Losing weight when you have to live a sedentary lifestyle

[Mama2345678910]

Currently 13stone, would like to be able to maintain 11stone like I have in the past. Due to health issues I can't use a gym. Can't even walk long distances and have a blue badge, so I need to figure this out through diet. I'm considering trying intermittent fasting. I cook dinner every day for my family so I'm thinking I could eat a meal once a day with them at around 5.30pm, and I'd need a coffee in the morning before the school run.

I'd really appreciate any advice from people who have tried intermittent fasting or from people who are also unable to exercise much. Thanks!

Exercise makes very little difference to weight loss anyway, so don't fret!

I couldn't manage fasting but am doing well on 3 meals a day of mainly protein and veg and fruit, with one evening a week when I can eat whatever I like.

Good luck.

At least 80% of weight loss is diet, if not more so don't panic.

I had a bed bound patient who told me she was determined to lose weight. Being honest, I didn't think she would get anywhere - you could have knocked me over when she sent me her progress photos, she'd only gone and lost stones!

Thankyou both. I'm considering the fasting method because in a way I think it will be easier to not eat and tell myself I'm eating later than to try and figure out calories for 3 meals a day. You've both been really reassuring.

I have blue badges too and am completely sedentary. I'm tiny (40kg) demonstrating it's definitely about calories in as I struggle to eat due to a medical condition. You will probably need fewer calories than you think though. I know exactly how many calories it takes to maintain (I'm 162cm and it's 1200) because I'm currently tube fed.

I'm in same boat. I've been following Slimming World pages on FB and am seriously considering joining this week. You have an advantage over me wherein i can't cook as in chop veg, lift pans etc but if you can and enjoy cooking the FB page is full of wonderful recipes and lovely people eho are hrlpful and non-judgemental. And you have the choice of joining a group locally or doing it all online. I think there may be threads on it here too. I guess everyone is different and you just have to find a plan that you can maintain. Think of it as a lifestyle change with meals that all the family can eat, rather than having to eat something different and feeling like you are missing out. Good luck

Personally I think fasting the way you plan is unsustainable.

Having a healthy breakfast that keeps you going eg porridge or overnight oats is going to be easier.

I found low carbing an easy way to go when cooking meals for everyone - make healthy meal, just don't have the potatoes or rice. It was pretty much the end of pasta though.

I eat twice a day, lunch and tea, so probably fast for about 17/18 hours.

I've lost around 24/25 pounds in the last year.

It's not fast but I have no time to exercise.

I am disabled and put on weight doing 20/4 and 16/8 fasting but lost weight really sustainably following SW. I couldn't believe it would work but it did. Fasting can be a stressor to your body and didn't work for me, perhaps because I've had periods of being unable to eat due to illness so these 'fasting' periods taught my body to hang onto weight.

Thanks for all responses. Standing for long periods of time is an issue for me when cooking but I can chop things and lift pans so I am fortunate in that way. Agree that eating breakfast to keep me going is probably more sustainable. And I did consider cutting out carbs or slimming world but I would still have to cook my family something else with carbs which would be a real test of my willpower.

Will update in a couple of weeks hopefully after figuring out something and losing a few pounds🤞this has really encouraged me to think it's possible without lots of exercise at least.