I don't want to be on a diet next year!!!

[sweetheart]

I guess I'm posting on here to look for a bit of support and a good old kick up the backside!

I've always struggled with my weight and I am always on a diet so I've decided that instead of hitting a fad diet to get my weight off quickly I'm going to do this slowly and sensibly at 1Ib a week until Christmas with that hope that come January 2014 I can go onto maintenance and not have to worry about the usual post Christmas diet.

I've been working on this since the beginning of September and whilst I'm on track I have a few things coming up that could derail me and also 12 more weeks of being really good is starting to seem like a big hill to climb.

I'm 12Ibs away from my idea weight so really need to stay focused and on track - anyone else around with a similar goal?

First off : the bad news.
You will be.
Because to be a healthy weight involves eating less than the amount that got you overweight.
BUT
There are ways (5:2 is my mmethod)
to eat less and still enjoy life

come and join the gang

But 5:2 IS just another fad diet! I've already done it thanks

At the end of the day, it's all about calorie restriction. How you reduce your calories and by how much per day is up to you. You can do it by diet or exercise or both though diet often is the most successful way in the short term. I too lose by 5:2 but that's my personal preference only.

Slowly and sensibly is a good idea (though 1 lb a week may be ambitious). What's your plan? Cutting down portion sizes is a good starting point.

I'm with you sweetheart!

I've got a bit more to lose than you - 16lbs - but I'm soooo bored of thinking about it I just want to get it over and done with.

My plan is lowcarb and not too much of it, run 3 times a week, and old-school aerobics once a week. Will allow some chocolate too, or it'll never last.

12 weeks isn't that long really

come January 2014 I can go onto maintenance and not have to worry about the usual post Christmas diet
but unless your "maintenance" is the amount of calories you need for your slimmer size, and no more, you'll just get fat again.

The way to make weight loss work is to adapt your eating to how little a slim body needs. My daily calorie requirement is only 1500, and its what I'm now used to, so I'm maintaining for ever now.

My version of maintenance is basically be good Mon-Fri so I can indulge in whatever I want Sat & Sun. It's worked in the past for me and I'd be happy to go back to that again.

But if your maintenance worked, you'd not be looking to lose 12 pounds.
I'm being pedantic, but if you were genuinely eating within your body's requirement averaged over the week, you would not be over your ideal weight.
I have changed "whatever I want" to be much smaller portions than it used to be and not every weekend.

I'm not in maintenance now - I WAS a couple of years ago and had been perfectly happily maintaining my weight for a couple of years. Then I busted my knee and spend 6 weeks at home eating cake. Since then I've been on a constant yo yo which I am now desperately trying to stop!

Hmmmm this hasn't been the encouraging uplifting thread I was hoping for!

Others can do the support.
My specialty is kicks up the backside
I'll leave you in peace now .... swimming and yoga are great for bad knees by the way

At the moment I diet every day and exercise 5 out of 7 days (sometimes twice a day). What I'd like to achieve is that by January I am at a stable weight where I can relax my weekends without worrying and also perhaps drop my exercise to 3 sensible exercise sessions a week.

My knees are fine now thanks - back to high impact sport for me.