I need to loose a LOT, tips welcome

[anonfatty]

Stepped on the scales for the first time in a while and I'm disgusted, I knew I'd gained a fair but since having my youngest (who's just about 2) but this is a real sobering reality check.

I'm almost 22 stone.

This isn't ok. I'm not going to make any excuses because I shouldn't have let this happen. I need to fix it.

I have reinstated a paused gym membership, downloaded MyFitnessPal and I'm looking into other diet options.
Is calorie counting the best way to go or is there a diet/plan anyone would recommend? I'd rather not spend a fortune but don't mind paying something.
Fitness-wise I'm probably fitter than you'd imagine for my weight! But what is better for fat loss? I'm assuming a combination of strength, cardio, core?

Tips welcome!

I'd love to be able to do more exercise

That's why micro exercise is so helpful. Waiting 2 mins for tea to brew or spin cycle to end or microwave to ping etc - do squats, jacks, lunges, high knees, wall press ups, plank etc.

Calorie deficit.
In my case falling in love unexpectedly made me drop 7 kilos in 4 weeks as s result of noalcohol and no appetite…

@robotcollision

I'd love to be able to do more exercise

That's why micro exercise is so helpful. Waiting 2 mins for tea to brew or spin cycle to end or microwave to ping etc - do squats, jacks, lunges, high knees, wall press ups, plank etc.

I do this in a morning to get blood flowing. It's great 2 min!

There are so many intelligent answers here! I had about 2 stone to lose this year and have two young children. I've lost 21lbs very quickly by counting calories (1800 for me - still nursing.)

You do need to get into a calorie defecit and while exercise might not help with weight loss in terms of fat burn, it absolutely helps with mental fortitude and feeling good. I have mostly replaced snacking and 'treats' with long walks and swimming - I'm looking for a reward more than food, so these hit the spot. I feel so much better! But I should also say that when I need food I eat food - I'm not being an ascetic!

Also, crucially, I cut out foods that spike my blood sugar. No sugar in coffee, honey in oatmeal, white bread, sweeteners (which make me want sugar!) this has been the #1 game changer. I have always eaten healthily but this is the first time I haven't been hungry all the time. And it's through diligently swapping sugar and processed carbs for protein, fat and whole grains. If you're not really hungry you probably won't overeat.

Good luck - you can do this!

@Orcasmom

There are so many intelligent answers here! I had about 2 stone to lose this year and have two young children. I've lost 21lbs very quickly by counting calories (1800 for me - still nursing.)

You do need to get into a calorie defecit and while exercise might not help with weight loss in terms of fat burn, it absolutely helps with mental fortitude and feeling good. I have mostly replaced snacking and 'treats' with long walks and swimming - I'm looking for a reward more than food, so these hit the spot. I feel so much better! But I should also say that when I need food I eat food - I'm not being an ascetic!

Also, crucially, I cut out foods that spike my blood sugar. No sugar in coffee, honey in oatmeal, white bread, sweeteners (which make me want sugar!) this has been the #1 game changer. I have always eaten healthily but this is the first time I haven't been hungry all the time. And it's through diligently swapping sugar and processed carbs for protein, fat and whole grains. If you're not really hungry you probably won't overeat.

Good luck - you can do this!

This is exactly the approach I take. I've lost 20lb without dieting at all and have another 10-15lbs to go. It might not work for everyone, but cutting out refined triggering carbs, sugars and sweeteners, and replacing treat foods with healthy non food treats really works, as does increasing exercise wherever possible.

Calorie deficit. You'll have to change your diet to cut the calories drastically. This has to be a permanent change .Don't try to cut down to some minimal amount. Work out what the calorie requirement for someone your height and age would be if they were an ideal weight and concentrate on not going above that. Exercise is good for you,although not necessary for weight loss. I wouldn't risk trashing knees and hips by pounding about on hard surfaces at present. Is swimming an option?

micro exercise fan here too! i do 100+ kettle bell swings a day - started with a 6kg now going up to 8kg. i do 20-30 sets multiple times a day. (ie. first thing in morning, while kettle is boiling for mid morning coffee, before school pick up - takes 3-4 mins to do a set of 30/40)
i do standing pilates (you tube routines) and standing kettle bell workouts, never anything longer than 20 mins. just do them in my kitchen (no juming about or floor exercises which were my biggest exercise pet hate so have worked around them, to stop me giving up altogether)
very active on weekends hiking/bike riding.
also i dont weigh myself - i take same body mesurements once a week - weighing make me very demoralised so i avoid it.

Hey, I have 2 stone to lose after my 3rd baby in 4 years.. I started yesterday with calorie counting, Intermittent fasting 16:8 and I did a 15mins YouTube walking workout video before bed... I honestly believe with weight loss its all about your mind set.

I am a similar weight. I started a week ago doing 10 minutes a day HITT workout and gushing three meals a day with no snacks. Not hugely cutting calories in meals but I am by not grazing. I lost 4pbs in the first week. I’m going to up to 15 minutes hitt exercise this week

Also lots of small goals, looking at the big picture is just too big and it feels like the goal is unreachable.

I've added a screenshot of my spreadsheet tracker, and a link to a blank version if it's any use to you, I broke it down into 7lb increments, jeans sizes, percentages lost, BMI, basically anything that I could see as an achievement and feel proud of myself for.

docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mjaVTijjOxYjXruqLq14A113BVyhDBph/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=115203243050422472278&rtpof=true&sd=true

[quote HalfShrunkMoreToGo]Also lots of small goals, looking at the big picture is just too big and it feels like the goal is unreachable.

I've added a screenshot of my spreadsheet tracker, and a link to a blank version if it's any use to you, I broke it down into 7lb increments, jeans sizes, percentages lost, BMI, basically anything that I could see as an achievement and feel proud of myself for.

docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mjaVTijjOxYjXruqLq14A113BVyhDBph/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=115203243050422472278&rtpof=true&sd=true[/quote]
Omg this is insane!!
(In a good way)

I love a good tabel and even i didn't go that far😳

@SchrodingersImmigrant

I love a good tabel and even i didn't go that far😳

I did make it so it auto calculates everything so it only takes seconds to add to 😂

Set up is just putting in your height and goals

Then each week I add the date and my weight in lbs, it sorts the rest out for me!

I LOVE spreadsheets.

I’ve been dieting for 20 years. Hit rock bottom two years ago at nearly 20 stone, and have now lost 7st11 through intermittent fasting. Read one of Gin Stephens’ books to see if it would work for you. I always gave up too easily - hated weighing food, logging food etc. This has worked for me.

@HalfShrunkMoreToGo that’s incredible! Thank you for sharing that.

Have a gastric bypass.
The evidence is really really clear. Once past a BMI of 40 or so the chance of getting to a normal BMI without surgery is about 1 in 300 to 1 in 800 for women. Of those people 95% will regain the weight within 5 years.
Read about the metabolic set point.

@HalfShrunkMoreToGo spread sheeeeeeeets for most things. Yeah!

@OhDearShirley

Have a gastric bypass. The evidence is really really clear. Once past a BMI of 40 or so the chance of getting to a normal BMI without surgery is about 1 in 300 to 1 in 800 for women. Of those people 95% will regain the weight within 5 years. Read about the metabolic set point.

It’s not quite true that it’s about metabolic set point because lots of people gradually gain weight over time which seems to negate the existence of the set-point. It’s also been shown that in western diets, environmental factors such as the constant availability of processed food cancels out the natural set point. However, it is true that most who lose weight regain it. BUT had they never dieted and lost weight, they would most likely have been even heavier. And it’s been proven that your weight going up and down as you lose and regain is still healthier than remaining constant at a heavy weight. Lots of animals gain and lose weight (eg for periods of hibernation) so there’s no rule that weight must be stable throughout life.

Also, having said what I have, if I had a BMI of above 35, I probably would seriously look into gastric surgery. It’s not an easy option but it helps stop your body fighting you constantly to overeat. It does have its own issues though, such as malnutrition. Part of why I’d consider surgery is that I have been watching those extreme weight loss shows (with Chris Powell) where they take a hugely overweight person and transform them over a year and nearly every contestant I found on social media regained all of the weight. Same with biggest loser.

I think the genuine answer is that if you want to lose weight and stay slim forever, you need to be on a diet forever. That is to say you need to count and slightly restrict your calorie intake every day for the rest of your life. If you have gotten overweight, it shows an inability to do this naturally (which is environmental, as there is constant availability of processed food) and you most likely can’t allow yourself free rein again because you will become overweight once more.

Another tip I’ve read about is to weigh daily or at least weekly and nip any changes in the bud right away. We keep getting told to chuck out the scale but personally I find it impossible to accurately sense that I’ve gained weight just by look and feel. I thought I was about a stone overweight but I was actually 3 stone over!

I highly recommend the fast 800 online!!!
You can choose your meals, all recipes available and shopping list included.
Only shop 3 days at a time to avoid waste.
The recipes are decent.
Online community support.

I love this thread. Such great advice where sometimes weight loss advice can be so inaccurate.
What works for me..
Sleep (nap when you can if you are frequently disturbed)
Intermittent fasting ( listen to the IF podcast by Melanie Avalon and Gin Stephens for great advice on how to do it)
No snacking
No sugar or processed foods
Keeping active (walking and light strength training) although I wouldn't add any exercise when you first start to establish the eating only.
Reduce stress where possible
I find calorie counting too hard. Boundries work better for me.

@HalfShrunkMoreToGo that spreadsheet is amazing 🤩 I do love a good excel 😂😂

The PP who mentioned gastric bypass, not a chance. It's horrendous, I've seen 3 people have the surgery and of them 2 had awful complications- 1 died and the other very nearly did.
I have thought about the gastric band hypnosis, non surgical is a much better option.

[quote anonfatty]@HalfShrunkMoreToGo that spreadsheet is amazing 🤩 I do love a good excel 😂😂

The PP who mentioned gastric bypass, not a chance. It's horrendous, I've seen 3 people have the surgery and of them 2 had awful complications- 1 died and the other very nearly did.
I have thought about the gastric band hypnosis, non surgical is a much better option. [/quote]
OP, on a low carb diet, the hunger more or less stops and even if I think about a giant plate of pasta or a cake, I just don’t fancy it whereas before, my mouth would water at the mention of food. So if you keep away from carbs, you could get a similar effect to surgery in terms of the hunger. It’s definitely been a game changer for me.

That's interesting @Onthereabound34 I've cut out most carbs on this weeks meal plan with the view to reduce as I go. I've had to be a bit creative to avoid over complicating it with my super fussy dh and dc (dc1 isn't too bad but dc2 and dh are shocking! They all love a carb though).

Haven't actually had time to eat today yet but a healthy tea is in the slow cooker (Brazilian coconut chicken from Scott baptie and it's amazing!)

Honestly try adding kefir every day, it's the absolute easiest thing and will help you lose weight. Have it first thing before breakfast.