What's your top dieting tip?

[wannabeasize8again]

I really need to lose some weight. Since I turned 40 it's slowly crept on. I absolutely suck at dieting but after looking at my reflection in the mirror it's made me feel like shit.

I used to go to the gym but gave it up but I'm thinking once lockdown is over I may take it back up.

I weigh almost 11 stone. I know most of my problem is alcohol. I can pick all day and barely eat but on an evening I enjoy a glass of wine or gin. Before I started to pile it on I was 9-9 and a half stone. Ideally I'd like to get to 10 stone.

Please share with me your tips and meal ideas!!

[kersh33]

I agree that logging on myfitnesspal can help. It's useful to see where all your calories are coming from!

I think everyone is slightly different in terms of what their food triggers are. The only way I've lost weight and kept it off (about 3 stone down to a healthy BMI for the last 3 years) is by having no snacks in the house. At all. So I only eat the meals I plan. If I'm starving, I can have a plain unsweetened yoghurt which is far less exciting than chocolate or crisps! I also have no bread, butter or jam in the house. I have porridge for breakfast now (when I'm not on 18:6!) so I'm not tempted to just have a slice of toast!

But then snacking is my downfall! You might want to do something similar with alcohol. So don't have bottles of wine or bottles of tonic lying around the house just in case. Just buy what you need or plan to drink through the week. You can't consume what you don't have!! It's what's worked for me anyway. Good luck with it!! It's not easy!

[wannabeasize8again]

I've just found some quinoa in the cupboard so I'll make some porridge with that tomorrow for my breakfast.

[wannabeasize8again]

@Rystall. I totally agree with choosing what you want after the age of 40. The last year especially I've noticed a change in my body shape. I used to have awesome metabolism now I have none! My reflection in the mirror yesterday is what's spurring me on. All my weight gain is on my stomach, thighs and waist.

Thankyou everyone for all your tips and advice on taking it all on board and I'll look into some of the diets that have been mentioned. I lack inspiration and end up having salad most of the time. I need to find out interesting but healthy ideas.

I'm definitely going to give alcohol a miss for as long as possible and if I do have one it will probably be a gin and slimline tonic.

[LaLaLanded]

OP if you’re not going to do low carb, don’t worry about bread! Just worry about calories in, calories out. I say that as someone who is long-term Keto.

However, I do find low carb/high fat works for me. You will still need to count calories to ensure you create a calorie deficit, but it’s great in terms of feeling satiated and you can have bacon...

As other posters have said, alcohol sounds like a problem, diet wise. You’ve said you have “a glass” - that much you can easily work into your calories, even on a lower carb diet. Any more and you will be in weight-loss purgatory.

[BuffaloCauliflower]

Low carb/low cal like the Blood Sugar Diet works best for me, mostly because it’s the plan I find easiest to stick to and that’s one of the biggest keys - a diet you’ll stick too. BSD works fast which is also really motivating.

[Rystall]

Unfortunately it’s the wine OP. Sorry....... I’m in the same boat. Its often claimed on Mumsnet that women over 40 have to choose between their face and their bodies. I don’t agree with that at all. But unfortunately IME I do think over 40, you need to choose between your face & body or wine / sugar in general. Indulging in even small amounts of wine/ alcohol / sugar now makes me bloated and puffy and completely unable to lose weight, no matter how disciplined I am Mon - Fri.
Could you try to cut it out for a while and see if it makes a difference???

[Standrewsschool]

Switch to porridge for breakfast.

[herecomesgeralt]

I second myfitnesspal! I haven't used it specifically to lose weight per se, but it helps me maintain my weight. It really helps you realise how much a portion should be too, I realised I was eating way too much pasta in one go!

[wannabeasize8again]

@peachesandcream I agree the granola and yogurt might not have been the best option but it's better than my usual 2 slices of toast with jam or marmalade.

[wannabeasize8again]

I'm also going to drink as much water as possible each day to try to fill myself up and take off hunger pangs. I don't drink nearly as much water as I should do.

[peachesancream]

Try to keep carbs not much higher than 50g and watch out for sugars, your granola and yoghurt may sound healthy but likely very high in sugar. Protein will fill you up for longer and aim for half your plates to be veg and salad and allow yourself a treat once a week otherwise you'll never stick to it without something to look forward to... if only I could follow my own advice!

[wannabeasize8again]

I know I shouldn't have had the bread but I had one slice instead of my usual 2.
I think the hardest thing is changing your mindset isn't it? I always crave something sweet after lunch and will often have something like a biscuit or a bun. Today I had a banana to take off the edge.
I think my weekly treat will be a glass of wine or a gin. I know my main issue especially at the minute is having far too much alcohol and that's why I've piled it on.

[nixso29]

Definitely recommend calorie counting and using myfitnesspal to track this. Its an invaluable tool to help with portion control in my opinion as it's so easy to over eat even on nutritious foods. Once you have tracked for a while you will be easier able to control portion size through sight alone.

[silverbubbles]

Drop the bread. For me poached egg and bacon would have been a better option.

[wannabeasize8again]

I've made myself a poached egg on toast. Their bacon and egg smells so good but mine is nicer 😂

I want to aim for 2lb a week to start with too but even if I only lose 1lb I don't care as long as I don't keep putting it on. I think MyFitnessPal will help me monitor my calories so I don't keep eating like a pig. My portion sizes have gone up. DP eats a lot and I've gone from not being able to eat nowhere near as him to almost being able to match him.

[NuffSaidSam]

Good start OP! What have you set as your weekly goal weight loss? I think I did 2lbs a week to start and then reduced to 1lbs once I'd lost the bulk of it.

I liked that you could eat anything you want as long as you're within your calories so it makes you really think, is this worth it? If you have the bacon and egg sandwich now, you're going to be hungry later/only eating salad for the rest of the day. Maybe that's worth it? Maybe it isn't, but it just makes you mindful of what you're eating and I think that's often the key. It was for me anyway, realising how all those 'just one biscuit', 'just a bit of seconds', 'just finish that bit off the kids plate' adds up.

[wannabeasize8again]

I've just downloaded MyFitnessPal and have logged my breakfast super berry granola and vanilla yogurt!

DP is talking about making egg and bacon sandwiches for lunch and I've just had to decline 😔 I'd bloody love one but I'm determined to start as I lean to go on.

[reginafalange2020]

To loose weight you need to be in a calorie deficit. It's that simple. Calculate your TDEE for an idea of how many calories you need based on your personal stats and then you can safely work out a deficit which is sustainable. I also recommend my fitness pal. It's a really good way of tracking how many calories you consume.

[PurpleDaisies]

Eat meals based around veg and lean protein, and weigh carbs and high fat foods like cheese until you know what a portion looks like.

[NuffSaidSam]

My Fitness Pal worked really well for me.

But you have to be honest with yourself!