Did a diet/change in diet and lifestyle work for you long term?

[AutisticLegoLover]

It's often said that diets don't work for most people. If you dieted or changed your eating habits and lifestyle and lost weight did you continue to eat healthily and exercise and did the weight stay off? If so, has it been hard work to keep it off? I'm almost at my goal weight with a kilogram to go and I've lost nearly 2 stone through healthier eating mainly and increased physical activity. No starvation diets or supplements or shakes or similar. No low carb high fat type plan. 1500 calories a day on average and a lot of walking. I'm hoping it stays off. I'm 46, perimenopausal and want to stay as healthy as possible to help my chronic conditions and avoid any new ones. How did you maintain your new weight?

Maintained by continuing to stick to my maintenance calorie target.
I still log everything in MFP daily. Maintained 3 stone off for 3 years. I’m 48 & post menopause but regularly eat chocolate within my calorie allowance.

Well done btw. Congrats on your weight loss.

Thank you, and to you on yours! I eat chocolate or whatever I fancy as long as it's within my allowance. Nothing is banned. There are no bad foods, just healthy and not so healthy food but overall I aim for balance. Life's too short to deny ourselves and as long as we are not harming ourselves with too much of anything from the not so healthy list (not that there's an actual list) then all is good. I don't drink alcohol except for knock-off Baileys over Christmas and I'm glad of it because it always amazes me how much some people drink and how many calories in their diet are from alcohol. Drinking always made me hungry too and always for chips. Fond memories of being younger there 😁

Can I ask you how long it took you to lose the weight? I’ve just started making a few changes as I think not cutting out/depriving myself is the only way I’ll lose the weight rather than stricter dieting. Congratulations on your weight loss too - I don’t think it’s ever easy.

@YesMaybeNo I started back in September but not very strict. Around the end of November I think I really started to make changes and then in January once the dc went back to school I made it my mission to shift it. I was 63kg on that date in January and now 56kg so slow and steady. Good luck with yours, you can do it!

Thank you 😊. That’s impressive loss over a sensible period.

I lost just over two stone ago through intermittent fasting (16:8) and exercise (walking and swimming). Weight loss was slow but steady, averaging a pound a week and I never felt as if I was on a diet as such. Have maintained goal weight for over 5 years now.

Congratulations! It's hard work, isn't it? I did by sticking to 1500-1700 calories daily and running 3 times a week. I don't drink anymore, no crisps, no snacking, no white rice and pasta. Otherwise I eat anything I want within limits, desserts included and if I exceed the limit I don't beat myself up. I don't consider it dieting, just a good habit.

Since I eat almost the same food, it's easy to track calories without weighing. I too started in January and I lost almost the same amount as you.

Well done on your losses. I've not found it too difficult although some days I am extra hungry and want to eat doughnuts. Lots of doughnuts! I generally just tell myself no. If I truly need extra I'll eat some of my exercise calories but that's once in a blue moon and it will only be about a quarter of my exercise calories. I've had the occasional blow out like over Easter but generally I eat the same foods day in day out.

I'm still losing slowly with another loss logged today.

I didn't keep it off, but in my defense I was pregnant not long after and completely gave into all the carb cravings! (and then with lockdown and the mental health impact of lockdowns and parenthood I just stopped caring)

Advice I see on Nutracheck forums tends to be gradually increasing up to your maintenance allowance and to continue tracking.
I think I'll keep tracking for a good while until I get used to what that calorie number looks like, and then weigh monthly with a 7lb window of "goal" and go back to tracking and weekly weighing if I'm over that. Got a good way to go until I'm back there though!

Four stone plus via Weight Watchers and still following it successfully, some days are harder than others. I eat more veg and lean protein in addition to better portion control.