What finally made you successful in losing weight/getting fit?

[northernlass81]

I'm 42 and carrying about 3 stone extra weight. Very well educated in health/science so fully aware of all the consequences, ways to do it and the psychology behind it, but can't seem to get my head in the place where I'm doing it for me and be successful at it. I've 2 young kids who should be great motivaters yet here I am still overweight. I'm not looking for sympathy but interested to hear what really motivated you. Was it a specific event or interaction? Did you just wake up and do it? Was it a gradual process? I'm a bit of a perfectionist but been working a lot on this recently as I know this can hold me back from keeping going if the weight loss journey is not perfect in my eyes; I appreciate it never will be. Thanks.

I'm by no means the finished article but I have lost 1 stone over the last 2 months. I've started doing fast800 and although I've fallen off the wagon a couple of times (around that time of month....) it's working well for me.

Reasons I think are: (1) quick results (2) no alcohol (3) easy to prep for - I have the bircher muesli with chia every morning which I can prep the night before and grab in the morning. Also have a lots of stuff like the chillis which I can meal prep the night/weekend before so I don't reach for the bread. It may not be for everyone but I'm finding it good.

Edited to say that I'm 45.

I used My fitness Pal but was still overweight.
Got a kick up the bum from the doctor when my cholesterol was too high, despite medication, and my liver function was off due to medication and fatty liver.
I am now on a vegetarian and mostly vegan diet. Still have some grilled chicken, but half a breast, rather than a full one once a week. Swapped potato for sweet potato.
Used my fitness pal to monitor fat, saturated fat, sugar and kilojoules.
I am 7.6 kg down in 6 weeks.
Good luck

Not popular on MN but DH had a very frank conversation with me that he was concerned for my health and felt I owed it to DS and him to try to be as healthy as I could, plus my doctors making it clear my chronic illnesses would improve with weight loss. Ozempic, myfitnesspal and peloton combined to help me shift the weight.

It took me a mixture of figuring out what exercise I like, and what food works for me.

I lost 4 stone (over 2-3 years) doing the following:

• weight training
• yoga
• running (only started this year)

And I tried different diets but I found just reducing my calorie intake by 200 calories below my threshold worked best for me. I wasn't starving myself and I could still enjoy food. I did switch to a lot of 'fat free' and 'low fat' stuff but I've stopped doing that as it's all full of crap!

I realised I am only motivated by health improvements but seeing the weight going keeps me focused.

So when I need it I find books and podcasts about how excess weight and eating processed food is so bad for you and I get really focused for a week or so which is enough time for me to lose a dress size (I think I carry a lot of water!).

Then it's an upwards rather than downward spiral.

I'm a very scientific person so I really like to figure out what does and doesn't work for me and read the science behind it. I did a lot of experiments with fasting and found that is most effective for me and the science is most persuasive. I know I react badly to carby foods (trigger cravings and water retention) so stick to plant carbs instead of grain carbs.

Historically I was put off losing weight because of the link everyone makes with exercise, I have an active lifestyle but hate formal exercise. The latest research (see Herman Pontzer) shows that increasing exercise doesn't really increase calories burned, you just use them in a different way. This made me focus much more on food to lose weight rather than exercise.

Hope you find the motivation.

For easy listening motivation I recommend the BBC sounds podcast Can I Change by Dr Chris and Xand. Not about weight loss as such but motivation and making weeks rather than trying and failing huge changes.

The UPF one is also essential listening if you still eat crap and think it's OK because you're within your calorie allowance.

Cut out carbs completely for 30 days. Lost two stone. Then went low carb.

kept it off by going back on low carb when started getting podgey.

now 49 and keep it off by doing one meal a day and no UPFs so back on the ‘good carbs’

simple but not easy. You could do yourself a 30 day meal plan. Allow yourself all the apples you want.

you will get headaches and feel a bit cold but being slim is life changing. Everything is easier and people are nicer to you

I kept weight off for years but have just started the process again after not looking after myself.
I got some medication for my insomnia which gave me more energy. Then I joined a gym. (Expensive so motivated to go). Now I've started calorie counting.

I mainly want to feel better about myself, fit into my clothes again. But also want to be fitter and healthy in terms of heart and joints.

Late to this thread. I lost weight when I started lifting heavy weights and tracking on myfitnesspal, aiming for below calorie target and high protein.

I put a lot back on during and post covid when I found a love of baking, comfort food and put on ‘relationship weight’. I was doing a good amount of exercise in this period and overcompensating by too much comfort food and cheat meals on the weekend.

I got a scare when I developed gestational diabetes in pregnancy and I lost a lot of weight in my 3rd trimester by going low carb. I’m now trying to keep on track.

Although I enjoy exercise, I think the key for me is remembering that the main component is nutrition.

I've recently lost 16 lbs. I did low carb. Hardest thing was deciding to do it and committing to it. Set a date. Got rid of the perishable carbs first. Did it with a male friend. Set a goal weight and a date by which to achieve it. We had a support call every Monday morning, which was v motivating and kept me accountable. Created a meal plan every week and made sure I had lots of low carb food in. Looked at lots of recipe books and low carb recipes online. Joined the low carb boot camp on here. Didn't beat myself up if I didn't lose weight one week. And I've gone from 11 stone 6 to 10 stone 4. So proud of myself!

Noom

I am 50 and at my health check, got diagnosed with high cholesterol. It gave me such a shock and a real kick up the bum. I've been trying to lose weight for years but realising that I really am damaging myself gave me the shock I need. Im losing weight slowly and steadily. Just over half a stone in two months so far just by changing my mindset around food as I don't want to die young. I've been listening to the Michael Moseley's just one thing podcast and that's helped too. Realising that I was genuinely (potentially) shortening my life was what I needed. Find something other than how you look as its not enough of a motivation. Good luck x

I am trying to lose weight at the moment. Am chronically ill and have put a lot of weight on in the last 10 years due to thyroid issues...and menopause hasn't helped.

I find focussing on health rather than weight more motivational. I have noticed recently that it's getting harder for me to get a normal BP reading (when for most of my life it's been low). And I just think unless I try to get on top of this now, my health just going to carry on going downhill from here.

I am currently logging food on Cronometer because it not only tracks calories but also all your nutrients. It's quite hard to get all the nutrients you need when dieting! Or at all tbh. I am hoping this will enable me to get my diet better balanced over time. I am already realising that you don't really have the spare calories for that bar of chocolate if you want to get the fibre, calcium etc etc you need in a day/week. It's quite eye opening.

I am also cutting out/severely limiting UPFs. I did this at the end of last year and felt much better for it and also found that I ate less without really thinking too much about it.

I am also trying to up my exercise and have bought a rowing machine that I can just use while watching TV if I want. Needs to be as easy as possible!!!

For me the realisation that in my 50s I am not getting away with what I could get away with at a younger age.

I had tipped into the obese bmi which at 5.7 is just under 14 stone and 2.5 stone only above a healthy bmi weight.

I was getting to the point where I could not get up off the floor, bend down in the shower to shave my legs. I thought what the hell am I doing to myself!

Before weight loss has been about looking better now it's absolutely about feeling better.

I'm a stone and a half lighter now, gym twice a week and on week 5 of the c25k app. I want to lose another stone. I started the fast800 and will do that for 12 weeks altogether.

My motivation is that I cannot possibly allow myself to feel as bad as I was doing before I started this.

@BusterGonad can I please ask what you changed about your hrt? I have the mirena coil and oestragel. Thank you.

@BusterGonad yes me too!

My partners affair... Turns out he had a lot more spare time than me. Now I'm not doing everything I have time for me😆