Any advice on what will make me lose weight healthily?

[randomtask]

I had been losing weight very slowly by eating less and doing exercise when I got the chance (time issues) but we want to start TTC in November and my BMI is 27. Ideally I'd like it as 22 but would be happy with 25.

I started the Tesco Diet online eating 1200 calories every day about 5-6 weeks ago and haven't lost anything since. I've made sure I haven't eaten less than the 1200 but I've not eaten more either.

I'm veggie and drink water, I don't eat fried food, rarely eat cakes, like stir fry, don't eat lots of cheese (in fact have eaten more on the Tesco diet) so I'm not sure what to do next.

Any ideas of what I can do to bump start my weight loss or just make it happen? I don't want to crash diet as obviously my body needs to be happy and healthy in order to conceive.

Thanks!

1200 calories seems a bit like stavation diet, the lack of weight loss is prob your body desperately trying to store fat because it thinks you are entering a famine situation. This phase does eventually pass and you will lose weight as your body adapts to the new intake. I don't know how healthy it is tho.

That's what I'm concerned about. What would stop it feeling starved? I was thinking of doing 1500 calories as I don't want to crash diet but if we'll be TTC after a month of it (I'm finishing the Tesco Diet in a month) I don't want my body being 'in shock'. On the other hand, it probably can't get more shocked than it is now.

I was worried 1200 was too few but as it was what they'd said I thought I'd go with it and see what happened.

I have to say I've always had a problem with the term 'diet'. There's no such thing as finishing a diet...or at least there shouldn't be! I do believe different people have different ways of successfully losing weight and maintaining something that they are happy with, it's all about what works for you. Find something that you are happy with that you can stick with for a good couple of years at least, it takes longer than that for your body to realise that this new weight is the norm...atm it thinks your old weight is and will try and force you to stay that way. Not sure if that makes sense...hope it does.

I fell pregnant after a spate of eating 2 oranges a day, wierd cos I never ate oranges (never really liked them), found out after the are high in folic acid...go figure!

Have you thought of WW or SW? I had a freind who only wanted to lose a stone and she did WW, it really helped her.

I was thinking about WW and SW when I joined Tesco. Our local WW are all at either work or home/dinner time which would mean not seeing DSS before he went to bed and SW is on the night I volunteer.

I understand what you mean about diets not stopping. I lost over a stone last year but put it back on again-my eating hadn't changed but now I'm married I don't have the time to go swimming, can't walk to work as I have to take DSS to school, etc.

I give WW a thumbs up myself, just because its unconstrained (in what you eat, not how much of it!) therefore I dont feel like I'm depriving myself of anything.

I also think that the group weigh-in is great motiviation (not that anyone apart from the weigher sees it - just that you can lie to yourself at home) They very much encourage 'healthy' eating and excercise.

Way back when...ooh must have been a good ten years ago so probably all changed now - I tried SW and didnt work for me because I had to restrict myself and because they didnt actively encourage excercise as it 'wasnt part of the plan'

I understand they arent convenient for you, but it is worth missing DSS bedtime one night a week (but I don't know the circumstances so it might not be!)

SW does encourage exercise these days

I would recommend WW, it's convenient and easy once you're used to it. You can still have the odd glass of wine (WW wine is actually really good!) or a takeaway as long as you count the points and maybe eat less the day after etc.
It sounds to me like you are not eating enough, and your body is storing the fat instead of it coming off (I used to see this happen a lot at WW where I helped out).

You can do WW online and I think weigh in once a month.