What’s the single most effective thing you have done to lose weight?

[noitsachicken]

I am struggling with the last stone, which is now more like a stone and a half since lockdown 🙄
What one single thing did you which most helped with weight loss?
Drinking more water?
Cutting out bread?
???
Thanks

Yes, calorie counting.

Got gall stones. Wouldn't recommend it . . .

5:2 - 24kg down slowly and steadily (and it’s staying off). But really the main thing is finding whatever approach suits your temperament and circumstances, because then it’s a zillion times easier to stick to.

In all honesty OP, if you've previously been to a bad place with dieting and exercise, I would stop focusing on getting the last stone off and focus instead on maintaining a healthy, sustainable lifestyle that you can enjoy.

Cutting out alcohol.

Yes as a pp says, whatever method works as long as you stick to it. I could never in a million years stick to low carb but calorie counting where I can have whatever I want in moderation is sustainable for me.

Being consistent. This means making sure I am in a calorie deficit every single day, no cheat days and no cheat meals. Before, I would have a binge every week or so. One binge for me (I can eat a lot) undos all progress made in the previous week.

Eating enough calories. I eat around 1750 and have lost between 1 and 2 pounds every week for 11 weeks. While I admire those who can go long term on 1200 cals there is no way in hell that I could do that without regularly falling off the wagon. Eating more calories means that I don’t feel tempted to binge and I know I can stick to this long term.

Exercising. I make sure I do something every single day. This is yoga and either walking or jogging. It makes a huge difference for me and I know that if I didn’t do it I’d probably have to eat less. I want to start strength training at some point to get more definition.

Avoiding fad diets. Low carb doesn’t work for me, personally. Nor does VLCD.

Accepting that I will never be able to ‘eat what I want’ because eating without restriction for me is eating to massive excess. Therefore, I know I have to watch my food intake for life, even if I will be able to eat slightly more once I have lost the weight. This realisation that I have to watch food intake for life might seem horrific to some. But think about it - I can’t go on drug or alcohol binges either, even if I feel I want to. Wanting to doesn’t mean I should. Stopping oneself from indulging in harmful behaviour is not a bad thing. Eating a whole pizza and an tub of ice cream to myself is harmful to my body, just as necking a load of vodka is. Society tells us that it’s good to always indulge cravings but for people like me who don’t have an inbuilt regulation system, that isn’t an option. Looking back though, I never really enjoyed the food I ate during a binge so I don’t mind keeping an eye on it for life. I’d rather be healthy.

• making sure my thyroid condition is being well managed (dropped 10kg in a month without changing much else)
• intermittent fasting
• eating a high protein, low carb diet

Actually, they all are kind of interlinked. My endocrinologist referred me to her dietician colleague. It wasn’t cheap but she gave me great and realistic advice tailored to my lifestyle and having regular check ins with her keeps me accountable. At the beginning, I saw her every fortnight and kept strict food diaries. Now I see her every few months. I’ve lost 35kg and granted, it’s taken nearly a year, but it hasn’t felt like hard work at all.

Gastric band, Exante diet on week days and eating what I want at weekends - not that I can eat much with a band but chocolate and icecream. Lost 10 stone after years of miserable failed diets.

Got pregnant. I've been overweight for years but have been so sick during pregnancy and so little appetite that I've actually lost weight. Probably not a helpful diet tip though, sorry.

Using my fitness pal.

The weight always creeps back on when I stop using it.

If I could have a joint single thing, then also fasting.

Alternate day fasting. Steadily losing the final stone, generally one pound loss a week

Same here. As in eating absolutely nothing on alternate days.

C25K, portion control and 3 nutrient rich meals a day. One glass of wine only on three evenings a week.

Lost a stone and have another stone to go currently.

Started with physical activity even if it's just walking, initially it was jogging about 25 mins 3 times a week which was a challenge in itself as I was very unfit, I noticed no shift in weight but my body looked very different so I think I was toning up. Then after about 4 weeks the first lbs dropped of the scale.
It started melting off much faster once I started on MFP , logging every mouthful and sticking to 1200cals 6 days a week - but not logging any cals burned during exercises as I found that to be my downfall.

Not running anymore but doing 2 x 40 min workouts a week and 2-3 20min HIIT workouts in between - I aim to tone and strengthen my body rather than burn calories though. If I didn't manage to workout for whatever reason I will take the dog for a 1 hour walk at a brisk pace which according to my Fitbit burns about 400 and something cals.

Up until now I have been loosing 1kg a week which is just over 2lbs. I hope now that I've hit that stone marker it won't slow down but it's been working so far.
When I reach my goal weight I will then calculate my maintenance calories and go from there.

If you are nor losing then you are not in calorie defeciet.
So less food, more exercise.

Use mfp. To log everything.

And exercise needs to be five times a week and a walk for an hr just doesn't burn that much..

MFP, 1200 cals a day.

Lots of good advice on here.

I need to lose my lockdown half a stone... I just can't get my head into it at the moment!

What works for me:

Running
No snacking
No social life (I can do that one currently!)

Thanks everyone! So many suggestions.
Those of you who calorie count/use MFP do you prepare all your food separate to the rest of the family?
And yes I agree with lots of you, I usually manage ok for a while then slip back into bad habits.
Prelockdown I was out going to exercise classes and general running around after the children, school run, after school activities and now all that has stopped I’m just not as active right now.

No, I calculate the calories for the whole meal and give myself a single portion. DH gets the same size portion, don't have any kids.

Shedtheload would you mind saying what you eat and drink in a typical day please?

Sure mintlegs
Breakfast is usually full fat Greek yoghurt plus some frozen berries and nuts. Or sometimes a smoothie with berries, spinach and protein powder (if I feel I need to up my protein intake).
Lunch is usually egg, mashed avocado and 2 slices of wholemeal toast. Sometimes tofu or baled beans instead of eggs.
Dinner can be anything really. I am pescatarian but don’t eat fish that often. I like stuff like vegetable curry and rice, frittata, soup, quiche, pasta/gnocchi. As you can see, it’s not low carb, as I just don’t get on well with that sort of diet. I don’t snack between meals normally but if I’m really hungry I have some Greek yoghurt with fruit. I also have a small scoop of ice cream after dinner! I drink a couple of cups of coffee with a splash of milk but otherwise just water. No fizzy drinks or squash.

I’m no expert but this is the first time I haven’t deprived myself on a diet and I have been doing it for nearly 12 weeks with no binges or even urges to binge. I used to be a terrible binge eater (I could seriously eat about 4000 cals in one sitting ) and would then restrict myself or try stuff like shake diets and then fall off the wagon big time again. I am 5’6’’ but with quite a large bone structure so someone smaller might need fewer calories. I can definitely see myself eating like this for life which I never could on any previous diet.

Intermittent fasting using bulletproof coffee.
(Ie I eat between 12noon & 8pm ish. I'm up at 6am & have a few coffees (some are decaf) with MCT oil in blended in my cheapy nutri bullet type thing.)
I tried IF before but struggled-the bulletproof coffees make all the difference as I'm not hungry & have lots of energy.

Replace rice, potatoes, pasta with broccoli and cauliflower.
NO BREAD. At all

2 things for me.

1. MyFitnessPal and as others have said use it honestly. You don’t necessarily have to eat different things you just have to eat less of things you already eat (assuming your diet is fairly balanced and includes fruit and veggies etc, but I think educating on good food choices and achieving a calorie deficit are 2 separate things).

1. I have replaced my usual breakfast of a big bowl of granola and semi skimmed milk with a protein shake with a banana, ice and almond milk. 220kcals and it fills me right up. This one change has saved me about 300kcals per day.

I promise I don't work for them but for me it's been Jane Plan. I lost weight easily and pretty happily and now use it two days a week to maintain. I've yoyoed all my life but have kept weight off for longer than ever before doing this. I pad it out with lots of salad, fruit and veg so it feels as healthy as eating ready made food can do.