Hello, can I jump on? I was doing well on Slimming World last year - slow but steady, and lost around 3 stone but I’ve put it all back on since September last year! It’s been very depressing, I just couldn’t get a grip. I am sick of Slimming World - it fits in quite well with family life but honestly, eating so many meals based on tinned tomatoes got me down a bit, I was very bored. And I was eating way too much in the way of carbs, especially pasta. It did nothing to reset my appetite /portion sizes to ‘normal’. Also since eating lots of cake during lockdown I’m convinced I have issues with insulin resistance. I wouldn’t be surprised if I was pre-diabetic - I considered getting tested but actually don’t want to know if I’m NOT, because the fear is spurring me on to do better!
So I am trying something different now. I’m trying the Fast 800 diet (Michael Moseley’s latest) which is fairly low carb and based on a Mediterranean diet. I’ve only ever really done SW before so it’s quite a shock to the system to eat full fat stuff again (full fat Greek yoghurt is AMAZING - I never knew!). There’s different ways of doing it: 800 cals every day, or doing that 5:2, or a more maintenance level. I’m giving the 800 cals a day a go for 2 weeks (ending tomorrow) to see how I go. The food has been lovely and I feel a lot better on it - only issue is the portion sizes are quite small for me. I’ve been pushing the boundaries a bit making the recipes but not especially counting the amount of non-starchy veg I use (I doubt piling on the broccoli is going to sabotage my efforts!) but am carefully Measuring everything else.
I’ll see how I’ve done tomorrow, but I definitely feel less bloated. I will move to 5:2 when I get fed up as I don’t think 800 cals is sustainable for too long but for the moment I am enjoying giving it a good go. Oddly I haven’t been especially hungry on it - I think that’s the low carb thing (and eating full fat stuff). And I’m finding it quite liberating not to think about food so much - I don’t have enough calories for snacks so I just don’t have any! I plan my meals for the week and then just do that. Nothing more. Don’t think about ‘what else’. I’ve been surprised how little I can eat and feel fine, compared to my normal big meals and constant grazing. And apart from the carb withdrawal over the first 3 days I’ve felt fine, no dizziness or anything.
I have a lot to lose - absolutely ideally 6 stone but I’d been really happy if I even lost 3 (and keep it off). So let’s see.
Ive also tried to take a bit more card with my appearance as it motivates me. Did roots yesterday do hair looks much better - still needs a cut but the colour matters more! - and soaked and exfoliated feet /painted toenails. I look a lot less of a swamp donkey than I did.
Nice to see some old friends here - hi Wreck!