I'm starting a diet tomorrow. Which one shall I do?

[FatStanley]

I've done weight watchers on and off for years with some success but i fancy a change. I couldn't get to grips with slimmers world. I can't do hardcore custy-style no carbing. So where does that leave me? I need to lose a significant amount of weight by mid-October if possible. Oh and no Cambridge or lighter life (been there, done that, am a terrible yoyo dieter )
Please help!

spider best way is to befriend me on myfitnesspal, I log everything I eat (not always weekends anymore) but that way you can see what I eat.

Either let me know your username, or send me a personal message (don't want to post it here as its my real name).

Now that I am at target I am less strict, eg going out tonight for wedding anniversary and will not worry about what I eat, and much more relaxed at weekends.

Ephiny is right its about what you do every day thats important, so unless you are eating out every evening, these meals out aren't really a problem.

Yes the yoghurts are a little sour, now they taste sweet to me! Perhaps start with normal fat free yoghurt, higher in milk sugars hence a little sweeter. I sometimes make it 50:50 natural yoghurt and fruit yoghurt.

Thanks for the tips all . It's just that I am newly started on a diet, have lost 9lb so far in 3 weeks, so doing oK but my heart sinks when I realise it's a birthday/going out with friends etc in the forthcoming weeks because I know I won't lose that week or if I do it'll only be 1lb which is disheartening when you have been healthy and stuck to the diet for 6 days. All I think is at a rate of 1lb a week it'll take 3 months to lose a stone 1.. I want to see results faster!

I don't think one evening off really derails it as much as that provided you exercise some sort of caution, eat less the next day etc, especially if you exercise.

One decent gym session = 500 calories, plus easy to eat 200 less the next day, gives 700 cals to play with, without affecting weight loss.

Surely you can have a good evening out for 700 calories (as well as that days calories as well?)

Thanks for advice forever. I think my problem is that I don't do any formal excercise . I do go on long walks with the children, and I'm forever running up and down the stairs, I'm pretty busy physically, but I'm not a runner/gym bunny and I haven't got the DVD player sorted out to do an excercise DVD to (also, lack of space). So I rely on everyday activity and dieting hard which is why one "full fat" meal including a full fat pudding and glass of wine, wrecks the weightloss for the week or means I only lose 1/2 -1 lb which is discouraging.

On the plus side, when I am paying attention every day to the diet I can lose 3-3.5lb per week. I just can't let anything slip at any time. Maybe I should find a way to get some more excerside. I fancy Zumba

You can do DVDs on the computer? Or run outside.

FWIW whilst I don't think the gym is essential, I do think its important to get out of breath/sweaty at least a couple of times a week. I also think resistance training is even more ESSENTIAL or you end up losing muscle rather than fat as you diet.

If you diet and don't lift weights you might lose "weight" faster but it will be muscle as well as fat.

www.fitwatch.com/weight-loss/3500-calories-to-lose-a-pound-is-this-formula-all-wrong-237.html

And then once you have lost the "weight" too easy to put it back on as muscle is metabolically active, fat is not.

Realistically if you lose 3.5lbs in a week, unlikely that more than 1.5lb is fat. Say you manage to stick to 1200 a day and your are relatively active, so you use 2000 a day, that's an 800 calorie a day deficit, so you can lose 7 x 800 ie 5600 calories a week, around 1.5lbs.

I probably am losing muscle then, not that I had a lot to lose in the first place . I am one of these people who puts it on easily but loses it easily, without doing excercise, if I stick rigidly to a diet (obviously that's why the slightest overindulgence shows however. My body must just grab the calories while they can and the lack of muscle processes it as to fat quicker).

I could try the DVD on the computer, I hadn't thought of that. I'm just totally lazy excercise challenged and my body type is naturally tall and slender, except when I have eaten all the pies and the muffins and then I am back to 3rd year senior, all puppy fat and chunky legs

Thanks again for your advice forever. I fear my new NN will become Alsoforeveronadietalongwithforeveronadiet