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?

@grassisjeweled I wish I could eat 1500 a day
Currently on between 800-1100 and losing 1lb a week. Bloody thyroid

Following with interest!

You sound like me OP, now with 2 young DC and the other side of 40, it feels a struggle to keep my weight stable, when it was never an issue before!

Am keeping an eye on this thread for some good tips & ideas

I was like you, always slim until my second child. It just wouldn't bloody shift after that! Intermittent fasting (16:8) with lots of walking was key for me. Essentially I skip breakfast (just a cup of tea or coffee) and just have lunch and dinner. No food after dinner. I let this slide for one weekend night but then it's straight back on the horse. Lost two stone exactly and now a size 8. Really sustainable, easy way to lose weight for me.

I've just read through all of the replies, thanks so much everyone and sorry I don't have time to respond to each one.
Genuinely so impressed by all of you, and feeling pretty inspired this morning.
Last night I dug out my old fitbit and have charged that ready for today.
It sounds like IF is a running theme, even for those that use other methods too, so I'm going to try that as of today and skip breakfast. I have to admit I don't even find myself that hungry in the mornings anyway, I usually eat breakfast just because everyone else in the house is, so I don't think I'll find that too tricky and will probably instantly cut our a few hundred calories instantly.
So going to start with that and trying to get 10k steps in each day, and hope that is a good start. I'll try and incorporate some pilates for my back and see how I go with all that for a few weeks. I don't want to throw too much at myself and then give up so skipping breakfast, 10k steps and some pilates for now. If that doesn't do an awful lot ill have a look into low carb or calorie counting with it.
What you've all made me realise is there's a lot of different ways to do it but that the main point is to just find a way and stick with it. Really hoping I manage it as I'm really feeling quite insecure and down about it all at the moment.

Calorie counting on MyFitnessPal including continuing to count whilst maintaining. Lost 5 stone in 1 year and kept it off 1 year. I run 10 miles once a week on Sunday mornings before DC wakes up. Also lots of walking on days off with DC. No time for exercise otherwise.

@squeakiness

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.

This is why calorie counting alone doesn’t work unfortunately. Your metabolism (TDEE) falls alongside your calories until you get to a point, like you said, where you’d have to be consuming 700 cals a day to lose anymore. This is why your standard diet isn’t sustainable.

Low carb on the other hand doesn’t fuck with your metabolism. It stays high. You can eat fat and feel full and cstill lose weight . That’s why it’s sustainable your not STARVING all the time. Might be worth researching it.

@Dundundunnn

I've just read through all of the replies, thanks so much everyone and sorry I don't have time to respond to each one. Genuinely so impressed by all of you, and feeling pretty inspired this morning. Last night I dug out my old fitbit and have charged that ready for today. It sounds like IF is a running theme, even for those that use other methods too, so I'm going to try that as of today and skip breakfast. I have to admit I don't even find myself that hungry in the mornings anyway, I usually eat breakfast just because everyone else in the house is, so I don't think I'll find that too tricky and will probably instantly cut our a few hundred calories instantly. So going to start with that and trying to get 10k steps in each day, and hope that is a good start. I'll try and incorporate some pilates for my back and see how I go with all that for a few weeks. I don't want to throw too much at myself and then give up so skipping breakfast, 10k steps and some pilates for now. If that doesn't do an awful lot ill have a look into low carb or calorie counting with it. What you've all made me realise is there's a lot of different ways to do it but that the main point is to just find a way and stick with it. Really hoping I manage it as I'm really feeling quite insecure and down about it all at the moment.

I’ve been on the IF road for quite a while now and it’s odd at first as you have to retrain your habits. We’re so brainwashed into three meals a day with snacks that it feel a bit odd initially to only eat two meals, no snacks.

My last meal is now around 4pm. I eat around 11am and 4pm and that’s me done. I do still have tea/coffee in between but not food.

I lost 2.5stone about 18months ago and have kept it off.

I’ve always walked loads but wasn’t terribly fit, so I ramped the pace up with either a daily 5km run or daily bike ride (slow at first and built up) and I calorie counted on MyFitnessPal. The weight fell off so quickly.

I now commute to work each day on bike (15km round trip with steep hills in almost all weathers) and that’s enough to allow me to eat what I fancy and maintain. I don’t go crazy but do have breakfast/lunch/dinner every day and snacks (often choc or crisps) daily. I don’t drink much other than water or coffee day to day. If the weather is too bad several days in a row to cycle, then I’ll do an indoor workout or a half hour run. I weigh myself regularly so I notice quickly if I’m sliding into bad habits and might have a few days back calorie counting if I’ve gained more than 3lbs.

I adore food and exercise helps me burn the calories to eat as I please.

I maintained the lifestyle changes.

I’ve noticed you either have to strictly calorie count and end up eating a tiny amount each day or you have to exercise loads and calorie count. Those things seems to have to co- exist.

I've gone from 12 stone 3 down to 9 stone 6 (height 5'8'').

Kept to the same weight now for 6 months plus.

Not necessarily recommending this - but basically found that I was prediabetic and I had seen the effects of type 2 diabetes on my Dad. So I have lost the weight and maintained it purely by eating low carb and literally no sugar/bread etc - this has to be a permanent change as the diabetes thing is permanent dysfunction that won't ever go away.

To be fair - in one way it sucks. I used to Love chocolate/crisps/cake etc - all off the menu - unless I want to end up on metformin or glicazide.

On the plus side - despite being 56 years old and post menopause - I am a size 10 - and that is nice after many years of being a size 12 to 14. I'm fitter than I was and don't have a bad back anymore. I have had rheumatoid arthritis since the age of 33 and am now taking virtually no anti-inflammatory drugs which is fab.

I walk for an hour each day and don't calorie count - but I don't eat stuff as outlined above.

@Dundundunnn - your plan sounds good - if you really want to do it - you can.

Once you stop eating sugar you get used to it - and that will help as well.

I know it's unpopular on here but I lost 3.5 some with slimming world and have kept it off. It's lower carb rather than low, processed carbs are all limited, but you can have rice, potatoes and pasta which makes family meal times a bit easier! I got to target about 3 years ago and I'm still there.

@OwlinaTree

I know it's unpopular on here but I lost 3.5 some with slimming world and have kept it off. It's lower carb rather than low, processed carbs are all limited, but you can have rice, potatoes and pasta which makes family meal times a bit easier! I got to target about 3 years ago and I'm still there.

Can I ask what BMI you’re at @OwlinaTree. I have theory about slimming world so I’m intrigued.

I've lost 3 stone , in the last few months just by cutting back on all the crap and eating when I'm hungry not when someone designates , the trick to keeping it off for me is weighing myself at least once a week , knowing what I weigh helps me realise I do t need 10 bags of crisps . Before covid I didn't own a scale for a couple of years , I knew I was overweight though

@justanotherneighinparadise

BMI is 21.3 at the mo. I don't think you can get teeny tiny on SW, like celebrity style, but for maintaining a healthy weight it works well.

I'd be interested to know your theory!

Slimming World worked for me as well - it's just "healthy eating" isn't it, but with the accountability of weekly weigh ins? I went from a BMI of 30 to 23 with SW and now (3 years on) have a BMI of 23.2.

Slimming world worked for me too - I lost almost 5 stone & kept it off for quite a few years although after my 3rd DC, I've struggled a lot more. I did get back to target but have yo-yo'd a lot & put a lot of weight on during lockdown that I can't shift. Every day I intend to follow the plan but every night I snack & have wine, so it's no surprise I'm not losing!

Might try IF - can you drink water & tea or is it no drinks at all?

@JoeGargery
Google Deborah Murtaghs 30 days one dress size. This is a first step program that started me off, it was about £40 to join and it was invaluable. It then goes on to further steps, the emphasis is really on health with weight loss as more of a side-effect/benefit. I lost weight, but also was able to stop taking blood pressure tablets and my cholesterol went back to healthy levels. I figure I'm saving the nhs a fortune 😁

Tracked calories and exercised more. Quit alcohol because it is empty calories.

Boring but it works!

I think I’m going to give the IF a go - I’ve never eaten breakfast until a couple of years ago anyway, and don’t think it’s a coincidence that since then that I’ve put on a couple of stone that I would quite like to shift.

I am a hockey player anyway and train/play twice a week, but just doing that and eating normally doesn’t have any effects so I’m going to start couch to 5K this week too...as that will help with fitness for hockey games anyway.

@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 was one of the original MN 5:2 thread people back in 2012. Doing intermittent fasting. I lost 34lb, went down to around 9.7. I'm now 10st 2lb. It's fluctuated a bit over lockdown, but I've never got back into that out of control weight gain, or felt I wouldn't be able to shift it again.

I'm 65 - and can honestly say that the past 8yrs has been the only time I've felt any real control over my weight, felt comfortable in having treats or "bad days" (a whole tub of salted caramel ice cream one day last week!) and not spiralled into "giving up the diet" because I'm not "on a diet". I will never need to go on a diet ever again because I know it really is as simple as a few days fasting a week to get my eating back on track.

I'm not naturally a morning eater - I used to make myself have a sensible breakfast - which just made me hungry by 11am. Now I just have tea and coffee until I'm actually hungry - some days I might eat a large meal at 3pm and really not be hungry again, so I don't eat. Intermittent fasting, for me, has taught me to listen to my own body, not be bound by the clock, when it comes to food.

Need to cut down on the booze as well but think that ones best left for after lockdown/Christmas 😅

Lost it gained it, lost it, gained it, had bariatric surgery, lost it and kept it off.

Well worth the money. Lots of people at me as I was ‘only’ about 2/3 stone overweight and ‘not that big’ but to me I was enormous and it’s helped me keep the weight off for good