If you've lost weight...

[Caniaskyousomething]

...how did you do it?!
I've read various books on nutrition/diets and I think as a result, I've bamboozled my brain and I have no idea what might be the best way forward!

There's the obvious 'calorie deficit' but how to do it? Slimming World? Weightwatchers? All I read is that these kind of things are the devil incarnate however 20 years ago, I lost 2.5 stone with weightwatchers and kept it off until I fell pregnant with DC2. So how successful have you been on SW or WW?

Calorie counting and use my fitness pal or nutracheck? Is a calorie just 'a calorie'? I've read it is not necessarily true.

Insulin...according to Jason Fung, is the lead hormone that causes weight gain, so should I follow a plan that reduced spikes in blood sugar? Ie do something like zoe?

Noom/second nature...tried the latter, made not one jot of difference.

Slimpod...again, no difference (for me)

Hypnotherapy...made no difference for me.

As you can see I've tried lots of things but remain obese. Need to lose 4 stone to be in the top of the healthy range for my height. 54 and menopausal. Sedentary job, limited exercise time as look after elderly parents and work.

I'm at a loss as to how to begin losing weight. So, please give me a boost and tell me what worked for you! Please 🙏 thank you for reading

I swore by WW when I was younger but it is really restrictive now.
Every time I lose weight it's using MFP and calorie counting and having whatever I want as long as it fits.

SW,lost 25 kilos last year was really easy and wish I'd done it sooner as I feel great on it. I do it on line,I don't fancy the group setting.

Calorie counting but I got very addicted to it, went from 12 stone to 6 stone in 8 months.

Now up to 8 stone, I've quit calorie counting after my family held an intervention but I'm careful what I eat I.e one treat food a day, but I use the Nintendo switch to do yoga and work outs.
So my honest opinion just keep down on the fats/snacks and do excerise even if it's just walking and uping your steps.

I lost 80lbs in the last 7 months. High protein, low carb, eating below my TDEE, walking more. The process isn't rocket science. The psychology is.

I counted calories, religiously.
Still had carbs and fats and proteins.
Weighed everything. (Didn't count the calories in veg)

Increased steps and introduced some cardio on the stairmaster and lifted weights 4x a week.

Started off at 1800 cals a day and slowly tapered them down when my weight would plateu for more than 2 weeks.
I lost 100lb over a 18 month period.

I've lost 2 stone using the NHS weight loss app. It's literally just a calorie counter but does the trick. I've done WW and slimming world in the past but didn't want to have to pay (funds are tight) plus this makes you think more about portion sizes which I knew was one of my biggest issues.

Don’t overthink it. It’s all about calorie deficit. The only question is what makes achieving a calorie deficit longterm viable for you.

Some people will find upping protein and reducing carbs will help. Others will find eating only in a 8 or 10 hour window helps. For others, cutting out one thing like alcohol or chocolate might to do it. Experiment and see what works for you.

And please don’t listen to the armchair dieticians who will no doubt appear on this thread to tell you you have to eliminate carbs, track your macros, avoid UPF or whatever the latest trends are.

The only piece of actual advice is give is - however much you walk now, increase it. I know you say your time is at a premium but even an extra 15 min walking a day will make it a lot easier to achieve a calorie deficit. Good luck!

I have lost 2 st 11 pounds since September on SW 1 stone more to go
I think first you have to figure out WHY you are the size you are and what are the triggers
I go to group - I have no willpower if I did it just online

Stopped drinking more than once per week and usually don't eat after 6pm

Noom.

It was very chilled, 😎, even enjoyable. Not restrictive, not too po-faced and even pleasant.

I lost a stone and have kept it off this last 6 months. And I find it incredibly difficult to lose weight cos of my age (60) and lack of activity.

I've lost nearly 3 stone since Halloween and still losing steadily at approximately 2lbs a week most weeks. I've been diagnosed with gallstones and a non alcohol related fatty liver and advised to lose about 4 stone. That was all the kick I needed. I cut out all cheese, chocolate, crisps, cake and chips. No bread (so no pasta, pizza, pastries) and very limited dairy. It sounds so restrictive but it's been pretty easy once I got used to it. I keep track using My Fitness Pal and do regular gentle exercises at home or going for a walk. I recommend the Daily Weigh In thread on here which keeps me motivated and everyone's so supportive too. It can be done. I am also peri menopausal so I do understand.

Slimpod didn’t work for me either.

Check out Team RH. The only thing that has ever worked me. 3.5 stone down. They key for me is accurate tracking. You need to really measure everything at least for the first month. And be totally honest. We all eat more than we think. And making sure I get between 10 and 15k steps which is very doable when you put your mind to it. Good luck.

Daily intense exercise (6 days out of 7) and intermittent fasting (mixed 20/4 and 18/6 with a rest day which is still calorie controlled).

Edit: sorry, I missed out the most important element which was cutting out all added sugar, which will no doubt not be well received by some posters. There is still naturally-occuring sugar in fruits etc. in my diet.

You mentioned Weight Watchers etc. but someone asked your same question a few weeks ago and set up a poll, and WE and Slimming World were the least chosen option out of posters reporting that they had successfully lost large amounts of weight.

This is great advice from @TheLonelyStarbucksLovers

There is an excellent book that is everything you need to know about fat loss in one book:

Everything Fat Loss: The Definitive No Bullsh*t Guide amzn.eu/d/8ruaWzB

But essentially it's about creating a calorie deficit in whatever way you personally can sustain over the medium to long term. That's different for everyone.

I lost over 4 stone calorie counting. The key is that it won't be quick. Took me a year but I feel loads better. I still have 7lbs to go and it's really slow going now. 0.25 approx a week.

Thank you all.

Interesting mix of different ways that have worked for you.

And i agree @TheLonelyStarbucksLovers , I am over thinking it all and I'm getting so confused with all the different theories out there. Upping my steps is something that is easily manageable despite not having a lot of free time.

I wonder if I'm burying my head in the sand and not actively engaging in a weightloss regime as it seems unsurmountable...I mean, 4 stone!!! Im already feeling defeated at just the thought of taking that first step to commit. This negative mindset needs to change.

@everycowandagain thank you for the book recommendation. One I haven't read!!

@waistchallenge

You mentioned Weight Watchers etc. but someone asked your same question a few weeks ago and set up a poll, and WE and Slimming World were the least chosen option out of posters reporting that they had successfully lost large amounts of weight.

That's interesting, I'll try and find the thread

Another issue I have is that I have absolutely no patience!! 🤣 oh dear!
Well done with sticking with it though; that's amazing.

I have an 'event' in around 16 months so if I knuckle down now, I could achieve my goal...

Getting started is the hardest part because it's about changing, admitting something is wrong - whether that's something medical, MH related, diet, exercise levels or self-care generally. It's about confronting yourself. For me the turning point was when things had got almost as bad as they could. That's not the case for everyone, it's just about a realisation and then a motivation to change.

Once you've started and lost the first kg or so, that's set the wheels in motion and it's easier to carry on.

You could start now. You could say, from 20:30 tonight I'm fasting until 12:30 midday tomorrow, for example. Or from right this moment, I'm not having any sugar/chocolate/sweets (just as a random example, they might not be a problem for you).

Boring but I had success with calorie counting here. Can’t believe what I used to think a portion of pasta looked like. I also increase the volume of meals by adding lots more veggies and spend lots of time food shopping and meal planning so I don’t fall into my lazy quick fix ways.

There are lots of gym goer types who post recipes on places like Instagram. They can often be scaled up or down depending on your family size. Personally I’m happy to eat the same dinner in a row 3 or 4 times so I cook recipes for 4 and split into 4 containers because I live alone.

Massively cut down on booze
Took up rowing

I've lost a stone since November. I'm 54 and menopausal.

Nothing special but I've stopped snacking. And I'll have a piece of fruit instead. I'm eating more protein as that keeps me fuller.

I'm cooking more from scratch. Taking hm soup and leftovers into work. Lentils chickpeas etc.

I haven't been eating out as much.

We eat more fish and rarely eat sausages or mince. More veg too.

It's slow and I have 2 more stone to lose. But it feels achievable....and I plan to be at least a stone lighter by June.

Crisps, choc, cheese after dinner were my nemesis.

Friends have done well on slimming world and weightwatchers.

Oh yeah, cutting out booze is an easy win. Good for the health, good for the wallet and good for the waistline.