What is your single most effective weight loss tip?

[RestlessSoul]

I am on the 5:2 diet and finding it great. For the first few weeks I lost a lot, but now it is starting to slow down to about 1-1.5 lbs a week. I'd like to speed up the weight loss so I want to know (from people who have lost weight and kept it off) what did you do that was most effective in losing weight.

Thanks

Weigh everything until you are bored to death of weighing.

Be a bit hungry. If you get too hungry, exercise rather than eat.

Your metabolism won't be fucked if you starve yourself a bit.

Weight loss and maintenance is a lifelong job for many of us.

All tips from my GP.

Drink water if you think you are hungry as you are more likely to be thirsty

Seriously up your water intake, the amount people confuse thirst with hunger is amazing!

Reduce your portion sizes.

I have yet to stop eating any type of food. This evening we had takeaway pizza although I could only manage 2 slices, whereas before "dieting" I would have polished off 6/7 But I no longer snack, I keep treats to a minimum. I eat off of a side plate. I drink water constantly. I have upped my veg to 1/2 - 3/4 of the plate, so in turn reduced carbs. And I've lost 30lbs in 10 weeks. I have 2 other factors though, bfing my 9mo (who feeds 10/11 times over 24hrs still!) and running 20k a week (over 3 days).

1-1.5 lbs a week is still a good loss. Don't belittle it. Well done for making healthier choices.

All my life I was told breakfast is most important meal, eat grains, if you skip it you'll snack and be ravenous, unable to exercise blah blah.

Well for me it was shit advice. I work out better fasting. Grains make me bloated and uncomfortable. Breakfast kick starts hunger which I fight all day and end up wanting to snack.

Now I work out, eat eggs or a protein snack late morning if hungry or have big salad with avocado, chicken, raw spinach at 12. Few nuts or piece of cheese or cucumber with toddler who eats at 5 and then meat/fish and green veg or salad for dinner. I'm not hungry. I don't snack. And I'm back in size 10/12 jeans and tops with a flat stomach for the first time in 20 years.

It is wonderful. I feel liberated.

No bread, cheese or chocolate

1-1.5 lbs per week is all you should be aiming for to ensure it stays off in the long term - slow loss is the key!

I lost almost 2 st over about 4 months - was 2 lbs wk maximum - with good old fashioned calorie counting (used my fitness pal - brilliant!)

No snacks, weigh everything. I didn't cut out anything completely, just ate much smaller portions.... It's boring but works!

eat when hungry not when it is "a mealtime"
Eat more veg and protein and fewer carbs
sit down,notice and enjoy what you eat
stop when you are comfortably full

You don't need bread with your soup to fill you up. Soup is healthy and filling as it is. Similarly, you don't need potatoes with your meat/fish and veg. Lean protein is healthy and filling as it is.

When planning dinner, start with the veg, then add the protein, and only then add carbs, and make it a small portion.

Don't vow that you'll never eat cake again (or crisps, or chocolate or whatever is your thing). Have one occasionally, but make sure you eat a bit lighter that day, or the next day, or step up your exercise a bit.

Don't do as so many women seem to do and use WeightWatchers biscuits/cakes/hot chocolate as meal substitutes. It's about eating healthily, not working out how you can eat crap and still lose weight.

You're supposed to be hungry sometimes. If you're never hungry because you constantly graze to the point when your body never actually gets hungry, it's time to rethink your eating habits.