What're little things you did to lose weight, and what's the best scales?

[cactussmack]

I 23F gained weight over the pandemic and I am now my heaviest (17 stone 160cm). Most of my friends are slim, active, and thriving in their physical life. I feel like as I am also in my twenties this is where I should be too, not obese!

In January and February I joined the gym with one of my friends and she was great, there was no excuses or quitting. I went on holiday and caught a cold that wiped me out for a good two weeks and after recovering from the holiday blues and cold, I felt so fatigued and lost interest in the gym. I noticed straight away the effects and how all the work I put in was now reversed. I felt fatigued, my fitness levels decreased, and I gained one stone.

I'm going on holiday shortly and I've just bought a bikini for the first time since I was a child. I know I'm not going to be a slim bunny walking around the place but I at least want to feel confident within myself and comfortable wearing it.

I've decided that I am going to go back to the gym with my friend (who still goes) and try get my old routine back for me. Back then I calorie counted but this made me obsessive with my food choices and I remember chewing a bun once only to spit it back out because I felt guilty (it was 99 calories). I will try calorie counting again but I know for my own sanity it doesn't work for me doing it full time. The first 4 weeks aren't going to be focused on weight loss but more so building that routine and finding out what works for me best.

Have you any tips for weight lose? What are the little things you did to lose weight that helped? I find I'm lazy when it comes to making lunches and go straight for a Tesco Meal Deal or wrap at the cafe next door to my work. What are some quick easy lunches you love? I want to know it all!

Also scales. My scales is an smart electronic scales from Amazon that is a mare. Your weight can change depending on the room and way the scales is placed. There's scales at my gym but I would feel really awkward as they're right by the entrance and I would love to go to the scales in pharmacies but again they're so public I would feel a bit embarrassed if someone I knew seen me. What are the best at home scales? How often do you weigh yourself?

I have 8 weeks until my holiday. 8 weeks to build a routine. 8 weeks to feel less fatigued and more confident. I'd love to shed some pounds too but that'll only be a benefit, I'm trying not to pressure myself!

I am doing WW but little things like not necessarily having snacks at the cinema and copying my friend in terms of having just a coffee or coffees or if I am indulging having things that are easy to point such as Greggs donuts. Before this time I could happily indulge in a larger popcorn and other sweet snacks now I am much more used to just having coffee and no snacks. It doesn’t sound like much but it does make a difference for me.

Don't do lots of cardio and expect to loose weight. In my experience it just makes your hungrier and you eat more to compensate. Exercise wise switch to exercises which focus on building muscle as you burn calories both during and after exercising.

I like to incorporate a fried lentil/refried bean/brown rice dish with my dinner. By reheating these carbs you reduce the glucose and it is also a good thing to have the left overs as an accompaniment to salad the next day for lunch. I often fry brown rice (normally the tilda microwave ones) with garlic, pine nuts, cinnamon and paprika and have this with chicken or fish and some veg.

Also I recommend making your own saukercrat, this is super easy (look up a recipe online) really tasty and great for your gut bacteria and helps with weight loss. It takes around 30 minutes to make a litre kilner jar, 4 weeks fermenting and then lasts for months in your fridge. Again lovely to have with salads.

I wholly disagree that low carb or keto aged 23 is a good idea. You are building your bones still!

I would look to REALLY dial in your nutrition. Educate yourself about what vitamins and minerals your body needs. Try and have 3 regular meal times, only a couple of snacks, and try not to pick in the evenings. If you want to lose weight opt for a very slight calorie deficit. Eat healthy fats, moderate cheese, try and cut back on refined carbs and replace with complex carbs, and added sugar (be 80% good), alcohol is also one to watch as it has a lot of sugar. Eat enough veggies. You need to look at it as long term building foundations.

Intermittent Fasting is your friend! I've lost 4 stone this calendar year using OMAD.

@Bubbles254 100% agree with you on the cabbage but I'm mystified by the idea of a litre jar lasting months. Not from a food safety point of view but that it's only a few portions.

We don't keep ours in the fridge. We make about 180 jars when the cabbages are in season and keep them in the pantry for the rest of the year. Although buying it in 5Kg bags or buckets is so cheap it's almost not worth it.

If you're preserving food and going for good gut health you might want to also brine cucumbers and make preserved beetroot.

The 1st time I lost weight, I lost nearly 2 stone (for my wedding) by walking everywhere ( even on my lunch break at work) swimming twice a week and cutting out sugar during the week. I lost it pretty quickly (2 months)
I kept it off too, until after the birth of our 1st dc where I put on 2 stone.
I eventually lost the baby weight by intermittent fasting 16:8. I found the first few days abit hard, then it became easier. I still ate carbs, the only thing I cut out was sugar again (during the week) Lost just over 2 stone in 3 months this way.

@ChadCMulligan I guess it depends how much you eat! Mine is pretty tighly packed in the jar so at a tablespoon a day it will last a couple of months.

Just have smaller portions, one less potato on your plate a few less chips, cook a bit less pasta and do a bit more veg, have a small slice of cake. Enjoy a bit of everything you like, just a bit less. Try making your own sandwiches for lunch, but not a heap of them!

Scales often need resetting when you move them, step on and off again and make sure the reading goes to zero (the zero can drift with time and when you physically move them) then get back on and weigh yourself. Most digital scales should be pretty good if you do this.

'The first 4 weeks aren't going to be focused on weight loss but more so building that routine and finding out what works for me best.'

Really smart - build up that routine. Remind yourself that it can be really tough at first but stick with it

Agree with others that nutrition is the main driver for weight loss / maintenance. The really important thing is PREPARATION. I write a meal plan every weekend for the week ahead - breakfast, lunch, dinner - and then do a grocery shop for what I need. Ideally you should never be standing in the kitchen, feeling starving but with no idea what to eat. Making lunches and taking with you is a much better idea that having to grab stuff while you're out.

I don't weigh myself and I don't count calories. I do count my plant based foods and aim for 30 different types every week - this includes fruit, veg, nuts, seeds, wholegrains and beans / pulses / lentils. Also count sleep (aim for 8-9 hours every night) and water (2-3 litres every day. It all takes a lot of planning and discipline but it's so worth it!