I need three to five basic principles for weight loss

[Freaking0ut]

I’ve decided that I need to sort it out. I am 15stone. I need to lose 3 stone to be within a healthy BMI for my height. I’ve had two children and the weight has crept on. As I hit 35 I am noticing that it is going on easier and is harder to get off. My weaknesses are wine and chocolate. I like cooking and healthy food. I am slightly time poor but no more so than anyone else who works full time and has children!

I have done various diets, the 16:8 combined with 5:2 is the most recent, and I have come to the conclusion that all this does is disorder my eating habits. It encourages me to fast for half the day and then out of hunger I binge for the second half.

I have one year to lose the weight. It needs to be a lifestyle change. So I’m looking for 3 to 5 fundamentals that I need to do/not do to encourage the weight to come off.

Number one: Eat healthy and hearty breakfast every day.

I may use this post as a space to record things. I have to do something. Thanks for reading if you’ve got this far!

I had a look at the Persiana cookbook . The recipes look very calorie laden, but intriguing!

I find 16:8 is really effective but you do have to eat sensibly during the 8 hour window. I love wine and bread but find that if I eat reasonable portions during the eating window, the weight stays off. Low carbing works for me too but then I find all I do is obsess about the things I can’t have 🙈

I also do loads of walking but then I only work part time so that will obviously be more difficult if you have a desk job.

Good luck. It all sounds very achievable 😊

Oh and for salty things, Marigold vegetable bouillon is drinkable and gives the salty hit you crave!

I have lost 16lbs using my fitness pal,I eat 1450 cals Monday-Friday and then aim for around 1800 Saturday and Saturday to allow my weekly average to balance out. I started of on 1600 cals everyday but found every weekend I was going over and undoing all the good work from during the week.
If you plan on having your treat day on Saturday could you leper’s your calories on other days to allow for it ?

I also keep both healthy food snacks and low calorie chocolate snacks at home - Kit kats,low calorie crisps, kinder ice pops etc - sometimes you just need a fix!

Good luck

ABSOLUTELY No white carbs - always brown rice, quinoa, brown bread and ABSOLUTELY no added sugar
Additional principles:
1.No carbs after about 3pm - swap your carb for extra vegetables

1. Have five meals - breakfast, mid morning, around 1pm, around 4pm and in the evening.
2. All meals should include one serving of protein but can have unlimited vegetables. Morning meals one serving of (brown) carb.
3. Drink two glasses of water with every meal.
4. If you can't fit in formal exercise like a class or gym session, then make it up by ensuring you walk 10,000 steps that day, minimum.

Try eating 500 less calories than you’ve been eating, for a month. Be patient and be consistent. Remember to lower your daily amount when you’ve lost weight. Don’t start too low as you’ll have nowhere to go. Eat slowly. Eat what you want but stop when full. Patience is the key.

I found using apps like MyFitness Pal really helps! It’s also good bc you can plan days ahead and stick to calories / meal plan xx

• Smaller helpings on a....
• Smaller plate
• Drink water when you feel hunger pangs

If you just eat what you enjoy but follow the above rules you will lose weight in a steady fashion, which is the best way.

When you get home in the evening, have 1-2 big glasses of water and chew some gum. It stops you just mindlessly stuffing things in while standing at the fridge, etc

Yep. Mfp and don't lie to yourself on it, mostly eat food you can account for i.e. Not takeaway. Try and have a rule where meals cannot exceed 400kcal.

Ensure you hit your 10,000 step goal every day- always take the stairs. Try and take up 2 exercise classes a week.

Thanks everyone. So many great tips. I’m going to have a go at collating them into a handful of manageable principles.

Today has gone well. I have posted screenshots of my breakfast, lunch and what I plan to have for dinner. Open to suggestions.

Right now is totally my danger zone.. cooking tea for the kids (pasta), am slightly peckish myself, so I am employing a serious amount of will power as I type not to also stuff quorn cocktail sausages in my mouth

• Log all your food and drink intake daily. Use an app for this which will also show you the balance of nutrients. Protein/Carbs/fat etc. and watch your portion sizes.

• step up your daily intake of non starchy carbs. At least five a day but more if possible and ensure you have enough lean protein in your diet and some healthy fats (eg: raw nuts and seeds)

• drink more water (1-1.5 litres daily) as sometimes the hunger/thirst signals are confused. If you feel thirsty you are already starting to be dehydrated.

• build exercise into your daily life. If you don't fancy the gym then walk (briskly till you feel a little out of breath but able to converse) or swim, pilates, Zumba

• try not to eat late at night when your body should be repairing itself instead of digesting. Get enough quality sleep.

Good luck! 🌺

Also carry almonds (if you can eat them) for snacking on the go. Eat them one by one though - not in handfuls. Sip water with them (carry your own water bottle everywhere).

Right now is totally my danger zone.. cooking tea for the kids (pasta), am slightly peckish myself, so I am employing a serious amount of will power as I type not to also stuff quorn cocktail sausages in my mouth

See, that's exactly where the gum comes in handy 😆

Are you actually hungry for breakfast? If not, skip it.

Skip the avocado, honey and seeds for a start off. Replace with cottage cheese, apple sauce, hard boiled eggs, lentil and veg soup instead.

Slow and steady though op, make small changes. Otherwise you'll get annoyed and be back to square 1.

stuff quorn cocktail sausages in my mouth
Where did you find these please? I can't find them anywhere

managedmis I’m not necessarily hungry for breakfast but I had previously been doing the 16:8 and I think skipping breakfast was just leading me to overeat in the afternoon. So I am trying to go back to just eating three solid meals a day and no overeating/snacking.

southern I can get them usually in the Co-op and Sainsbury’s. They are like crack for me so I’ve had to go cold turkey

Hi OP, I've lost 5 stone in total, these rules worked for me.

• Use a smaller plate. A dessert sized plate (8-9' inches is ideal)
• At least 5 portions of fruit and veg, mainly veg
• Weigh/measure things that are high calorie and stick to the recommended portion sizes
• Do not keep 'treats' indoors to tempt you.
• Do as much exercise as you can. Walk as quickly as you can. Climb stairs instead of using lifts. If you can't go to the gym look on youtube for things you can do at home.
• Do not aim to lose weight quickly, slowly and steadily is fine. If you get stuck or start to regain do not give up. Just get back on it.

If you must snack, eat a an apple.

I've done the same over the past year and I've lost a fair bit of weight. My principles are:
At least half of my plate vegetables.
Fewer carbs - so no big plates of pasta but I'll have some pasta with lots of extra veg.
Very healthy breakfast and dinner so I can relax a little at dinner (I wanted to be able to eat the same as the rest of the family, just with different proportions).
Small snack each evening (usually dark chocolate, nuts and fruit).
I've basically stuck to this and haven't put the weight back on. It does genuinely feel like a lifestyle change.

There is only one principle: A Calorie Fucking Deficit.

I came on to say this (more politely!). I do 5:2 and am down nearly two stone over six months with lots of little calorie deficits. There are lots of ways to do this, you need to find the route for you.

I've started either eating salad with the kids or eating my evening meal with them and something light later.

My tip is never to get starving. I find it very hard to fill up if I have been over hungry