Recommend me a diet please, it's my first time!

[Grobagsforever]

Hi all,

I've piled weight in lockdown! I've never dieted before so not sure which diets are bullshit and which work.

I'm 5 foot 8 and around 11 stones 10 pounds, size 14/16

Want to be back to size 10, around 10 and a half stone.

39 years old. Can't run due to knee injury so exercise during lockdown quite restricted. Will need to exercise to lose weight - any ideas? Love swimming but pool shut/hard to find time.

Many of the calories are WFH snacks and evening wine so they are first to go.

Two kids and a DP. DP also wants to lose weight so may join in

Suggestions for fad free plans? NOT SLIMMING WORLD etc as I hate how they target women.

Thanks all, lots of great suggestions. Definitely can't deal with weight watchers or slimming world, too patronising and misogynistic.

Low carb is a good option. Any good breakfast suggestions? I do love marmite toast...

1. No snacks
2. No sugary/processed food

3.Fast after evening meal for 12 hours

1. Consume 500 cals a day less than you burn
2. Exercise (brisk walking is good) for 30 mins at least 5 times a week
3. Check out Amelia Freer. Her Healthy Eating pyramid offers the best way to nourish your body properly.
4. No caffeine after midday - leads to better sleep and better food choices.

I've been following these rules since February and have lost 1.5 stone so far. I've had at least one evening a week where I've drunk wine/beer had chocolate etc (to keep me sane).

I feel so much healthier and fitter, as well as lighter. I've tried most diets over the years, but this is the longest I've ever managed to stick with it, mainly because it feels like I'm doing my body good, rather than depriving myself. Giving up the sugar is the hardest bit, but only really takes a few days.

Good luck

Okay, my post did have paragraphs in and I posted a smiley face, not a poss-taking bar of chocolate!!

MyFitnessPal - Lou everything you've eat

Burning off 600 calories through exercise every day for a couple of months is incredibly difficult. The average person doing C25K is looking at something closer to 600 kcal per week. Or 4% of typical calories in. For an overweight person it's probably harder. For the OP with her injury it's likely impossible.

If someone posts asking for suggestions and recommendations I would usually try to suggest something possible. Anyway imo (and the opinion of scientists having conducted various studies) it's much easier to reduce calories in significantly than calories out, especially with a knee injury. For the vast majority of people, exercise does not contribute to weight loss in a meaningful way. Do it for fitness, mental health, protection against all kinds of disease, fun, social benefits, escaping from the kids, but for most people, not really worth bothering for weight loss.

I do agree it would be amazing to be able to give up sugar and snacks etc but I think a lot of people new to dieting can find this too strict and overwhelming and so they give up.

Personally I have been steadily losing weight without giving up anything. Just taking in fewer calories and upping the exercise. There is a lot of science - some entirely pseudo - around weight loss but the gist of it will always be that you need to eat fewer calories than you burn.

Eating nutritiously is a side issue really - a very good one but not the only way to lose weight.

I’m not advocating eating 5 chocolate bars a day and nothing else (although you’d probably lose weight) obviously! Just offering a middle-way.

singingstones I agree that it’s not good to run with a knee injury and I don’t think the OP should attempt this. I am talking more about walking, aiming for more than 10,000 steps a day. That will change your status from sedentary to moderately active and in my case at least add up to 600 calories to my TDEE. I definitely think that daily walking is something that is doable for most people even if difficult at first. The OP can then alternate the walking with her couch to 10k days.

I suppose even walking can be tough on joints for prolonged periods. I also find it takes a long time to get to 10,000 steps. A popsugar (or similar) video can be done in 20 mins and work every part of the body without impact (if you prefer), get your heart rate up and tone.

Another option anyway.

Yeah agree that walking could also be too much at the beginning. Exercise videos are indeed a good idea as is getting an exercise bike if cycling outside isn’t an option.

10 000 steps a day is a meaningless target and has been debunked as the most effective way to fitness, there are much easier ways to achieve a greater effect

www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/health-42864061

You may think that walking 10000 steps is doable for most people but who knows for the OP with her injury.

She has explicitly said she can't run so couch to 10k is no good.

I do agree it would be amazing to be able to give up sugar and snacks etc but I think a lot of people new to dieting can find this too strict and overwhelming and so they give up.

Completely agree, one small step at a time is definitely best and build up gradually - eg week 1 try cutting out morning snack, week 2 same for afternoon, week 3 delay breakfast by an hour to lengthen overnight fast, week 4 swap white bread for brown etc etc. And be kind to yourself when it goes wrong, as kind as you would be if you were helping a friend in the same situation. Make sticking to the plan your goal, rather than weight loss, which can start and stop seemingly for no reason. Ease yourself in and don't rush. Lots of good tips on this thread, exercising hard enough to burn 600 kcal every day with a knee injury is not one of them imo.

Not saying the OP should necessarily do that and she can choose for herself obv and maybe take medical advice. I was just challenging your claim that exercise has little impact on weight loss. It can have a huge impact because it burns calories as seen in the fact that the TDEE between an inactive and an active person is substantial.

The Harcombe diet encourages 'natural' exercise, so gardening, walking the dog, a bit of cycling, or anything that you enjoy, basically.
But, 'you can't outrun a bad diet'. Generally, once you stop eating processed food and sugar, or lose significant amount of weight if you've been obese, you naturally start to be more active anyway.
Zoe's argument is that eating less and exercising more and expecting to maintain that is like trying to drive miles in a car that doesn't have enough fuel.
@Grobagsforever breakfast will depend if you are vegan/vegetarian or a meat eater, but I quite often eat eggs or yogurt for breakfast, or left over meat and veg from dinner. Or porridge. What I have done is give up wheat in all it's forms, as I've discovered that can cause all sorts of inflammation/intolerance/addiction/bloating/mood swings/weight gain.

I lost weight using the low carb approach here on Mumsnet on the Bootcamp threads. I lost 30lb in five months.

It can have a huge impact

If you can commit to a lot of exercise every single day for a long period it can have an impact but not as much impact as dietary changes would have. For most people it will have very little impact and is therefore not worth recommending. For people with knee injuries it's definitely not worth recommending. The OP has a knee injury.

Okay then.

Good luck OP.

I have lost 2 and a half stone on 16:8 and am maintaining without any trouble.
2 decent meals between 12 and 8, minimal wheat-based carbs, no snacking. No treat food while I was losing weight, but have the occasional treat now. If I do I make sure to eat less at the next meal.