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?

[GeidiPrimes]

Just eating my usual food (I don't like feeling deprived!) but cut the carbs down by about a third, not having much snack-ey stuff in the house. Exercise is half-hour of intense pilates everyday and walking the dog twice a day.

I do love to comfort eat, but what encourages me to rein it in is how much more comfortable the body feels, not to be lugging excess weight around.

[justanotherneighinparadise]

[quote OwlinaTree]@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.[/quote]
Oh no that’s a great BMI!!! Well done.

My theory was that to actually hit a lean BMI on slimming world you pretty much had to starve yourself, as that’s the only way I did it. It always seems in the magazines that most people’s starting weight was really rather big and their goal weight was my starting point.

[LindaEllen]

I lost 12st 11 years ago, and kept it off for a long time. I counted calories using MyFitnessPal, but in the end you kind of just learn how much you can eat and not gain weight, and you don't have to count anymore.

Lockdown has seen me gain a fair bit though so I'm trying to lose that again now, but I've done it before so I know I can do it again!

[OwlinaTree]

@justanotherneighinparadise I think SW is good if you have a lot to lose. When you are into 'vanity lbs' for want of a better expression you probably need to do something more aggressive.

I wanted something where we could all basically eat the same evening meals, so it works well for our family. Also I'm not the one who cooks here, so I needed something it was easy to manage working out after the cooking has been done. My DH knows pretty well which ingredients he needs to measure for me so I can work out the syns, and it's so much easier than trying to calorie count.

[MatildaTheCat]

Lost 2 stone 15 years ago and have kept most of it off. Actually when I was at my lowest I was, with hindsight, too thin. I lost it quite slowly and I found (apparently backed with research) the best was to keep it off was daily weighing. Obviously weight fluctuations are normal but it’s easier to keep an eye and act upon 2-3 lbs than a couple of stone.

Pilates and swimming for back pain.

[JoeGargery]

@OhSweetNuthin thanks

[kaleishorrid]

@LongPauseNoAnswer

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.

That's amazing - very well done

[IDontMindMarmite]

Calorie counting and not super low calorie targets.

[LunaNorth]

Buy a Fitbit.
Download the My Fitness Pal app.
Set yourself a calorie goal based on your TDEE. Don’t make it too low.
Download C25K.
Walk 10k steps most days.
Get hold of Davina’s 7 minute fit DVD or follow a YouTube video.
Make sure you do some exercise every day.
Make sure you log everything you eat.
Make sure calories out exceeds calories in, and don’t eat back your exercise calories.

I’m losing at a snail’s pace - 1lb a week - but it’s sustainable, doable, I’m never hungry and don’t feel like I’m on a diet. I’m just tracking my habits and keeping an eye on my health.

[Mmsnet101]

I've just hit the 2 stone lost yesterday so can't talk of keeping it off, but what I've done is...
Initially calories counting on my fitness pal and steps counting, so I could clearly see where my issues were. Tracking everything means no mindless eating. I did this for a month or so, now I just track my weight and steps.

Meal plan and review for nutrition, so nothing ruled out but making sure I get at least 5 a day everyday and conscious of how the week looks overall. Takeaway or whatever balanced out by a lighter meal another night etc.

Cutting down on meat, forcing me to properly cook again. Often batch cooking in advance so portions are set and I don't succumb to hangry oven chip type meals too often. Things like a lentil dahl with a Roti are a lovely, tasty meal but so nutritious and light on cals.

Making small changes to my routines rather than trying to fit in a big exercise, which I just know I can't keep up at the moment. Things like dropping DD at nursery and leaving car there, walking 5mins round to work then back again at night. Taking slightly longer routes when I can etc.

[ShinyGreenElephant]

I lost a stone and a half after having my youngest but I'm pregnant again and it's all creep creeping back on which is very annoying. I lost it (and kept it off for a year) by doing 5/2 and slimming world then once I was at target I sort of roughly kept to SW but no counting. Also yoga every morning and gym 2-3 hrs a week, sometimes a run once or twice as well. The only single part of that I still do is the yoga so I'm not surprised the weights coming back!

[EastEndQueen]

Like most people have said: low carb works well for me. I think the things that makes the biggest difference for me is that at least 80% of the week I eat a relatively repetitive healthy diet (fruit and black coffee about 10am, high protein lunch like chicken and veg soup or a tuna salad, an apple and 2 boiled eggs or a handful of almonds at 5pm and normal dinner about 8pm). I drink a lot of plain tea and coffee to feel fuller during the day and avoid lattes, fruit juice etc. I just have a cast-iron policy that I only eat the food I bring it with me, don’t buy anything from the work shop or Costa, I don’t eat work biscuits, cake, join in for Friday takeaway lunch etc. Having it as a blanket rule makes it easier for me tbh rather than having to operate discipline on a daily basis. I exercise 2-3 times a week, usually online fitness classes (Frame is brilliant, feels like clubbing!) at 6am before my children wake up. I’m active with the children and always on my feet. I do have treats at weekends and things (currently full of spicy lamb noodles, beer and ice cream) but as another poster says, it’s straight back on the regime horse on Monday mornings. Good luck OP. It’s just about making the sustainable lifestyle changes that work for you I think.

[rosiejaune]

Record everything you eat on the Cronometer website. Make sure you use the entries that have analysed all the micronutrient content of those foods (labelled NCCDB), or you can enter your own recipes. Focus on getting enough micronutrients, and if you pick micronutrient-dense foods (i.e. plant wholefoods), you will probably also find you don't have to try too much to limit calories anyway.

One easy guide for important things to include in your diet is:
GBOMBS; Greens (leafy green veg), Beans (legumes), Onions (alliums), Mushrooms, Berries, Seeds, which all contain various vitamins and minerals, as well as phytonutrients etc which protect against disease.

[Dundundunnn]

Hello all!
Thanks for all of the additional comments since I last replied. It's been a busy few days here so sorry I've not been on sooner.
I planned to get on track yesterday but I had a load of sugary food in the house so I allowed myself one more day of crap food (ridiculous, I know), and have cracked on as of this morning. Weighed myself and it was worse than I thought, but helped give me a kick up the bum into realisation.
Skipped breakfast this morning, just has a coffee and went for a big walk (got my 10000 steps in already), and broke my fast at lunch time with a veg and cheese omelette with one slice of bread with butter. I'm planning to make a Leek and potato soup for tea, and whereas dh and the kids will have it with toasties, I'm having it with rolled lettuce leaves with Mackerel and sour cream, and I can also have a peanut butter smoothie too. I planned all my meals last night and already logged them on my fitness pal, all within 1200 cals and lowish carb too. I'm feeling positive as my meals and snacks are already planned so I will hopefully avoid the mindless snacking. A lot of the crap I'd eat would happen because I didn't have a healthy alternative plan in place.
I'm feeling positive so far, but obviously it is only day 1... I'll try and check in and keep you all posted, if anyone else wants to use this thread as an accountability check in please feel free!
Thanks again for everyone who advised on the best steps to take.

[BenoneBeauty]

Sounds a great plan Op - well done!

[OwlinaTree]

How are you getting on op?

[Dundundunnn]

@OwlinaTree

How are you getting on op?

Sorry for the late reply, been busy busy and not been on MN for a while...
Thanks for checking in, I'm finding the IF really easy (surprisingly easy actually) and generally finding the calorie counting straight forward enough too, although the low carb I struggle with - I'm a veggie so I do end up having more carbs than protein generally.
But I've lost 3lbs so far which is in just over a week. I've been weighing myself every day and it's in interesting to watch how the weight fluctuates through the week and its also keeping me on track.
Exercise wise I've been trying to get 10k steps in a day and just the fresh air and exercise makes me feel a lot better and less lethargic and sluggish too.
So all in all things are going well ☺

[BenoneBeauty]

Well done Op!

[BrieAndChilli]

I read something really interesting that basically said that my body type was like a caveman. It’s really really good at adapting your metabolism to whatever your food intake is (as cavemen would have long periods of famine and then fearing in the spring/summer) so the instant you reduce your calories after a few days/week your body just goes ‘ok we are now surviving on 1200 calories’ and you stop losing weight.
I now do what I like! So some days I fast for 24 hours, other days I eat chocolate and pizza and pasta and bread. Most days I’m somewhere in the middle with a 16 hour fast. I’ve lost nearly 2 stone since June and honestly I still drink alcohol occasionally, eat chocolate a lot etc. The difference is I agree with my self what my portion will be in advance eg have 3 small chocolates from the box instead of 10!!

[IDontMindMarmite]

That's not true. If you eat below your base metabolic rate , you will lose weight. As your body becomes smaller, you require fewer calories to live on that is true. If you crash diet or are underweight then you may damage your body but only in limited circumstances. Your body might be less inclined to be active if it is trying to conserve energy.

[IDontMindMarmite]

Not below base metabolic rate sorry, below your total daily energy expenditure

[nanbread]

I lost 2st gradually around 2005-2006 and have kept it off, fluctuating by 5lbs or so either way since.

I got into a relationship with someone who ate healthily. I just stopped eating so much crap, stopped eating so much in general, and, ironically, stopped dieting.

[honeybeetheoneandonly]

I don't understand how to lose weight with IF? I have never eaten breakfast nor do I eat after 8pm. That's been normal for me since childhood. I've still been obese all my life. My dad lived on black coffee during the day and then ate one massive meal (with a bottle of wine) on a night and he has always been overweight.
I've lost weight with SW. But only time will tell whether I'm going to keep it off.