Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Weight loss chat

A space to talk openly about weight loss journeys and challenges. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

I need to lose 3 stone, where do I start ?

33 replies

GeneLovesJezebel · 13/03/2022 21:03

Just done my BMI and I’m officially obese, need to lose 3 stone. Where on earth do I start ? I’m also peri menopause so have fat on my front and back.
I do two one hour classes of cardio/weights a week, plus walk the dog most days. With work and home I’ve no way to increase that.
Where do I start ?

OP posts:
DespairingHomeowner · 13/03/2022 21:16

You are doing enough exercise

Start by getting rid of obviously unhealthy foods in your house (food bank, freezer or bin)

Then make a healthy meal plan - around 1500 cals a day, balanced nutritious not processed food

Do that for a couple of weeks & make whatever adjustments are needed

TottersBlankly · 14/03/2022 07:38

Yes. First cut out processed food. And takeaways.

After that it’s all about eating habits. One slice of bread won’t make a huge difference to your weight - but if having bread in the house means a fridge and cupboards full of butter, cheese, jam, marmalade, honey, chocolate spread, peanut butter, - then you’re making your life harder. So cut out bread. And all the things that go with it.

And meat. Because planning meals around meat just encourages carbohydrate consumption.

Give up alcohol completely - tell yourself it’s for Lent. It’s not just the sugar - the alcohol increases appetite while at the same time decreasing the ability to make sensible decisions about huge tubs of crisps.

Also forget the existence of all fizzy drinks and all shop bought juices, smoothies, whatever. Replace with the best peppermint tea you can find and rink it all day. (No need to deprive yourself of your morning coffee!)

Do you have a regular veg box delivery? Do this if feasible, otherwise ‘manually’ increase your vegetable intake by a lot.

Pulses and beans won’t actually decrease your weight - but they require a change in cooking habits and fill you up.

Have nothing but EV olive oil in the house. No butter, margarine, other oils.

That all looks a bit scattered. But it really is about completely changing your habits for good - not ‘going on a diet’.

CannaBelieve · 14/03/2022 07:43

Sugar and carbs are the killers for me. Been going through menopause a few years now

Joints feel so creaky which doesn't help when buried under extra weight....so I end up avoiding exercise. I used to run marathons!

Tried slimming world style and protein shakes a. With some success but it's hard to shift any weight at all at this age and stage!

I've got saxenda pen now. So far so good. Not for everyone but I need a kick start

Justkeeppedaling · 14/03/2022 07:53

Use MyFitnessPal religiously, and make sure calories expended are greater than calories consumed.

DesertStorms · 14/03/2022 08:08

I’m in the same position . I know what to do, I do it for a few days of weeks, then I slip back. It’s particularly hard on holiday .
I need to do more exercise and give up alcohol .

coffeeiwish · 14/03/2022 08:13

Exercise sounds good.

Eat the rainbow to improve your micro biome.

www.theguardian.com/society/2021/jul/11/unlocking-the-gut-microbiome-and-its-massive-significance-to-our-health

Nishkin · 14/03/2022 08:14

@TottersBlankly sorry but that is an approach doomed to fail
I lost over 5 stones eating bread and peanut butter and takeaway every Saturday

@GeneLovesJezebel I would suggest small sustainable changes, only you know what they are as we don’t know your eating habits - are you eating when not actually hungry- if so can you identify why?

Do you eat mindlessly and therefore eat more than you need

You are doing brilliantly with exercise

GeneLovesJezebel · 14/03/2022 08:18

I don’t have take aways, so can’t cut that out !
The one bottle of Prosecco a week will have to go. So will the occasional bag of crisps.
I do get sugar and carb cravings, so going to have to try and manage that.
The tris that if I get hungry, I get cranky and can’t concentrate at work !
I’m going to try and drink 2 litres of water a day, and I’ll get some fruit tea bags today.

OP posts:
GeneLovesJezebel · 14/03/2022 08:21

[quote Nishkin]@TottersBlankly sorry but that is an approach doomed to fail
I lost over 5 stones eating bread and peanut butter and takeaway every Saturday

@GeneLovesJezebel I would suggest small sustainable changes, only you know what they are as we don’t know your eating habits - are you eating when not actually hungry- if so can you identify why?

Do you eat mindlessly and therefore eat more than you need

You are doing brilliantly with exercise[/quote]
I eat. Eat if I’m hungry, eat if I’m bored, eat because it’s coffee time.
I need to change my eating habits for the next part of my life, need to try and reduce my portion size.
The trouble is that I enjoy food !

OP posts:
TottersBlankly · 14/03/2022 08:21

TottersBlankly sorry but that is an approach doomed to fail

Well, clearly not, or I wouldn’t be recommending it!

Nishkin · 14/03/2022 08:21

Water intake is a good start!

GeneLovesJezebel · 14/03/2022 08:22

Thank you about the exercise, I’m going to try and keep doing my classes until I literally can’t physically get there any more !
I know weights are good for bones at my age.

OP posts:
CannaBelieve · 14/03/2022 08:27

Too much exercise has opposite effect and I end up so hungry!

DespairingHomeowner · 14/03/2022 08:27

@TottersBlankly

TottersBlankly sorry but that is an approach doomed to fail

Well, clearly not, or I wouldn’t be recommending it!

I think @TottersBlankly is spot on

OP: I have lost 25 pounds (so nearly 2 stone) since Xmas with this approach: it has not been hard and it has been v healthy indeed

Focusing on your health will also help you stick to it … I’m recovering from Covid which has knocked me for 6 but am really keen to get back to my healthy unprocessed foods: because I’ve been feeling so well on them

GeneLovesJezebel · 14/03/2022 08:29

@CannaBelieve

Too much exercise has opposite effect and I end up so hungry!
I agree to that ! I’m always ravenous after a class.
OP posts:
Nishkin · 14/03/2022 08:31

@DespairingHomeowner so you have kept the weight off for 3 months……

Nishkin · 14/03/2022 08:33

TottersBlankly sorry but that is an approach doomed to fail*

Well, clearly not, or I wouldn’t be recommending it!

On what basis do you say it is successful

JesusMaryAndJosephAndTheWeeDon · 14/03/2022 08:36

Read Dr Andrew Jenkinson's book "Why we eat (too much)" before you go any further. Most diets are not sustainable and eventually result.in weight gain. You need a more long term approach.

DespairingHomeowner · 14/03/2022 08:36

[quote Nishkin]@DespairingHomeowner so you have kept the weight off for 3 months……[/quote]
I lost weight like this about 15 years ago & kept it off for a decade. Gained weight on bread/processed food when working long hours so now reverting to old & successful ways

What’s your big idea @Nishkin?

DespairingHomeowner · 14/03/2022 08:37

@JesusMaryAndJosephAndTheWeeDon

Read Dr Andrew Jenkinson's book "Why we eat (too much)" before you go any further. Most diets are not sustainable and eventually result.in weight gain. You need a more long term approach.
^ very much agree with this!
Nishkin · 14/03/2022 08:42

Small sustainable changes that gather momentum over time. I now rarely eat carbs, and drink alcohol only occasionally.

My diet is much less based on processed food that when I started to lose weight.

What I think is an issue is when people decide to cut out this, that and the other -at the same time- leads to diet mentality and quite frankly fucks with peoples heads. Why do you think the diet industry is so profitable.

What works for one person will not work for another, so every individual has to make sustainable changes that work for them.

HomeHomeInTheRange · 14/03/2022 08:43

Think in regards of adjusting towards healthier eating, rather than ‘going in a diet’, and aim for 1lb a week loss.

I ate a modest but filling breakfast (two or 3 spoonfuls of granola mixed with oat bran, a spoonful of Greek yogurt and plenty of frozen blueberries)
Lunch: one slice of whole meal toast with some protein (cottage cheese, baked beans, egg, ham, sardines etc) and loads of salad. I made salads from shredded white or red cabbage with shredded carrots and dressings with lime juice and ginger etc, as eating lots of salad leaves can get expensive)

A snack that isn’t over the top.

Regular dinner but go very easy on the pasta, rice etc, and add extra veg.

Cut out uncontrolled snacking, cut out ‘empty calories’ (alcohol, haribo etc).

Emphasise weights / weight bearing exercise.

Once you get into the swing of it slow and steady weight loss will cheer you on!

Scorchedterf · 14/03/2022 08:43

I have done everything TottersBlankly recomends and I have lost 3 stone and so far kept it off.

Losing weight requires change, there is no magic bullet.
I have reduced portion size, weigh rice and pasta before cooking it, and 70 grams of rice or pasta looks tiny at first but you get used to it. I don’t drink my calories, so no alcohol, lattes or fizzy drinks. And no snacks. It’s actually really easy. I also listened to Paul Mackenna . Hypnotic Gastric Band. Which really helped with the will power.

TottersBlankly · 14/03/2022 08:46

@Nishkin

TottersBlankly sorry but that is an approach doomed to fail*

Well, clearly not, or I wouldn’t be recommending it!

On what basis do you say it is successful

Did you mean to be so … pointlessly aggressive?

Or do you imagine I will give up eating in a way that suits me because someone on the Internet is rude?

There are countless diet books advocating very similar approaches to mine.

Nishkin · 14/03/2022 08:48

I am sure there are countless diet books - because their authors want to make money…..

Swipe left for the next trending thread