I know what you mean. I can't say which is right. I only know for me that low refined carbs works so I eat protein from meat and fish along with lots of veg. I don't eat low fat stuff because I don't eat processed food apart from natural yogurt and milk so I am happy to have the fat in those. I find low fat food has more sugar in it. When you get 25 replies all saying different things you will be even more confused. I don't like calorie counting which is why I go low carb, low processed so I know I am getting less calories. Good luck
Thanks for your reply, I can relate with the reducing refined carbs and avoiding processed foods and I too am happy with eating meat, yogurt, milk and lots of veggies along with the more complex carbs. I think I am going to have to trust my own instincts and stop listening to the media as its just causing me so much confusion! Thanks so my for the reply and good luck to you too.
I agree with you completely, it's hard to know fact from fiction. It's hard for me to decide what to eat and I'm such a fussy eater anyway. I can't eat anything peppery or spicy, hate rice and pasta . I do love steak , chicken and fish so I think I will stick with these with veg for main meal. I've never been a breakfast person but I'm trying to eat maybe a weetabix with skimmed milk. Trying also to cut down on my cups of tea and have found a green tea I like with honey and lemon. I hope to lose a stone but I'm aiming for about 5/6 pound before my holiday at the end of May . My downfall is chocolate and I'm sorry to say I don't have much willpower but will try harder. Good luck with your own efforts.
Thanks for your reply. I think steak, chicken and fish are a great way to go, they aren't processed foods and that has to be healthier. Loving that you are trying to eat breakfast, I have been doubting today if I should be eating it or using it as a way to cut some calories, but it seems sensible to eat breakfast to me. I also have found a love for green tea, it took me a long time to stop drinking squashes, fruit juices and fizzy drinks and change to mostly water and teas, but I think this was well worth the effort it took in the long term. My downfall is crisps, I really shouldn't have them in the house but that's not very fair on my other half, so I too need more willpower where they are concerned. Good luck too.
My husband eats the stuff I don't allow myself near but we don't keep a stash of them in the house. He will buy one, bring it home and eat it but not 6
Another good thought, we go shopping weekly there really is no need to have enough in the house to sabotage my efforts!
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Hi I have heard all the same advice you have apart from don't eat breakfast. I have never heard that in the media. Breakfast is a very important meal but you need to have a healthy one and it should keep you full so you don't reach for that calorie laden snack mid morning! Been there done that...
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Yes it is a weird one, I will stick to my healthy breakfast!
Hi there, I skip breakfast and it works for me simply because I don't feel hungry in the mornings and prefer to start eating at around mid-day. I decided to go with it rather than force myself to eat food when I wasn't hungry and I later found out that this pattern of eating was called 16:8 fasting - well, I'd never have believed it!
I think the moral of the tale is that we're all different and as long as we get the nutrients our bodies need, and in the right quantity, it doesn't matter when we choose to eat. If I was a breakfast person, wild horses wouldn't convince me to wait until dinner time for my first meal of the day but believe me when I say that missing breakfast out does you no harm whatsoever.
Since switching to a lower carbohydrate diet, I find it very easy to skip breakfast without feeling hungry or tired. My blood glucose stays very stable throughout the day, making it very easy now to do a 16:8 fast most days and increase that to a 24 fast at least once a week by skipping lunch too. It saves time and money and makes breakfast all the more enjoyable if I choose to have it, usually at a weekend. I've given up cereals, even the so-called "healthy" whole grains because they all get digested into glucose in the blood stream. Eggs with bacon or smoked salmon taste delicious anyway.
I think we're on a similar wavelength although 24 hour fasts only happen by accident when I can't access food in the afternoon and I'm forced to just have an evening meal. Again, it doesn't do me any harm occasionally and I manage to stay within my calorie allowance over all.
I must admit that just lately I've started to feel hungry more often than I used to and I'm tempted to eat more before feeling full. This is totally unexpected and I did wonder whether my hormone levels are starting to adjust in my body's attempt to encourage me to put back my fat reserves. Just in case I'm being extra careful as I don't want to let the calories creep up on me and undo all of my good work x
I sometimes feel hungry for no apparent reason. I think it may be due to eating too much carbohydrate as occasional treats. If I stick more closely to low carbohydrate, high fat and moderate protein, hunger is rare. I don't have to count calories any more because my diet keeps my weight stable by eating when I'm ready and fasting when I still feel full. I find this much easier to stick to (five years so far) than the low fat calorie-restricted diet. I still weigh meals cooked at home to check my typical daily carbohydrate intake and this allows me to also note the daily calorie intake, which can vary from well below 1000 to over 3000. Any temporary weight increase on "feasting" days soon disappears on "fasting" days.
It is wonderful to know that you can keep weight off in the long term and that the body eventually resets itself as long as we stay mindful of our eating. To maintain weight for 5 years is fantastic and thank you for sharing your success story and your approach to eating.
I'm definitely finding a link between the two different approaches to my dietary changes this time (intermittent fasting and low sugar/carbohydrate as opposed to low fat/low calorie) and the amount of weight I've lost, but also in the way I've adjusted to stabilising and maintaining my weight (something I've never been able to achieve before).
Just lately I seem to have added in quite a few more sugary snacks (usually in the form of extra dried fruits) and it is only recently that I've been experiencing hunger pangs so there may be a connection and I'll cut the dried fruit down again to see what happens.
Last time I tried 5:2 fasting I went off the rails altogether so I'm sticking to 16:8 on around 5 days a week and that seems to suit me better. I hope you maintain for many more years to come x
Thanks for your reply. It is encouraging to hear from somebody else who notices the effects of different dietary approaches and modifies their eating habits accordingly. I too also find 16:8 easy to stick to most days, adding the occasional 24 hour fast whenever my weight sneaks up, or I'm too busy to stop for lunch. Sometimes I will eat a breakfast of eggs and bacon, but a cup of tea is normally enough to start the day. Eating fewer meals saves time and money.
My own improvement was inspired by the work of Professor Roy Taylor. I felt his Newcastle diet would be too restrictive for me, because I enjoy real food too much to stick to his meal replacements, but it made me look into low carbohydrate diets and intermittent fasting, which turned out to suit me really well.
I felt I was on the right track when I heard of Dr Davin Unwin and his wife Dr Jennifer unwin, who listened to their patients and set up group education sessions in which patients took a leading role in mutually encouraging low carbohydrate eating. I was glad to meet them both at the Public Health Collaboration conference last June. His GP practice has reduced their diabetes drugs bill by tens of thousands of pounds.
Sadly my own GP will not recommend a low carb diet and even excludes me from group sessions because she thinks it will confuse the other patients to hear a success story that is against the majority of evidence. I think an honest appraisal of all available evidence would conclude otherwise, but GPs generally receive little or no training in diet and nutrition (a GP friend told me this) and are too busy to read widely on the subject.
I think you are right to reduce your sugary snacks and I hope that works well for you.
I think it is very difficult for the medical profession to accept that the advice they have been giving to people for many years sometimes needs to be modified in the light of newer evidence and I suspect that changing views will be as difficult as pushing a lorry with one finger!
I do wholeheartedly agree that anecdotal evidence from a few patients doesn't overturn the experiences of the many over a long time period but it will be very interesting to see what happens as new evidence emerges over the next few years.
I happened across my current pattern of eating quite by chance and haven't discussed this with my lovely but clearly over-worked GP; I may just make an appointment with the Practice Nurse because I do think it is important that patients offer feedback to their GPs and I really must pluck up the courage.
After a lifetime of yo-yo dieting, to find a way to break the pattern is truly miraculous and I'm quite certain it is no coincidence that I have included both fasting and low carbohydrate eating this time.
I must admit I would love to share what I've learned with others and I take the approach that we put on weight for different reasons so there isn't going to be one way of doing things that will work for everyone, but this is one approach that clearly works for some of us and I do think that maybe we should be supported to try different dietary approaches rather than expect one way to work for us all x
I certainly think that different dietary approaches may suit different people, just as different drugs may suit some people more than others.
It's the job of healthcare professionals to find the best treatment for each patient and it's up to patients to play their part by noticing what works for them.
Low carbohydrate diets and intermittent fasting are considered by some doctors to be less risky than the possible side effects of some drugs used to treat diabetes and hypertension, but the official NHS advice remains cautious because of worries about unspecified potential long-term problems.
Diabetes.co.uk has a low carb program with lots of information that patients can use in discussions with their own doctor. Some GP practices already recommend low carb to treat diabetes and they ensure that their patient's medication is adjusted as needed when the patient's blood glucose reduces.
When you're thinking of rolling out general advice to millions of people then it is only right to consider the longer term effects but instinct tells me that regular, but not continual fasting is doing me good rather than harm as is lower carbohydrate (but more specifically low sugar). I'm a firm believer in "everything in moderation" and I'm quite certain that reducing the need for drugs can only be a good thing. x
For long-term effects, consider that the standard treatment for type two diabetes for over a hundred years was essentially LCHF, as described in William Banting's 'Letter on corpulence addressed to the Public' in 1861.
Banting cut out beer and Champagne, but allowed himself far more claret, sherry and spirits that would seem wise now. Despite that, he lost weight and transformed his health.
Then, in the 1970s, Senator George McGovern pushed through dietary guidelines that recommended increased consumption of starchy carbohydrates. The advice was controversial at the time, but the senator said he didn't enjoy the research scientist's luxury of waiting for all the results before reaching a decision.
Is it just a coincidence that for the hundred years up to 1977 there was relatively little obesity and diabetes but that both have increased alarmingly in the 40 years since then.
apparently it was breakfast cereal company's who decided that breakfast was the most important meal of the day and they went to town to advertise it ;).
I have heard lots of things (not from cereal companys) that the reason why breakfast is important is that it literally means break fast. One of the problems with missing breakfast is that if your body isn't receiving regular food it can go into starvation mode and lower your metabolism thus making it harder to lose weight.
Another reason is that many people skip breakfast and then at 11am because their blood sugar is low they are starving and reach for the nearest fattening food.
I guess if it works for you not having breakfast then you know your own body best. I know I couldn't skip it for the above reasons,
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I do have a later mid morning breakfast at the weekends to be fair, but when I am working everything is more routine. Breakfast, lunch, dinner & fruit. I work in an office so regular food means avoiding the temptation!
I know how you feel. The amount of conflicting advice out there is mind boggling. I decided to ignore it all, eat within my recommended calorie allowance , cut out nothing but count everything. Other members aporoach it differently but it worked for me and I lost one and a half stone. Everyone finds their own path. Don't let all the information get to you. Decide what will work for you . Good luck🙂
Well done on your weight loss, that's fantastic. The scales just wont budge for me at the moment but I still need to find my way. I think you are right, its personal choice and to me it should be a balanced diet and not cutting out whole food groups etc. Thank you and well done for your achievements.
The scales aren't always our friend. It took 5 weeks before I list anything at all but with the support from this forum I was able to stick with it and eventually I started to lose, slowly sometimes only a few ounces but I got there. . You can too with all of us cheering you on. There will always be someone to lend a listening ear. 🤗
Hi, I know what you mean- I'm becoming steadily more cynical as all the advice seems to conflict and contradict! Gin and chocolate in the face of all that is totally understandable!
I think that basically when you want to lose weight and are not sure where to turn (not you personally, most of us I mean) you want someone to tell you what to do and look for a simple do-able solution- I know that I do. I have done Slimming World in the past and found it successful to a point- never reached goal weight in 3 memberships and found it unsustainable because of restricting certain food types.Same with Weightwatchers several years back.
I've decided that I'm simply going to look at calorie intake, portion sizes, and aim for wholesome food in the majority of my diet (80-20 guideline), plus cut right down on sugar and processed food, and up the water intake. I am sick of feeling like I want to overeat certain things or feeling terrible if I do, and I want to eat EVERYTHING I like, even if in moderation, and I feel like as an intelligent person I ought to be free of diet plans which have unbalanced methods of calorie restriction.
Research has shown that different things motivate different types of people when it comes to weight loss, and it depends on your personality type. In my case it is accountability, e.g. logging food and calories regularly and having a weigh-in where someone cares if I have lost or gained weight. What motivates you? What have you tried and what have you not tried? What weight loss method appeals to you, if any? Most plans work when you follow them, it's generally sustaining weight loss when you stop the plan that most find the hardest.
Lots of people here seem to have done the NHS 12 week weight loss plan and got great results. I started it last week and struggled a bit as you need to plan meals and calorie intake, but used in conjunction with My Fitness Pal it was tolerable. I perked up a bit when I realised after using the NHS BMI check thingy I was underestimating the amount of cals I could have
Thank you for understanding my gin and chocolate binge! I don't even really like chocolate, but as is the way at easter - it was there! I have done Weight watchers 3 times, the first 2 I got to goal, the 3rd time I went to the meetings and fell out of love as it felt like a sales push on their own foods and most of them are snacks with all sorts of sweeteners and thickeners in them. It didn't feel right anymore, I lost respect for the company and couldn't face being there anymore.
Another person that's all for wholefoods, this is very reassuring to me that we all appear to be on the same line of thinking. I think when I know my plan and I am in the zone I am quite good at being accountable for myself, weighing in myself etc. Like you say its when you get to that goal and somehow let it all go. Now I cant seem to even loose 1lb!
I have upped my exercise to 6 days per week since October 2016 and I haven't lost any weight at all since then, so it has to be what I am eating that is sabotaging things. I have tried my fitness pal but got too hung up with trying to eat enough protein and now I have realised that the set target for protein on MFP is higher than the nhs recommend! I just feel like I cant win at the moment! lol
Perhaps I stick to NHS guidelines and ignore all other advice and then see how I do. I have to start somewhere! Thank you very much and good luck to you too.
With 6 x exercise sessions a week you may just be pilling on muscle which is heavier than fat. However, I'm not sure any amount of exercise will allow you to eat everything you want. With fitness Pal I just use it for calories alone, especially as it's way out on calories I need for my BMI. Sounds like your much more experienced at this dieting game than I but if you haven't tried it already the 12 week NHS plan really helps focus your mind on healthy options which is why I related so well to it.
I am definitely getting tighter around my middle, so I am chuffed at that. I wont be eating my exercise calories, I will just stick to the calories I am given. Given the experience in dieting, I can believe I still havent cracked the maintaining a healthy weight, I have been up and down like a yo yo for 15 years!
There's just too much temptation out there but the one thing the 12 week plan has taught me is to switch the crap for healthy options. However, it's impossible to keep it up all the time so I guess a lapse is ok as long as it doesn't go on for too long. So back fasting today, so far 1 dried apricots whilstcooking kids dinner has passed my lips. I know that sounds excessive but after over 2yrs my body is used to fasting. Just have to keep up the liquids and at least it's only 2 days a week so that I can eat more the rest of the week. Do you know that your actually eating enough calories? if you haven't already checked look at the nhs BMI calculator. As I found out the hard way that your body will hold on to fat if it goes into starvation mode. By upping my calories and taking magnesium and omega 3 to reduce the cortisol I was releasing, hopefully that's the end of that.
If the NHS 12 week plan doesn't suit you, then look at the 10 week plan from diabetes.co.uk. And not just because it's two weeks Shorter. Both plans claim to be successful if followed properly, but I found one much easier to stick to over a prolonged period. I've had normal glucose levels and stable weight for five years now. Which one. Don't ask me. I'm not a doctor. Ask your GP to monitor you as you follow your chosen plan. If you try both it won't take more than 22 weeks to find out which you prefer and your doctor could warn you if either appears to be harming you.
Jammie17 that's almost exactly my philosophy on weight loss. I have not tried the NHS 12 week plan, but so far I am happy with my results (3 weeks of modified diet).
Watched the 'How to lose weight well' programme on Channel 4 last night. Have seen a few previous episodes. I feel that it just bombards you with all the contrary opinions on weight loss approaches. I have friends who have tried different diets involving eating lots of fatty foods and no carbs etc, but these just baffle me.
I much prefer the simpler (and to me more logical approach) of a well balanced limited calorie regime, with some exercise.
The media can be very confusing we all the information out there on what's good or bad for us. You have to do what suits you best and for me it's counting calories.
Take a look at the Welcome Newbie post in the Pinned post section at the right hand side or at the bottom if your on a mobile. Have a look at the nhs 12 week plan, many members have had success following this plan. Use the BMI checker to work out your daily calorie allowance.
Below the Pinned posts are the Topics where members share a range of weight related subjects.
Take your measurements at the start together with a photo so you can see the changes on the days the scales don't move.
We have daily weigh ins so why not come along and join us. You can find the weigh ins on the Home page in the Events section on the right. Just click on the post in Events and record your start weight and any loss/gain or maintain for the week.
To get the most of the forum be active, share tips, recipes and experiences. Read some of the posts they are very motivating.
Thank you so much for being so welcoming, I am so pleased at all these lovely replies. I really appreciate the tips in your email. I should so my measurements like I have in the past, its very motivating when the scales don't move! Thanks again for your reply.
I'm sure you can find a lifestyle to suit you. I agree with Jammie17 that different people are motivated by different things like weighins, tracking food diaries etc and I hope you find the right system for you.
I am seeing some common themes from these replies that I really agree with as things that are meaningful to me. Its been so lovely to get some feedback from other people. I think this is something that I have really missed from doing weight watchers online, that there are so many lovely people on a website that all spur each other on. I used to use a notepad tracker with weight watchers, I had about 6 books full and threw them all away. Time to start a new one I think! Thank you for your reply.
I am trying myfitnesspal, but not getting on with it very well. I wonder if I need to create my own foods like I used to on Weight Watchers. Worth a try!
I don't think I have ever had an Easter egg, gin, chaser. It is an incredible image in my head Hidden .
You are right the advice is conflicting. I take the tack that I need to know what I am eating therefore don't eat any commercial processed foods. They frequently contain loads of unhealthy fats and sugar in its many guises. I am in the camp that says sugar is just not needed by our bodies and believe it does lots of damage to us.
You need to find out what works for you. The media often give us messages that big business want to get out so that we will buy into, or indeed buy, the latest magic bullet. Sadly, none of them work and we are constantly hoodwinked.
Whatever works for you it needs to be a lifestyle change so that it is sustainable. I would also suggest that it is a long, slow journey, which is of course how excess weight accumulates.
I wish you well, enjoy your journey and have a good adventure with your food.
Ha ha! that made me laugh, I needed a laugh! Thank you! lol It looks like many people feel that processed foods and sugars should be reduced, which is very reassuring to me. I need it to stick as a lifestyle change this time, I am fed up of loosing five stone and putting it all on again! Thank you for your well wishes, I really appreciate it.
You will find everybody on the forum so supportive and helpful. Lots of people do different things which I think is great because you get to pinch the bits you want and make them part of your lifestyle. Always somebody sharing a lovely recipe, a good tip or piece of research.
Come on here lots and join in the conversations and challenges, it really is quite good fun - and this is the only social media thing I do.
There is no 'one size fits all' solution when it comes to diet. Different parts of the world have different foods, they do have some things in common when it comes to health. They all encourage minimally processed foods, 'real foods' usually as wide a variety as possible. Perhaps have a look at the idea of 'Blue Zone' areas in the world, with their descriptions of healthy eating. A lot of it depends on what grows locally.
This article compares a variety of different diets, hopefully you might find it interesting or helpful.
I have just had some Easter egg and a glass of prosecco. The Easter egg is only one day a year, the prosecco, a little more often, so they're not going to have a big effect overall.
Perhaps read something like "Fat Chance" by Robert Lustig, who is an American obesity specialist. He explains how food affects our bodies and makes some suggestions on healthy eating, but it isn't a 'diet' book as such.
I can see avoiding processed foods it definitely a common theme with people on here, which is reassuring. I have also been trying to eat more locally grown produce so that will be of interest to me thank you. I'm pleased to hear I am not the only one that gave in to the egg, I only had one small one and its gone now, so onwards and upwards! Thank you very much for the recommendations, I will check them out.
Thanks for the link Penel a very interesting article. Makes perfect sense to me. i have always though big business cares about profit for shareholders not the health and weigh of those buying the product - whatever that product is from a food to a whole philosophy.
Hi Hidden I felt the same so decided to go with the NHS programme. It's good solid dietary advice with no gimmicks and no sponsorship from big companies or somebody selling a book or their food products. The eatwell plate shows how to fill a plate and then how to count calories. It does take a couple of days to weigh food and get the portion sizes right but it's incredible how many calories their are in some foods that we are not aware of unless the calories are counted. Hope you find something from all of these replies that resonates with you. Fresh
Hi, that's so true. I didn't think about it as people trying to sell a book or movie etc. Impartial advice is absolutely what we need. I am so pleased that other people are feeling the same way about me with processed foods & sugars. Its been very interesting and reassuring reading all of the replies. Thank you for your message.
Most, if not all, the media reports you mention have some degree of truth, but you need to get medical advice to help you decide which of them would help your individual needs. The problem is that many doctors are just as confused as we patients about the often contradictory claims so they feel restricted to NICE guidelines. I always tell my doctors what I'm doing, even if it's against their advice. Sometimes I've been right, sometimes the doctors are. I always try to learn from my mistakes and hope the doctors sometimes admit, if only to themselves, that they can learn too.
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The nurse gave me a leaflet when I went to the docs last and it was basically around the eatwell guide, choosing from a list of each type of food in a day until you had met your balanced diet. I will need to go back again in a month and I am dreading it, but I will make sure they know what I am doing. Especially as at the moment I am not loosing anything! lol Hopefully I will suss out my mistakes soon.
Before I started I didn't only look into weight loss diets but I looked into what your body needs to maintain itself. I cut down sugar caffeine and alcohol. I reduced my intake of processed food. Every day I make sue I eat plenty of fruit and veg, lots are low in calories. Soups and smoothie are a good way of doing this. I eat protein in the form of fish eggs yogurt and cheese and whole grain bread and pasts nuts and pulses. All these things are needed for a healthy body
What I find most important is to eat regular meals and keep a record of what you eat I use NHS calorie counter. Don't snack. Don't feel guilty if you stray. Exercise is important not only to loose weight but to maintain a healthy body but the most important thing is to do what you enjoy that way you will stick at it.
These I things that help me and since I have been eating this way I have found that not only have I lost weight I feel much healthier too
This really resonates with me and it what I have been aiming for. I have been terrible for snacking lately, anything I can get my hands on, which I know is sabotaging all of the other good things that I have been doing. So I definitely need to go back to tracking. I have stopped drinking squashes and fizzy drinks, my alcohol consumption as definitely reduced and I am focusing on cutting out processed foods and eating fruit and vegetables. Its been so reassuring to hear that everyone else's focus is similar to mine, I have got to stop going looking for more answers in books and tv. Clearly these simple steps are the correct way to do things and I just need to focus on what I feel is the right way to do this. Thank you for your reply and good luck with your journey too.
First of all no one diet fits all be it LCHF, WW, SW or whatever! No matter what anyone says you need to find a way of eating that fits you and your lifestyle. There is no need to cut out whole food groups and as you say so much in the media is contradictory and confusing. I am a T2 diabetic and eat fewer carbs now, I don't cut them all out completely because there are days (like yesterday) where treats of cake and sweet stuff are around and so I adjust what I'm eating and don't have the bread or rice or whatever so that I can have a sweet treat. Its all a case of balance.
I try to eat mindfully, very few processed foods (make my own yoghurt) although I do have the odd processed meal it is not very often. I try to only eat when hungry on a level 6 of the 1-10 scale, I stop eating when satisfied, not full, because it takes 20 mins for your brain to realise that you are actually full! I read the books by Debbie Flint called Till The Fat Lady Slims (available on Amazon) and it explains the journey she took on find how to eat mindfully.
Also, because I'm diabetic I also have the Chris Cheyette book Carbs & Cals (also an app) which helps to show portion sizes. These days plates are so big and we tend to try to fill them, I have a small dinner plate from 40 years ago (was a wedding present!) that I eat off most of the time, but if I'm trying, as I am at the moment, to get some weight off (I admit I'm not a good dieter at all which is why mindful eating is helping me with my relationship with food) I use a tea plate.
Losing weight is hard for the majority of us and the media make it harder. We can all do it (I must listen to my own advice ) but in a way that doesn't make us feel guilty if we have the odd slip up. In Till the Fat Lady Slims it calls it a wayside stop on the journey. Losing weight is a marathon not a sprint and if we all take it easy and don't beat ourselves up over not doing it right or not exercising enough then we all eventually get to our goal.
Ooh I would like to try making my own yogurt! Eating mindfully is something that I need to take on board, I eat so quickly! I'm not in a rush this time, like you say better getting it right and stop the yo yoing.
Eat less,move more. There is no right or wrong way but aim for a balanced healthy diet in smaller portions and get some exercise even if it is just short walks to begin with. Diets notoriously don't work in the long-term so think more about a permanent change in eating and activity habits. Check out your motivation, list all the reasons why you want to lose weight and refer to them when you wobble. Good health is the basis on which everything else in life depends. Best wishes, Daisy1925
Thanks Daisy1925, absolutely. Back to basics I think, I wrote myself a letter once that I could read back on bad days. I think that's one I need to do again.
You in deed are the only person who can work out what works for you. It was suggested to me by my dietician that a good starting point was to check the horizon website. There's a quiz on what type of eater you are so you can see what diet should work best. I discovered I was a 'constant craver' so the 5.2 diet was suggested. After the 1st week I'd got over the initial shock of only 500 calories 2 days a week and lost 6kg in the 1st year without really trying. However, complaisency led me to put some back on so this year I decided to follow the 12 week NHS plan combined with the 5.2 which has helped me loose 6kg since mid Jan. The plan is great as it teaches you good habits which should be maintainable. Although the last few weeks my motivation has wained a little so I may have to start the 12 weeks again if I can't pull it back on my own. Find a sport or exercise that you enjoy or worse case can tolerate and the moving whilst reducing calories should work to drop the weight. Good luck with your journey and whatever way you choose to loose weight staying motivated will always be key. Find something that works and stick to it.
I got 48% Constant Craver (Intermittent fasting), 42% Feaster (High protein, low GI). Thats quite interesting. I do like to get out on my bike and go for walks, so fingers crossed the weather will help me get out and about. Thank you, I hope with both find our motivation.
If 'constant craver' was your highest percentage it might be worth trying the 5.2 it's hard the 1st week or so but the problem is once you get use to it you can't stop. So if it's not something you want to do as a lifetime choice it might not work long-term. However, if you were looking to just get yourself quickly to a point you can maintain, it could work in the short term. Good luck with whatever you decide to try.
I agree who knows what to do? I have just gone back the idea of less energy in than energy used!
I have lost weight in the past using the 5:2 which I quite liked but I can only do it the summer for some reason! In the winter I feel hungry a lot more - psychological I guess. But I find that now I'm older (54) I will lose very little unless I move more- don't get me wrong, this isn't a gym bunny speaking. Just walking and a few of the strength exercises. I also need to control portion sizes.
Healthy eating is how I get the energy in to me. Nowadays I would rather get my calories by eating better wherever possible, but I agree that banning foods is a red flag to a bull and makes me want to eat them more.
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Help to eat the right amount of Calories for successful weight loss, once and for all?
Tips and advice welcome I have lots of questions too
Aghh just ruined my diet yet again!!!
Calorie counting or low fat? 
Can you drink alcohol and still lose weight?
