I'm going to be following the 'Fat 2 Fit' philosophy to lose & maintain weight. Anyone interested in joining me?

[Bovnydazzlers]

I was randomly searching for diet podcasts (I had about 17 pounds to lose post baby) and started listening to 'fat 2 fit' series pretty obsessively. Very easy listening podcasts.

Basically their stance is that very low calorie diets screw up your metabolism and lose muscle (which is hard to regain unless you put in months of resistance training.

They advocate never dropping calories below your basal metabolic rate (adjusted upwards depending on activity level) so that your metabolism can be maintained. They go to town on the very low calorie diets and emphasis is on sustainable lifestyle change not quick weight loss.

Their philosophy is that anyone can lose a lot of weight quickly on a low calorie diet, but find it v hard to maintain as it will have reduced the muscle which is calorie burning - their answer to people who say 'I gain weight if I eat over 1200 calories a day' is that that is unsustainable long term and will lead to blowouts, and eating your BMR for a month should sort a weight loss plateau (although will probably gain weight initially as metabolic rate fixed).

Anyway, after losing about 12 pound in 2 months on 1,200 calorie diet, I'm switching my weight loss/maintenance strategy to this one, and hoping I haven't done too much harm to my (previously decent) metabolism in the meantime!

Here is their website (not very well laid out to be honest, you need to listen to the podcasts to understand the philosophy) - good episode is 'breaking weight loss plateaus'.

www.fat2fitradio.com

Anyone listened to the podcast? What were your thoughts? Anyone with me with trying to follow it?

Oh I forgot the central phrase that they use - eat the calories of the slimmer person you want to become and you will eventually become that slimmer person.

Here is the calculator.

On my stats I should be eating about 1750 calories a day, although it does say you can go down to max of 200-300 less thAn this rate as you get close to goal rate (I've got about 6 pound to go).

www.fat2fittools.com/tools/bmr/

Looks interesting. How do you count your calories?

Well I use MFP. But they do say be weary of use of the MFP calculator as it can become a 'race to the bottom' how low can you go thing - they say that the MFP 1,200 is too low for virtually everyone and will cause loss of muscle.

I use MFP too- I am new to it. We'll done on losing the initial bit of weight. So you'll increase your calories now to 1600 say, and keep that as a lifetime plan?
Sounds like it's sensible. My trouble is I calculate I only use/need 1375 cals a day (I am a short lady) and so I need to adjust my lifestyle to ingesting small portions and hardly any wine!

I am just learning the calorie numbers. I used to eat 5 fruits a day but the calories add up in a way I didn't realise.
At the weekend, before the diet, I had a 1 course meal lunch out, a juice, two glasses of wine, a walk in the sun and a 99 icecream for pudding. That would have exceeded a whole days calories!

So, I am giving up over eating, won't have hunks of bread (weeps) and having only two fruits on a normal day. I want to be able to eat out occasionally so I need to be under eating some days too! I weigh under 9 stone and so have 12lbs to lose with an additional 2lbs after that so I have a buffer, being under 8stone.That still keeps me into he healthy band on the NHS chart.

People in real life don't like this chat with me because my numbers are so small, but a stone on a shortie is two on anyone else, and for many of my friend, it's acceptable to be 2 stone overweight. I want to lose the stone!

It has to be through diet. I hate exercise and I am a busy working mum, on my feet a lot, and a bit stressed with teenagers, and I spend a lot of time driving. No inclination to join the gym (I've tried it).

What alteration from your previous eating or exercise plan will you have to put in to maintain your weight (and to lose the 6lbs)?

Did 12lbs off make you feel better?

Hi modern

I think we sound similar sizes, I am currently 8 stone 6 and would like to be 8 stone 1- I was 9 stone 4 2 months ago. It sounds small but I'm only 5'2 with small boobs so any weight just makes me look disproportionate!

You make a good point about needing to eat under a calorie goal some days so you can overeat on others, I guess I hadn't really factored it in.

Fat to fit gripe with loads of other diets is that it's all focuses on calories not nutrient contents, ie don't eat fruit as too high calorie. Your way of eating fruit in moderation sounds sensible.

I am trying to exercise, but i think I need to do more strength training as it's mainly cardio I do, so not building up the calorie burning muscles.