I can’t stick to a diet

[Fitatforty83]

I cannot find a diet to suit me. Age 40, size 12/14, need to lose a stone to be a healthy bmi.

so far I have tried:

slimming world: to restrictive and too much cooking

calorie counting: I always go over the daily calories

low carb: difficult as I am not a massive meat eater

I also hate the gym but enjoy walking about an hour each day

how can I find a diet I can stick too??

You need way more fruit and green veg - high volume, high nutrient low calorie food

i reversed my t2 diabetes and lost nearly two stone by just eating simply, whole food plant based

we actually need less food than we think - work on your portions and bulk out with fresh fruit and veg

Thank you, some good ideas. I’m going to concentrate on filling up with more fruit and veg

Start weight was 65kg, end weight 50kg, I am very small framed so don't look very skinny at quite a low bmi of 19. It took about 8 months and my body seemed to naturally stabilise at 50kg. Midway through I started strength training to avoid muscle loss.

I am still trying to gain muscle at the moment though and actively trying to eat more, I don't generally calorie count but tested intake for 1 week and found I need 2000 calories to maintain now (up from 1600 before I lost weight).

I recommend the combination of lifting (I just do this with dumbbells at home) and a whole food diet. I feel 100% better, less tired and achy, sleep better and have zero cravings for upf.

I'm sure I'll get flamed for this but it worked for me.. I had been yo-yo-ing for months with zero willpower. Then I got flu and didn't feel like eating so the first few days were easy. I lost a few lbs and didn't feel so hungry even when better, as I became used to less food.

I closed my eating window to from 5-7pm eating non processed nutritious food, and lost 3lbs a week.. and now only have 4lbs to lose for my target weight of 8.3 stone.

I'm not saying you should wait for a cold/infection to start but it sure gave me a head start!

Diets make you think about food too much and are awful.

I'd do the 5-2 diet. That way you can be normal for 5 days of the week and only have to restrict calorie intake on 2 days.

I think you are right, when I diet I crave what i can’t have! Once I reach 1,500 calories I just want to eat more!

@Thegreatgiginthesky thanks so much for responding. I've started to eat more whole foods and have reduced UPFs, and funnily enough I bought some dumbbells last week 😅 I'm only just starting out like this but I wanted some motivation, so thank you. I'm a lot heavier than you (13st) and my bmi is in the unhealthy category. Well done on your progress and thanks for the motivation!

It seems like you have a healthy, balanced diet. If you want to lose weight then could you add 30 mins of walking daily into your life? I think your diets are failing because they are usually temporary fixes and your body is clearly hungry on a lower amount of calories. You need a change of habit / long term solution rather than short term.

I lost 3 stone in 12/13 weeks by walking 30 mins a day and eating 1800 calories. I find 1500 not realistic long term. You say once you’ve had 1500 calories you still feel hungry, maybe adding another 2/300 calories a day for a protein rich snack would help.

Stop dieting?
I find dieting makes me cut healthy foods that happen to be calorific/highin points/syns etc...
Now I have stopped dieting and reintroduced good fats I am less snacky, feel healthier and losing weight

Add more protein rather than fruit and veg. Theyre low calorie but not filling. I never find porridge filling. For breakfast I’ve started having a bowl of freek yogurt (Fage 0%), all bran, shredded wheat, raspberries and blueberries. Very filling and can mix up the fruits.

No problem at all. That is great that you have the dumbbells. I have been doing the Caroline Girvan iron programme on you tube. She is really good for beginners and it is really addictive when you start and see your body and health change. I hate the gym but love doing weights at home.

I recommend the combination of lifting (I just do this with dumbbells at home) and a whole food diet. I feel 100% better, less tired and achy, sleep better and have zero cravings for upf.

I second this. UPF and sugar induce cravings and cutting them out is a game changer.

Other key factors are portion control and not drinking calories. Intermittent fasting works for many.

I am also a strong believer in working out with dumbbells and strongly recommend Caroline Girvan's workouts.