Weight loss

[Lovesacake]

Hi,

NC for this thread. So I shall start with a not so stealthy boast...I have finally, after a VERY long period of dieting, reached a healthy BMI (it was 36 when diet began). I’m glad to be here after losing 4 stone but also nervous as I have lost large amounts of weight before and then put it all back on.

So AIBU to ask for any tips/advice from those of you who have lost weight and actually kept it off? How does that work?? I am mid 40’s so don’t have the metabolism I once had. I really want this time to be the time I actually maintain a healthy weight!

Intermittent fasting 4 days a week would work, then?

I'm 2 stone down from a BMI of over 40. I've done it before, and put the weight back on over 2 years. I found it hard to deal with family having treats and junk that I couldn't have. This time I seem more at peace with that, so I'm optimistic I'll do ok.

I'd suggest maintenance weigh ins, and the moment weight creeps up by more than 4lb start logging your food and upping the fasting until it's down again. It should get easier every time.
Also, at your new weight, maintain or build up your exercise. Increase your muscle. You may then be able to eat more without putting on weight. And measure your waist, bust, hips and thighs occasionally. You may find that trims as you become more muscular, even if your weight goes up slightly.

I'm planning to lose 2 more stone then pause for a few months, to get used to the new weight and establish/reinforce a new normal before reducing again.

I maintained for over 5 years (before Covid knocked me sideways) and what worked for me was healthy meals during the week and then weekends off. If there was an event during the week, I'd skip a weekend day off.

Yy to weighing every now and then. Having a bit of leeway to take into account stressful periods or menstrual cycle, but having a weight above which you must do something about. So above that weight I tighten back up the diet.

Weighing carbohydrates and high calorie foods. I have a little set of electronic scales that sit on the kitchen top.

Yy to MyFitness pal. It is awesome for maintenance as well as weight loss

@Lovesacake

Oh good points about exercise. The only exercise I really love is dancing but the trouble is I’m terrible at it! So have never stuck with dance classes as I always feel like such a plum. But again lockdown has been helpful in that I’ve just been dancing my socks off in the privacy of my home and so there’s no reason I couldn’t keep that up as I really do enjoy it so much.

There you go then. Just dance like a teenager in front of your mirror or take 45 minutes to clean the kitchen after breakfast because you are bopping. If you want to up it a notch you could consider getting a hula hoop or an exercise trampoline and dancing with/on it. You could do one of the many, many dance workouts on youtube (I struggle with that though, as I need to dance to 'my music' or I won't want to keep doing it.) And when this is over, consider a dance class.

Question - if I only eat 1 meal a day and calorie count does that mean in intermittent fasting?

*I'm

@alittleprivacy omg if I tried dancing on a trampoline I would be weeing all over the place 😂 but could definitely try a hula hoop.
@Iremembertheelderlykoreanlady that sounds like quite extreme intermittent fasting to me, but I’m no expert. With intermittent fasting you have an 8 hour window for eating so unless it was one huge meal you ate over the course of 8 hours 😂 I’m not sure it would count. But as I say I’m no expert!

Congratulations on a fantastic loss.

I weigh weekly and I’ve got a number in my head that if I hit I make sure I really focus on diet and exercise until I’m back at my happy number. I tend to ignore period weeks which are always up a bit. Weighing daily doesn’t work for me.

I find exercise really helpful in maintaining and also changing the shape of my body so even if I’m not getting lighter, I look better. Lockdown has been good for me because some of my favourite classes have give online so I feel less self conscious about not being very good. Les mills is brilliant-I love the barre and sh bam dance based classes but there are lots of others too.

In terms of food, I still weigh carbs but everything else I just do by eye. I try and focus on eating really well 80% of the time and don’t worry about the rest. You could try relaxing your window while upping some exercise and seeing what happens.

I've maintained a 3 stone loss for well over a year now.
I strictly weekly weigh and I have a target weight range. If I am towards the top I will cut back for a bit. Its much easier than trying to lose loads of weight that's for sure

Oh this is old. Weirdly it came up on my active threads just now.

@SummaLuvin so it’s ok for there to be threads here that shame and disparage people for being overweight and condemn them as being lazy, greedy, and a burden on society, but its not ok for people to post here for help and support to lose weight or maintain their loss?

Ok...

Aaah zombie thread...

@StayingHere

Oh this is old. Weirdly it came up on my active threads just now.

Has it? Omg finally I know how zombies get resurrected!

Don't diet and just make changes to you overall food intake you can keep up. I have health problems and losing weight slowly without a diet and I never put back on for no reason.