how to lose weight efectivegly and how to avoid fad diets

[EmilyOC1]

so your probably wondering how to lose weight efectively and how to avoid fad diets, I will take you through the best way and which diets are fads,

First things first:

Just a food for thought here, no diet is the same and the main thing to remember is when you are eating healthy is to not think of it as a diet, just a healtheir lifestyle.

How to lose weight:

So the first thing you can do is to keep a food diary/chart to keep track of how much you are eating and i mean keep track of everything, right down portion size of ingreidiants, food and sauces and you will be able to see which thing you are having too much of and to cut it down (NOT OUT).

Should i cut certain foods out?

Well my answer to that is no, you dont need to give up chocolate or you curry, just have it in small amounts, some foods you actually need, like bread, pasta ect, as its a slow realease of energy and will keep you fuller for longer.

I dont have enough money for the gym, which is the best way to to excercise for free?

well to be honest you dont really need a gym to lose weight, taking walks every day is just as good. Also how about instead of going via car to the shops why not walk there instead? Walking helps to tone your legs and burns calories as well.

You can also do home excercises by doing squats, push ups,sit ups, jumping jacks, star jumps, the list goes on.

FAD DIETS:

I have tried many diets that just dont work or do work but only as a short term thing.

Sliming world and weight watchers

Now you're going to laugh at me for this, but slimming world and weight watchers is actually a fad diet because you are going to a club where you are given a certain amount of sysn/points a day and its just not realistic and after a while you just give up on it. You always feel hungry, feel ill, and you are paying 5 pound/21 pound a week/month for them to tell you how to lose weight where you can do all that at home and doing it yourself means you are saving and average of 20 pounds (slimming world) a year and 220 pounds a year and 21 pounds a month ( weight watchers) 251 pounds a year. and they say you can only lose weight by eating their food which is mega expensive where you can get the same nutrition from having a ham sandwhich for lunch, with a yogurt and a baby bell and a piece of fruit.

Slim fast diet:

Again a fad diet becuase it says you have two shakes of 250 kcals (estimated) and each shake is 1.60 (estimated) so a day thats 3.20 a day 22.4 a month and per year its 268. you can get all that from having a bowl od cereal, or 2 slices of jam on toast, a sandwich for lunch a piece of fruit and a yogurt.

The list goes on and on, but those are the two main things i wanted make aware of.

so now you know you can take this information and adapt it into your life,

I hope this helps

Emily O'Connor

[Tiggerr]

You make some valid points most of which I'm assuming you've garnered from the NHS 12 week plan which people here are encouraged to read when they join. At the same time you may want to reconsider generalisations about how the people here feel who are actually following some of the plans you've mentioned.

The world is full of different people and there is unlikely to be one path that works for all of them. There is rarely a one size fits all.

[EmilyOC1 in reply to Tiggerr]

I agree, no diet is the same but i was giving info, to guide first timers on how they can lose weight efectively.

[Muffintop2 7lbs Restart March 2025 in reply to EmilyOC1]

There is a great amount of excellent guidance on here for first timers. Advice that acknowledges different preferences, individual experience and is non judgmental. I am sure you mean well, but do take time to read through.

[ExcitableElf]

I disagree with some of the points you’re making here. Some of your generalisations about the Slimming World/WW diets aren’t correct. They don’t say you can only lose weight by eating their food; quite the opposite in my experience. And you don’t always feel hungry and ill. Some people do very well on those diets. And some people need the face to face contact that these diet groups offer.

Whilst I appreciate the general message of trying to pursue a healthier lifestyle, one of the things I love about this forum is everyone’s ability to support people no matter which path they have chosen to pursue. It might be worth you having a read of many of the other posts on here, if you haven’t already.

And if you’re not already considering it, I might consider those who might be disparaged by reading parts of your post. From the sounds of it, those diets haven’t worked for you in the past, and I’m glad you’ve found something that does work for you. But please keep in mind those of us still finding our way.

[EmilyOC1 in reply to ExcitableElf]

again each expeirance is different but the way i see slimming world and weight watchers is very limiting to what you can have and when you have a family to feed it can be very difficult to make seperate meals for everyone on a budget

[ExcitableElf in reply to EmilyOC1]

Fair enough, but that’s not what you say in your post and I don’t think it’s true only of diets like SW/WW either. I think it can easily be true of healthy eating as well. And having done SW/WW, both easily allow for the sort of diet those who are doing the NHS plan are consuming. I seem to remember just trying to eat balanced meals. I never bought any branded food, I never got hungry, I never felt ill. Life simply got in the way.

And you’re more than entitled to your opinion, of course, I only ask that you consider how your words may impact those who are happy in following these plans.

[gardenia0806 4lbs in reply to ExcitableElf]

I found slimming world ok,l could eat anything. It was. just having to go and get weighed weekly that got me down. I am happy with the nhs healthy eating because i'm still eating healthy with sw menu's but weighing in while in my own home.

[Hidden in reply to gardenia0806]

At least when you weigh at home it's nice and private!

[Laura97 in reply to ExcitableElf]

I do agree with what you say.

I doubt if there are people on here who only follow the NHS Plan. Losing weight can be terribly disheartening and difficult (as well as slow) and that is what makes people join.

We only have to see how many truly faddy diets are out there in order to see what the OP meant.

We like results - fast.

However, my old boss had such a limited diet that she became orthorexic and it was impossible to go for meals with her. There wasn't a restaurant anywhere in which she could find something to eat. I mean, seriously?

[Hidden in reply to Laura97]

The diets that exclude certain food groups are the ones to avoid like high protein no carbs diets.

[Laura97 in reply to EmilyOC1]

I went to Slimming World and the theory underpinning it is food combining.

I was never hungry while I did it and the emphasis was definitely on healthy eating, not starvation - which is ironic, really, since some people on this site think I am now starving myself.

[Hidden in reply to Laura97]

I didn't mind slimming world. It was weight watchers I didn't like as they were too dictatorial and rosemary Conley I didn't like either!

[Laura97 in reply to Hidden]

Yes, there's nothing more difficult than looking at someone who's incredibly thin, especially when that person is leaping about doing contortionist exercises.

[Hidden in reply to Laura97]

Just do what you feel is right for you and it you find slimming world OK then carry on with it.

No point in following a plan that makes you miserable!

[Lynne64]

Oh jings, some people gave you, what felt like a wee row, for simply trying to be helpful, whilst at the same time asking you to be mindful of how your words were perceived 😃we are here to lose weight, get healthy, get support and advice and sometimes a wee laugh. Nobody ever posts anything hateful here and i love that and thats all that matters to me. Good luck

[gman1961 Host]

And it's free on here .

Gary

[Laura97]

WeightWatchers is simply calorie counting, which is exactly what this website advocates.

[Hidden]

Weight watchers and Slim fast arent the right ones for me but slimming world was fine.

[focused1 Maintainer 13kg]

My sister suffers with acute depression .Last year she was sectioned in hospital , during that time she put on a lot of weight . Slimming club has been her lifeline as she actually gets out and meets people . From that she has joined other groups , lost weight and is starting part time work . I am so proud of her . She motivated me to watch what I am eating . People sometimes need that help from a group . It is certainly working for her in more ways than one.

[Laura97 in reply to focused1]

The competitive edge to Slimming World spurred me on. I loved trying to be 'Slimmer of the Week'.

You're quite right about getting out and meeting people and I'm glad to read that your sister did. We moved from a big city to this tiny village a year ago and I joined two clubs (eventually) which really helped me to make friends (but not influence people, as they say.)

Neither club has anything to do with slimming - quite the opposite, actually. We seem to spend a good deal of time eating cakes.

I am going there this afternoon. I shall walk, which is not like me.

[Hidden in reply to Laura97]

The clubs offer friendships as well as just being about going on scales every week like in the tv series fat friends.

[Hidden in reply to focused1]

Good on your sister on turning her life around.

[dubnde]

For me just logging food made me aware of how much more I was eating. Lots of water helped. Was 103kgs last September. I am 90kgs today. This may be slow for some people but I had planned to lose 10kgs over a year and it is working without much sacrifice for me. I am ahead of my plan. Haven't got a clue how it happened. Still eating same goods but smaller portions. Lots of water I repeat. And lots of sleep. So new plan is to lose 5kgs by September this year. If I can get to 85kgs by September then I know it is sustainable.

[EmilyOC1 in reply to dubnde]

slow steps lead to big steps people want to lose quick but taking it into slow steps will get people there, good for you for losing all that and i'm sure you'll get there in time