Never dieted before - how do I do it?

[FelicisWolf]

Hi everyone, I've realised over the last couple of years that I'd been gradually gaining weight, but it's come to a head recently when I realised I can only squeeze into my clothes now and they look pretty terrible on me.

I've been slim my whole life (I'm 29), size 10 up until about 4 years ago, then a comfortable size 12 but now that's tight on me too. I don't think I look particularly overweight - my friends roll their eyes if they say I've put on weight as I've always been the 'tall skinny one', but that's just not true any more. I've done my BMI and it's placed firmly in the 'overweight' category, so I know I'm not being paranoid.

I really don't want to be flamed, but I've never dieted once in my life so have no idea where to start! I generally only eat 2 meals a day - have no time for breakfast (like my sleep too much), have a sandwich or pasta salad and packet of crisps for lunch at about 12 (sometimes two sandwiches if I'm feeling hungry ), and then a generally healthy home-cooked meal (quite often pasta-based) in the evening around 9-10pm (we don't go to bed until 12-1 usually). I don't snack, don't drink fizzy drinks but do have a drink most evenings (a couple of beers or a couple of glasses of wine).

I don't feel like I indulge on anything in particular, but my weight has been creeping up over the past few years so I need to change something.

Also I have an office job, might go for a dog walk at the weekend and do an hour's yoga once a week so not particularly active but don't do nothing either.

Some advice on where to start would be greatly appreciated!

[IdaBWells]

MyFitnessPal is simple, straightforward and free, it worked for me. The basics are:

1. Burn more calories than you consume so switch to low calorie foods such as salad instead of crisps. A simple way I lost weight was to have protein at every meal which fills you up and prevents you from getting hungry - with veggies or salad. So chicken with veggies, salmon with salad and veggies etc. Soup is also an easy way to have less calories. I would also recommend you start to eat some breakfast, if you wait too long to eat each day you are likely to overeat and consume more empty calories. Have porridge or yogurt with fruit or scrambled eggs. To get rid of a stomach cut out (or cut down) on carbs: pasta and bread which notoriously give you a gut.
   
   
2. Do more exercise. Get moving in any form, walking fast is excellent. Weight training and building muscle will speed up your metabolism. The more muscle you have the quicker you will burn calories even when you are sedentary. Swapping muscle for fat = muscle takes up less space so you may weigh the same but you will shrink and go down clothes sizes.

[GrandmaSharksDentures]

I was in exactly the same boat as you - always tall & skinny but suddenly noticed the weight creeping on.
I started slimming world - just online not going to any meetings & I've been pleasantly surprised with how it's gone

[Eminybob]

I always find calorie counting to be the easiest way to diet. It’ll help you see the empty calories in stuff like alcohol and encourage portion control as you’d need to weigh pasta etc.
Download an app like MyFitnessPal which allows you to type the food in, or scan the barcode to log the calories. You can also track your progress by putting your weight in.

[GodolphianArabian]

Cut out the crisps have fruit instead. Swap the sandwich for a green salad. The alcohol is not doing you any favours so I would reduce the evenings that you drink. Try and increase the portions of vegetables you eat. It sounds like you eat a lot of pasta, check your portion size by weighing it.