People that have lost weight. How did you do it?

[JennetHumfrye]

I'm so overwhelmed by how many different diets or methods that are out there. I have 7st to lose and don't know where to start.
For anyone that has lost weight (and kept it off), what did you do and how long did it take you?

Hi OP.

I have lost 4 stone over the last year, feel loads better and it hasn’t actually been difficult.

I didn’t ‘go on a diet’. I just decided to look after myself and eat more healthily.

I have a standard breakfast: 3 spoonfuls if a mix of granola and All Bran, a spoon of good Greek yogurt (not low fat), and 3 spoons of frozen blueberries / cherries or other fruit.

Lunch: I slice of toast with avocado or scrambled egg or soup. Salad.

Afternoon: a cheese biscuit and small slice of cheese, chopped carrot sticks etc

Dinner: usual dinners but I really watched my portion size on carbs. I did have oven chips, but looked at the portion size.

Usually had a biscuit or some other small treat.

I stopped snacking and eating toast between meals. Just ate healthy food in modest portions.

I didn’t tell anyone I was on a mission. After a couple of months people noticed weight loss (this is a GREAT moment) , and I just said ‘oh, been trying to eat a bit more healthily’ and changed the subject.

I started going for long walks and brisk walks. I was surprised how quickly my fitness improved. Exercise made me feel so much better, raised my endorphins and kept my resolve up.

Then I started going to the gym, and increased that effect.

Honestly: just adjustments.

And lost the weight slowly.

And if I had a “oops, ate 3 Twirl bars” day I just got back in track the next day. The overall downward slope on the graph is what counts, even if some days you might have a mini up-spike.

None of it was a big deal: I just tweaked my life, and then really enjoyed the results and let my success keep me going to lose the next kilo.

DH has currently lost 4lb per week for the last 3 weeks by counting calories (sticks to around 1600) and he goes to the gym 6 days a week for 1hr at a time (he goes before work as its only a few minutes away, and he goes when I do our shopping as the gym is next to the shop).

He started at 308lb - so he's gone from not moving much and not dieting.. to full overhaul of gym and calorie counting!

Gastric sleeve. Yo-yo’d for 30 years so knew it was time for drastic action.

I've lost two stone on MFP. 1200 calories a day plus a walk. I eat the same things for breakfast and lunch every day. I've plateaued a bit but am giving myself next week "off" as we are away and then back on the wagon. I want to lose another stone.

@cricketmum84 12 stone, wow, congratulations!

I'm nearing in on 5 stone down since January (this last stone has been the toughest!!).

I spent a week cutting back after Xmas and then jumped straight into two shakes and one healthy meal (600 calories) a day. It's not for everyone but I knew I needed to see consistent movement on the scales to keep the motivation going. Also, using shakes helped me break the non-stop obsession with what I was going to eat next. I've averaged 2 lb/week weight loss. I swapped over to straight calorie counting after a few months and that's where I am now.

Take it stone by stone. Use targets to motivate, i.e. maybe try to lose 2 stone by Xmas so when January comes around you've only got 5 stone to lose. Good luck, you can do it.

I'm a maintainer rather than a loser.

Count calories like a demon. 1200 per day, every day, all the time. No breakfast, ever. Two meals of around 400 each plus another 400 for extras (alcohol, snacks).

I don't exercise much. If I want to visibly lose, I have to create a deficit of 500 calories daily.

At the moment I'm losing very slowly or maintaining due to the odd wobble. It's for life as I'm a shortarse and older (yes, it gets harder as you age).

As a PP said, it's simple but not easy.

5:2. Lost the 2 stone I put on after the menopause and have kept it off for 7 years. I still fast every Monday but if I've put on more than 2 lbs I'll add a second day in

I lost about 6.5 stone.

Eating less - need a calorie deficit so calorie-counting very carefully to aim for 1500 per day. Increasing veg content and reducing carb and fat content of all meals and getting used to smaller servings. Getting used to it being ok to be a bit peckish. That first stirring of hunger doesn't mean "time to snack" it means that it will be time for a meal in a couple of hours so go out for a walk instead of having a snack.

Moving more - starting off with a daily walk using ankle weights to increase the muscle effort required, on a route usung lots of hills. After a few months of that did couch-to-5k and started running regularly.

I lost 30lbs a few years ago doing calorie controlled eating and more exercise. However when my lifestyle changed, I put it all back on and more.

I'm another intermittent faster, generally do 16 hours a day, sometimes longer with one shorter day too. I've lost 20lbs in 9 months.

Not only do I find it flexible so easy to incorporate, I'm thinner now (inches wise) than I was when I was 10lbs lighter previously. I've also tried to make sure that when I eat, it's things that I enjoy and that are good for me so we've introduced more Mediterranean diet food, fish twice or three times a week and a lot more veg.

Wow there are some amazing losses on here. I guess it really does all boil down to move more, eat less. It is really hopeful seeing how people made tweaks rather than drastic changes. I've downloaded a calorie counting app and am looking at recipes to try and plan better.
My problem is wine on a weekend and snacking during the day. I have a desk job and find it all to easy to sit and graze while I'm working. I don't snack at all at home. Once I've had my evening meal I don't touch anything but I definitely need to exercise and pack healthier lunches./

Took up running twice a week - which sounds grand but actually wasn't in the slightest. I hadn't run since school - 30 years - and couldn't manage c25k so started with 10 gateposts, Each night I'd try to make it to gatepost no. 11 or whatever was next. An extra 5 metres a night was an achievement. Once I could jog 100 m, then I did c25k.

I cook from scratch. Dumped all the complicated books and went back to my dm's basic cooking. Chicken stew and brown rice, hake poached in tomatoes and spinach, herb stuffed trout. Pea & ham soup. Fish or meat and lots of veg, especially root veg and beans. which provide all the carbs you need.

No alcohol, lots of water, no processed stuff (biscuits, cake, puddings, ice cream, shop bought puddings.)

down from 193 lbs to 140's over 7 years.
smaller portion sizes of carb's; more veg, less creamy sauces or desserts.
junk food as rare as possible.
low processed foods.
move more, have my apple watch set to: 6,000 steps, 45 minutes of exercise, and 550 calories burned i achieve this almost daily.
water/fiber and multi vit supplement
i find weighing myself daily helps me stay focused.

I eat a yoghurt for breakfast, a meal replacement for lunch and then veg & protein (eg chicken breast) for dinner. Plus a multivitamin.

I walk 10K steps everyday and do additional exercise five days a week (3 x 5k runs and 2 x weight training).

I lost 40lbs when I was 30. I’m 42 now and I’ve never put it back on.

I did nothing “fancy” and it took me 9 months to lose it, so not super fast.

The two main factors for me were what I ate and how often/ much I moved 🤷‍♀️ It sounds so simple but it’s not!

I followed Kayla Itsines Sweat app (still do in many ways for quick dinner ideas or a weights session plan). This meant a well-balanced diet with protein, lots of fruit/ veg and wholegrains in every meal. I did three strength sessions a week at the gym plus three cardio sessions (could be just a 40min walk but usually at a class like spin or HIIT). This usually meant 4-5 times a week at the gym, which I know isn’t doable for everyone.

Once my weight had dropped a bit, I got a few PT sessions to learn how to lift heavier in the gym. This is what really changed the shape of my body.

My main point would be that I still do all this and I enjoy my diet and my exercise regime. This is key to permanent weight loss, I think- changing and enjoying your lifestyle forever, rather than looking to do something for a short period of time.

Just noticed this is an old post, perhaps resurrected for marketing purposes?

Poor effort on discreet marketing.

By eating less unhealthy food, smaller portions and more exercise. Boring but true. I've lost a few pounds every few years and that's always how I've done it.

I lost 19kg (3 stone) in 4 months in 2019. This is how I did it :
No alcohol
No puddings
No cakes / sweets / snacks / biscuits / chocolates / crisps / fizzy drinks etc etc.
High protein, limited carbs, unlimited veggies, salad & fruit other than bananas.
10-15k steps per day plus, as I got fitter, gym, swimming & cycling.

A typical day would be :
Breakfast : Porridge made with 50/50 milk & water or 2 weetabix or low fat yogurt with fruit.
Lunch : Chicken or ham salad or sandwich (no Mayo) + 2 pieces of fruit.
Dinner : Salmon / chicken etc with a huge plateful of veggies. No carbs if I had carbs for lunch.

Losing weight is easy. All you do is stop eating crap, stop drinking alcohol (I found it easier to just not have this stuff in the house) & start exercising properly. I found smashing it hard for a limited period & seeing the weight drop off easier to stick to than fannying around trying to lose 1lb a week. The problem is sustaining it after you reach your target weight…

Totally agree with this.
I read somewhere that you get skinny in the kitchen and fit at the gym.
Health-wise it’s obviously preferable to do both - eat less and move more.
I personally find exercising more loads easier than cutting down on my calories.

Ate less. at every opportunity to eat, I ate less than I would have before. Breakfast, bugger all. Lunch, had the sarnie but no crisps, cake at work - just one piece, dinner - no dessert etc etc. Lost about two stone in a year. Originally bought a skinny jab, but couldn't afford it after a few months.

Had to stop eating lots of the things I liked. Takeaways, fast food, chocolate, crisps, fizzy drinks, chips etc. Started eating less overall, only at mealtimes.

People make it hard but in theory it’s actually very simple. Eat way less food. It’s the doing it and sticking to it that’s hard, and that will be hard whether you follow Slimming World’s Seven Syns or WW ready meals or slim fast milkshakes etc.

Low carb and upped exercise .

I've lost weight in the past just by eating cleanly, staying away from junk and cutting out booze.

I'm on it again this year as I have gained weight and weighed in at my heaviest ever at the beginning of this year. It wasn't a huge shock as I'd taken my eye off the ball, was eating way too much shite and drinking too much wine!

Since Jan 2nd I've lost half a stone just by eating better food. WE have also signed up to Gousto as I find planning healthy meals can be arduous, and by picking from Gousto's healthy range we don't have to think about portion sizes and get to eat amazing food every night!

Also eating a lot more vegan/veggie meals as actually prefer them.

Also making sure I drink a big bottle of water throughout the day at work every day too.

Hoping to lose another 1.5 stone over the next few months..my motivation is a wardrobe-full of lovely clothes that I haven't been able to fit into for bloody ages!