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[Enroute]

I am 60, weigh 16 stone 6ft 1in and need to be 14 Stone by Christmas!! I am active, I cycle, sail, fish, scuba dive run the NHS 5K, but drink beer at weekends and eat a lot, so I need to change that!

What is the diet that could work for me ?

[Nsky24]

Maybe 5.2, my fitness pal, may help or simply count calories, not forgetting slimming world.

Whatever a serious reduction in what you eat is needed

[Hidden]

NHS 12 week plan is a good place to start. Lots of people have lost weight on it and are healthy as a result of it

[andrewleeone in reply to Hidden]

+1 for the 12 week plan here! If you want to lose weight then you have to learn all about your intake. I had a really healthy diet, really, really healthy, for three people! Its got me to be realistic about how much I eat. You are going to be amazed when you weigh out a 30g serving of cereal and see exactly what a healthy amount is! The 12 week plan is really good for this once you've done the learning you can develop your own approach. You should be able to shift your weight fairly easily in a couple of months.

The beer certainly will not help - not just because of its calories but also what it does to our eating at the time and afterwards to cope with the after effects.

Keep posting!

[Hannalou]

Hello! Welcome! Is 14 stone your goal or something you have to do? I have tried many a diet and all will work but it's about the longevity and I know it sounds boring and not a quick fix but the best one to do is the NHS 12 week planner which you can find on there site! You don't have to take anything out of your diet so can still enjoy a beer but you will also loose weight! I believe it is stastanible which is the main things! Are you male or female may I ask?

[GoogleMe]

Sounds as though you may be using activity to facilitate eating and drinking more - it's not unusual. The good thing is that you are reducing the risks of being overweight because you are active.

You may find (as I did) that looking at your weight in kilos is more productive - it will break down very nicely as you plan smaller goals. "I need to be X by Y" rarely seems to be a goal that is achieved. You might if you are very strict achieve all this weight loss by that point but what is it for? If you are aiming to be a healthy weight or to have healthier habits long term then there could be more of a risk of undoing all your hard work soon after.

The NHS plan sounds as though it could be a good one for you to make significant progress - and of course at 12 weeks fits perfectly. You'd need to team that with a calorie counter. I use MyFitnessPal... the app allows you to look at average intake over a week which might be especially helpful as you looking at keeping from your current weekends only what you really want.

To be blunt you may need to look at who is around you. Beware the skinny mate who encourages or even semi-blackmails you into consuming more calories than you otherwise would but quietly avoids doing the same himself. You might need to think about doing different things at weekends to break the links. It is possible that 'simply' cutting out the beer altogether could have a big impact - works for some, but others won't want to do that.

I've mentioned it here recently but I think you might find the Hairy Bikers healthy eating and weight loss books helpful (look in your local public library system) Good luck - and don't forget how much you are already doing towards your health and fitness.

[godric]

Forget diets. They don't work. There is no easy way. It takes your will power. If it was easy, weight loss wouldn't be a $billion industry. I started today myself, also 60, to hopefully lose 1 1/2 stone. I hope to lose it in 2 or 3 months. I've given up beer, biscuits & will eat normal portions. I cycle 16 miles a day, 5 days a week but still put on weight. I also got for a 30 minute walk a few times a week.I'm obviously taking in more than I'm using up. I also like to drink beer at the week-ends. The secret is "Calories In V Calories Out". Smaller portions with an increase in activity or just keep up the same level of exercise and take in less fuel. You put on weight over years so don't expect to lose it in a week. Metabolism slowing down as you get older doesn't help. I've giving up going to these buffets that promote "eat all you can for the one price". I just found it too difficult to confine myself to 1 dinner portion. I wish you all the best and will follow your progress.

[dozzer19]

My doctor signed me up to the diet they run at the practice? Look up the 'BHF So You Want To Lose Good ... Forever' on the Internet and download the PDF for that. Follow this and you WILL lose weight. I go in for a weekly weigh session and drop some everytime. Your surgery might not offer this but it is so easy to follow you don't need help with it.

Make sure it's the pdf you open not the general details about it because they say it's no longer available.

Good luck.

[Hidden]

Hi the 5-2 diet is meant to be very effective. The concept is if you eat normal for 5 days and have 2 days where you fast and stick to a certain amount of calories( not starving yourself) you lose weight gradually without having to think about what you eat every minute"

You can split the days whichever way you want. I've just bought the book and hope to start soon good luck 😺 Jan

[AngelaRansom]

I am just about to complete week 1 of the NHS 12 week plan and have found it very educational in terms of calorie consumption. Just a bit less milk in my coffee (I was drinking very milky coffee). The things we pop in our mouths without even realising. Nuts and crisps at a party !! I ate out last night and couldn't resist the amaretto cheesecake but I cancelled the ice cream and didn't eat the little cookies that came on the top. As others have said the beer won't help ... do you go out at the weekends or drink at home ... plan something really nice to do early next morning perhaps you won't feel like drinking the night before and therefore not spoil the next days activities. Skip a round or 2. Make an allowance for the number of calories you want to use on alcohol and perhaps only drink one evening at the weekend. I have tried diets and slimming clubs before and lost considerable amounts of weight in short periods of time, however, because I didn't change my habits the loss was not sustainable. I have chosen the NHS 12 week plan because I am hoping it will help me change my lifestyle permanently. I wish you the very best of luck. Angela

[chrysallis]

I'm 60 too and have lost over 2 stone over the past 6 months on the 5:2. It's worth checking out. Whatever you decide, you have taken the first step. Go for it!

[Gonti 10 kg]

Hi, good luck whatever you do. How much you lose will depend on your calorie intake, activity levels and metabolism so you can't guarantee a certain result by a certain date. However there are so many more benefits to healthy eating than just weight loss and these kick in straight away. In other good news, the less you drink eventually the less you need to get the same effect I.e half a pint will do the work of a serious bender if you stick at it!. Enjoy! 🍹🍻

[Enroute]

Thank you for your advice and support, I’ve just re read all of your comments after my journey in weight control, they are so accurate. I am now 13st 11lb having lost 5 stone since 7th January 2019. I gave up alcohol and meat then started calorie counting with increased exercise. Initially my weight went up eventually to 18st 11lb after Christmas 2018. I then took a good look at where my life was going and decided I needed a life style change. My target weight in 13st 5lb so nearly reached my goal. Question is where do I go when I reach my goal it’s been such a large part of my life over the past 2.5 years ?

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone in reply to Enroute]

Hi, I'm not sure who you meant to reply to but this is an old post

[Enroute in reply to BridgeGirl]

Yep it’s taken me 6 years 😂😂😂😂

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone in reply to Enroute]

Ah, sorry, I didn't notice it was your old post. No shame in that: you're persistent and it paid off