20kg in 6 months

Hi guys and girls,

So I want to lose 20kg in 6 months. I weigh 110kg and 187cm. Could anybody please suggest foods to help cut back on insulin and starch, as well as good exercise?

Thanks in advance!

Zach

[RobLandsdown91]

Hi Zach,

The NHS 12 Week plan (nhs.uk/livewell/weight-loss... gives advice on both exercise & eating and is followed by many here

BBC GoodFood - bbcgoodfood.com/

WeightWatchers - food.com/topic/weight-watchers

Hope these help - good luck

Rob

[Hidden in reply to RobLandsdown91]

Thanks so much Rob!

[flavourfiend]

If you're like most of us, Zach, it'll be *less* food that you'll be needing... ☺

[Hidden in reply to flavourfiend]

Indeed 😓

[Venusflytrap]

Zach, As much veg and fruit as you can eat, but try not to repeat a type during the day so that you are high on variety. Cut out juices, smoothies, any drink with a sugar or alcohol content. That means you can have fresh, frozen or canned fruit as long as it is in juice and drained before eating. Add in veg soups, preferably home made, so there aren't any high carbs being added. Be aware of which veg have higher carbs, eg potatoes, peas and try not to have more than a couple of servings per meal. Concentrate on having good portions of low fat protein, like eggs, fish, meat with no visible fat, chicken and turkey with no skin. Change to skimmed milk or a milk alternative with similar kcal per 100ml. If you are a yogurt eater, switch to plain very low fat, including the 0% Greek, and add your own fruit for flavouring. Cheese is difficult, try quark, low fat fromage frais and the lowest fat spreads you can find. Otherwise switch to very high flavour like Parmesan and extra mature cheddar and only have between 10g - 40g. If you like them, Camembert, Feta and Brie are lower than traditional UK cheeses. Bread and bread equivalents need close attention too. Try to go for thinner, smaller slices of whole grain breads. So low kcal bread like Nimble, thins, crumpets, wraps. The aim with sandwiches is less bread, no spread and more filling, plus salad, pickles etc. If you want a thicker slice of toast to put say, beans on, have a thick slice of wholemeal. Bread can be frozen as slices thaw quickly or can be toasted.

Try grilling, baking and dry frying in non stick pans. If you need to fry, consider putting the single teaspoon of oil on the food rather than the pan. So put half your teaspoon on one side of the steak, then it's oil side down in the pan, put the other half onto the remaining side. The spray oils are quite useful when you have already had your oil allowance but you still want to fry something. When serving a plate of food, always think, is there any way I can get another veg on there? If you feel hungry, start increasing your protein and vegetable servings.

Exercise: in my experience, after walking and swimming, the gym machine that made the most difference was the rowing machine. But that would depend on your level of fitness and your tastes. Go for ones you enjoy as you are more likely to continue.

Don't feel that you have to make all your changes in one go, unless you are one of life's enthusiasts. You could sort out 3 breakfasts this week: such as a porridge oats one, a bacon, eggs etc one, and your own favourite adapted to fit your new regime. Then next week think of lunches. It is worth having 3 meals a day plus a couple of snacks. And having as much variety as possible so that you don't get bored and go off plan. It is also worth going to the NHS advice, as it has everything you need about portion sizes etc. There is also good exercise advice there as well. Every time you get stuck or have a query, come back to these pages, people are really supportive.

Good luck with your plans,

Venus