How to eat normally, not diet, eat a few treats but still lose weight?!

[mumof1littlebun]

I know it's simply a case of calories in versus calories out but I'm very all or nothing. Either very 'good' or very 'bad' I don't want to go on a particular diet and want to enjoy some treats now and then but can't seem to get a good balance!

Has anyone managed to achieve this and if so how?!

Yes, it just takes discipline. Look at calories over a 3 day or week, rather than day by day with a. Vague consideration of how many you're eating. But be accurate. Don't guess. You'll be eating tons more than you think if you don't count the squirt of ketchup or the food you hoover off the kids plates! Eat a high protein diet 80% of the time. Avoid alcohol. Make sure you hardly consume any calories from drinks. Oh and run like a freak.. 4 to 5 runs a week totally 50k approx. Chuck some strength and cross training in there. Drink water like there's no tomorrow.

These things all work for me! Like I said, there isn't any magic solution. It takes effort and discipline but you CAN still enjoy nice food and social occasions. Just be good the rest of the time. Not good, actually, freaking awesome.

Do you think you have to count calories? It's not something I want to get into!

No, I hate that too but historically have found when I want to lose weight effectively tracking/weighing everything i eat is the absolute best way without resorting to a more restrictive diet of when you can eat or what you can eat. I always used My Fitness Pal. Having done this extensively in the past I now have such an inbuilt knowledge of calorie content that I can do it subconsciously. I no longer need to lose weight and my focus these days is fuelling my body and being strong and nourished but the basic science of calories in and calories out will always apply, it's just more subconscious these days. The sad fact is that most people are consuming too many calories and year on year are getting bigger and bigger. Work out what calories you need to consume and try My Fitness Pal for a week or two (Alongside no alcohol, massive water increase and exercise increase) you may just find it works for you and then once you get used to that level of consumption you can probably maintain it without strict tracking.

I find doing the 8:16 type fasting works for this. Small lunch at 12 normal meal around 7. Snack on fruit and yoghurt. I don’t calorie count I just know not to stuff myself. And yes exercise

But it’s not simply calories in, calories out.

Yes calories count but also where they come from counts hugely. If you eat mostly whole food, made at home and the occasional treat whilst counting calories, you’ll be successful.

Good luck op!

You definitely have to count calories ime

There's a group of us swearing by 5:2 on the weight loss boards... you calorie count 2-3 days a week and eat what you like the other 4-5 days.

I don't keep anything in the house that I know might test my addictive nature if I get started on it. For example, I might have an unopened packet of biscuits for weeks, but once opened that's it. Solution: I don't buy biscuits but will always have one when offered at someone else's house. And yes, buy them for visitors. I'm a recovering alcoholic of many years so that's alcohol sorted too 😀. I focus my shop on vegetables, eggs, lentils, yogurt, fruit, cheeses - I just know what will keep me where I want to be weight wise, having lost 3.5 stone when I was 20, over 30 years ago.

I've not been long diagnosed as t2 diabetic so I'm doing low carb (but no carb) I did watch a TED talk or two and one Dr who was diabetic herself and an endocrinologist said, "eat low carb and have protein for breakfast" that's what I'm doing.

Due to arthritis in every joint exercise is out. I also drink too much alcohol, but it is one thing at a time.

In 8 weeks I have lost 4Kg.

I'm not hungry and I'm not skimping, yesterday's dinner was chicken in a mustard, mushroom and cream sauce with sprouts and broccoli.

Breakfast this morning was yoghurt and 2 hard boiled eggs.

For snacks I have nuts or a babybel or slice of boiled ham.

Even if you don't want to count calories - and who can blame you....... it's boring - keeping a food diary helps. Looking at mine I can tell that yesterday I consumed an average level of food, the day before I indulged somewhat, and the day before I ate way less than would be realistically sustainable.

I try to eat more consistently, but sometimes life intervenes (such as a lunch with friend and a pint with my son on the middle day above), and if I'm aware of this I can take corrective sction, i.e. eat less some days to compensate for indulgences.

Also, keeping to a 16:8 schedule definitely helps. Plus the usual, such as not drinking calories, cutting out sugar, keeping an eye on fats and limiting carbs.

I've calorie counted and done slimming world before so I know what I can and can't eat and roughly calories in foods off the top of my head so I find I can lose without logging anymore. Unless you've done these things, you should really start by logging it all for a few weeks to get an idea of your intake and what's in what foods.

I've had a few weeks off (I'm around my goal weight anyway) and gained 4lb. A week of eating foods I know leaves me in a calorie deficit and its dropped off. I've still had wine and pizza but I've factored everything else in with that.

You say "treats now and then" - this is the hard part to achieve IME. If you don't want to calorie count, could you put rules around the treats? Eg only when you're out of the house or only on a Saturday?

Well of you only have 1500 calories a day, whether from Mars bars or home made pasta and sauce.... It's still 1500 calories.

You'll lose weight regardless of where the calories come from.

You'd be fucking hungry if you only ate Mars bars, bit you'd still lose weight.

Do lots of exercise.

I think calorie counting temporarily is sensible. We have a warped idea of calories these days, especially portion sizes and cooking methods so we can be consuming masses of extra calories. It's defo possible to just eat sensibly without dieting etc once you've grasped a normal amount that you should be eating

I honestly think the best way if you want t eat what you like but still lose weight is to calorie count using an app. I find that if I use an app and calorie count I can easily eat 2000 calories a day which is a lot of food and I'm not hungry and I lose weight which leads me to conclude that without the app I am regularly eating well over the 2000 calorie mark. Counting the calories is just a way of being mindful of how much you are eating and its much easier today with apps doing most of the work.

I don't count calories. I can lose weight like this, it's just slower but feels more sustainable. I approach it as a healthy lifestyle change rather than diet and I think that helps. For me it's been things like not having biscuits with every cup of tea I have, (and I drink a lot of tea so that's saved me some right there!), reducing portions and trying to eat more veg with more meals etc, reducing evening snacking and I don't drink a lot of alcohol. I'm currently working on not feeling the need for a sweet treat after lunch/in the afternoon every day. This works much better for me. It stops me from depriving myself and then binging later and also allows me to eat enough to feel good out running, the days I have consciously eaten less I usually end up feeling awful if I exercise. I try to keep it balanced basically and focus on making healthier choices but not feeling bad about myself if I have some off days.

I think this has been pretty much proven to not work to lose weight perhaps more for men or for some very lucky women it works but for most exercise without calorie defict isn't going to do much and will possible lead to eating more not less.

Exercise is important for your mental and physical health, getting out for a walk daily, doing some yoga for flexability and strength training will build muscle mass which will in turn speed up your metabolisim but exercise alone isn't the answer for most women its calorie defict.

Portion size! Put less on your plate (or use a smaller plate), enjoy the taste but don’t eat till you are stuffed. This plus using Nutracheck App linked to my Fitbit watch to monitor calories in/out keeps me on track.

You don't have to count calories militantly but you should at least be aware of them, that way you can make swaps that will really help you. For example I have swapped the ice cream I was buying, nearly 700 calories a portion, to one that has around 100. I still get to eat ice cream but I have to accept that it is not my liberty to eat 700 calories in one tiny snack and maintain a healthy weight. If you like a particular chocolate can you swap from, for example, double twixes to single twixes? If you can examine your diet and make changes like this the calories saved will add up and no food is forbidden. If you ban certain foods then you will just end up feeling miserable, you just need to work out reasonable amounts of them to eat.

You should also look at portion sizes. Turns out I was eating twice the recommended portion size of wedges, as per the packet. I measure out the portion, add veggies to the vacant plate space and I've got a healthier meal and again nothing has been banned.

You may also want to consider enlisting the help of a dietician if you are not confident to assess your diet on your own. It's very easy to put your head in the sand and mark your own homework by saying that everything's fine when actually it may not be.

Intermittent fasting. I've recently got back into it and keeping to 8 hour eating window and 16 hours fasting is really helping me avoid snacking and having those extras that easily add hundreds of calories. At the same time I'm not cutting out anything completely but am trying to focus on protein and veg.

I agree that you have to have an idea of how many calories you’re eating so you don’t accidentally eat too big portions. I only weigh pasta/rice/cous cous type carbs and focus on eating meals based around veg and lean protein. I usually have two snacks a day of about 100-150 cals each. I don’t feel like I’m depriving myself or spending a lot of time thinking about calories etc.

I’d have a week or two where you weigh and measure everything you eat to give you a good idea about what you’re eating now and what a portion should look like.

Exercise is helpful in maintaining a healthy weight and is really good for your general health.

Go for nutritious calories, they fill you up and your body uses them in different ways. If you ate 500 calories of refined sugar and if you ate 500 calories of raw fruit and veg your body would use them totally differently.

It's not calories in/calories out really, it's more nuanced than that.

Start gradually replacing everything in your die that isn't nutritious with things that are. Streamline your diet until it's a healthful one.

Then treats won't matter, they won't add weight because your body will be operating optimally.

I won't start telling you what's nutritious and what isn't because everyone will have a different view. Read a few books on it. Also on the gut, there is a book called GUT that will help.

Once your gut is healthy you will be healthy and your body will work properly and that helps to being optimal weight.

I don't think you have to count anything. I've lost 3 stone via making healthy choices.

I typically eat

B: fruit, Greek yoghurt, seeds.
L: avocado tomatoes and eggs on toast.
D: Turkey mince chilli/ veggie burgers and homemade sweet potato wedges/ chicken rice and brocolli etc.

Then I more often than not have a treat in the evening and a biscuit with my coffee.

Just limit eating processed food and do some more walking!

I've never counted calories in my life, and find losing weight quite easy once I make my mind up to start. I simply eat a bit less, and try to avoid eating between meals. I also walk a lot, and I'm trying to cut back on sugar.