Ive realised a few really obvious things.

[ShitIforgothelves]

There's no quick fix.
You have to stick at it.
It's really hard.
Any "diet" is basically calorie counting done in a different way.
It takes ages.
If you fall off the wagon you have to get straight back on it.
Exercise makes you feel great.

I'm sure all this is blindingly obvious to everyone else but the amount of times I've tried "quick fixes" to lose weight and given up after a few weeks.

My new years resolution is no quick fixes and no paying out for any "miracle" diets!

If I really want to lose weight I have to eat better, that's all there is to it!!

@bakewellbride If you don't eat meat, fish, egg or dairy then how do you get protein into your diet? I'm trying to eat 100g protein a day and can only manage this with e.g. eggs (breakfast), chicken/fish/beef (lunch and dinner) and protein yoghurts/powder for snacks.

@theriseandfallofFranklinSaint vegan yoghurt, oat milk, nutritional yeast, chickpeas, chickpea rice, nuts, nut butters, beans, certain vegetables, tofu, loads of other things but I won't bore you with my endless list! Absolutely loads of things. My protein levels are really good.

I love this thinking! I’m currently 6lbs down by tracking my calorie intake and upping the amount of fibre I eat and, by some miracle, haven’t gained over Xmas. I needed a boost to do some exercise today and this statement really resonates.

You are right op. Before Christmas I lost 2 stone using the free nhs weight loss app, I couldn't face going back to weight watchers or slimming world as A I'm busy and couldn't commit to a time slot and B I didn't want to have to spend that much money for someone to tell me I've lost weight/put on weight etc. the NHS app is simply calorie counting and logging it. I find I start to lose my way if I don't log my calorie intake. I decided that over Christmas I would just eat exactly what I wanted and I have done. I've eaten lots of cheese, chocolate and bread and feel absolutely shit! I'm bloated and tired. I had way more energy when I made the right choices about what I was eating and choosing healthy filling foods.

Well done- that is brilliant progress

Thank you! It’s been steady and slow - I started end of Oct. But I’m also early 50s and menopausal and on HRT, so I’m realistic about how long it might take. As OP says, there is no quick fix. Well, there is, in the form of injections and tablets etc, but already we’re seeing the downside of what happens when people stop taking them. I’m happier to plod along with less risk of regaining.

I'm clearing the cupboards today and throwing out the last remaining xmas chocolate and biscuits. It feels a hard thing to do because I was brought up not to waste food and chucking stuff out rather than eating it seems in some way sinful.
I've had a year of enjoying regular exercise as a mood boost (and gaining a new group of like minded supportive friends as well) and I'm definitely more toned, but emotional eating due to bereavement means my weight has increased and my knee joints are suffering as a consequence.
So today I'm brewing up the last batch of turkey and veg soup, clearing temptation from the cupboards, and starting to log stuff on my app. If I bite it I need to log it!

Being healthy doesn't HAVE to be 'really hard', it can also be a pleasure.

I think there are very few people who don't find it hard. If that were not the case, far fewer people would be overweight. Imo what makes it hard is not that healthy food isn't delicious. It's that unhealthy food is also delicious, but often also cheaper, more convenient, ubiquitous and often requires less preparation.

Unfortunately, whether they call it a diet or a lifestyle change, almost everyone fails to lose weight and keep it off long-term.

Who doesn’t like being healthy? I do! Doesn’t mean it isn’t hard though, blame UPF and sugar addictions. I like healthy food and it tastes great but it’s a skill to make it taste nice and can be more expensive than easy cheap quick foods

I finally realised that losing weight is a by product of an overall healthy lifestyle. And a healthy lifestyle is something within my control, I can aim for more good choices in a day and know when I've succeded. I recommend Atomic Habits by James Clear to help make tiny changes, both in thinking and doing, that add up. I've lost almost 3 stone and kept it off for 3 years now as a result.

@AllProperTeaIsTheft the reason it usually fails is a failure to long term plan. People really do assume once you hit your goal you will magically stay there without much effort. Then suddenly you go back to eating a few thousand calories a day. It’s probably going to be a lifetime of being mindful, forever, to maintain a weight with effort

I think this is an unhealthy way of looking at food, unless you're eating out all the time. There's no reason why you couldn't eat what was provided for you, it's not going to derail your whole weight loss journey.

For me it is knowing that urge to eat snacks/junk/when I am not hungry will pass. It is not a choice to indulge or to experience wanting forever. I just need to ride the wave if the urge.

@Menora I think that's why Slimming World and the like get a bad name but it's a way of life. As with all diets, it involves control and eating less of high fat foods and as soon as you start eating them again of course you'll pile the weight back on! (Guilty as charged over here so no judgement!) when people say 'eating less', that is true but it's a choice. You can have a massive salad with chicken which seems like a lot or a doughnut, which isn't a lot but it's the calories and essentially any diet is the same! I'm guilty of going off in search of quick fixes and restricting certain food groups but it's very simple when it boils down to it. Doing it is another matter... if you're not in the right mindset then it won't happen

@xyz111 this week I have been to 2 things and one was just domino’s pizza and the other was just very calorie laden burger and fries. There were no other options. To eat these as a meal would have been my entire daily calorie allowance in one single meal (twice in a week, at Xmas) and I still would have been hungry later and having had gallbladder issues before, it bothers me. It is eating these things that made me obese in the first place. It’s ok if I don’t want to eat greasy, ultra processed foods as part of my diet. I am actively still losing weight so I am not at the point where this is part of my normal diet and I am not sure I want it to be. If I don’t eat at McDonalds again, I’m ok with that now. If it’s a restaurant where I get to choose the food that’s fine, or a buffet I can make choices but this was you know, 2 takeaways laid out with no other options available. Having some control of your food intake is ok, as long as you aren’t being extreme. Not wanting to eat pizza or burgers is ok.

I lost 3 stone and have kept it off for 3 years.

Once I had gone cold turkey on my worst habits (uncontrolled unhealthy snacks, lots of toast, chocolate, biscuits) which took about 4 days, I relied on readjusting my diet.

In with a sustaining healthier breakfast (blueberries - frozen - plain Greek yogurt, a spoonful of high protein / low sugar granola). Lunch: one slice of wholemeal toast with a poached egg / sardines / avocado plus salad or veg soup or similar. I made salads from shredded red cabbage and carrots with a ginger and lemon juice dressing, cheap and filling.

One snack in the afternoon, planned, e.g an apple, or two oat biscuits and a thin layer of cream cheese, or a mug of cocoa made with cocoa powder (not hot choc) and half a spoon of sugar) , carrot batons and 30g of cheese.

Dinner: normal dinner but smaller portions of carbs, lots of veg. I started eating half a pizza with salad instead of a whole pizza with dough balls. Lean protein (I like chicken thighs with the skin off, fish, chick pea curries, etc)

Appetite adjusted fairly quickly. Lost about 1lb a week. Felt healthier and incredibly pleased with my success in seeing steady weightloss. Enjoyed the feeling that I was treating my body better. Chose foods I enjoyed. I did have loads of big lapses but just carried on with healthier eating the next meal / day.

Maintenance has been easy because the new lifestyle is easy. I eat more at lunch now (e.g another slice of toast, or a packet of crisps) and am relaxed about ‘celebration’ eating. (From cake with a friend to indulgent Christmas). I don’t think in terms of ‘treats’, all my food is enjoyable and the idea of a treat sets up a holy grail in my mind that must be pursued. I don’t eat snacks, except mid afternoon healthy snack.

@BrimfulOfMash that is really inspiring- thank you!