I need to lose 2 stone - help me

[professionalcockney]

Help me m, I've tried every diet... apart from sticking to it!

Try Fast 800.

Yep, fast 800 has worked for me (not completely strict) and nearly 4 stone down now. Good luck you can do it.

Is it easy?

I recommend reading 'Why we eat (too much)' by Andrew Jenkinson and following the principles in that.

It's reasonably easy and involves cutting out/minimising processed and refined foods. There's no calorie counting or fasting, and you can have unrefined carbs such as potatoes.

I've lost over 3 stone since the start of the year.

Thank you for answering.

I am up relatively early today with the intention to do a massive food shop of good healthy food.

I am away for 2 days over Christmas but everything else is in my control! No Christmas parties, no get together a planned. It's my responsibility.

Don't diet! Before you eat anything ask yourself is it nourishing your body and actually good for you? I do that 80 percent of the time..obvs enjoy chocolate and dont deprive myself but only allow myself so much. Wine is my downfall! But I just dont even enjoy any kind of burgers, processed white bread, deep fried things because I just imagine all the fat in them clogging around my body and it really puts me off. Healthy food doesnt have to be boring... do lots of lovely tray baked vegetables with garlic and spices, blueberries and raspberries with greek yogurt for breakfast..all filling and healthy xx you can do it!

Thank you. I am off to the shops now to fill the fridge with good stuff

I have found Fast 800 really easy. I've lost 18 pounds in 12 weeks. First week was a bit challenging, day 3 I didn't enjoy at all but after that it's been really good. The weirdest thing is that I've had mental clarity. I used to constantly feel sluggish, groggy and tired, had a real slump in the afternoon. Now I feel clear and wide awake. It's nice.
I'm moving onto 5:2 next week and I'm happy to keep going.
Tried lots of diets before, this one feels life changing.
My blood sugar is back to where it should be and I'm more energetic.

@MartyHart

I have found Fast 800 really easy. I've lost 18 pounds in 12 weeks. First week was a bit challenging, day 3 I didn't enjoy at all but after that it's been really good. The weirdest thing is that I've had mental clarity. I used to constantly feel sluggish, groggy and tired, had a real slump in the afternoon. Now I feel clear and wide awake. It's nice. I'm moving onto 5:2 next week and I'm happy to keep going. Tried lots of diets before, this one feels life changing. My blood sugar is back to where it should be and I'm more energetic.

I'm tempted by the fast800 but do quite a bit of exercise.. do you exercise and if so how do you manage on 800 cal?

I haven't been exercising since I started apart from a bit of walking. It does tell you not to run marathons but suggests slowly building up walking and/or doing some strength training.
I'm planning to ramp up the exercise when I move on to 5:2.
I did do more before I started but decided to prioritise the eating plan as it was only for 12 weeks. It's not recommended to do it for longer.

I've found out this morning that I've lost a stone. I've not changed my diet at all but got a dog a couple of months ago which means I'm now out walking 3 times a day. I also do a hiit exercise class at home usually twice a week

What do you eat on a typical day of Fast800?

@Sea62648

I've found out this morning that I've lost a stone. I've not changed my diet at all but got a dog a couple of months ago which means I'm now out walking 3 times a day. I also do a hiit exercise class at home usually twice a week

Walking is great!

My blood sugar is back to where it should be and I'm more energetic

How do you know about your blood sugar? Is it a good idea to buy test kits from Boots or something to monitor it?

I had my blood tested at my gp surgery. I'm not in the UK, doctors are seeing patients here.

Typical day of Fast 800 for me.

No breakfast, I don't eat it because I'm not hungry in the morning but find if I eat something I am ravenous.

12 noonish Lunch
Bacon and scrambled eggs/Philadelphia and smoked salmon on 6 TUC biscuits/mushroom omelette.
I have salad with these if I want some.

Dinner- salmon fillet, Baked Halloumi ratatouille, chicken breast with garlic and herb Philadelphia inside wrapped in Parma ham, slow cooker stuffed peppers, various other recipes from the fast 800 cookbook. Serve with veg of your choice- we quite often have carrot and swede mash, baked Mediterranean veg like aubergine, peppers, onions, courgettes. Or we have a salad with it or sometimes a bit of both.
In the evening no later than 9pm I have a bowl of full fat greek yogurt with a few tinned mandarins on top maybe an apple.
Then no food till lunch the next day.
I used to have a sweet, milky coffee in the morning but I've stopped after reading how it was setting me up for a bad day of hunger and weird blood sugar.
I drink tea with a splash of milk (decided I wasn't prepared to stop having that) and drink lots of my homemade fruit ice tea.
I've found it pretty easy because it was only 12 weeks so could just keep telling myself it's not long.
I haven't been strict about 800 calories but I don't care because I've lost weight.
Honestly I didn't imagine it would go well, I thought I would last less than a week.

I had my blood tested at my gp surgery. I'm not in the UK, doctors are seeing patients here

Doctors are seeing patients here. I’ve just not come across the idea of monitoring blood sugar before for weight loss.

Were you fasted? Or just a random fingerprick? Unless it’s fairly continuous monitoring or a fasted blood test then I’m interested to know how it works.

I could get a kit from boots easily enough and do it myself, save traipsing to the GP. But surely the result will change depending on how long ago you’e eaten and what you’ve eaten, so it would need to be a fasted test?

I joined slimming world, I don't really follow it religously but thus is what I do, and I've lost 1st 5lbs in 2 months. I have the same breakfast every day as I can't be faffing on a morning which is porridge made with oats cinnamon nutmeg milk and a banana. Lunch is something light like ryvita and cottage cheese and I focus all my energies on a really nice tea from either the slimming world books or a pinch of nom. I've cut out all midweek drinking and snacking, but if we go out on a weekend I have whatever I want. Oh and I go get weighed at SW every week which helps me keep on track.

Thank you for sharing all your tips with me.

I did a big healthy shop with lots of fruit and vegetables and will plan tomorrow's meals now.

I've had no crisps this weekend which is a big start for me. I was eating 2-3 bags a day 😳

One meal a day - it's so easy and you don't have to restrict any foods/food groups. Have lost 2.5 stone and kept it off. I just eat a normal dinner each day and otherwise stick to water/tea. Sometimes fruit around 3pm if I feel hungry. I relax it a bit at the weekend.

@Nomoreusernames1244
Sorry I understood most people were having trouble accessing gp appointments for routine stuff.
I had a blood test before I started which made my doctor concerned as she said it was showing pre-diabetes changes.
I've had another test after 8 weeks as she wanted to check it again and it was normal.
I had the usual bloods taken, checking thyroid, liver function, cholesterol and iron vitamin levels etc.
Yes it was a fasting test first thing in the morning.
I have no idea if you should buy a kit from the chemist I've never used one.