So is any weight loss method sustainable long term?

[FluffyMcCloud]

I joined slimming world 5 years ago to shift baby weight. I lost 2 stone really easily, it really did just fall off, and I felt great.

Over a year or so all the weight crept back on, and getting back "on plan" repeatedly just didn't work. I rejoined more times than I can count and the plan just didn't work. I'd be losing half a pound every couple of weeks despite being 100% "on plan". It was demoralising and I gave up and got even bigger. I don't know anyone who has kept weight off with SW (and I met a lot of people through my many many joining attempts lol)

8 months ago I joined WW online. It's a much slower loss than SW but it works. I use the app, I track everything I eat. Over the summer I have gained about half a stone, and now I am back on the app to shift it again.

I am hopeful it will work, but reading up about diet clubs etc the general consensus is that they simply don't work long term. (I have a friend who lost 6 stone on WW and has kept it off for 10 years so she is my inspiration!)

I've seen MFP recommended a lot and I downloaded the app, but I'm not sure it is that different to WW except on MFP they recommend you count everything so I'm more likely to eat a packet of wotsits than a banana fruit on WW isn't counted so I eat loads and loads of fruit and veg when on plan.

Is the general thought that all "diets" are doomed to failure? I'm not sure I understand the science behind it but it does seem that SW in particular only really works once!

I'm still gonna soldier on with my WW app, I don't weigh weekly so I will see in about 6 weeks whether I feel any slimmer...

SW works for me because I can stick to it and (mainly) its proper good with an emphasis on eating vegetables.

I go up and down a little bit (damn you too much ice cream and junk over the holiday) but as soon as I go back to eating on plan it comes off again. When you get closer to your target weight it is harder to lose.

Diets are only doomed to fail if people go back to eating as they did when they were overweight. It's a long term change of eating habits. I don't count things any more (except for weighing pasta/rice) but stick to eating mainly veg and lean protein with sensible carb portions.

stick to eating mainly veg and lean protein with sensible carb portions.

That's it in a nutshell. Not a diet, just eat nutritious food in moderate quantities. Also walk plenty and stay active.

My sister and her husband changed to smaller plates and hence smaller portions. Both lost weight and have kept it off.

Obviously only worked because they eat meals and don't habitually snack.

Eat less, don't eat crap with no nutritional value, move more.

Only diet that ever works.

I have no idea why diets are peddled without exercise. Your body needs exercise. Even if it's just walking, we need exercise. Eat a healthy diet and move more. Make it part of your routine and continue to do so after you've lost the weight and it wont come back.

I have no idea why diets are peddled without exercise

Not all are. Slimming world certainly encourages people to become more active. Weight loss is mainly down to diet changes though.

As above, it's because you don't need to exercise to lose weight, just eat at a deficit.

The only way is to put in less calories than you use up, and try to cut back particularly on foods that are stored as fat when your body breaks them down (carbs and sugar).

I found making little changes helped starting with drinking more water, cutting out things I could live without (fizzy drinks), allowing myself a set small amount of chocolate each day and sticking to it and trying to up the number of low/no carb meals I eat over the course of the week. I've also made a concious effort to be more active and do 30 minutes on the exercise bike most nights in addition to upping my steps on the Fitbit.

I'm finding this works because I don't really feel I'm denying myself anything. I'm playing around with new low carb recipes until I find ones that I really enjoy. MFP is really useful for weeding out things you might think are a healthier choice but are actually full of hidden sugar (overnight oats!!) so I know to eat them in moderation. Only thing I need to add is going to bed earlier as apparently that helps with weight loss too.

Yes you are right you only need to create a calorie deficit to lose weight and you can do that with diet alone. However, your body still needs exercise to be healthy. The two things should be in combination with each other.

Plus, if you exercise, you get more calories to eat and still lose weight!! Win win.

Well done for your losses and sticking with plans
Hi I've done loads of diets and plans and none diets and I'm STILL over 2 stone overweight. Your diet has to become your way of life and it has to be right for you. I value my body and what I need it to do too much to eat rubbish and I'd rather go for quality unprocessed foods if I can.

My advice is to take some time to read about all the different plans on mumsnet and think about your eating likes and dislikes and your lifestyle and what suits you best, what has worked for you and what hasn't worked. Do you like going to a group or online or counting or no counting etc Then decide and make it YOUR way of life

Having spent two year dithering and stressing about my weight and my inability to stick to a diet I've been on low carb high fat for 5 weeks and have lost 7/8ibs I've not weighed myself yet for a week. There's threads on here - a between boot camp one - a boot camp starts in oct but the between one is keeping us all ticking over. I love it and it suits me.
5:2 and IF works for loads of people so look at that - again there's threads on here.

Good look.

I meant good luck!!

Eat less, don't eat crap with no nutritional value, move more. Only diet that ever works.

Exactly this.

OP are you on FB? Look up rebelfit. It has been a revelation for me, Liam Satorius explains (with research) why 95% of people gain weight after losing it with SW and the like.

My trouble is that I always decide to try to lose weight when I am GAINING weight.

You have to eat so much less JUST to stop gaining, and then so much less to actually lose, that it gets a bit disheartening. (after the first 10lbs of water weight gone)

A 'slimming' plan won't work long term because slimming = weightloss, you cannot spend the rest of your life losing weight as you'd run out of weight to lose.

You need to have an entire overhaul of your lifestyle and stop taking on faddy diets. Don't do short term changes, change the way you think about food and exercise permanently.

None of my slim friends have ever been on a diet, all of my overweight friends have.

Well done so far!

I've lost 4 1/2 stone stone following SW, and maintained that weight for that's six months. Could do with losing probably another 1 stone.

But, SW is not the key. Nor is WW or MFP or any other "plan".
I once saw a FB post explaining how all the above plus Atkins and Slimfast and others work .... sarcastically, but true, is that they all work in the same way. By creating a calorie deficit. Big enough deficit, you'll lose weight.

So, in that sense WW isn't giving you a slower weight loss than SW ..... you're the variable that makes a difference, not the actual plan. Maybe you've other stresses in life, maybe medication, level of exercise, maybe you prefer weighing & measuring or not ..... whatever, you may find one type of weight loss plan seems to suit you better. I couldn't do Atkins, because I like my potatoes too much 😂

Check out RH Fitness on Facebook it'll change your life. It's caloric deficit combined with increasing your exercise & using mfp to track what you eat. I'm eating all kinds of food now & staying within my calories & have lost 7.5lbs since 22 July which is 7 weeks & we were on holidays for 4 nights & I definitely wasn't within my calories for them days.

So to answer the question ..... yes, weight loss is sustainable long-term. But it won't be because of SW or WW or whatever, it'll be because you continue to eat in a certain way.

Revert to multi-packs of crisps, chocolate, vats of wine or whatever your downfalls are, and you'll put weight back on. But that's not a WW or SW problem.

So to answer the question ..... yes, weight loss is sustainable long-term. But it won't be because of SW or WW or whatever, it'll be because you continue to eat in a certain way.

Revert to multi-packs of crisps, chocolate, vats of wine or whatever your downfalls are, and you'll put weight back on. But that's not a WW or SW problem.

So to answer the question ..... yes, weight loss is sustainable long-term. But it won't be because of SW or WW or whatever, it'll be because you continue to eat in a certain way.

Revert to multi-packs of crisps, chocolate, vats of wine or whatever your downfalls are, and you'll put weight back on. But that's not a WW or SW problem. Says me with my tub of icecream😂

I was reading this yesterday, and although it seems simplistic, it actually makes sense. It's more or less the plan that I'm following and it seems very sustainable and uncomplicated to me.
WeightLoss
I've moved away from focusing solely on weight loss now, and instead am aiming to be healthier. I personally can't live every day counting calories or points etc, and am enjoying this much more.

I am a diet veteran of many years. These are some of my own thoughts and some I've read elsewhere!

1. Calorie and points counting doesn't do it for me long-term. Its too much off a faff, too food-focused, and way too inaccurate. Also it works against one's intuition about what one's body needs.

1. Developing good habits is the key for me. People are surprisingly resistant where their habits are concerned - and it is these they revert to once the "diet" is over. Habits could be wine every night, biscuits with tea, too big a portion, etc. We hate to give up our long-established habits, and I think this is a real barrier for many of us.

1. Don't plan indulgences or restrictions! This stops the boom-bust diet rollercoaster, and helps you find your balance.

1. Don't accept advice from strangers. Don't compare your food to anyone elses.

1. Don't limit anything from your diet.

1. Eat when you're hungry and stop when you're full.

As regards exercise, its great if you can do this, but there are many disabled people who can't. To exercise solely so you can eat more food (rather than the pleasure of exercise itself) reminds me of a hamster on a wheel!

I have lost 7 stone and kept it off for over two years with SW.

I do exercise a lot but I never allow myself to "earn" food by exercising. I think that's a dangerous cycle to start especially as many people over estimate what they burn when exercising.

The rebelfit bloke, for example, is a prat.

He appears to have no knowledge of scientific research methods. And my pet hate is how he uses trademark symbols yet none of the programme names are actually trademarked.

I would also caution against the 'programme' as I see a lot of complaints from people who are told they are going to get eating plans and training programmes, but they don't "as the programme has changed," yet the online info still remains.