So what does it really take to get slim again, then?

[LaTrucha]

Since having DD, when I put on a lot of weight, and DS I have not become slim again. I have lost two stone, but I need to lose another and it's just not budging.

I excercise every other day (swim, run or 30Dshred). It worked for the first two stone, and I've had a break, but I can tell it's not really having an impact.

So, what how much exercise do I really need to commit to? I want to have a realsitic expectation as I am getting a bit demotivated that what worked before is not working now. If I know what I need to commit to, I can adjust my expectations.

I am particularly miffed I am not getting a nice waist back. I always had a slim waist and I want it back.

Weight loss is 80% diet. Exercise can make it difficult to lose weight if it is your sole method as it tends to make you feel hungrier. Unfortunately it is as simple as eating less and moving more. If you are already moving more then I'm afriad its eating less.

I'm also 1 stone away from my target. It's very slow going - perhaps a lb every couple of weeks. I'm using weight watchers online which is essentially a food journal of all the calories you consume and burn through exercise.

I guess the last time I seriously saw weight coming off regularly I was using My Fitness Pal. I haven't been lately as I don't feel that I am eating all that differently. Perhaps it's time to get back to it.

I am an exercise fanatic but weight management is more about food (I reckon 80% food, 20% exercise). For example I do a hardcore spinning class and I burn less than 400 cals in 45 mins, not even a costa muffin!

So basically you need to be consuming less cals than you spend, my fitness pal app can be useful in monitoring.

Ah X-Post!

You have to eat less. A lot less to start with while you're trying to shed the weight. Have you tried my fitness pal.com? I lost 2 stone more than 2 years ago and have kept it off. Before that I'd been gyming it in vain for years.

Thanks. Pretty clear message coming through there: back to My Fitness Pal! I'm quite relieved: it would be difficult for me to fit a lot more exercise in.

I agree. You need to cut calories. It's all about creating a calorie deficit and that is a lot easier to do through eating less or a combination of exercise and diet than from exercise alone. An hour in the gym giving it some welly only burns about 400 cals for me. It's a lot easier not to eat the 400 cals in the first place most of the time!

It is so easy to slip back into bad eating habits. When you are tracking so usually weighing and checking portions you have a better idea what you are eating. If you stop weighing out portions it is really easy to start having almost double what you were eating whilst dieting.

I am using MFP and I do like the little message at the end of the day when it tells you 'if every day was like today you would weigh.......in 5 weeks. Especially if the weight goes down

Weight training. Lifting heavy weights in a consistent program will strip fat from your body and allow you to eat more than ever before. I went from dieting on 1200 calories per day doing loads of cardio to ditching cardio, lifting weights and eating over 1800 calories per day and dropped 6lbs in two weeks, 4 more in the next month and I've kept it off for three months now whilst eating like a horse.

If you don't want to commit to lifting weights then controlling your intake is more effective than burning extra calories through cardio.

Exactly what HotelTango said. Weights are what you want.

Agree best results come from downregulating the amount you eat and upregulating the amount you exercise.
And making it a permanent change, revert to old habits and you'll revert to your old body shape.

Re larger waist, is it possible that you have some muscle separation?

Thanks for that. I don't think I could commit to weights at the moment but might in the future.

I think the tummy might have something to do with having a c-section. Also, I was poyhydromas (I think that's it - it's early moring!) with that pregnancy so my womb got unnaturally huge. I also think I eat too much! I don't eat junk but I do love cokoking and eat.

Sorry, don't know what happened there. Cooking and eating.

Well it's true eating too much does tend to be counterproductive when it comes to losing weight

seriously most of us have to do loads of exercise to get the same effect as combining a moderate amount of exercise and moderate dieting

I don't necessarily eat TOO much. I maintain my weight pretty exactly to stay the size I am ow.

now

Definitely diet!

I gained weight pretty steadily while running up to 30 miles a week. It makes me hungry! Only time I really lost it through exercise was marathon training.

I'm now addressing my diet and it's shifting very slowly.

an allergy to chocolate

Eat less calories and do minimum 3 x cardio exercise sessions per week.

Exercising is important because it speeds up your metabolism. Yes, you will want to eat more on exercise days but won't stop losing weight if you take care to eat more low-fat protein (chicken breasts, fish etc) - help you build more muscle, which in turn will further up your metabolism.

Doyouthink I can believe it!
whilst 30 miles a week is alot of running (well it sure is in my book! :o ) it amounts to around 5 hours of cardio per week (?)
In order to stay in shape I find I need to do around 5-6 hours of cardio per week plus 4 heavy weight training session and a good clean diet.

I'm guessing you were doing a lot more running when you were marathon training?

I'd like to run more but I have to cross train to avoid injuries:(

You will all probably hate me but I find exercise makes me less hungry. Not sure why. Am just off to log what I've eaten on MFP.

I dont think it's all that unusual to have an appetite suppressant effect when training/working out?

I find it's really just a matter of getting used to eating a certain amount, when I was very into strength training and wanted to be heavier, I deliberately ate more, when I wanted to drop the weight and have a more slight physique I ate less.
Swimming makes me feel a little hungrier compared to other exercise but I dont actually eat any more even if I do feel a bit hungrier.

Has anyone got any idea why on My Fitness Pal, does it always tell me I have eaten too much protein and too littel carbs? I feel like I have been stuffing myself with carbs all day. I had a piece of wholemeal toast with egg for breakfast, vegetable rice for lunch and two small jacket potatoes with beans for dinner. Surely that is a fairly carb rich diet! (I have eaten fruit and salad aswel btw)