Losing a stone and keeping it off

[Egrette]

Almost every Monday I start another diet and after a few days I pack it in. I need to lose a stone; not a huge amount, but it makes me miserable. I have tried most diets going over the years.

I'm not on here for diet and exercise advice; I know what to do (and have had successes in the past), but the regimes that I have tried so far are not sustainable for my lifestyle.

Today I am starting the No S Diet. No Snacks, No Sweets, No Seconds (other than on days that start with an S). There are a couple of provisos: you can include Special days (birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries and the like) but you can't have free reign on any of these S days, otherwise you can undo all the gains (i.e. losses) that you make.

I have too many things going on in my life to starve myself or limit certain food groups, so I'm hoping a more sensible approach will work.

I'd rather lose a pound per week permanently than keep losing and gaining the same few pounds.

This thread is to make me accountable, fess up if I have a bad day, and post any losses.

Everyone is welcome to join me for mutual support .

Hi there DontFund, Morris and Milliy.

Eminently sensible advice all round .

I'm going to check out Beyond Chocolate, sounds like a good recommendation.

Hi Can I join in please? Need to lose a stone to be back in my healthy bmi after it all creeping back on again. Want to shift a bit more than that, but it would be a good start

Hi Muddy, everyone is welcome!

What WOE are you planning to do? Mindful / sensible eating seems popular, but if you have any other eating plans that work well for you, then please share .

@Milliy, you are an inspiration!

Egrette 😊

Egrette it was a long hard road and it is easy to slip back into the diet mindset as we are led to believe that's how you control your weight. But our bodies already know how to do it. They tell us when they are hungry and make us eat and if we listen hard enough, they tell us when they are "satisfied " not full. I stop then .

@egrette I am going to try the no s diet too. I have a massive sweet tooth and eat when I am happy/sad/bored/celebrating....and have no off switch. Hoping it will give me a healthier relationship with food.

@milliy thanks for the recommendation, will check it out

The No S Diet sounds ideal Muddy, if you can follow it strictly Monday to Friday and then allow small treats at the weekend. The website does stress that you shouldn't overdo it on the S days, otherwise you can undo all the good work.

I'm thinking it sounds so much better than any other plan out there; it's strict enough to encourage sensible habits, but acknowledges the times when you may want a snack, treat or the odd glass of wine.

Don’t follow any fad diet, just track calories. Deficit of 500 calories a day means you lose about a pound each week, obviously you could do less though I wouldn’t recommend more than a 500 a day deficit.

This is exactly what I need! I’ve been trying since January - so far lost 12lbs. Need to lose another stone (ideally a little more) in 10 weeks.

Omg l could have been the OP in this thread!! Lose weight / put it back on and so on. Am over 40 and on HRT so is an uphill struggle before l even start. Tried diet after diet and don't even bother telling people that l am trying to lose weight any more. Finally realised last year that protein based meals fill me up for much longer and l don't get the sugar highs and lows. Sounds easy enough right?! Maybe in theory!! I exercise a lot and would be happy just to lose a stone and a half but my husband is an all or nothing kinda guy and is either eating well or not. If not, will suggest a takeaway/meal out/treats for the weekend etc and l seem powerless to say no. So can l join in please for a bit of moral support? Must read up about the no s thing as not heard of that x

Corbyn, I agree, fewer calories, and I have tried many times. I find it easier said than done. I think my main sticking point is changing my mindset permanently .

Pink, well done on your loss so far. A stone in 10 weeks is doable.

DH is the same, Fishfinger. His idea of healthy is having custard creams and jelly babies instead of chocolate cake and kitkats . He's ok with healthy mealtimes though.

Weigh in today and I've lost three pounds .

That's about what I would lose on the first week of any diet though. The difference being that I've had normal meals.

The no snacking and no sugar or alcohol haven't been too difficult this week.

Next week - try to cut down on tea and coffee and increase water intake. And be more conscious of portion sizes.

It's the school holidays this week and next; at one time that would mean ditching all the good work, but I do feel I am getting this new WOE nailed.

I did SW many times, and it made me obsess about food / eating. Despite how my posts may come across, I'm hardly thinking about food at all. Perhaps that's because I'm not looking for ways to cheat, or planning the days when I can have a blow out. Sticking to 'No S' frees your mind for other things.

Here's to a good week for everyone!

3lbs is a great start, well done!! Just eating my boiled eggs which will hopefully fill me up and l won't think about snacks before lunch. What does WOE stand for? Keep seeing it but don't know what it means!

What a fantastic start, well done! Just eating a protein brekkie so hopefully will be full up til lunch! Quick question...what does WOE stand for? Keep seeing it but don't know what it means!

Sorry for 2 entries, phone said first one failed!!

Fishfinger, it's way of eating.

I associate a diet with something you are either 'on' or 'off', which isn't helpful if you are trying do eat mindfully and lose weight in a sustainable way .

Great loss, Egrette. I'm not weighing myself for a month. I've never done this before but I've been yo-yoing since I was a child and I want to move away from the emotional power the scales hold over me.

I've been doing No S for 4 weeks now. Unfortunately, I'm having rather a lot of S days: wedding anniversary, two birthdays, Easter, reunions. Last week, I ate out 5 times. In a month like this, realistically, can I hope for more than no gain? I'm eating less than I would have . I've largely stuck to the rules - I haven't snacked much at all and I haven't binged. I'm beginning to feel that I'm eating like a normal person and I relate to hardly thinking of food at all. I've never felt that.

Steala, you have more patience than me, I weigh myself every morning!

@MorrisZapp made a really good observation up thread - "You have 21 meals a week. I'm losing a pound a week with one 'blowout' meal per week, and sensible for the rest."

I'm trying to remember that whenever I feel tempted.

And hopefully you don't have the same number of celebrations every month . My worst months are May, July and December [santa].

Not a bad day for me - are pretty well and been for a 30 min walk (sat at a desk all day!). Just having a bath to avoid snacking...

Day 1...was doing so well til 10am!! Went for a bike ride with a friend stopped at a farm shop cafe and had already said we would just have a cuppa. Got there and she talked me into sharing a hot cross bun. Didn't need it, didn't want it and didn't enjoy it but thought at least l only had half and apart from that l stuck to no s. Tomorrow is another day!

Pink, that sounds like a good day. Having a bath is a great idea, as is doing a manicure or pedicure, I find.

Fishfinger, I think that any day when you eat consciously is a good day. Even slipups that you recognise and acknowledge can help you to change things for the better.

I just keep at it and I know the benefits will come, even if they are slow and steady .

Totally agree xx

Ugh, I feel like I've been doing quite badly this week. Haven't weighed myself yet. Been suffering with a really shitty cold eating a lot of toast-based meals and biscuits!

Lasso, hope you feel better soon. Please don't write off this week just yet, you still have time to turn things around .

It's so much harder when you don't have much weight to lose. Take heart that you are close to your goal weight .