Is it possible to lose weight simply by eating less?

[DumbledoresGirl]

I am a novice here. I have always been slim and not needed to watch what I eat. I have never had to lose weight before. Now, I find I am heavier than I have ever been before (apart from when pregnant) and I want to get rid of at least half a stone, maybe a bit more.

Dh keeps on at me to exercise but I am not an exercise person. So I want to know: can I lose weight simply by cutting out some fatty/indulgent foods and generally eating a bit less? I hope the answer will be yes!

Yes.

Exercise actually burns not that many calories. It does help, however, with keeping the weight off. Apparently. I seem to remember writing about this, anyway, in various Lose Half A Stone articles (all of which boiled down to 'eat a bit less cake, drink a bit less booze and get a bit more exercise').

It seems to, I have stopped eating meals in the evening and no more than one glass of wine and I have lost a stone in about 6 weeks . before children I was at least 2 stone lighter, this is all terribly new to me and rather depressing but at least it is going in the right direction.

Good Luck with it

Glad you said that. Apart from being a lazy cow, I always find it hard not to eat more after exercise as I feel I have earned that tasty treat.

So, I am a complete novice here: what are the top tips for losing weight and keeping it off? I am currently trying to drink more water (need it anyway) and I won't eat anything after my evening meal (always used to have chocolate).

I have a suspicion that some foods are more calorific than might be supposed. Which are the real traps?

I am also a bit confused about whether I should be cutting out more fatty foods or more carbs. Any thoughts?

Yes, but I am a great advocate of exercise, you can get away with carrying a little more weight (some of it will be muscle anyway) if you exercise.

However I have twice lose weight just cutting down (although exercising too).

In the last week I have lost 3 lbs for no real reason at all (although still exercising as I like exercise but not doing any extra or anything different). Only this is I've been busy and a bit stressed so haven't been munching as much.

To burn fat you have to burn more calories that you consume i guess???? So you should be able to. Cutting out bread alway helps me!!

yup

simple sums: fewer calories in means fewer to burn off before thjey turn to fat

but (but but): exercie not only burns calories but also increases your metabolic rate (so allowing you to eat more!)

Just read this back:- "However I have twice lose weight just cutting down (although exercising too)." and it sounds like a contradiction, what I mean is exercise is a constant in my life, because I like it, I like the way it makes me feel, however I am perfectly capable of becoming quite lardy whilst still doing three exercise classes a week.

Yeah but not as much as I would eat after exercising! Honestly, I can pack my food away when I think I have burned a few extra calories and deserve a bit more to eat!

TO answer OP yes. However eating less makes your body think food is scarcer so alters metabolism to cope with less food. Hence if you eat less, loose weight, then eat as you did before you will gain the weight back and possibly more.

Yes COV, I thought along those lines. Hmmm, there will be trouble ahead I can see. But first, I have to get this half a stone off. I am disgusted by the flabby spare tyres (yes in the plural) that I am carrying between waist and bra line.

DG, you might find exercise makes you mega hungry at first but after a couple of weeks you will get more used to it and be able to be more in control of the food.

Thing about exercise is that it will tighten everything up, you may lose inches rather than lbs, and you may find that you don't even need to lose the weight.

Message withdrawn

MrsSpoon, that is what dh says. TBH, my weight isn't huge, just more than it has ever been before, but as a slim person, that means I had some leeway in the amount of weight I could gain. The inches are the thing that bothers me most.

But, I know myself. I have never been into exercise. Obviously, if the choice is exercise or continue to put on weight, I will exercise, but first I want to try something I know I can keep to. I honestly don't think I would keep to any exercise regime.

Any top tips for eating less or the right foods?

DG, have you tried any fitness classes? I thought I would hate them, I was hitting the obese mark when I said I would go to aerobics (secretly thinking I would hate it, it just wasn't my thing at all and then at least I could say I had tried it), now I'm a bit of a fitness junkie and have been a steady size 12 for a long time now which is a bonus.

As far as food goes I generally find that cutting rubbish, chocolate, crips, wine, takeaways and eating lots of fruit, veg, fish etc is usually the way to go. Skinny Cow lollies are great in the summer for a sweet fix.

I run 3x per week a distance of 3 - 5 miles each time - and my weight has stayed constant (and too high), until I recently started dieting.

Exercise is really important for general health, but only a bit part player in the quest to loose weight

I am wondering if my age has anything to do with it. (I am into my 40s.) I have always been a size 12 too, and I still am, but the weight gain and the sudden appearance of the spare tyres is a bit of a mystery to me as nothing significant eg diet, activity levels, has changed lately. I wonder if this is just middle aged spread. However, I am not going to give into it!

I just loathe the idea of exercise classes and gym. If I did exercise, it would be something I could do alone eg running or swimming, although I realise that doing it alone means I am unlikely to do it at all.

BTW, I am intrigued: what are skinny cow lollies?

This article seems to say that even if you exercise and eat more you will lose weight, if that helps.

sorry that didn't make much sense! - even if you eat more, if you are exercising as well you can lose weight!

yes as long as the less is not simpply a smaller volume of food but it is all lard!

skinny cow website

It's the ONLY way to loose weight.

My Mother gave me some great advice when I was a young teen; When you leave the table make sure you are a still little bit hungry.
I've never been on a diet in my life, have never got over a size 12 (apart from when PG) and I eliminate nothing from my diet including really fatty stuff like cheese, burgers, chips etc.

Ah LaBoheme, but I bet you are the right side of 40 though, aren't you?

yes, but it dosen't have to change after that does it??

Dumbledoresgirl - do you drink much? I do (wine most nights) and I will wager it is that which has caused my muffin top more than anything else

"can I lose weight simply by cutting out some fatty/indulgent foods and generally eating a bit less".
Yes, no one left the concentration camps fat whether they were big boned, slow metabolism etc etc not enough calories and you lose weight. Gym for many people in the UK means an hour exercise, a huge meal after at the gym and more calories consumed than they lost in the class, although that of course is not the ideal.