To ask for your weight loss cheats/ hacks?

[Margot78]

I’m 5ft 2 and 11 stone, looking to lose weight discreetly without making a big fuss about it. I know the formula is eat less move more but I just wondered if anyone had any tips of little changes they made that made a difference? I’ve started cutting out dessert and stopping snacking between meals but are there any other subtle tweaks I can make that might help? Don’t want to make a big thing of it or I’ll be forced to join the calorie counting brigade at work and also don’t want to talk about diets at home, dd is possibly asd and funny with food. Thank you xx

Reducing carb portion and increasing veg. You will have the same things on your plate as the rest of the family just in a different ratio.

I don't eat chocolate, crisps, cake, biscuits or ice cream (or drink booze) Monday to Friday, but eat and drink whatever I want on the weekend. If it's a special day like a birthday, a rare night out or a holiday, the rules don't apply. I find it really sustainable as a way to lose weight as it doesn't feel unduly restrictive.

Reduce carbs, increase protein and fat, they will fill you up more.

Intermittent fasting. Reduce the time spent eating rather than change the food.

Stopping evening snacking. Game changer for me!! Was horrific for the first week or two.

Go for a walk when you're hungry. I swear this helped me lose more weight!

Also, don't have biscuits/unhealthy crisps - opt for fruit and healthy crisps - the weight will fall off!

Drink more water especially between meals (when I’m most likely to snack).

Cut out unnecessary food, I know it sound obvious but really think - are you hungry or looking for a temp bit of happiness. It’s hard for the first couple weeks but then it’s pretty much routine

Oh and track absolutely everything you eat. We grossly underestimate how many calories we are eating.

Go to bed early to avoid snacking worked for me.

I found the Andrew Jenkinson book "why we eat too much" was helpful. It's quite sciency & detailed but that appealed to my geeky side.

I'm your height and was a similar starting weight. Also post menopausal so a low TDEE of around 1600 calories.

What worked for me was the advice to start with what you would eat after you had lost weight. Nothing crazy, but eating better. For some reason, that clicked.

I've mostly given up processed foods, cut back on carbs and cut back a lot on sugar. Other than that, I eat well with lots of vegetables. I typically eat around 1200 calories Mon to Thursday and try to stick to 1600 at weekends.

I lost a stone in about 9 months and am continuing to lose weight slowly at about a pound a month. It works for me. I've done plenty of diets before for short term gain and this is finally an approach that I'm happy to stick to.

Watch your drinks, I'm a big tea and coffee drinker and because I like it milky, calories do add up. Especially if you have any coffee shop lattes or other drinks.

Green tea somehow helped me!

Yes to no evening snacks and walking / jogging on the spot until you reach 10,000 steps (actually 6000 steps are enough for me to lose weight! I'm 5ft 2!)

Half the amount of carbs you eat and replace with veg.
increase protein to help you feel full for longer

Don't eat ultra processed foods. Eat as close to nature as possible. Eg oats, beans, rice, other grains and pulses, veg, fruits etc. Follow Dr Greger.

Have you had your bloods check recently. If might also be worth doing a fasting bloods to see your thyroid function, blood sugars etc.

Make omelettes using egg whites only or with only one yolk. It’s the same amount of food as a normal omelette but less than half the calories.

As PP said, don't drink any calories. Black coffee, green tea without milk and water only.

I started the year with exactly the same height and weight, and am now down to 10 stone 4. This is by walking to and from work (about an hour and 15 mins in total a day, downhill on way there and steeply uphill on way back). Also cutting out snacks between meals, switching mainly to black coffee (as opposed to full fat milk), only having yogurt or fruit for dessert. I have one ‘treat’ a week (usually ice cream) and will occasionally have a couple of glasses of wine, but not every weekend any more.

To be fair I have fallen off the wagon a bit over the Easter hols because I’m out of routine and there’s loads of chocolate about, but back on it next week!

Drink only water.
Cut out (or significantly cut down) bread, then you remove butter from your diet too,

Sleep! Have a long lie any time circumstances allow. Go to bed early if you can.

More water, lots of walking and lots of veg. I track my calories which helps, but you don't need to tell people that's what you're doing.

Good luck!

Overnight oats for breakfast - low cal and fills you up.

Give yourself a window of time in which to eat during the day (ideally I try to do 11-7) which helps me to stop snacking in the evening.

I find eating soup really helps me - home made chicken, lentil, veg - whatever you fancy. Good to get your veg intake plus filling too. Take to work in a flask. (You could batch cook and freeze portions.)

I also allow myself a ‘treat’ every day, a biscuit or something - but if you can manage without it even better! I eat a small amount of (unsalted) nuts for a morning snack.

Brushing my teeth earlier in the evening also helps. Good luck!