Just eat healthily?

[Mincepies76]

I'm 39, I've been on a diet since I was 19 and I find myself 4 stone overweight! I have lost and gained this 4 stone more times than I care to remember.
I have done WW and SW and today signed up to do WW online. I am shocked at the changes their new smart points has made and I think if I try and stick to these points I will be hungry and fail.
My question is this. Has anyone just eaten healthily and lost weight?! I am fairly intelligent, I know what makes me fat and what doesn't! In my head if I stick to 3 healthy meals a day with the odd treat I should lose weight. Has anyone done this a succeeded?

Yes, but I took up exercise as well. I run between 5 and 10k 2-3 times a week and walk at least a couple of miles a day too.

In terms of diet, watch your sugar intake and be aware of hidden sugars in processed foods. Cook from scratch as often as possible, watch your carbs, increase your veg. Loads of water / herbal tea, limit caffeine. Cut out or seriously cut back on booze, choc, biscuits, sweets, fizzy drinks. Get as much sleep as you can - more likely to crave sugar if you're exhausted. Its tough at first but after a week or so you will feel loads better. Try to see it as a lifestyle change rather than a 'diet'. Good luck!

Thank you. I was a runner but recent back and hip problems have made it too painful. I want to focus on what I eat and will try and fit some form of exercise it when that's under better control!!

I have tried, and it doesn't work for me. I am also reasonably intelligent, and I know what makes me fat, but unless I quantify and log it, my three healthy meals a day are simply more than I need, and the odd treat is a biscuit with my coffee AND a glass of wine in the evening AND a beer after work on a Friday AND pudding when we go out for lunch... In short, exactly how I gained weight in the first place.

Certainly give it a go, but I'd really recommend reviewing portions, and keeping a food diary even if you don't count calories or anything.

Thanks, I agree Mr Ali, I usually need structure, but having paid to do WW online for about 3 years (no time to go to a meeting) I am still overweight. It's motivation I lack. I have put a food diary app and a weight recording app on my phone to try and keep tabs on myself!

Do you actually mean 'eat low calorie' rather than eat healthily. Plenty of healthy food is high in calories - muesli being the prime example. I have lost weight by restricting calories and not counting anything or following a particular plan, but the weight has always crept back up because I like high calorie food and always end up going back to it.
I'm not overweight, by the way, these diets were always done to take me from medium to slim and back

It'll be the sort of foods that were around 12 points a meal on WW before it changed to smart points and those meals became 19 points! If I stuck to WW before it worked, it was fine. The new points values are unrealistic (for me) so I will see how I get on. I'm pretty sure if I don't drink any alcohol in Jan and cut out cake and chocolate and mince pies it'll be a good start

Watching this thread as I have put on a stone since I stopped running through injury, nothing else seems to burn the calories the same. I have also started just eating healthily, only occasional added sugar, and no snacks. Partly to feel healthier though, not just to lose weight. It's too early to tell though whether it's making any difference. I have used MFP in the past but it seems a big faff when you cook everything from scratch.