One change to go from 'plus size' to svelte?

[Chikeletta]

I can think of people I know who used to be large, lost weight and kept it off. Aside from surgery I wonder what made the big change, not just a diet and exercise but no doubt a lifestyle change because a bigger person like me can diet and exercise and it can take years to see a complete change.

Has anyone found an exercise that just worked and then everything clicked in place? I feel that people often say Yoga but I imagine that's usually a slim person toning up rather than a trigger for a complete figure change?

I need inspiration

I stopped snacking, drinking during the week and eating carbs for dinner and the weight fell off me.

Adapted when healthy weight to keep it off for 10 years.

All went to shit during lock down mind!! I'm back on the wagon now though and going in the right direction

Honestly just being conscious of calories and snacking/drinks.

so something like WW can make a difference because it stops people eating mindlessly

but also in terms of exercise - weight training as muscle burns fat and also makes people lean and strong.

yoga and weight bearing exercises are great for that.

but ultimately diet is more important than exercise for losing weight

just cutting all sugar initially is the biggie . That’s not exercise though. I can work out every day, lifting heavy weights, doing cardio , spin etc etc and honestly low carbing for a week with no exercise has more of an effect on my weight than doing heavy workouts for a month with a normal healthy but carb inclusive diet.
low carbing and exercising together is optimum!

I started walking more when I realised
I had to lose several stones (I knew for years that I was too heavy but started to feel the physical effects on joints etc). I realised that I enjoyed walking so went further and further and then started hillwalking. I was also calorie counting and lost 6 stones. I have regained some of it but knowing that uphill feels so much harder when I'm getting heavier gives me incentive to keep my desire to overeat under control.

Stopping drinking alcohol and sweet drinks (pop and juice).

Following! I'm just trying now and making more foods so know what's in them, less carbs, less processed foods and going to try and reduce wine! 🥶
I also like drinking hot water with fresh lemon for helping flush my system

Cutting alcohol and sugary drinks (both empty calories)
It's not exercise, but it is very difficult to out train a poor diet so some dietary changes plus a walking regularly will probably be a good start.

I stopped eating carbs all the time. I still treat myself to carbs - usually parties or meals out. But when I'm at home I have extra veg instead.
I stopped drinking wine and when I want a drink I'll have a gin and slim.
I walk more and enjoy gym classes now.
I started and stopped with weight loss and getting fit lots of times, but I always keep restarting over and over again and now it seems to be working.

I just can’t stop the carbs. If I eat more veg I get hungry quicker, and I have to sprint out of bed for a poo in the morning 💩

Went vegan. All the things I over ate on and so stayed OW, are now no longer an option. For me it's an irreversible life change, I'll never eat those foods again, so hopefully the weight loss will not be reversed either.

Quit sugar, three decent meals a day. Not just because of weight, I was about a stone and a half over ideal weight, but for energy, skin, sleep, health....

Eat way less. People are always looking for some special little trick or tip but there isn’t one. The trick is to learn to be really honest with yourself and to learn to say no. It’s the same ‘secret’ of people who get up early or learn new languages or run marathons or write novels. You need to get up every day, even when you can’t be bothered or feel down or get a bit run down, and do it. Every day.

Few things have helped me,

Intermittent fasting and weight training. Cardio too (incline treadmill 40 mins a time) but weight training specifically. I do 30 mins every time I go to the gym on weights after my cardio.

I’ve lost 4 stone so far and have no loose skin whatsoever, (was 16 stone, now 12) want to lose another 2.

Accepting that it’s a long process and doesn’t happen overnight, I’m 15 months in now.

Learning to have a day off and get straight back on it the next day, too many times I’ve fucked up on ONE day and been off my diet for good. I can hop on and off when I please now.

The biggest thing i got my head around is you can do any diet you want but unless you’re completely committed, it’s pointless. I spent 20 years yo-yoing. I would lose 2 and put 3 back on, it’s an overhaul of your lifestyle, for me that means, red milk now instead of green, 1 jacket potato instead of 2, I have to have something sweet after my tea so I’ll have 2 caramel snack a jacks for 100 calories instead of 400 calories of chocolate biscuits, no sugar in my tea etc. portion control. Higher protein to fill me up for longer.

Slimming world, stopped me eating mindlessly. It's easy and I feel better than I have in years.

The biggest thing i got my head around is you can do any diet you want but unless you’re completely committed, it’s pointless. I spent 20 years yo-yoing. I would lose 2 and put 3 back on, it’s an overhaul of your lifestyle, for me that means, red milk now instead of green, 1 jacket potato instead of 2, I have to have something sweet after my tea so I’ll have 2 caramel snack a jacks for 100 calories instead of 400 calories of chocolate biscuits, no sugar in my tea etc. portion control. Higher protein to fill me up for longer

Yeah, there's no magic thing, you have to commit to changing for good, I agree.

Keeping a food diary and being 100% honest (I was the only one reading it so just lying to myself if I didn't), so every chip stolen off someone elses plate, every biscuit, every sugar that went in a cup of tea, every condiment etc etc. Also got some electronic kitchen scales to measure meal prep accurately.

I started with WW and then ended up using Myfitnespal. Got really involved with the forums etc. Ended up joing a circuit training fitness class 2x a week. Tried to get 10k steps a day (but happy enough as long as I broke 7k)

I had a 500cal deficit a day so 1 pound a week loss so slow and steady (I couldn't maintain less) which meant I averaged about 1600 cals a day which felt a satisfying amount of food. I also averaged my cals over the week so if I had 1800 one day I just had 1500cals for 2 days. If I ever had a big cal blow out like a boozy bbq party I would just write it off that day and not try to be too restrictive to make up for it. (Although blow outs have to be infrequent for them not to scupper you)

I have been svelte although now I maintain a BMI of 24/25 without trying too hard apart from keeping active.

Sorry thats not just one thing, TLDR keep an accurate and honest food diary and don't restrict too much to make it a sustainable long term lifestyle change. X

I went from a size 18 to an 8 and did it through spinning (misery) , swimming and occasional cardio when forced 😆

I also counted calories so basically less in more out.

I still allowed myself occasional snacks so I lived on sugar free jelly, dark chocolate, Pom Bears and French Fries and I ate 3 balanced meals a day.

I didn’t stop anything so still ate carbs, fats and sugar, I just reduced them and when I wanted a snack I drank water to see if it was hunger or just a craving, I also switched to sugar free drinks and bought flavour tablets to put in water to jazz it up a bit, And still drank booze but I switched to Vodka and Diet Coke as it’s less calories

I lost two stones some time ago after many years of trying to lose weight by just walking an hour most days at a brisk pace, and not eating carbs after midday. No snacking, fill half the plate with vegetables or salad and the other half with protein. No sauces, dressings etc.
It was really easy. Also make sure lunch is 300 to 400 cals max. If I had soup I wouldn’t have bread. If I had beans on toast I would have one piece of toast, not two. Cut out butter and sugar. Bread is especially bad so try and cut it out as much as possible . If not, only two slices per day. Make sure it is whole grain and the slices are thin. Dalfour jam has no sugar in it . Eat slowly and sit at a table. Drink lots of water and take a good vit and mineral supplement .

I also didn’t eat after 6.30’in the evening. Didn’t have any desserts apart from jelly with raspberries and a spoonful of plain yoghurt occasionally.

I went from svelte to plus size. Never gone for plus size to svelte!

I don't think there is an exercise that just clicks. If I do the same exercise repetitively, it stops working.
Change is about daily commitment and staying committed even when you reach target.
WeightWatchers helps keep me focused.

This is inspirational thank you.

Walking! Very underrated, also i find great for mental health.

Exercise is about choosing something you love and will stick to. For me that's running, I see it more as mental health but it helps with weight loss. I find walking mind numbingly boring whereas its amazing for others. I mix up with some weight training but only ever do exercises I actually like.

Food I think its about smaller portions and being mindful.