best way to lose weight and keep it off????

[CherryMonster]

ok, i have never posted in this topic before, and have never dieted before. i am 5 foot 8 and guessing i weigh about 11-11.5 stones. i am a size 12-14. i was always a size 6-8 before having children, and although i acknowledge that is way too small, i would like to get down to a comfortable 10-12. i have a mummy tummy, which after 5 children i expect, but i would like to tone it up a bit. i do a lot of walking, but not much other exercise. i cant run due to an old knee injury and arthritis. i am also a smoker although trying to stop. what can i do, sensibly and easily to lose weight and tone up please?

Don't see it as a diet - see it as a new way of eating for life. Watch portion size, don't snack, keep the fat content down and keep off processed foods as much as possible. It works for me.

thank you. any other suggestions please?

Hi CherryMonster, not sure if I can advice as I've lost 11 kg and gained later 13 kg but this is my plan- like exoticfruits says, consider it a new way of eating for life. Watch portion size. Well, as for snacking, I'm afraid I do need snacking so I'm snacking on healthy foods - fruit/berries/vegies/unsalted nuts/seeds. I walk and I dance to music and play games with kids - badminton is my favourite.
In the past I was doing aerobics and no carbs after 6 which really made a huge difference. The problem was that once I stopped it, gradually the weight came back and even more than I had before. It happened so gradually that I didn't realize the dangers thinking that the way I've lost my weight was okay for life. I feel now I need to find something I can do up to the rest of my life, good plans for a limited time don't help me on the long run.

Agree with exotic...don't think "diet", this implies temporary, painful and is usually doomed! Introduce new rules - avoid sugar, processed food, white carbs as much as possible, try and include lean protein with every meal or snack.

Re exercise, walking is good but you really should do something that exerts you more and some resistance training. Find something, or several things, you like (or at least feel you can live with doing regularly) and aim to exercise for 30 mins a day. With that as a target you will hopefully manage it 4-5 times a week . what about the Shred? Alternatively swimming, cycling, zumba? Add in some weight training 2-3 times a week.

I had dieted for years-I was never that much overweight but it would go up, I would get it down and then relax and it went back. I lost 2 stone, 3 years ago and kept it off -all because I realised that 'diet' didn't work. Once your body gets used to the new regime you don't miss it. I am not that rigid -if I go to someone's house and they have baked a cake especially I will have a piece. I do snack on fruit and I make a sugarless, fatless, eggless , fruit cake.
Exercise is also the key-a bit tricky if you have a problem knee-but I walk if possible, go running and do Zumba. I feel much healthier and rarely get a cold.

do i have to stop eating carbs completely or just cut down on them?

Just cut down. Keep to a balanced diet. If it is going to be for life you have to make it something you can stick to. I have one chocolate or one square of chocolate a day.

I can't really give advice as I struggle with my weight too. Maybe give something like weight watchers a go as it gives you a good idea of portion sizes and just how much certain foods can make you put on weight. As much exercise as you can manage also -walking counts as much as anything.

Exotic is that basically a bowl of fruit?

I wish I knew!
Have lost and regained weight all my life.
I know only a tiny minority of women who have lost a significant amount of weight and kept it off for years.

Let's hope a tiny minority will become a majority.
I like the idea of writing a diary of what I eat. Or at least making notes about the food I have.
Today I had 2 big salads with a mixture of fruit, veg and feta cheese, omelet with 3 eggs and semi-skimmed milk with chopped coriander followed by a bowl of cherries and coffee with a spoon of honey. I also had some water today. Will have more fruit later.
I feel heavy though and my tummy feels like a big ball. I wish I could make it smaller. I dance to music and walk, sometimes I run although I don't enjoy running. It is a hard work and I'm afraid having overweight parents and grandparents puts me at risk too so I need to be careful all my life. I want to make it fun though so I choose to eat what I like and my salads are full of colour and flavours. I often have soup instead of salad, trying to cook home-made without adding salt and using some herbs and spices instead. i avoid now cubes which are full of salt.
What do you do for your eating/exercise plan?