts usually tried getting up before the DCs or I would give DCs iPad and some plain cereal/drinks to keep themselves occupied whilst I did a 30min workout 3-4times a week, it's amazing how physical activity boosts your mood. Also if I skipped a workout I would try to take Ddog on an extra long fast paced walk to get my heart rate up.

Food wise I usually just had a coffee in the morning and skipped breakfast, I never really had much for breakfast anyway. Then I would use MFP to check my calories and made sure I religiously logged EVERYTHING that I ate as mindless snacking was my vice.
In a normal day I would usually have homemade soup and bread for lunch - which I really enjoy anyway.
I would serve my dinner on a small plate and weight out the portions as it's surprising how many calories there are in things like rice and pasta so I would add more veg instead but I always made sure I had protein, veg and carbs, no "fat free" or 0 calorie stuff as I don't think that has much nutritional value and I don't trust something that just shows 0 across the board.

Also I would allow myself a little sweet or savoury treat everyday around 100cals to curb my bingeing tendencies, usually a small kitkat or a pack of crisps from the Aldi family pack that's usually around 100cals.

I've fallen off the bandwagon with it all since August as I would have to cut my calories to something silly like 700 to keep loosing weight at my current weight. I have maintained my weight though.

I'm hoping to get back into a bit of working out soon but I've been a bit preoccupied with a few recent events in my life so trying to get back on track ATM.

Low carb.

I've lost just over two stone since the end of June through intermittent fasting - a minimum of 16 hours every day (which is easy).

I did eat low carb in my eating window, but carbs and processed foods have crept back in. I haven't lost weight in a month (which I put down to not low carbing) but I haven't gained weight in a month either (which I put down to intermittent fasting) so I'd say combining 16:8 and low carbing is winner winner chicken dinner