Anyone successful with a simple sensible weight loss plan?

[LoseItLoseIt]

Has anyone been successful in losing a significant amount of weight by simply following almost old fashioned rules. I'm horrified at what my body has become. I used to be skinny and since the age of 40 have slowly gained weight till now I'm obese.
I've tried low carb and fasting and they make sense and work for a while but I just can't stay on them. I'm tired of trying diets that are difficult to follow .
What I plan to do is to eat only at mealtimes, ensuring lots of protein and fibre and gradually reduce portion size. Only have the occasional glass of wine, get lots of sleep, daily exercise and use a food and mood tracker journal ( which might help me figure out why I fall off the wagon??)
I think part of my problem is I lose motivation along the way and slide slowly back to square one.
Any advice on how to keep my motivation up and if anyone has had any success this way? I need to lose about 3 stone to get to a normal weight .

@OrlandointheWilderness
Fantastic weight loss!!! Well done!!! There's no way I could weigh everything though. I just wouldn't be able to keep it up.

@Sssloou
All of what you say! I've just got to stick with it though and not chuck in the towel after 2 weeks. Really hoping the food and mood journal will better help me understand the what where and why I fail.

@Tightwad2020
No learning of Russian or painting of watercolours going on here 😆

@lazylinguist
Sounds like you and I are doing the same diet!

Placemarking. I tried the 5:2 a few years ago and lost weight pretty quickly.

Try Noom. Yes, it's a diet based on calorie restriction but it focuses on reconfiguring your relationship to food for good, rather than it being a short term fix where you pile the weight back on afterwards.

I need to lose 3 stone.
I also need to change the way I eat, as I’m peri menopausal and putting on weight despite eating the same way I’ve always done.
I also need to shrink my stomach as I can eat a lot.

The one thing I did about 12 months ago is starting the day with a pint of water. I don’t like water, I’d rather have squash, but I drink it while I’m on my iPad so I don’t even notice I’m drinking it. It’s now become a habit and I feel dry if I don’t drink it.

@GalaxyGirl24
Well done on sticking with it and the weight loss! On the cooking from scratch issue - we get a meal kit delivery box and it makes it SO easy to cook from scratch and SHOULD help with weight loss as there's constant variety of healthy foods. I just need to ditch all the other unhelpful eating habits I have !

I do 18:6, lots of walking (excellent for mental health too - aim to do an hour's hilly walk five times per week, ideally at least one of those is a much longer one on a day I'm off but the kids are at school now - this works well for me as I'm a shift worker). Additionally I have learnt through trial and error that I do best when I avoid refined sugar and wheat as far as possible (only eat them as part of a family meal or important celebration, never alone, rarely just with colleagues for no specific reason).

I've lost 7 stone - next challenge of course is keeping it off.

For me its about reducing stress too tjough - some people can't face foid when stressed and lose weight and become haggered, other people eat to block out stress and its a go to for sleep deprivation, feeling overwhelmed, numbing worry, procrastination... I'm in the second group and a lit of obese people are.

So I'd actually say finding ways to reduce stress and get good sleep is as important as any other lifestyle change when trying to lose quite a lot of weight long term. For me this is where walking comes in, but also its why I was able to lose the weight last year into this year, but wasn't able to before - for various reasons a lot of causes of stress were reduced or ended. Which I realise is the opposite to many people's experiences in the last 18 months!

.

Ahhhh yes I forgot about meal kits! They can be really healthy can't they, not to mention tank by the stress out of meal planning! Good luck on your weight loss journey, I don't know about you but I find I have to think about it all of the time as portion control and non-snacking don't come naturally to me 😖

I put on weight over lockdown&felt like [email protected] happened gradually..i got so used to eating large meals&having snacks&puds i ballooned&felt like id never be my old energetic self again&literally craved the junk&huge portions so badly i couldnt see me ever giving it up..i felt so awful&lethargic but worse-began to give up and see at as"my lot"at nearly50..It was when a size18 was too tight on the thigh& i had a big fat pregnant looking belly&i felt hungry constantly i thought 'this is bullshit-ive got to sort myself out'..i knew i prob couldnt sustain keto long term so stick to 40-50g carbs a day..no sugars/fruit/wheat/grains. so like a loose atkins stage3 i guess..I was absolutely shocked at how quick ive lost weight-its been4months and ive lost20kg-i bought a treadmill a couple of weeks ago -now im lighter&have the energy,do an hour of incline walking6days a week..hand held weights for my upper arms and back.
I read so many off-putting articles about menopausal women havi g a hard time shifting weight,it felt almost like a challenge i wanted to prove to myself i could apply the basic principles of healthy eating&exercise&see results..i live on low carb breads/wraps,homemade low carb foods&heaps of veg,tofy,quorn-cheese,dips..low sugar choc,sweets &ice cream when i treat myself.
You really can do it-nothing tastes as good as being fit and active feels-the old sayings are the truest!!
it feels amazing to be lighter&able to be on my feet all day without aching&having to rest&to actually look forward to dinner feeling hungry rather than bloated all the time.
good luck with it.

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme
That is so inspiring, well done, and doing fairly simple basic things.
I'm going to join the Lose it July 2021 thread. Seems very sensible and maybe participating in a forum like that will keep me rolling along!

@CornishPastyDownUnder
You could be me. Thanks for the support. Ive got to believe I can do it!

I’m with you OP, I know if I fast for too long I overeat.

Protein for breakfast has been my breakthrough - I have greek yoghurt with fruit and granola and not only is it really tasty it means I don’t feel hungry until lunch. This was a genuine revelation!

Also evening snacking was my nemesis. If I want something in the evening I have an options hot chocolate which gives me a sweet hit. I am well aware that if it is too restrictive/fiddly/time consuming it wouldn’t last for me.

So I wrote down everything I ate. Walked. Used a Fitbit to track activity and food (but didn’t weigh it much) and stuck to 500 calories below on in vs out which allows for varying portion size/treats/without eating more going in than our.

I’ve lost just shy of 3 stone in 9 months - almost exactly 1lb a week. And it’s staying off so far. It isn’t a quick fix - you have to be patient!

@Mercedes519
I hope I can achieve what you have, that's amazing. I must learn to be patient. Weight loss = behaviour change + time. Time's gonna happen whether I like it or not , so I'm 50% of the way there, right?

Absolutely @loseitloseit .

Honestly I'm amazed at myself. Never done it before, always put on weight over the years and had brief spells of 'must eat less chocolate' which never lasted more than a week.

Writing it down really helps me see that i was doing the right thing and give me that hit of achievement every day even though the actual weight loss was really slow. I know I need that affirmation that I've done something and if I was just looking at the weight loss I would have lost hope within two weeks!

Hi,

I've lost weight in the past by following Slimming World and at its core its easy to follow: a certain amount of fibre and dairy, low fat food and limited treats. With Slimming World you have to plan ahead though and sometimes I found it difficult to eat on the go - eg if I needed to grab a lunch from a shop and I'd already had wholemeal bread at breakfast, or if I was out for a meal. And you do get used to massive portion sizes which meant for me, a day off plan was REALLY off plan.

I've also lost weight following SW principles but not rigidly eg substituting "free" pasta for a controlled amount and maybe having the odd orange juice. Was more flexible but the losses weren't as fast/great.

Now I've lost just over a stone in just over a month by being quite hardline: light breakfasts (plain yoghurt, fruit, herbal tea etc), light lunches (scrambled egg, seeded bread, omelette, small jacket potato), whatever evening meal my family are eating (which is usually well balanced but I don't get too worked up if it's a bit on the heavy side). I've had the odd cake/ice cream - but only if I'm fairly certain it's been an otherwise "light" day. I haven't been snacking much except for fruit. (I've had the odd pack of mini cheddars). Over the last month we've had father's day, I've been out for meals, we've had family birthdays and I've not been harsh with myself - just made sure I averaged it the day before/after. The biggest change I've made is no white bread as I think it just sets off cravings. I don't really drink but might have the odd G&T - definitely not wine or beer. Oh and I don't bother with low fat spreads/mayo etc - I have the full fat version but a tiny amount.

Not saying I've cracked it - I'm only a month in and I have a history of being able to lose weight very well, but I never maintain. This time I feel like something has clicked - there's no magic solution and I have to change what I eat forever. But, I am finding this routine and it's simplicity quite easy to stick to. I'm keeping breakfast and lunches simple. Very few snacks. No white bread. Hardly any alcohol. Making sure any overly-indulgent days with a light day. It's not complex, I don't really have to plan too far ahead.

Hey there! It sounds like you're serious 'bout making a change, which is awe-inspiring! Staying motivated can be tough, but logging your progress and tracking ur food and mood can really help. If you're looking for extra support, consider getting a virtual trainer and fitness coach to help you stay on track. Set small goals that you can actually achieve so u can stay on track. Also, don't forget to treat yo'self when u reach milestones - a new outfit, a day out, or just a night in with ur favorite flick! Most importantly, be kind to yourself and celebrate every success, no matter how small. Wishing you the best of luck!