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

Nice coffees can be so lovely and such a treat and that makes them a bit addictive imo. I've said this on other posts so sorry if this is repetition but I used to have two daily lattés (not even with sugar) and that played a large part in making me obese in the first place.
We tell people who are underweight to drink glasses of milk to put on weight, and if you think about it that way you view a latté differently.

I do the same, way of life not a diet.

I'm just over 12 stone, only half a stone overweight or so now in BMI terms. Though the last stone has always been more tricky, I am not 14 and a half stone as I was in 2016 which was into the obese range, so I have managed to successfully keep weight off.

The only way for me, as others will have said, is manageable and permanent lifestyle change. Work which does not cause you unhealthy stress and where you have the headspace to eat properly and exercise. Having a really good night's sleep most of the time. Exercise you enjoy which is convenient and can be fitted into your life. Eating plenty of the foods you enjoy and everything in moderation, and at a rate of calories that allows for slow and steady weight loss. Acknowledging that sometimes you might fall away from the normal routine or have the an off day. or bad week. But when it feels good to get back into the normal routine, that's when you know you have it right.

Oh totally addictive. Costa Mocha made with coconut milk really is bloody lovely. It's also very filling so I'd use that to stop snaffling the extra handful of nuts, the bag of crisps, the choc biscuit...

It's definitely something that is going to be considered a real 'treat' in future, not an everyday thing.

Thank you for your reply.

From the responses, it's really showing that no matter how you do it (SW/WW whatever), it HAS to be permanent lifestyle changes as you've said @shearwater2 and Sleep! Oh definitely!

Since my previous post, which listed all the things that have come up over the last 5 pages from various posters, I think my issue is perfectionism. All other attempts to lose weight have always been 'clean slate', final binge before started afresh on a Monday morning, clearing out the cupoards of 'rubbish' food, going to the gym 6 x week, starving myself to 1200 cals a day, no treats, no leeway, no excuses....I'm just setting myself up to fail each time and I beat myself up thinking 'why can't i do this?' And so, the circle of misery starts again.

Love, @Caniaskyousomething what I would advise now is just recording what you eat on something like Nutracheck, it's only a few quid a month or about £30 a year. Keep a food diary on it, honestly, for two weeks and see how many calories you consume daily and what the nutritional breakdown is.

Work out your TDEE- this is quite a good calculator. https://tdeecalculator.net/ Then take off 500 calories a day and personalise your daily calories limit when you feel ready to move into a weight loss phase. Also prioritise having enough protein and fibre - at least 25-30g a day of fibre.

Exercise - the easiest is getting a good audiobook or music and headphones and going for a brisk walk, or just walk, it doesn't even have to be brisk to start with. Or get a walking mill if you don't want to or can't go out and do half an hour a day on there while watching TV or listening to music.

Oh yeah, I've been there too. I have even managed to sustain a very strict low calorie diet to get the extra stone/half stone off from the weight I am now, but surprise surprise, the weight went straight back on again as it was unsustainable.

Someone said on page 1 that it’s not rocket science, but the psychology is. Totally agree. I did all the diets and lost/gained.

I joined NOBS diet - online membership but free podcast too. Totally changed how I approached my life. Zero food restriction, just lots of brain hacks which help you create a lifestyle that suits you long term. I’m down 25lb and eat whatever I want. So it’s super flex around socialising, trips, Easter etc.

Ive recently added in IF as I want the health benefits (I’m 56) and focussing on health! I’d tried it before and overate to compensate. This time I’ve got my head straight and it’s totally easy.

I joined NOBS to loose weight but as a by-product I am much happier in life and dealing with all the conflicting demands - family/work/parents etc. I can’t recommend more highly.

Youve got so many great ideas here. Good luck and let us know how you’re getting on.

Md again! Forgot to post the link to NOBS Woman. https://www.nobsweightloss.com/

@HairStylingHelp fab, thank you for the link.

One I've not heard of.

@shearwater2 I do have nutracheck already so will re-start that. Just to log things and not be judgy about it; just see how things pan out and hopefully I'll be able to see where I can start shaving calories off.

So many tips, advice and non-judgemental help here; thank you 😊

I cut out all alcohol. Exercised 4 times a week, once a week with a personal trainer. I gradually cut my calories down to 1500 per day and upped my protein intake drastically. I didn't realise how little I was eating until I started tracking. The boost of protein alone probably contributes to the most weight loss as it boosts your metabolism so much.

I do still get a nice coffee but I get a good quality flat white from our local café instead 😊

Im sat here reading and catching up drinking a skinny cappacino - Home made. I treated myself to a machine and I treat myself to 500grs of beans a month and it is my luxury. Ive also taken to drinking Green tea, Rooibos , I have bought myself a special ( to me ) mug and its my wee trea. Sounds pretty daft, but its something special for me ,

For me the weight loss has been part of a bigger picture, I just wanted to get better, Id been suffering depression for years and then had a bad fall and was confined to the house and mostly the sofa - even having to sleep on it for weeks, but as I became more mobile I took a look at myself and around me and decided I had to "pull myself together". I had let myself go and stopped caring

The exercise was the start of it, getting outside and walking, really helped lift my mood and as I got more into it I saw that I was beginning to tone up and that got me heading to SW. Ive never had a huge loss, hell some people shift a stone in 3 weeks, Im more of a tortoise because I know if I cut everything that makes life good, I'll go back to my old ways . So next week we are off to Edinburgh for a weekend break, and there will be alcohol, there will be red wine, there will be curry and street food. No point in denying it, Im going to have what I want. Because I know its just for three days and when I come back Ill not be starting from scratch again, Ill just be carrying on where I left off. Saying no I cant have, just doesnt work for me. If I want it Ill have it but I make sure 99% of the time Im eating healthily. Funnily enough the "I wants" have become less. I used to get my big bag of crisps every week after weigh in, cos I knew I had a week to claw it back, now I dont bother as they tend to upset my tum, white bread now kills me, and I think twice before taking cake ( I work in a coffee shop, we have lots of cake ), am I wanting it cos Im hungry or is it cos Im bored? Usually its cos Im bored ( quiet day ) so I go find myself somethung to do. If Im honestly hungry then im eating it :)

Snacking is also something we are usually all guilty of. I tend to want chocolate and biscuits if Im tired - a comfort food. So I go do my new nightly skincare regime ( cleanse and moisturise is as good as it gets ) brush my teeth and go to bed with a book or laptop. If Im genuinally hungry then out comes the yoghurt and chopped fruit or berries and sometimes I will break up a shortbread into it for a more of a dessert feeling. My previous habit was peanut butter sandwiches .

Small manageable goals and small changes. 10 months Ive been at it and its not a chore, I never ever feel deprived or that Im missing out. I never not go to functions or lunches out. I still take a drink, sticking to spirits and slimline and having cider or wine as a treat. Just small changes

@suki1964 that's amazing! It's just knowing that if you put in a small amount of work at the beginning, you can reap the benefits further down the line.

And exercise outside us so uplifting, especially when there's blue skies.

I totally get the special mug thing. I'm like that with water bottles. I buy a new one every so often and this encourages me to drink more water because I like using it and taking it with me. Similarly, I've bought a new journal. It's beautiful. I just jot down my daily positive thoughts and gratitudes...its lovely to read back and read.

I’ve recently lost 3 stone, now maintaining.

Most days I have a protein shake and a banana for breakfast. A chicken salad for lunch. And a low fat high protein dinner.

Try to limit snacks only for when I’m really hungry (oat bar, fruit or protein shake).

I do weight training in the gym 3/4 times a week. Roughly 8,000-12,000 steps per day.

Only drink alcohol one evening per week.

'They' make us do it, to some extent. We are sort of trolled into eating crap, it subsidies the economy. Cigarettes used to do the same job - millions in tax revenue, outlaw them or bar advertising and you lose all that, while people live longer and put a strain on the NHS and overall economy. An old episode of Yes, Minister covered all that - well, they went ahead and barred smoking, so now it does appear they kill off the elderly in care settings once they get past a certain point, euthanasia is a thing but this is digressing.

So now, crap food has taken the place of ciggies for revenue - Jamie Oliver's initiatives never had a chance - and for wrecking our health in the process. So don't be too hard on yourselves for falling for it, we've been programmed a bit.

Another thing - do you have an 'Off' switch? I don't much. If I drink a nice glass of wine, it lifts me and of course why stop then? Have a second, then keep it company, don't stop the mood, then push on through like you're at the gym and finish the bottle.
If that is you, and you don't have an 'Off' switch, then best don't flick the 'On' switch. Don't start if you can't stop. That applies to drink, junk food like the six-bag of crisps or any biscuits in the house. Applies to stress and harmful thoughts too probably.
One day fasting might be good to kick that too, though as I said earlier, I only really make it to 6.30-7pm.

I’m 64 ,and I lost nearly 3 stone last year ,taking me to under 9 stone .
I went back to a 70s diet called the F Plan diet. It is low calorie and high fibre.
I found it very easy to stick to because the food you eat on it is so filling .
Books for this diet can easily be found on eBay.

Or you learn what are the underlying factors leading you to not have an off switch for certain foods or drinks and deal with them, and develop an off switch.