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 .

Hey all, haven’t weighed yet, but I definitely feel better and slimmer. Had a great food day and a 7k run. Hope everyone’s doing okay.

Fantastic Pink, keep up the good work!

My goal is now 1lb a week I go to the gym once or twice a week when my DD is at pre-school and walk 90 mins pushing her in the pram Thursdays and Fridays taking her to ballet and tap then music class! The main way I lose 1lb a week is by using the My Fitness Pal app - It sets me a calorie goal of 1340 a day for me to lose 1lb a week.
I don't do any diets coz I know I'll not stick to them forever so all I've done is cut out snacks, switched white pasta and rice to brown it fills you u more so you need less of it (I still prefer white bread but only ever have 1 slice of toast and have wraps instead of sandwiches).
The main thing I've done is reduce my portions I still eat what I want but less of it- it's mainly about knowing how much you're eating like if I want oven chips I get the McCain lighter home fries and I know that on average 100 grams is about 10-12 chips (unless you have small ones), Edam is less calories than most other cheese and red wine is surprisingly not too bad.
I started off 11lbs overweight on BMI and in 4 months I've lost 1st 8lbs I'm a healthy weight now -I'm 2lbs off my goal weight but it's getting harder to lose weight now I'm losing about 1lb every two weeks I lost a lot early on but coz I'm building muscle and don't have much left to lose it's getting harder!
Once I get to my goal weight I up my calorie goal to 1500 to maintain weight.
It's hard to have smaller portions at first but if you stick it out you need less to feel full after a bit!!

MummyBear, that's very impressive, keep at it, those last few pounds are the hardest.

Do you have any tips on how to cut out snacking, that's the most difficult thing for me .

3lb loss for me this week. I’m now in the healthy BMI range!

Partly willpower but also make sure you do eat enough at meal times and brown pasta and rice are more filling - I do occasionally have a snack just more often than not I don't I simply don't buy any then its easier to resist temptation!! Crisps we're my downfall if I ever have them now I'll have them as part of my lunch and have Skips or quavers coz they're under a hundred calories but most of the time I just don't buy any!! Xx

Thanks MummyBear. I only have crisps now with a sandwich at lunchtime, and not as a separate snack in addition to meals. I have snacks in the house for DH and am not tempted, so I must have more willpower than I thought .

Pink, 3lbs is great, you are a !

I need to do this. The keeping it off is the real challenge. Is the sweets in no sweets American for no puddings? I have done slimming world before and it's worked but end up with very disordered eating. I just want to maintain a comfortable weight.

It's both no candy or puddings!! Xx

Welcome Cherrypi, please join us .

I've taken the 'No Sweets' to mean no sugar. So avoid sweets, chocolate, puddings, desserts, sweetened yogurts and other processed foods with added sugar.

Having read a little about artificial sweeteners, I'm also trying to minimise diet drinks and stick to soda water with ice and lemon.

As an aside, given that I am having one plateful of food three times a day, I am working on making the portions sensible and getting the most nutrition for each meal. It seems such a waste to use up each meal 'allowance' with carb heavy or processed food as it isn't as satisfying.

I just have smaller portions of any food I have and don't have much bread coz the calories for that are daft especially when you consider that you tend to have it at lunchtime! I just drink still or sparkling mineral water as it's zero calories soon I'll have lost 1st 10lbs and be at my goal weight!! Xx

Going to start this tomorrow eek. How do you guys cope with no snacks and exercise. Hoping to go for a swim this week.

Cherrypi, that's great.

Snack-wise, you do need to be in the right frame of mind before you start. If you can get the three meals right, then the 'no snacking' is easier. And don't forget you can ease up slightly on S days (Saturdays, Sundays and special occasions).

Good luck!

Weigh in day today, and a 1lb loss. That's what I expected, slow and steady is what I am hoping for.

I've done plenty of walking this week, plus some gardening. Normal meals, but one plateful only. No snacks, chocolate, biscuits and no alcohol.

We're out all day today. Overnight oats with chopped apple and some nuts for breakfast. Have a sandwich for packed lunch (no cake ). Dinner is already in the slow cooker for later.

Next weigh in will be two weeks today; going away later in the week, so not sure how that will pan out, but there's no reason why I can't stick to healthy eating for at least 80% of the time if I put my mind to it.

I'll try to catch up on the thread and post when I can.

In the meantime, have a good week everyone .

I've had some grapes as went a bit funny after some heavy lifting but apart from that been sticking to it.

Well I’ve gone totally off plan yesterday and today - have been out for 2 long runs though. I’m getting back to it tomorrow and will weigh at the end of the week - I’ll be happy with a 1lb loss this week!

Exercise gets easier I really enjoy going to the gym now it's good for mental relaxation as I find I switch off from everything else and I feel refreshed and de- stressed afterwards due to all the endorphins - my DD is at pre-school on my gym days so it's also my only me time!! Not snacking gets easier as you find you need less food to feel full- eggs are good for a meal as they make you more full on my gym days I have 2 boiled egg whites and 1 slice of toast it's just over 100 calories then I follow the gym with a tuna wrap or some other high protein low fat lunch xx

Cherrypi, I don't think that's too bad, you obviously needed something.

Pink, don't let one day throw you off course. A pound is still achievable, who wouldn't be pleased with that?

MummyBear, some great advice.

Started well ...then picked at Easter chocolate and had 4 Oreo biscuits. Now I feel sick 🤢

Does the hunger between meals get better or do you get used to it?

Pink, I hope you had a better day today .

Cherrypi, you do get used to it. I try to go 5-6 hours between meals, say 8am, 1pm and 7pm. As long as I have a decent (nutritious) meal then I don't feel like snacking .

Definitely easier today.

Aarrgghh stick to the no s diet for 2 days then Easter came and went and l totally fell off the wagon. Put 3lbs on but have lost one of those so am hoping the other two will drop off as quickly as they went on!

That's good Cherrypi.

Hope you get a loss this week Fishfinger, don't lose heart.

I've totally lost my way. Too much chocolate over Easter then after Easter, then every day. This, combined with PMT, led to a major crisp binge and me sitting in a meeting, inhaling biscuits while bitterly observing that I was the largest in the room.

So I weighed. For the first time since 1 April. Yesterday, it looked as though I'd lost a pound but I've gained 4 lb overnight.