Advice please.

[CharlieSays13]

Looking for some advice. My weight has fluctuated up and down since my early 30s, I'm now early 40s. I'd lost a fair bit of weight more or less unintentionally over the last 2 years and was feeling pretty happy and comfortable. However since March I've piled it back on and am now at my heaviest and I'm feeling rubbish.

It's mostly snacking, I've had no willpower since lockdown at all. I'm also guilty for being very carb heavy with meals. I've had Achilles tendonitis which has made walking painful but I'm planning on getting a bike to up my exercise.

My question is which type of diet should I go for, there's just so many to choose from. I've done really well with Weight Watchers in the past and really badly with Slimming World but I feel there's got to be a more natural way of losing weight. I don't like the reliance on processed food with them.

Any thoughts appreciated.

I have to say. If the weight came on with snacking, stop it. Or plan small ones (I do and it works for me), but no grazing.

I don't know how much are you planning to lose, but if your diet is overall good, just making your portions smaller can make a massive difference. For example, instead of 3 ladles of stew, have 2 or 2.5. instead of 2 slices of toast, have 1 and an apple or tomato (depends what's on the toast). If you see what I mean.

Try reading Just Eat It by Laura Thomas

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I lost two stone quickly doing keto/low carb.
I like it as it leaves me feeling really satisfied, stops my sugar cravings and I'm almost never hungry

@Girlintheframe what do you replace carbs with? I'm usually more satisfied by eating carbs!

I eat more fat. So might have chicken breast with blue cheese and broccoli with olive oil for tea or chilli with low carb cornbread and avocado etc.
I roast cauliflower a lot. Often mash it to put on top of shepherds pie or fish pie.
Also eat roasted cauliflower with curry etc.
I cook a lot so make things like low carb cake, granola, pancakes etc.
Lunches are usually salads with nuts, seeds etc added.
Spiraling courgette in place of pasta.
For me low carb did require a lot of thought in the beginning but 18 months later it's a way of life. It helps that I enjoy cooking though.
I've managed to keep the weight off since I lost it too.
Low carb is the only thing that's worked consistently for me. I started keto because of my sugar cravings, now I rarely get them and fast for hours simply because I'm not hungry.

A good way to lose weight is mindful eating. I've maintained a 3 stone loss with Paul Mackenna (I Can Make You Thin) . I'm slim I don't want to be thin It's a change of lifestyle no diet foods.

He helps with our self esteem too. I eat when I'm hungry , eating slowly and enjoying the food, stopping when you feel full,(it takes a while to get used to it but it does work and makes junk food taste horrible!).

Thanks everyone, some good ideas here. I think low carb is the way to go for me, along with controling portion size a bit better. I'm going to need to work on my will power quite considerably.

I've just put a new battery in my scales and stood on them for the first time since March. I'm horrified, over two stone put on just like that!

@Girlintheframe I'm going to get much more creative with cauliflower, thank you for the ideas 👍

@SchrodingersImmigrant

I have to say. If the weight came on with snacking, stop it. Or plan small ones (I do and it works for me), but no grazing.

I don't know how much are you planning to lose, but if your diet is overall good, just making your portions smaller can make a massive difference. For example, instead of 3 ladles of stew, have 2 or 2.5. instead of 2 slices of toast, have 1 and an apple or tomato (depends what's on the toast). If you see what I mean.

I honestly think that this is the best of all Diets. Eat a bit healthier and have smaller portions.

As for the snacking, the best thing is to eat protein to stop you being hungry between meals.

We don't eat until about 7 but I'm usually hungry by 5, so I have a grapefruit because I love them and also they take me ages to eat so I feel totally satisfied after. Also I think sometimes I get peckish when I'm actually thirsty, so it helps with that too.

Charlie High protein suits SOME people not all (like every way of eating we're all different). I don't eat wheat but I eat rye and spelt bread\toast also whole rice. They're more filling .