I have lost 2 1/2 stone - sharing my tips!.

[sbh1991]

Hey,

I have lost 2 1/2 stone, and finally feel comfortable in my body.

I will be honest it has taken lot of trail and error, falling off the wagon numerous times and getting back up again especially as I enjoy food, chocolate and wine. Finding that balance was difficult at the beginning.

I wanted to share some things that worked for me:

• Lower carb to begin (note eliminating all carbs) also did some keto/ intermittent fasting - to find out what worked for my body best.

-I was a chocolaholic, and loved snacking especially when I was bored, but I started to replace this with my own healthy treats that also kept me busy as well and I didn't feel so guilty.
I also buy healthier treats that I discovered in my journey- lower calorie- ice cream, chocolate, also found nice coffee that satisfied me if I felt really hungry.

• Regular exercise this not only helped me lose weight but it also helped me mentally as well.

When I realized that I felt so good mentally I actually came came to enjoy exercise oppose to dreading it because I didn't feel like I was only going to lose weight. My purpose became stronger, and now I love getting up to go. Never thought I would say that!.

• Finding balance - this was hard at first, I enjoy food, red wine, a gin & tonic etc - so I tried to eat more healthy when I knew I was drinking and save treats for another time. I didn't want to cut it out completely especially as I am sociable and I like to enjoy my life!

• Finding foods I enjoyed that were healthy. I would have went insane if I had to stick to chicken and broccoli for the rest of my life!.

So I found cooked with meats, vegetarian foods, seafood vegetables and tried to mix things up to make it enjoyable, adding spices, herbs, sauces. Variety is key to prevent boredom.

I also tried to cook my favorite "unhealthy meals" i.e pizza, chinese, nandos but make a more healthy version for myself.
If I was eating out, I would still pick what I wanted to eat off the menu, if I wanted a desert I would have it and not feel guilty. The next day I would eat more healthy to balance things out.

• Keep going, keep positive- mindset is everything, it takes time. If you have a bad day or bad week that is ok. Be gentle with yourself, there is a lot going on right now, so keep going, and keep strong.

-Remember you don't have to compete with anyone else, your weight loss journey is your own so do it at your own speed. Remember the little steps add up to big results the long term.

I wanted to share with you, please feel free to ask me any questions. I hope everyone is keeping safe and healthy.

All the best.

Huge well done. It really is about a lifestyle overhaul, and making changes you know you can stick with forever, rather than going on some miserable diet for 6 or 12 weeks

It's a great feeling when you know you are at a healthy weight for you

That sounds extremely healthy and sustainable in the long term - well done! Thanks for sharing.

Massive well done!
I have 3 stone to lose.

I eat healthy all day, love healthy food etc, but the second that my bum hits the sofa past 7pm, the sugar cravings start. Really bad.
Any tips?

I’ve heard that Low Carb/Keto eliminates sugar cravings, is this correct?

@Bookaholic73

hey, thanks sure happy to help where I can :)

I know exactly what you mean, I was like that but I found that it was mainly boredom eating. Do you live with others?.

Things that worked for me: I started to eat my dinner around 6:30/7ish time oppose to eating earlier in the evening. This helped a lot. I also ate a big meal but made it healthy, so started to roast more vegetables especially broccoli, butternut squash, cauliflower I found that filled me up, but low calories, roasted with some herbs spices tasted nice :)

Then I would start to feel peckish a bit later on. So I bought myself some flavored teas (I found sound great ones). I have I sweet tooth so I picked ones that were more sweet/ or had hints of sweetness in them with 0 calories- that helped, then the time it got to 9pm+ i was ok.

I also go to bed later around 12ish, so was hard at first. At the same time though, give yourself a little snack or treat if you want it, don't try to fight it as that leads to more damage!.

I also eat more lower carb in the evening which I think helped me. Also, I made some of my own treats, oppose to reaching for a big bag of chocolate or cakes which I used to do.

What times of the day do you usually eat?.

Also, when you have those sugar cravings what do you eat, or what tends to happen for you?.

Let me know, will try to help where I can.

Keep going, it is a journey at the end of the day, and every little step will counts :).
You love healthy food as you said which a lot of the battle, so I believe it is probably a few tweaks to help manage them sugar cravings in the evenings :)

All the best!

Let me know what your day time eating is like, and also where you feel that it is hard.

Hi OP! Well done! That’s a fantastic achievement. I want to lose about 3 stone. How long did it take you in total? I am spending my lockdown focusing on being healthy. It’s not just about looking good but also knowing that it’s important to be as healthy as possible so that I don’t put added strain on the health service.

@sbh1991 thanks so much for the tips.

I live with my husband and 2 teenagers. My husband is terrible, he really loves food and is not a good influence at all. Not that’s my weight is his fault, I take total responsibility.

I think my main issue is that I could easily skip breakfast and lunch, then once dinner has been eaten, I can’t stop eating.

So I’ve been setting a timer on my phone to remind me to eat breakfast and lunch.

I think the ideas of eating around 7pm and using sweet teas in the evenings might be great for me. Thanks for the ideas!

When I have the sweet cravings I’ll eat anything sweet I can get my hands in, and when that doesn’t satisfy the craving, I’ll normally head to the supermarket to buy chocolate. Obviously at the moment it’s different because I can’t just pop out, so I just eat all the sugary food I have at home.

I honestly think I have a major sugar addiction, and I have been considering attempting the Keto diet in order to get get rid of the sugar and almost start from scratch with my pallet.

Great idea for a thread! Congratulations OP you have done brilliantly.

I think for me eating earlier would be a good habit to get into. As it is we eat at 8pm at the earliest and I often going to bed still feeling a bit stuffed from dinner.

Also, I need a LOT fewer calories than my husband and son but I never remember this when I'm dishing up .

Also, crisps .