Long term and sustainable weight loss. I can't go on yet another diet 😔

[Gameofgnomes]

I binge eat and my diet is bad.
I lost 4st with Slimming World and I've gained it all back on in a year. I'm 5ft 3 and I'm a size 18.
I'm out of breath whenever I walk upstairs and I'm depressed.

I take citalopram for depression and anxiety which I know has affected my appetite but I can't come off them.

Has anyone found a sustainable way of losing weight and keeping it off for more than 5 years? (the most I've managed is 3)

Ive done calorie counting, sw, we etc and I can't bring myself to do yet another diet and fail miserably.

I lost a stone just using My Fitness Pal and wearing a cheapish activity tracker and I've kept it off for 2 years. It helped me sort out portion sizes, get a good idea of what I should be eating on a daily basis and work out how to do 10,000 steps a day whilst sitting at a desk for 8 hours. I didn't cut anything out as such which I think is the main thing - it was just identifying the problem areas and making adjustments. I don't bother tracking anything now as I know what I need to do to maintain my weight.

Have you tried Beachbody? They’re very big in the US and have just launched here in the UK. They do all sorts of at home workout programs and you can join what is called a ‘challenge group’ where you get support from coaches and others looking to make healthy changes.

I’m actually signed up to one of the challenge groups that start next Monday. I can’t wait. I’ve already done 1 before and going back for a second.

I personally find it’s helpful to have others to share with.

I can send you a link with more info if you’d like.

I am a snacker, so loosely following the No S Diet (no snacks, no sweets, no seconds, except sometimes on days beginning with S) has helped me lose weight and then maintain. Doing plenty of walking has helped a lot too, plus keeping an eye on wine intake.

There is a No S Diet thread on here.

A book that I've found helpful is, "The Beck Diet Solution" by Judith Beck. It is cognitive behavioral therapy for eating. It is broken into little steps that you do, and you make flashcards for them to cement the ideas into your head. Then everyday, you read through your flashcards. I keep mine on my phone using the Chegg app.

It focuses on 5 pounds at a time, and changing thinking and habits. I decided after starting through it to go back to WW and use WW to track my eating, tell me how much to eat, and weigh once a week (because I seem to be unable to be honest with myself about the scale). WW is way, way easier with Beck Diet Solution, and the combination is working for me. Everything that I'm doing I can keep doing (because the most important thing I do is read my flashcards).

Another thing that is helping me (which is similar to the Fitness Pal suggestion above) is my Fitbit. I really couldn't exercise much when I started due to both the extra weight and to knee problems. My Fitbit has been super motiving because of how it tracks tiny gains in how far I can walk each day.

Good luck!

I started cutting down sugar for health reasons a few months ago. I have not been extreme at all- I still eat fresh fruit and drink wine - ha ha. I still eat carbs although not as many as I used to and I do drink artificially sweetened drinks like diet coke.

I have dropped 3kg, despite BMI of 23.5 when I started and despite having had an operation that has basically rendered me immobile for the last month,. My appetite is really reduced.

It's probably worth a try as it really feels very sustainable.

Everyone is different -- artificial sweeteners cause me all sorts of problems including bloating. I'm better off with a small amount of real sugar and skipping the chemistry projects.