Overwhelmed with choice and information

[Knotty10]

So I really need to lose weight-at nearly 5 stone overweight I can’t fit in my clothes and feel very self conscious.
a few years ago I did slimming world and lost about 3 stone. Then put it all back on again and more. Went back but didn’t work for me the second time. Now I’ve read so much about different diets and I’m so sick of the dieting cycle that I don’t know what to do. I need to lose weight but don’t believe diets are the answer but I don’t know what is.
has anyone been in the same position and has any advice? I feel very down about my weight but overwhelmed with where to start without doing another diet which isn’t healthy. I would really appreciate any advice.

Calorie counting is the way forward, have a look at Team RH, the guy is a bit irritating but the concept is right. Good Luck

Well in a nutshell it’s diet and exercise you can’t get away from it. Calories in vs out but it’s complex calculation as your body will burn at different rates everyone is different….
bottom line make a lifestyle change

Thank you both- you’re absolutely right. IhateJan22 I’ll take a look at team rh.

I feel the same! Have 6st to loose and just overwhelmed with it. I did SW previously and lost the weight but then had a nasty accident and wasn't mobile for a long time and ate my way through recovery. That and pregnancy and I'm right back to square 1. I asked gp for referral to the weight management team, partly because I can't justify paying a subscription but need the accountability of weighing in with someone. Maybe an option?

@HappyJoyousFree I hadn’t thought of going to the gp. It’s all so complicated isn’t it? I want to be a good role model for my children and the diet cycle just seems so damaging. But so is carrying so much extra weight!

I would like to suggest something different. Try reading why we get fat and what to do about it by Gary Taubes and/or the Obesity Code by Dr Jason Fung. It's empowering to inform yourself about how your body works instead of being pulled this way and that by conflicting advice (usually based on making money from products or services - Slimming World would go bankrupt if it worked for everyone and no one needed to repeat the diet).

It's so hard. That's one of my worries, I don't want my boys to be impacted by my poor relationship with food. I don't know what's on offer in your area but near me they have what they call the specialist weight management team which consists of dietitian, psychologist, physiotherapist etc so might address/help with any underlying issues too. It's worth a try

Well your first mistake would be to "diet". 99.99% of overweight people owe it to poor lifestyle choices so the only long term way to rectify it is to make better choices and change the way you operate in regards to nutrition and exercise. Keys things it needs to be sustainable and enjoyable.

Make small changes over weeks and months and before long you will have done a 180 on former bad habits.

Diets don't work. It's all about changing your habits and making better choices over a long period of time. Losing weight isn't difficult if you don't rush it and accept it will take time.

Start by looking at what you're eating right now, and identifying areas you'd like to improve. Then pick the easiest one and stick with it for 3 weeks. I.e. eat 3 biscuits with your tea instead of 5, one less bag of crisps, one less sweet treat a day, add more veg to your plate, go for an extra walk on Tuesdays, etc. Pick ONE thing, something you'll find easy to stick to. Don't go cold turkey and make lots of changes, just change something small, but be consistent. Then after 3 weeks, add another change. And so on, and so forth.

It's better to take your time but only do it once, than go on another diet and be back where you started a few months or years down the line.

Thank you for taking the time to offer advice- I really appreciate it.
@OwlsDance I’m going to reflect on what you said and pick one thing to start.

You'll get loads of posters giving you quack advice on here and you will be even more overwhelmed than before. Have a look through the existing threads here and see if any fit for you.