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 .

How are you going to turn things around, Steala?

If it's any consolation, I am away this week, and yesterday I had a full bottle of wine and a huge dinner. And it wasn't even that enjoyable.

So today, I am just hoping for a better day.

Hello, sorry for joining last week and then going awol! Had an unexpected week but managed to lose 2lb...not completely got the hang of the no s thing but getting there! As you say @egrette improvements one day at a time

Well done Muddy!

Please keep posting your positive comments, they are so inspirational!

The hunger between meals gets less as your appetite reduces a bit - you need to make surveyor eat at least 1k calories a day tho otherwise your body goes into starvation mode a you will struggle to lose much weight - I'm still 2lbs off my goal weight but I have lost inches on my waist so I think coz I'm going to the gym I'm gaining muscle which weighs more than fat so my weight is similar but I am a bit slimmer! Good luck everyone it doesn't matter if you fall off the wagon as long as you get back on it - I just find that making small changes (Edam not cheddar cheese, wraps not sandwiches, 1 slice of toast instead of two, lean steak mince not beef, margarine not butter, brown past and rice and smaller portions etc) is better than a whole overhaul coz it's easier to stick to it' ms a lifestyle change so you don't go back! Xx

How true MummyBear, small but sustainable changes are the way to go .

Sounds like you are doing great @mummybear.

Thanks @egrette! Got a hard week ahead....delivering training in a venue that has free access to unlimited biscuits . MUST NOT EAT!

That's a fair question, Egrette. I had another terrible PMT-fuelled food fest on Friday but I've been back on No S since then (in the sense that I've just had two S days and feel more in control again today). It's a work in progress. I am convinced that the answer for me is to develop healthy eating habits, rather than to yo yo and avoiding/limiting weight gain might be the healthiest goal at the moment.

I gave up on dieting years ago. None of them work long-term unless you're able to stick to counting points every day for the rest of your life. (grim)

After dieting all these years in the past, I know what foods to eat and how much I need to eat in order to lose or maintain. If I have a high calorie, high fat day, I cut out simple carbs and minimise fat for a few days.

Exercise is really important because it improves your mood and your health.

Step away from the biscuits Muddy! Seriously, sugar is just empty calories, devised to keep you wanting more. Have you read Allen Carr's 'Good Sugar Bad Sugar'? It helps to explain how the cravings and insulin spikes work.

Your post rings true Steala. So true about it being more about healthy eating.

Hi shivering. I think everyone on this thread would like to be in your position; with a healthy attitude to eating and exercise . Please share your tips / wisdom!

First week eating this way and have lost 3lb. The most important thing is that I can see this as sustainable. Will be hormonal this week so that will be a new challenge.

Well done Cherrypi and good luck for this week!

I know how you feel - spent 2 years trying to lose a stone, feeling hopeless every time I lost a couple of pounds and then put then straight back on again. But after Christmas discovered Slimpod - amazing! Not based on diets, just on listening to a podcast once or twice a day. In less than a week I had started to change my bad eating habits and within 3 weeks had started to lose weight. Not by dieting but by making better food choices, eating less, exercising more, not weighing myself obsessively. Learning when to stop eating and listening to the good voice in my head, not the biscuit snacking/crisp crunching/wine swigging one. It's brilliant. I have lost 12 lbs since the end of January and will hit my stone target in the next week or so. Try it!

Wow Linley, that is great! Can you share the links to your plan?

@egrette I had such a bad sugar fuelled day "excuse" is that I'm coming down with something but really I should eat better not worse...

Tomorrow is another day!

@linley I'd love the links too

tracey, your posts do not belong on this board.

This is a mutually supportive thread for sensible eating; we are not interested in quick fixes proposed by the diet industry.

@MNHQ please can you delete the two posts above. Thank you.

Not sure about you guys but when I started eating less sugar I find I don't need it as much (I basically have to cut out sugar completely coz I have PCOS and another conduction which both cause insulin resistance)
Well said @Egrette
1lb to go but once I get there I'd like to lose another 5lbs before I go on to a maintain weight calorie amount!!
I love the gym it is definitely good for mental health when I started going I hated it but I can feel myself mentally relaxing and getting more confidence as I feel fitter now and can burn more calories when I go and I feel great after!
I went shopping last week with money I got for my birthday in January as I was size 14 then I didn't want to go then- I'm now a size 10 and my old jeans literally fall down - thing is though it's taking like 3 week at the mo to lose 1lb and I know I could put on 2 if I have 1 day off!!!
Good luck everyone - positive mental attitude!! We can all get to where we want to get to!! I don't think I going to be able to lose my momma pouch though coz it's on top of the muscle 🙁 xx

You are doing so well, MummyBear . That must be a great feeling, to go shopping for size 10 clothes, and a great incentive to lose that last pound (or five) .

Back from my hols and my weight has stayed the same! Very pleased, and have put it down to all the walking I have done over the past week. Getting back on the No S Plan from today and have no 'special days' planned until the spring bank holiday weekend.

Would love another ten pounds off in ten weeks, in time for my birthday and a family wedding.

Well done @egrette and @mummybear. I have sts this week which I am taking as a win! In laws here for the weekend but determined not to go crazy 🤞

So my waist, hips and back have shrunk a bit more but I'm still the same weight as I was 3 weeks ago at least it means I'm toning up - my bingo wings hardly wobble anymore!
Well done guys for not putting any weight especially after a holiday and in laws being around!!
I do occasionally have a day off where I don't usually coz it would be pretty much impossible to work out my calories I've had like if we go out for a meal for a mate's Birthday and have a few cocktails etc! I just weigh myself the next day and get back on it the day after!

Keep up the good work everyone xx

I did allow myself one medicinal small chunky kit kit yesterday but overall have found sticking to this ok so far. Definitely the less you eat the less you want to eat for me. Knowing I can have it at weekends stops me binging.

MummyBear and Cherrypi, having a 'day off' is absolutely fine. I think that's why I am able to stick to the No S way of eating .

Yes!! My aspiration dress and jeans fit!! I've not been able to get into to them since straight after I had my DD!! My jeans would not even go up my thighs now they go up and fasten easily and my dress wouldn't fasten coz my back was too wide and I couldn't get it over my hips at all now it fits easily!! Still a bit more to lose weight wise there is one more pair of jeans that are a bit tight that I want to fit in!!!