Single most effective change you made to lose weight?

[SunshineChatter]

Hi there,

Just in search of real-life ideas on how to shed a few pounds. I'm a size ten, hourglass, but I'd like to lose some weight. I've done the working out (I went five times a week and did a combo of aerobic classes and weight lifting with a PT) and didn't see much difference. I have tried dieting, same result.

I lost a ton of weight a couple of years ago (I'm 48 now) but I think that was stress as I had started thinking about leaving my husband.

I have fasted for a week long, twice, but again due to stress, and still the needle didn't move. I don't eat junk food and, as I don't cook, I tend to have a HUGE salad (leaves, one tin of tuna, balsamic vinegar, horseradish sauce) at lunch or dinner and then I graze on fruit. Lots of it.

So I'm not really sure what to try next. Any ideas? TIA.

Do you drink alcohol?.

Some fruit has quite a lot of sugar. Do you also drink fruit juice?

Do you mean you didn’t eat anything at all for a week?

It sounds like you need to focus on a healthy, sustainable diet. Base it around veg and lean protein, eat carbs and fat but measured.

I've done the working out (I went five times a week and did a combo of aerobic classes and weight lifting with a PT) and didn't see much difference.

How long for? Were you weighing or measuring yourself? When I worked with a pt I lost inches but not weight. I looked the best I’ve ever looked.

Do you track food? I am trying that combined with exercise which is starting to work.

Previously have lost through fasting or diet delivery plans, but failed to maintain the loss.

Try the BSD (the blood sugar diet). Insulin resistance could be a major factor esp if you're peri-menopausal. Read up Michael Mosely - he's really interesting on this, and having read his book (I think I read the Fast800, but the BSD book is pretty similar) I'm a complete convert to intermittent fasting, 5:2, resistance training and low carbing.

(by the way, size 10 hourglass sounds pretty good, but understand that you need to be happy with where you are).

Come on over to the BSD support thread in the Fast/5:2 chat in weight loss. They're a lovely bunch.

Biggest change?

Lower carb/clean. No sugar. Eating veg, fruit, meat, cheese, yogurt, lentils, sweet potatoes, eggs. Little alcohol lots of water.

I think exercise for a slim person doesn’t always change the numbers on the scale but definitely changes body shape/looking more slim and toned. How long did you stick with it for?

I love a good salad, but it can be startling how many calories are in a satisfying one.

• Took up running
• Cut my wine consumption to one glass a week.

It worked

The 16/8 intermittent fast. I don't eat between 10.30 am and 6.30 pm and I don't go bonkers during that time either.

Biggest change for me was rarely drinking alcohol e.g. I may have a G&T once a month or so.

I've lost just over a stone in 7 weeks and am not finding it difficult. At 63 I'm as concerned about Covid as wanting to tuck my shirt into my trousers. Lots of veg, some berries and not much carbohydrate. I find bread is my downfall, so I'm not eating that and no alcohol to speed things along.

16:8 and learning to be happy with the fact I don't, can't or won't ever look like 20-year-old me again. I do exercise that I like, not that anyone recommends, because if it's something you like you'll do it. Everything in moderation and not counting calories or food groups or demonising any type of food.

Lose alcohol, or minimise it.
Semi skimmed mild for skimmed.
Real crisps for baked.
No snacks, limit chocolate / treats.
Lose biscuits.
No fried foods.
Cottage cheese or tuna instead of hard cheese.
No fizzy drinks, no sugar in tea/coffee.

Logged everything I ate on MyFitnessPal. Only then did I realise how what I was eating put me way over the amount of calories I should be eating for my height and age.

Maybe your body is happy at the size you are, you sound quite slim?
I find that once I’m in my healthy BMI range it’s really hard to keep losing, so I’ve just accepted now that I’m at a healthy weight

16:8 and log every calorie on Nutra Check. It's amazing how quickly they rack up. If I ate at all outside my window I would be way over my daily allowance.

What do you mean by you "fasted for a week, twice and still the needle didn't move"? That sounds impossible, on two counts...

What's yr BMI?

Only eating when I’m hungry, and stopping when I feel satiated.
Intuitive eating really.

If you eat a lot of fruit that means a lot of sugar, albeit not processed stuff. I'd try and switch some of it for veg if you can, e.g. carrot sticks, cucumber, pepper slices.

Started to exercise every day, either running or walking.

Using an app to track everything that passes my lips. I use NutraChexk for £3.99 a month. The food database and measurements are more anglicised than MyFitnessPal and it's far cheaper than a slimming club which don't work imo.

Limiting alcohol to weekends only and even then only a couple of glasses of wine.

This has worked for me and I've lost just under two stone since January.

No sugar. You need to limit your fruit intake as fruit contains sugar.

Yeah drop the scales as you're already a healthy weight. You should just focus on toning through resistance/weight training and eating more protein.

I would think if you fasted for a week your body would go into starvation mode and store all it could.
Best way I lost weight was to go cold turkey with sugar and processed food as it can be an addiction.
I gave up junk food and have never touched it since but I know it's all or nothing with me and I can't just have one biscuit or one donut but now I don't think about those food types or even see them as edible as they're not nutritious or contain any food value but I know if I did have junk food again I'd be hooked again.

You wouldn't tell an alcoholic to drink in moderation or a smoker to just have one cigarette so I treated junk food the same and honestly I've never looked back just wish I'd done it years ago because it's just not part of my life now.