Which diet would you recommend to me?

[wheresmymojo]

I know everyone is different but taking into account the following which diet would you recommend for me?

• I have a lot of weight to lose, at least six stone

• I don't eat meat or poultry and am not keen on eggs. The only protein I eat is white fish

• I don't particularly like breakfast so can go without eating until lunch quite easily but going without a cappuccino in the morning would be extremely hard

• I work long hours in the week so don't have a lot of time or energy for cooking

Am I doomed to fail? Is there a diet that can work with this sort of awkward eating habits and lifestyle?

Non. The word 'diet' is asking for trouble. Because it implies you'll be on it then off it - and when you're off it likely to fall back to your old ways.

Beat way is to make any changes to your nutrition life long - and lose weight slowly.

Exercise in addition to 10-15% less than your maintenance calories will mean you lose weight safely. 1-2 pounds is a safe goal.

It also means you're not being drastic so not likely to fall off the changes but try think about changing your nutrition for the long term not just while you're on the 'diet'

You also need the protein - it will help you stay fuller for longer and is necessary for muscle build/repair. Up your fish intake

I would recommend working out your maintenance calories using an online calculator like this one, then reducing that by around 250 a day.
That way you can eat when / what suits you and you will lose weight.
A food tracker would help at least initially to get an idea of what foods have what calorie value.

Agreed with above about protein too. Same with fat, it isn't bad.

Drastically changing something or trying to cut out food groups is something that you likely won't be able to stick to so therefore not worth it in the long run.

I’m doing the Protein Priority Diet and there are vegans and vegetarians doing it. It teaches you how to use protein to fill you up. You don’t have to eat meat. I’ve never been hungry on it!

@ttcissoboring

You also need the protein - it will help you stay fuller for longer and is necessary for muscle build/repair. Up your fish intake

If anything I want to go vegetarian so unlikely to be increasing protein TBH!

@Cazzovuoi

I’m doing the Protein Priority Diet and there are vegans and vegetarians doing it. It teaches you how to use protein to fill you up. You don’t have to eat meat. I’ve never been hungry on it!

I find though that high protein veggie diets take quite a lot of prep.

I have (suspected) ADD and really struggle with organising myself which on top of long work hours means meal prep and cooking anything that takes more than about 10-20 mins is out...

I've also found my MH has suffered when I've gone low carb before (I have bipolar disorder)

Would I be crazy to think this would work...

• Just coffee for breakfast (I don't like breakfast anyway but skipping my coffee would make me feel violent)

• The two days I'm in the office eat a healthy(ish) but filling lunch and have Huel (protein based meal replacement drink) for dinner

• The other days have Huel for lunch and a healthy(ish) dinner

• Change snacks to fruit and veg rather than crap

• Allow a little room for manoeuvre at the weekend if we go out (which isn't that often)

I already don't drink alcohol.

I’d skip the replacement drinks and eat your white fish with a range of veg in the evenings, or have sweet potato with baked beans. These won’t make you fat. Skip the butter and oil on everything though. What is your healthy but filling lunch? Could it be a salad with something like cottage cheese? Or a homemade batch of soup full of veg?
You should lose weight easily on that. And yes to veg and fruit for crisps with the odd treat!

For snacks, not crisps! Sorry for typo

@Sunshinedaisybuttermellow

Agreed with above about protein too. Same with fat, it isn't bad.

Drastically changing something or trying to cut out food groups is something that you likely won't be able to stick to so therefore not worth it in the long run.

I know, but I thought that about the Atkins when it first became the big thing, and to think I could just eat as much cheese etc as I wanted even if it worked, would certainly not be a good idea, to be told however, that I can eat 'good fats' like olive oil(well that's only if put on foods or used to cook with, so doesn't feel like a luxury) and avocado lol or fish etc, doesn't appeal to me at all!

I do like the sound of another above reply, that you can work out your daily maintenance calories, and only need to reduce 250, that sounds a lot more doable. What I find difficult is counting things out etc, to still obviously have to make sure I am keeping within that limit.

16/8 Fasting. Eat evening meal by 8pm and then don't eat until 12 next day.

Weigh and track everything you eat.

Med way of eating - protein, veg, olive oil etc.

I don't know much about vegetarian/vegan so can't really help - chickpeas, tofu? Do you like prawns or is it just white fish?

The lunches are only healthy-ish but I think I can get away with them for a little while and still lose weight as I'm so big.

So our canteen (which does amazing food, better than most restaurants) has next week for example...

Veggie bean burrito bowl (with spicy rice, lettuce, guacamole, salsa, etc)

Fajita

Cauliflower shawarma in a folded naan

Obvs I'd only be losing weight to begin with because my basic calorie needs are quite high due to my size and I'd probably have to swap these out for something healthier once I plateaud (also note these are my main meal, I don't eat a proper dinner on the nights I eat in the canteen).

@Changemusthappen

16/8 Fasting. Eat evening meal by 8pm and then don't eat until 12 next day.

Weigh and track everything you eat.

Med way of eating - protein, veg, olive oil etc.

I don't know much about vegetarian/vegan so can't really help - chickpeas, tofu? Do you like prawns or is it just white fish?

I hate chickpeas and tofu unfortunately and also don't eat prawns or any kind of shellfish.

I'm very weird - I think of myself as a foodie but when I start to talk about food on threads like this I realise I actually dislike most food for either taste, texture or ethical reasons

I wouldn't want to be a dietician for myself!

Those canteen lunches sound good and filling. Could you skip breakfast, have one of those lunches then something really light in the evenings? Such as 2% fat Greek yoghurt and fruit (quite filling), a veggie stir fry with no noodles or a salad?

@DGFB

Those canteen lunches sound good and filling. Could you skip breakfast, have one of those lunches then something really light in the evenings? Such as 2% fat Greek yoghurt and fruit (quite filling), a veggie stir fry with no noodles or a salad?

Definitely.

I'm only in the office 2 days per week though.

The other 5 are trickier. I hardly get anytime for lunch on those days so would need to eat the yogurt/fruit for lunch and then god only knows for dinner...

I hate cooking

My maintenance calories are about 2,200 which is quite a lot.

OK but do you like beans? Lots of things you can do with beans!

Do you like cheese - halloumi? How about lentils? Quinoa?

As you don't like lots of things how about making a list of what you like and then search recipes? You can always subsitute things to make them healthier.

i would also say start to build muscle. You will then naturally burn more moving around etc. There is some great advice (from more knowledgeable) Mumsnetters in the exercise section.

Beans, cheese and lentils are all good.

My husband is a personal trainer with 20+ years experience and we have a strength training gym in our garage so no excuses there really except hating exercise with every atom of my body

I just don't like to discuss eating with him as we are so far apart that it makes me want to cry and starts to trigger my binge eating disorder...

My question would be what are you bingeing ok? What foods are being eaten regularly that have led to a six stone excess of weight? Then work backwards from there swapping stuff.

*on

Honestly eating the protein priority diet controls binge eating and appetite. I’ve literally no cravings. One woman lost 15lbs in the first week and there are vegan and vegetarian options too.